14 Night Jewish Heritage In-Depth

*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
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.

Tour Overview:

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Join our classic Jewish Heritage Tour to Israel!
(Tour package is Land Only - Contact Ayelet Tours for flight assistance)

These Israel Tours are designed to engage participants from a Jewish perspective - exploring the historical, political and religious sites and institutions that make Israel such a unique destination.

On-line booking is available for all our Jewish Heritage In Depth Tours to Israel.
Explore the possibilities on-line, or call us at 800-237-1517 to find the right tour for you!

This In-Depth Tour Includes:

5 Nights in Tel Aviv
2 Nights in the Galilee
5 Nights in Jerusalem
2 Nights in Eilat
Breakfast daily
2 kibbutz dinners
Lunch at the Dead Sea
All touring and sightseeing with a professional English-speaking guide throughout
Visiting Independence Hall & the Ayalon Institute
Walking among the artists & entertainers at Nachalat Binyamin
Exploring the Crusader-era fortifications in Akko
Viewing the ancient Roman ruins in Caesarea
Stopping at the Bahai Temple & Persian Gardens in Haifa
Viewing the amazing chalk cliff grottoes of Rosh Hanikra
Exploring the mystical city of Safed
Enjoying a jeep tour to the Golan Heights
Viewing the Roman ruins of Beit Alpha & Beit Shean
Visiting the exquisite shops along the Cardo in Jerusalem's Old City
Enjoying a fascinating tour through the famed Western Wall Tunnels
Learning about the history of Jerusalem at the Citadel Museum
Seeing the Knesset, Israel's Parliament
Discovering the treasures at the world class Israel Museum
Touring Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust
Hearing the stories of King Herod's desert palace at Masada
Enjoying an unsinkable float in the Dead Sea
Seeing the breathtaking Ramon Crater in Mitzpe Ramon
Visiting an authentic Bedouin tent & enjoying a camel ride
Marveling at the beautiful desert landscape of Timna
Visiting Eilat's fascinating Underwater Observatory

AND SO MUCH MORE!

*Itineraries may be subject to change.

Rates Do Not Include:

Roundtrip airfare, departures taxes and fuel surcharges
Transfers upon arrival and departure (to/from Ben Gurion airport) beginning March 2019
Optional tour to Petra, Jordan
Border fees & taxes for Petra trip - roughly $65 per person, payable in USD at the border
Jordan Visa - $69 per person including processing. Ayelet Tours will coordinate the visa - passport information must be accurate and submitted no later than 7 days prior to arrival
Tips to driver, guide, waitstaff, porters, housekeepers, etc. (Budget $15-$20 per person, per day)
Meals not listed above
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (highly recommended; see options at www.ayelet.com)

Tour Itinerary:

DAY 1: TUESDAY - BEGIN OUR JOURNEY

• We depart the United States on your overnight flight to Israel. (Contact Ayelet Tours for assistance booking flights.)

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY - ARRIVAL

• Shalom and welcome to Israel! Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport you will be greeted and assisted by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We transfer to our hotel to check in and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon and evening at leisure on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 3: THURSDAY - TEL AVIV PAST TO PRESENT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we drive through Tel Aviv and learn more about this vibrant city.
• Next, we visit Latrun, Israel's outdoor armored corps museum, where we explore and touch the tanks and artillery used by the Israeli Defense Forces and enemy armies throughout the country's history.
• We continue to Beit Guvrin National Park, where we explore parts of the archeological remains and unique caves.
• Our final stop today is at the Ayalon Institute, an underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence at the end of the British Mandate.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 4: FRIDAY - TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we visit the Diaspora Museum, where we learn about the history of Jewish emigration since the destruction of the Second Temple and see models of some of the world's most well-known and majestic synagogues.
• We drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, Israel's vibrant center of business and entertainment.
• We stop for a moment of reflection at Rabin Square, place of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
• This afternoon, we visit Old Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world, where we walk among the many artists, vendors and cafes as we hear the history of the ancient port.
• We continue to Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1887, now experiencing a renaissance.
• Enjoy the entertainers, artists, shop owners, colorful vendors and craftspeople who bring the streets to life on Nachalat Binyamin.
• Next, we stop at Sheinkin Street, the lively and colorful street especially known with for its unique shops, café life and youthful ambiance.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 5: SATURDAY - LEISURE SHABBAT IN TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy the day at leisure. It's a wonderful chance to experience all this modern Mediterranean city has to offer.
• Dinner on own tonight.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 6: SUNDAY - THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Today, we drive north along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea, the former Roman capital of the area. Here, we view the ancient theater restored as a concert venue, the aqueduct, the ancient port as well as the impressive excavations of the Crusaders' city.
• We continue to Haifa to visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum ("Af al Pi Chen") and hear the story of the illegal immigrants who came to Israel at the time of the British mandate.
• Next, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Akko and walk through the old port and color bazaar.
• Later this afternoon, we continue north along the coast to Rosh Hanikra, and descend by cable car to discover the chalk cliff grottoes carved out by the Mediterranean waters over time.
• We continue to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and enjoy dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

