The Experience

Your journey is filled with historic and biblical discoveries. Visit stunning sites, including Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus, moving Yad Vashem, Masada and Jerusalem. Day 1: Arrive Tel Aviv, Israel
Arrive in Tel Aviv, where you are met and transferred to your hotel overlooking the Mediterranean.

InterContinental David Tel Aviv
Day 2: Caesarea & Acre | Capitals and Seaports
Take a scenic coastal drive to the ancient Roman capital, Caesarea, where Herod laid out a classical city and constructed a revolutionary, artificial harbor. Near its amphitheater, view a partial inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate the only secular reference to his existence. Then, visit the seaport cities of Haifa and Acre, the latter a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to Phoenician and Crusader times. While at Acre, tour the Knights,™ Halls, the El Jazaar Mosque and covered markets. Later, gather for a welcome dinner.

Scots Hotel | Meals: B L D
Day 3: Sea of Galilee | Footsteps of Jesus
This morning, cruise the fabled Sea of Galilee like a local by private boat, stopping at Capernaum, the site of the synagogue where Jesus taught. See St. Peter,™s House, which was later converted into a church, before visiting Tabgha, where the miracle of the loaves and fishes is said to have occurred. A fifth-century mosaic in the Church of Multiplication commemorates the event. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount.

Scots Hotel | Meals: B L
Day 4: Nazareth | Tales of the New Testament
This morning, visit Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent much of his life. See the Basilica of the Annunciation, built on the traditional site of Mary and Joseph,™s home; the Church of St. Gabriel; Mary,™s Well, where an angel is said to have visited; and the basement of the Church of St. Joseph, where a cavern is said to have been the carpentry workshop of Joseph. Continue overland through the Jordan Valley to the Decapolis city of Beit Shean (Biblical Scythopolis). Arrive in Jerusalem this afternoon.

The King David | Meals: B L D
Day 5: Jerusalem | Spiritual Epicenter
Today, explore the fascinating, history-rich Old City of Jerusalem, built by King David in 1004 BC. Stop first at the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s most sacred sites. View the Temple Mount area (Al Haram el-Sharif) with its Dome of the Rock, El Aksa Mosque and the Davidson Centre, where artwork and archaeological finds take you back through the ages. In the Christian Quarter, stroll the Via Dolorosa, the street traversed by Jesus bearing his cross, and stop at the Convent of Zion Sisters (Antonia Fortress), where Pontius Pilate tried Jesus. Passing the Stations of the Cross through bazaars of the Old City, arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reputed site of Jesus,™ crucifixion and resurrection.

The King David | Meals: B L
Day 6: Jerusalem | Yad Vashem
Pass the Knesset (Israel,™s Parliament) en route to the Israel Museum, where you view the Shrine of the Book, home to a selection of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. See a fascinating model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of the Second Temple. Then visit Yad Vashem, a vast Holocaust memorial on the Mount of Remembrance and a leading institution for Shoah research. Drive to Bethlehem and to the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

The King David | Meals: B L
Day 7: Masada | Zealot Stronghold
Drive along the Dead Sea to Masada where you ascend by cable car to the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots; here, Israelite fighters held out for three years against the invading Roman army before taking their own lives. Many of their fortifications, originally built by King Herod still stand today; explore them from up close. Tonight, gather for an ethnic farewell dinner in the home of a charming local chef.

The King David | Meals: B D
Day 8: Depart Tel Aviv
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your flight home.

Meals: B