Discover Israel Heritage Tour

This 7-night guided tour of Israel offers an excellent overview of the country visiting some of the world’s most ancient and iconic sights. The tour includes visits to the Old City of Jerusalem, the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the unique therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea and the stunning scenery of the Jordan Valley.

Also available as a private tour, ask for details.

Itinerary

Day 1: Upon arrival you will meet your representative and be transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Day 2: Drive to Jaffa (Joppa) where take a short walking tour in picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. Pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and enjoy the views from the hilltop. Then drive north along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus Caesar Continue to Megiddo, known in the Book of Revelation as “Armageddon”, an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6000-500 B.C.). Continue to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Day 3: Drive along the side of the lake to Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ ministry. Tabgha, just north of Tiberias, is the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000. At the Church of Multiplication the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes. You drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and it is believed that Jesus picked his 12 apostles. Continue to the Golan Heights for panoramic views of Mt. Hermon, the rugged plateau and beneath it the green pastoral Huleh valley. Return to Tiberias for overnight.

Day 4: Visit Cana and Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. Continue 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. Visit also Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Continue through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean with its recently excavated amphitheatre Visit the excavations of this beautiful preserved Roman City and then continue to Jerusalem for overnight.

Day 5: Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site has been 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 and bathhouse. Enjoy the view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. En route to the Dead Sea, you’ll see 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. Time permitting; take a “float” on the salty, mineral rich, water. Return to Jerusalem for overnight.

Day 6: Drive to Mount Scopus and enjoy panoramic views of Jerusalem, the holy city for Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Continue to the Mount of Olives, the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the Old City, visit the Western Wall and the site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. The visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion.

Day 7: Visit Yad Vashem the Holocaust memorial. Continue to Ein Karem; a picturesque village on the outskirts of Jerusalem where according to tradition, John the Baptist was born. Visit the Israel Museum with a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Continue south of the city to Bethlehem and visit Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity.

Day 8: Transfer to the airport for departure, or to your extension tour or hotel.

Departure Dates & Costs per Person 

Single Person Supplement offered from £445 (superior from £595)

Half board supplement from £75 per person (superior from £156pp)