DAY 7: MONDAY - SAFED, GOLAN, TEL HAI

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• Today, we tour the mystical city of Safed, center of Kabalistic practice, exploring the narrow alleyways lined with ancient synagogues and artists' galleries.
• We enjoy a jeep ride up to the Golan Heights, where we pass former Syrian bunkers and stop atop Har Bental for panoramic views stretching far into neighboring Syria.
• We take in the view at the Mitzpe Gadot overlook, the memorial site for the fallen people of the Golan.
• We proceed to a magnificent observation point overlooking the city of Kuneitra and the Syrian territory.
• We visit Tel Hai to see the ‘Roaring Lion” monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpledor and his comrades.
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.
• Following dinner, we meet with a kibbutz member to learn about their unique lifestyle and the challenges and changes to their communal arrangements over the decades.

Overnight in the Galilee

DAY 8: TUESDAY - KINNERET, BEIT SHE'AN, JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we travel to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where we visit Rambam's grave.
• We continue through the Jordan Valley to see the extensive Roman ruins of Beit Shean, destroyed over 1,300 years ago by an earthquake and recently excavated and reconstructed on a massive and impressive scale.
• We also visit Beit Alpha to view the intricate mosaics in the synagogue.
• We continue to Gan Hashlosha (Sachne), where weather permitting, we enjoy a dip in the sparkling warm waters. These natural springs are often referred to as the original Garden of Eden.
• We ascend to Jerusalem via the Jordan Valley, stopping atop Mt. Scopus for a special opportunity to say the "Shehecheyanu” as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time.
• We check into our hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 9: WEDNESDAY - ANCIENT JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a visit to the Tomb of King David on Mt. Zion.
• We enter the Old City and stroll through the Jewish quarter, stopping to explore the Cardo, the ancient Roman marketplace now featuring outstanding shopping opportunities. Then, we visit four Sephardic synagogues in the Jewish quarter restored after the 1967 War.
• We continue with a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover the archeological wonders that once remained untouched for centuries.
• Our next stop is at the Davidson Center, built into the ancient stones adjacent to the Temple Mount. Here, we learn about the construction and history of the Temple Mount area through multi-media exhibitions.
• We stroll through the colorful marketplace to the Jaffa Gate and visit the Tower of David Museum to learn more about Jerusalem's 3,000 years of history.
• Spend the evening at leisure discovering Jerusalem and enjoying dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 10: THURSDAY - MODERN JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we share in the joy of the many B'nai Mitzvah ceremonies at the Kotel.
• We drive through Mea Shearim, one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, to learn about the unique lifestyle of the Ultra-Orthodox residents.
• At Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, our guide imparts some of the heroic stories of those buried here, including Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
• Our next stop is at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. Here, we view the many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations.
• This afternoon, we explore the bunkers at Ammunition Hill, the official museum symbolizing the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem.
• We drive by the Knesset, Israel's Parliament and see the bronze menorah statue out front.
• Later this afternoon, we browse the extensive, newly renovated galleries of the Israel Museum, which is world class in every way. The galleries range from pop and modern art, back through the Renaissance and Classical periods, with a strong emphasis on Jewish and Israeli archeological history. Walk through the iconic Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, and see the impressive miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 11: FRIDAY - MASADA & THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Early this morning, we depart for the Dead Sea basin.
• Along the way, we stop at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found by a local shepherd.
• We ascend Masada by cable car to view the remains of King Herod's fortress, including the synagogue, walls and bathhouses, as we learn about the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain and head to the beach for lunch and an unsinkable swim in the healing, salty waters of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.
• Later this afternoon, we return to Jerusalem for a quiet Shabbat on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 12: SATURDAY - JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Free morning with the opportunity to attend Shabbat services on own.
• Free day to enjoy the calm of Shabbat.
• Evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

