Ayelet's B'nai Mitzvah
& Family Adventure in Israel
February 15-26, 2024


Tour Rates & Dates:

This package is currently unavailable. Please check back later or call Ayelet Tours, Ltd. for more information.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card).
Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

Custom or private Eilat/Petra extensions are available.
Please contact Ayelet Tours for pricing.


Tour Overview:

Download a PDF version:

Ayelet's B'nai Mitzvah & Family Adventure in Israel is an interactive, hands-on Israel tour for participants of every age. Each day is designed to engage and enlighten through a variety of sites, activities and adventures. Our handpicked guides will bring heritage & history to life as we explore and celebrate in this amazing land!

INCLUDED IN YOUR UNFORGETTABLE TOUR:

5 nights
Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
2 nights
Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, Upper Galilee
3 nights
Renaissance Hotel, Tel Aviv
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Breakfast daily
6 dinners (including a Gala B'nai Mitzvah celebration)
Camel ride & desert hospitality
B'nai Mitzvah ceremony & kiddush reception
Official B'nai Mitzvah certificate from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism (Rabbi's services and Torah included)
Other gifts & surprises along the way!
Chocolate workshop at DeKarina Chocolate Factory
Participation in a live archaeological dig
Jeep tour in the North
Float in the Dead Sesa (lunch included)
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Porterage
Bottled water on the bus
Whisper headsets

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges
Border taxes and visa fee
Tips to guides, drivers, and dining room personnel ($25 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Meals not listed above
Any items of a personal nature
Travel Insurance (recommended -
group policy available)

Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination


Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Thursday, February 15, 2024: DEPARTURE

• Departure from the U.S.

Day 2: Friday, February 16, 2024: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• Shalom and welcome to Israel! Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, you wil be greeted and assisted by an Ayelet Tours representative
• Transfer on your own to our hotel in Jerusalem to check in and refresh after your long journey (private transfers can be arranged).
• This afternoon, we meet our tour guide and other group members in the hotel lobby and begin our adventure.
• Together, we go to the Haas Promenade overlooking the City of Gold for a special “Shehecheyanu” ceremony, enjoying a sweet taste of challah and wine (or grape juice) to mark our arrival in Jerusalem of Gold!
• We continue to the Western Wall to greet Shabbat along with the people of Jerusalem. There is nothing quite like the energy of the Western Wall as Shabbat enters. A cacophony of prayer, song, personal reflection and sometimes even dancing; this will be a moment to remember.
• We return to our hotel where we enjoy a special Shabbat welcome dinner together. Shabbat Shalom!

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Saturday, February 17, 2024: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Join us for optional Shabbat services this morning.
• This afternoon, we enjoy a guided walking tour beginning at the Tower of David Museum and continuing through history in the Old City, exploring the Jewish and Christian quarters. We exit through the Jaffa Gate.
• Enjoy dinner (on own) as Jerusalem returns to life after the calm of Shabbat. We suggest a visit to the Mamilla Pedestrian mall with its varied assortment of cafes and restaurants.
• Later this evening, we walk together to the Tower of David, where we enjoy the new Sound and Light show spectacular!

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Sunday, February 18, 2024: MASADA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Early this morning, we depart Jerusalem and drive toward the Dead Sea Basin.
• Those who wish may climb the snake path to the top of Masada. The rest of us ascend the desert plateau by cable car. We view the remains of King Herod's palace and fortifications and hear the story of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the approaching Roman armies.
• We enjoy lunch at a Dead Sea resort hotel, followed by an unsinkable swim in the healing, salty waters of the Dead Sea.
• Our day ends with a camel ride and desert tent hospitality at a Bedouin encampment.
• This evening, we meet with our Israeli rabbi to review tomorrow's B'nai Mitzvah ceremony.
(Note: B'nai Mitzvah participants are assigned Torah readings of generally 3-5 lines, assigned well in advance, with audio links provided for study. We can also provide resources for tutoring if requested.)
• Dinner on own tonight.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Monday, February 19, 2024: CELEBRATING OUR B'NAI MITZVAH!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we celebrate our B'nai Mitzvah in the Old City at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall, known sometimes as the Kotel HaMishpacha (the family wall), near Robinson's Arch. Mazel Tov!
• We enjoy a light kiddush as we mark this special occasion.
• We continue to Ir David, the City of David, where we wander through the carefully preserved archaeological excavations dating back to the time of King David, including the tunnels (water tunnels in summer or dry tunnels in winter).
• Tonight, we enjoy a gala dinner in celebration of our B'nai Mitzvah, a festive end to this unforgettable day!

