Holy Land Tour of Israel - 10 Days

Below is a suggested itinerary for a fascinating 10 day tour to Israel which incorporates the sights and sounds of both the modern and the historic places of the Holy Land.

From Biblical to modern in one tour of the Holy Land

Day 1. ARRIVAL IN ISRAEL
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. You will be met by a Vered Hasharon representative, assisted through customs and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv for Dinner and overnight.

Day 2. TEL AVIV, JAFFA, CAESAREA, MUHRAKA, MEGIDDO, NAZARETH, TIBERIAS
After breakfast view Metropolitan city of Tel Aviv and visit JAFFA – SOUTH OF Tel Aviv which is considered to be the world's oldest sea-port, with Jewish legend attributing it to Japeth, son of Noah and the Greek legend to Joppa, daughter of the gods of the winds. It was here in the 8th Century B.C. that Jonah started his journey to Nineveh. Much of Old Jaffa has been lovingly restored and now houses an artists an colony and galleries, together with the many churches and mosques which make for a unique site. On along the coastal road to CAESAREA an ancient Mediterranean city halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa, containing many ruins,  most of which date from the Crusader period. Prominent among these are the hippodrome, the Crusader city and the Roman amphitheater. Continue to MUHRAKA with a breathtaking view of Israel. Here Elijah confronted and defeated the Priests of Baal. Travel to MEGIDDO overlooking the Jezreel Valley which is considered the Armageddon of the New Testament. From here, continue to Nazareth to tour the Churh of the Annunciation. Travel to Tiberias for dinner and overnight.

Day 3. CAPERNAUM, Mount OF BEATITUDES,  BANIAS, GOLAN HEIGHTS, JORDAN RIVER (YARDENIT), TIBERIAS
After breakfast take a Boat Ride across the sea of Galilee to CAPERNAUM on the northwest shore where Jesus began his preaching career. The town is also well known during Second Temple, Roman and Byzantine periods. Drive up to the MOUNT OF BEATITUDES where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. On to BANIAS one of the main sources of the Jordan River which runs through lush woodlands and ends in a broad lagoon in the shadow of Mount Hermon. Philip son of Herod Established here the city by the name of Caesarea Philippi and the town is mentioned in the New Testament and Talmud. Drive up the GOLAN HEIGHTS the site of fierce battles between Israel and Syria during 1967 and 1973. Drive to YARDENIT where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee, this spot is a few meters down from the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, was developed as a baptism area. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

Day 4. JORDAN VALLEY, BEIT SHEAN, JERICHO, JERUSALEM
After breakfast travel through the beautiful Jordan Valley to Beit Shean to visit extensive archaeological excavations. Continue via JERICHO a flourishing oasis in the Judean Desert at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Archaeological research has confirmed Jericho as being the oldest city in the world. Jericho was the first city conquered by Joshua in the Promised Land and it appears as the background for many incidents in the New Testament. Check into hotel in Jerusalem for Dinner and Overnight.

Day 5. NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM
Full day New City sight-seeing: MOUNT OF OLIVES – a mountain to the east of the Old City which has been used as a cemetery since ancient times. Christian tradition maintains that many events related to the life of Jesus took place on the mountain, hence the many holy sites that are situated there. Visit YAD VASHEM a memorial to the Jews killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust. Entering through the Valley of the Righteous which commemorates the heroic acts of gentiles who saved Jews, one reaches the Memorial Hall containing an eternal flame and the names of the concentration camps inscribed into the black granite floor. An adjoining hall bears the names of the victims and a photo exhibition and Holocaust library. Drive to BETHLEHEM the site of the tomb of Rachel and the birthplace of Jesus. The town is dominated by the Church of the Nativity, built on the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born. It has many other sites of great historical and religious interest. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

Day 6. OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM
Full day walking tour day of Old City. You will visit VIA DOLOROSA also called the Way of the Cross which is a series of lanes in the Old City that according to Christian tradition was Jesus' route from Pilate's judgment hall to Golgotha. There are 14 Stations along the route each commemorating an event along Jesus' route to crucifixion. Walk through colorful bazaars. View the TEMPLE MOUNT in the southeast corner of the Old City, this walled in platform was the site of both the First and Second Temples, but is now occupied by five Moslem Mosques. The Dome of the Rock, the Mosque of Al Aqsa, the Dome of the Prophet and the Dome of Elijah. Visit the WESTERN WALL part of the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, which became the focal point of the Jewish religion after the Second Temple was destroyed. Access to Jews was denied when the area was under Jordanian rule but since the Six Day War, the site has been enlarged and renovated, and archaeological work has been conducted in the vicinity. Continue to the

Day 7. MASSADA, DEAD SEA, QUMRAN, JERUSALEM
After breakfast we will drive through the desert and along the shores of the Dead Sea to METSADA a massive rocky outcrop in the Judean Desert 2 km from the shore of the Dead Sea and the site of the most dramatic act in Jewish history when Jewish rebels elected mass suicide rather than submit to Roman capture in 73 A.C.
The site has been fully excavated and the remains of Herod's impregnable fortress have been exposed, as have the remains of the eight roman army camps that surrounded the mountain, and the rebel's living quarters. After visit there will be time for a Swim in the DEAD SEA called the "Sea of Salt" and is the lowest spot on the surface of the globe. Here you can experience floating and swimming in these waters which have amazing healing powers. Continue to QUMRAN remains of a settlement on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea and the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by desert Bedouins. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Day 8. JERUSALEM AREA – SIGHTSEEING DAY
After breakfast we will visit the Scroll of Fire, Stalactite Cave and Observation points around Jerusalem ("Government Hill" and Nebi Samuel). Return to hotel dinner and overnight.

Day 9. DAY AT LEISURE
Today will be a day at leisure to relax, shop and re-visit any site that caught your interest. Breakfast and dinner are provided in hotel.

Day 10. DEPARTURE
You will be transferred to Ben Gurion Airport and a Vered Hasharon representative will help you through your formalities. Departure flight.