DAY 13: SUNDAY- NEGEV, TIMNA, EILAT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We travel south through the Negev Desert to visit Timna, a large geological and archaeological park with impressive and beautiful desert stone landscapes. Once home to King Solomon's copper mines, we marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations and copper mines.
• We continue to Eilat located on the Red Sea and visit the fascinating Underwater Observatory, one of the largest seaquariums in the world, built into a coral reef in the Gulf of Eilat.
• We check into our hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening and dinner on own.

Overnight in Eilat

DAY 14: MONDAY - EILAT OR PETRA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Enjoy a day of leisure relaxing or enjoying some of the many water sports on the shores of the Red Sea OR opt for an exciting day tour to Petra, Jordan*.
OPTIONAL DAY TOUR TO PETRA
*(additional cost applies)
• A mini-bus will provide early morning pick-up at our hotels and transfer to the Jordanian border for crossing formalities.
• After assistance with visa processing, we continue across the border into Jordan, meet our Jordanian guide and board our bus to begin our touring experience.
• We drive along desert highways to the astonishing red rose city of Petra, once renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an early Arab tribe who settled in southern Jordan more than two thousand years ago.
• Our visit begins with the possibility of a short horseback-ride for about a half mile to the entrance of the Siq.
• Petra is famous for its huge monuments such as the Treasury, Royal Tombs, the Court, Roman Theatre, Roman Street, Qassier El- Bint (Palace of Pharaoh's daughter) and many other smaller monuments which fascinate visitors. The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World.
• We enjoy a late lunch together.
• We return to the Jordan-Israel border around 6:00 PM to conclude crossing formalities.
• We return to our hotel in Eilat for a free evening and dinner on own.

Overnight in Eilat

DAY 15: TUESDAY - DESERT ADVENTURES

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we travel north to Mitzpe Ramon to gaze into the Ramon Crater, a geological wonder.
• We proceed to Sde Boker to view David Ben Gurion's gravesite and original hut, where we recall his dream of turning the desert green and see the ways it is becoming a reality.
• Afterwards, we enjoy an authentic biblical experience at a Bedouin tent, including a camel ride, desert hospitality and a light lunch.
• This afternoon, we head north to the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim to view the aircraft and learn the history of Israel's brave fighting force.
• We continue on to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival, we check into our hotel and refresh, followed by an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

DAY 16: WEDNESDAY - DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart for Ben Gurion Airport for our flights back to the United States, landing later today. L'hitraot!

THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!
*Itinerary subject to change
* visit subject to availability
The above program can be extended and customized for groups and private families.

A PUBLIC GROUP DAY TOUR TO PETRA may be added for $280.00 per person, not including visa fee or border taxes. Listed tour cost and Jordanian visa fee/processing charge of $69.00 are payable in advance and
non-refundable.

NOTE: Travelers to Petra must provide accurate passport information to allow Ayelet Tours to secure your Jordanian visa a minimum of 10 days in advance of travel. In addition, travelers must carry a valid passport and $65.00 per person in US currency for border taxes on the day of the Petra tour. Credit cards and travelers checks are not accepted at border crossing. Rates subject to change without notice.

Please note: If you depart from Israel during your visit (for example to go to Jordan or Egypt even for one day) VAT refund must be requested from customs at your departure land border at the time you depart. VAT at
Ben Gurion airport will only process the refund for any goods purchased since last date of entry into Israel.

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