Jewish Homeland - 10 DAYS

Overview
Jewish Homeland, 10 days - A Jewish theme tour of Israel, a historical & cultural program for groups counting minimum 15 participants. A thorough in-depth exploration of Northern and Central Israel, covering history, people and nature. Tour's overnights : 6 nights in Jerusalem, 2 nights in the Galilee and 1 night in Tel-Aviv. Guided and lead by a professional Israeli licensed Tourism Guide. Tour operated by Eshet Incoming LTD.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival
Meeting and assistance at any of the gateways to Israel. Transfer to Jerusalem. Upon arrival to the city, stop on Mount Olives for a special 'Shehechiyanu' ceremony. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 2: Old City of Jerusalem
Enter the walled city on foot through the Jaffa Gate. Visit the Tower of David and the Citadel Museum, depicting Jerusalem's 3000-year history. Walk through the ancient alleys to the Jewish Quarter. Visit the Cardo to get the feel of Jerusalem during the second Temple period. Visit the Burnt House where clear signs of the fire that destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple are visible. Continue to the Western Wall and the Archaeological garden. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 3: The New City of Jerusalem
Start your day in front of the Knesset to see the giant Menorah sculpture. Visit the new Supreme Court and continue to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display. Proceed to visit the Model of Jerusalem of the Second Temple period. Visit the synagogue at the Hadassah Hospital to view the Chagall stained glass windows. On to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust, for a 'Yizkor' prayer service and 'Kadish'. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 4: Dead Sea, Massada, Ein Gedi
Drive through the Judean desert to Qumran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, to Massada. Ascend the mountain fortress by cable car. Tour the excavations where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans. See King Herod's Palaces and the huge cisterns and baths. Proceed to Ein Gedi nature reserve and oasis. Time and weather permitting, enjoy a 'swim' in the Dead Sea. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 5: At Leisure
A day at leisure in Jerusalem for individual visits in the old city, Nahalat Shiva and Mishkenot neighborhood. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 6: Jericho, Beit Shean, Tiberias
Descend from Jerusalem by-pass Jericho, the world's oldest city. Visit the excavations of the walls that came "tumbling down". Continue along the Jordan Valley Rift to Beit Shean. See the newly excavated Roman-Byzantine City, the Roman Theater, temples and shrines of the city. Continue to Hammat Tiberias to see the ancient Hot Springs and four layers of the synagogue's mosaic. Visit the Tombs of Maimonides and Rabbi Akiva in Tiberias. Overnight: Galilee

Day 7: Upper Galilee
Drive through the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers (dug-outs). Drive north to the Banias, one of the sources of the Jordan River. Proceed to Tsfat (Safed), the center of Jewish mysticism. Visit the synagogues and the artists' galleries. Pass by Meiron the site of Lag Ba'omer celebrations near the cave of Shimon Bar Yochai. Continue to Zippori, the seat of the Sanhedrin from 170 - 200 CE and see the mosaic known as the 'Mona Lisa' of the Galilee. Overnight: Galilee

Day 8: Acre, Haifa, Caesarea, Tel Aviv
Tour a Kibbutz and get to know this unique style of living. Continue to Acre to visit the Knights' Halls, the Crusaders' underground city. Drive along the bay to Haifa, the third largest city in Israel. View the Bahai Shrine and the exquisite Persian Gardens and enjoy a panoramic view from Mount Carmel. Continue to the 'Muhraka' (The Horns of Carmel), where, according to tradition Elijah slaughtered the false prophets. Proceed to Beit Shearim to visit the ancient Jewish City and its catacombs. On to Caesarea to see the Roman Theater, and the new Hypodrome and harbor. Overnight: Tel Aviv

Day 9: Old City of Jerusalem
Tour the Old City of Jerusalem. Enter through the Zion Gate, walk through the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall. Visit the Western Wall Tunnels and the new excavations of the Southern Wall. Continue to the Temple Mount to view the Muslim Shrines of the Dome of the Rock and El Aqza. On to the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. End the tour at the Citadel to see the Museum of the History of Jerusalem. You can choose to stay at the Western Wall for the Friday night prayers or return to your hotel for a candle-lighting ceremony. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 10: Departure
Departure transfer and assistance.