Coach Tours 7-14 Nights: Heritage of the Holy Land and Petra (8 Nights) - THU DEPARTURE

THURSDAY ARRIVAL

Tel Aviv

Upon arrival to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.
Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Friday

Tel Aviv / Caesarea / Megiddo / Tiberias
The guide will pick you up from your hotel. Visit the port city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a short walking tour in picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. Pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hill top. Drive north along the coastal road - Via Maris, to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar. From here we go on to visit Megiddo where the book of Revelations mentions a great battle at the place called "Armageddon", an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6000- 500 B.C.). Drive eastwards, towards the Sea of Galilee, descending to Tiberias, regarded as one of the four Holy cities in Judaism, where the Jewish Talmud - the primary source of Jewish religious law - was compiled, with tombs of Rabbis scattered across the city.
Overnight in Tiberias.

Saturday

Sea of Galilee / Golan Heights
Drive to the southern part of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site. Visit the sites on the north shore, the stage for many of the events in Jesus' life. Drive along the shore of the sea to Capernaum – known as “His Town”, the center of Jesus’ ministry, where he spent much time healing the sick and performing miracles. On to Tabgha, the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000, visiting the Church of Multiplication, where the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes and the Church of the Primacy of St Peter, commemorating Jesus' reinstatement of Peter as chief among the Apostles. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and it is believed that he picked his 12 apostles. Ascend to Golan Heights for a panoramic view of the peaks of Mt. Hermon and the rugged Golan plateau. Visit Banias (Caesarea Philippi), one of the sources of the river Jordan, where Jesus took his disciples, revealing his purpose and His Church before his last trip to Jerusalem, and where Simon identified Jesus as the Messiah.
Return to Tiberias for another night in town.

Sunday

Nazareth / Beit Alpha / Jordan Valley / Jerusalem
Sail on a boat on the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and extra fee if available). Travel through the Galilee to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Stop at Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. Visit the ancient synagogue at Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains which has one of most preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel. Drive through the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho, before ascending through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem.
Overnight at your Jerusalem hotel.

Monday

Masada & Dead Sea
Through the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea, we travel to Masada which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea below. Visit the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit as if weather permits it is possible to “float” on the salty, mineral-rich, water.
Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.

Tuesday

Jerusalem
Start the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple.
Visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. Enjoy Ein Karem, a picturesque village on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where, according to tradition, John the Baptist was born. Visit Bethlehem - the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square.
Return to your Jerusalem hotel.

Wednesday

Jerusalem
Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent his last night and was betrayed by Judas. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem - the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv for a short flight to Ramon Airport, Eilat and onward transfer to your Eilat hotel.
Overnight in Eilat.

Thursday

Petra / Tel Aviv
Leave Eilat, Israel and cross into Jordan at the Arava border. Drive to Petra through the scenic Jordanian desert, passing by the Wadi Rum area. Enter the Rose City of Petra through the Siq, a narrow passage through the mountains that has inspired people for centuries. Up to the Treasury which suddenly appears at the end of the gorge, leaving visitors breath taken by its' size, color, and beauty. Continue into the heart of this ancient city carved into the mountains, passing hundreds of tombs and monuments and a spectacular Amphitheatre, which once held 3,000 spectators. Exit the city and stop for a sit-down lunch in Wadi Musa - the new town of Petra, followed by a visit to Moses Spring before leaving. Drive to Aqaba for a short city tour, before returning to the Arava border and back to Ramon Airport, Eilat for return flight to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv.
Transfer from Tel Aviv airport to Tel Aviv hotel for overnight.

Friday

Departure
Departure to Ben Gurion Airport for international flight.

Please note that the sequence of the tour and sites visited may be amended due to circumstances at the company’s or the guide’s discretion.