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Tuesday, February 20, 2024: THE PATH TO ISRAEL'S FOUNDATION

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We pass by the Israeli Supreme Court, noting the outstanding architecture filled with symbolism and continue to the Knesset, Israel's parliament building. Here, we have a unique photo opportunity by the iconic outdoor bronze menorah sculpture, a gift from the British parliament dating back to the 1950s.
• We tour Yad Vashem, Israel's moving memorial and museum to the victims of the Holocaust. Younger children will have the option to visit the nearby Biblical Zoo.
• Next, we stroll through the bustling Machane Yehuda, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the market as we discover its secrets.
• Lunch on own.
• This afternoon, we visit the beautifully renovated Israel Museum to view its extensive collections. We walk through the iconic Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, then see the Holy Land model, a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Wednesday, February 21, 2024: THE JORDAN VALLEY RIFT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart Jerusalem and travel north through the Jordan Valley.
• Our first stop is Gesher, an early kibbutz with restored 14th century buildings and Roman, Turkish and British bridges built over the Jordan River. Bread is baked here every day using the same method as almost 100 years ago.
• We continue with a tour of the ruins of the once thriving city of Tzippori, where Jews and gentiles lived side by side for centuries ad where the Mishnah was codified almost 2,000 years ago.
• This afternoon, we cool off at Aqua Kef, a fun and refreshing “floating water park” on Yam Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee).
• We continue to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 8: Thursday, February 22, 2024: NORTHERN ADVENTURES

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Today, we visit the mystical city of Safed, where we visit the ancient synagogues and have time to stroll among the shops of the artists' quarter. The shops here are famous for featuring Kabbalistic artwork and micro-calligraphy.
• Next, we enjoy an adventurous jeep tour up to the Golan Heights. Atop the Golan, at Har Bental, we take in the amazing panoramic views reaching far into Syria as our guide updates us on the latest geopolitical happenings in the region.
• We try our hand at chocolate making and learn from the experts in a delicious and fun experience at the Dekarina Chocolate Factory (adults may choose instead to enjoy a wine tasting at the adjacent Bahat Winery!).
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 9: Friday, February 23, 2024: THE BEAUTY OF THE COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• We depart the Galilee for our trip down Israel's west coast shoreline.
• We stop atop the port city of Haifa for a panoramic view from Mt. Carmel, including the stunning Bahai Temple and cascading Persian Gardens.
• In Caesarea, we explore the seaside relics from ancient times, including the Roman theater and ancient aqueduct, set aside a sparkling turquoise sea.
• We arrive in Tel Aviv and pass by Rabin Square.
• We enjoy a stroll along Nachalat Binyamin, where the artists and entertainers bring the streets of Tel Aviv to life.
• Later this afternoon, we check into our hotel and refresh before Shabbat dinner together this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10: Saturday, February 24, 2024: SHABBAT IN TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy the day at leisure. On own options abound, from visiting Old Jaffa, to strolling along the beachfront promenade, or taking in a museum…or a stand-up paddle boarding lesson! It's a wonderful chance to experience all this metropolitan Mediterranean city has to offer!
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 11: Sunday, February 25, 2024: DIGGING INTO HISTORY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin today with a visit to Independence Hall where the establishment of the state of Israel was declared.
• We journey to the Bet Guvrin region through the Haella Valley where the battle between David and Goliath took place. We take part in a unique "hands-on" experience at the archeological dig in the caves of Tel Maresha. For the more adventurous, an underground cave crawl is included!
(Please wear closed shoes; no sandals or open shoes of any kind.)
• Our last stop today is at the Ayalon Institute, the secret underground facility that helped save the state of Israel during the War of Independence.
• After a chance to relax, we gather for our gala farewell dinner this evening, as we recall all we have experienced together.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 12: Monday, February 26, 2024: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We bid our new friends farewell (we'll see you on social media!)
• We depart for the airport for our flight back to the United States.


The Memories Last Forever!!!
*Itinerary subject to change