“People, Flora, and Fauna of the Holy Land” Travel Itinerary
WEEK 1: The Desert and the Red Sea During our first week of adventures, we will witness nature’s extremes: The flora and fauna of the barren Negev desert and the lush coral reef of the Red Sea; the highs of the Ramon Crater by night and the magic of the planet’s lowest natural spa, the Dead Sea. Be ready to spend some time floating, swimming and snorkeling!
Morning Afternoon Evening July 16 Travel to Beer Sheva Beer Sheva and Arad, Bedouin Village Tel Sheva July 17 Dead Sea, Sodom and Masada Gomorrah July 18 Ramon Crater Travel to Eilat
July 19 All day snorkeling in the Red Sea July 20 More snorkeling Underwater Observatory Night snorkeling
July 21 Timna Valley Eilat
July 22 Day off in Eilat
WEEK 2: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv Our stay in the historical city of Jerusalem will allow us to delve deeper into the history, cultures and religions of the region. You will see for yourself the holy sights of the three monotheistic religions. We will get a chance to escape the heat and hustle of the city at Soreq Cave near Jerusalem before moving further North to Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Morning Afternoon Evening July 23 Travel to Jerusalem, Mount Temple Mount, Wailing Zion, King David’s Tomb Wall, Silwan July 24 Mount of Olives, Russian Soreg Cave, Church Gethsemane July 25 Via Dolorosa, Church of the Jewish Quarter, Muslim Holy Sepulcher Quarter (Old market) July 26 Beit Shemesh, Latrun Little Israel Arrive in Tel Aviv
July 27 Old Jaffa, St. Peters Church Old market, Shimon Peres Peace Center July 28 Modern Tel Aviv, Neve Tel Aviv beach Sha’anan neighborhood July 29 Day off in Tel Aviv
WEEK 3: The Golan Heights and the Galilee During our last two weeks we will stay at the student dorms at Oranim and travel to different locations each day. In the Golan Heights we will learn about the three main water sources that feed the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. We will witness the Galilee’s fascinating biodiversity in the bird paradise of the Hula Valley and the region around Israel’s highest elevation Mount Hermon. In addition, we will get an insight into life in a Kibbutz as well as villages inhabited by Druze, Bedouins, Muslims and Christians.
Morning Afternoon Evening July 30 Tour around the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias, Tabgha, Mount of Beatitude) July 31 Golan Heights Banias river
August 1 Mount Hermon, Crater Odem Forest, Mount Avital, Lake Ram, Druze Village Mount Bental August 2 Metula, Al-Nabi Yusha’ Hula Valley (National Bird
Shrine Reservation Center) August 3 Day off (swimming in the Sea of Galilee, Market) August 4 Domus Galilaeae, Hamat Gader (Hot Springs) Capernaum August 5 Maghar (Druze, Muslim Kibbutz Ginosar, Magdala Bedouin Village and Christian village), Hamaam
WEEK 4: The Western Galilee Our last week will be spent exploring the cities of the North of the Holy Land. You will learn about the diverse populations of the Galilee, the differences between village and city life and explore the Baha’i religion and its holy sights. You will gain an insight into Israel’s education system, hike on Mount Carmel and explore the excavation sights of Sepphoris and Caesarea. This week students are also expected to hone their research efforts and prepare for their final examinations and presentations.
Morning Afternoon Evening August 6 Nazareth (Church of Nazareth Village Annunciation, Old Market) August 7 Sepphoris, Kafr Kanna, Acre, Holocaust Center August 8 Haifa, Baha’i Gardens, Mount Carmel hike Isfiya, August 9 Day off
August 10 Zebulon High School, Mar Kibbutz Yagur, Bedouin village Elias Education Institute Moshav August 11 Caesarea Umm al-Fahm
August 12 Rosh Hanikra, Mi’ilya Achziv (Mediterranean beach)