Israel Tour Trip Itinerary August 11 21, 2013 DAY ONE: Sunday, August 11, 2013 DEPARTURE Depart Baltimore-Washington International Airport onboard United Airlines flight #4897 at 10:42am. Connect at Newark International Airport to United Airlines flight #84 at 4:10pm. Overnight: Flight DAY TWO: Monday, August 12, 2013 ARRIVAL Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport at 9:45am. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Stop at the Ancient Roman Aqueduct, located on the pristine beaches of Caesarea. With the ruins of a past empire to your backs, enjoy the power of the sand, sea and the rush of the water as you celebrate the beginning of your journey throughout Israel. Drive to the Upper Galilee and check into the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee
DAY THREE: Tuesday, August 13, 2103 NATURE, SECURITY & THE ALLURE OF MYSTICISM Breakfast at the kibbutz hotel. LaDa'at Families in Safed - Using stories and synagogues, mystics and alleyways, take part in a family exploration of Safed, where yesterday becomes tomorrow and the treasure's never too far away. Jeep tour in the Birya Forest with lunch. Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan. Explore Israel's security situation on the Golan Heights while overlooking the Hula Valley from former Syrian fortifications. Visit Emek Habecha, the Valley of Tears, on the Eastern edge of the Golan Heights, site of one of Israel's fiercest battles during the Yom Kippur War and view an audiovisual program, depicting the battle of the 77th Battalion - OZ77. Enjoy Rafting or Kayaking down the Jordan River. Dinner at the kibbutz hotel. Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee DAY FOUR: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 DREAMS AND CONQUEST ON THE ROAD NORTH Breakfast at the kibbutz hotel. Check out of the hotel and depart the kibbutz, driving south to visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the Ophoria Interactive Experience, connecting birds, water and the Zionist endeavor. Drive via Tiberias, both an ancient and modern city located on the shores of the Kinneret, one of Israel's four holy Jewish cities, where the Talmud was codified and where Maimonedes is buried and visit the Kinneret Cemetery and hear about the dreams of the early Zionist pioneers. Lunch on your own en route. Swim in the warm waters and natural springs at the Gan Hashlosha Nature Reserve (Sachne) situated at the foot of Mt. Gilboa. Continue through the Jordan Rift Valley towards Jerusalem. Welcome to Jerusalem - Enter the vibrant and colourful 3,000 year old city of Jerusalem and experience the convergence of the old and the new. Check into the hotel and rest of the day at leisure.
DAY FIVE: Thursday, August 15, 2013 THE LAYERS OF JERUSALEM Proceed to the Old City for the B'nai Mitzvah Ceremony at the Southern Wall Excavations and then continue with a tour of the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, including a visit to the Davidson Center. Stop at the Kotel (Western Wall) and then tour the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount. Lunch on your own in the Jewish Quarter. Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, for guided visits to some of the sites excavated over the past 30 years, including: A walk along the Rooftops of the Old City for a behind the scenes look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they live together. The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter Free time in the Arab bazaar. Return to the hotel. Celebration dinner. DAY SIX: Friday, August 16, 2013 MEMORIES FOR THE FUTURE Shacharit Services. The Memory of the Holocaust in Contemporary Israeli Society, dialogue with Holocaust scholar, Dr. Rachel Korazim. Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including: The Avenue of the Righteous The new Historical Museum The Children's Memorial A concluding Memorial Service OR LaDa'at Yad Vashem for Kids - Special children/youth program at the Yad Vashem complex the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, including guided visits to the Holocaust Toy Exhibit, the Children's Memorial and the Sculpture Garden, using interactive programming, arts & crafts and children's stories and diaries from the time of the Holocaust.
Ethnic, cultural and tasting journey through the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem's Machaneh Yehudah open air market; enjoy the sites, smells, and tastes as well as the stories and personal interactions with shopkeepers who add so much to this colourful pre-shabbat experience. Kabbalat Shabbat services at a Masorti synagogue, the Southern Wall or at a synagogue of your choice. Festive Shabbat Dinner at the hotel. DAY SEVEN: Saturday, August 17, 2013 SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM Shabbat Services at a Masorti congregation or another Jerusalem synagogue. Shabbat Lunch at the Fuchsberg Center. Adults LaDa'at Agnon - Guided walk through the streets of Jerusalem using the writings of Israel's Nobel laureate in literature, S. Y Agnon as a guide. Youth Shabbat Afternoon with King David: special program at the Tower of David Museum, exploring the past and creating the future, OR possible afternoon program with the Noam Youth Movement. All Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City. Dinner on own. Free Evening in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony, OR Optionally: The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum: The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a night-time show which is a celebration of sight and sound, depicting the story of Jerusalem.
DAY EIGHT: Sunday, August 18, 2013 INTO THE DESERT, MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA Early breakfast at the hotel. Ascend the cable car or walk up the snake path to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaire; discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defence and its current significance in modern Israel. Short hike to Nahal David, the freshwater spring at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a lush oasis in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulfur springs at the Mineral Beach and float in the Dead Sea and lunch on own en route. Visit Genesis Land, a biblical-style encampment in the Judean Desert, delve into the Bible, experience biblical hospitality, enjoy a Hafla' feast and take a camel ride through the desert. Return to Jerusalem. DAY NINE: Monday, August 19, 2013 DIGGING FOR ROOTS Check out of the hotel. Visit the renewed Israel Museum, one of the most creative and innovative museums in the world with a wide and eclectic collection, ranging from Judaica and archaeology to Renaissance and contemporary Israeli art, concluding with a visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Shrine of the Book and the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem. Picnic lunch en route. Drive to the Beit Guvrin Caves to take part in an active Dig as you get your hands dirty uncovering pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, followed by a crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth. Drive to the Old City of Jaffa and ascend from the ancient port through the renovated alleyways to the Jaffa Overlook for an introduction to Tel Aviv at the place where it all began. Enter the modern city of Tel Aviv, known as the city that never sleeps with its centers of culture and recreation and national history such as the Habima Theater, sprawling beaches, Dizengoff Street and Rabin Square. Check into your hotel. Dinner on own. Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY TEN: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 TEL AVIV: THE FIRST HEBREW CITY Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate. Special visit to the home and meet the children of Save A Child's Heart, an Israeli-based international humanitarian project providing life-saving heart surgeries and follow-up care for children from around the world. Return to Tel Aviv and visit Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948. Lunch on own followed by free time to enjoy the beach and hotel pool or perhaps walk along the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall with its restored buildings and sidewalk artists, and continue onto the colorful Carmel openair market and then to Shenkin, with its hip street cafes and eclectic shops, and chance for last minute shopping. Late check out from the hotel and proceed to the Festive Farewell Dinner Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for the departure flight. Depart onboard United Airlines flight #91 at 11:10pm. Overnight: Flight DAY ELEVEN: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 DEPARTURE & ARRIVAL Connect at EWR International Airport to United Airlines flight #4897 at 8:10am. Arrive at Baltimore-Washington Airport at 9:22am.