Feldman Family – Israel Tour November, 2019
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FELDMAN FAMILY – ISRAEL TOUR NOVEMBER, 2019 Updated by Bradley Lennox – September 4th, 2019 Guide – Yonatan Harpaz: +972-54-228-6885 (international) / 054-228-6885 (local) Please note that the itinerary is not final and is subject to change based on time, weather, security, and other considerations. DAY ONE – MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH – ARRIVAL (TRANSFER ONLY) • Welcome to Israel!!! Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on flight ??? You will be met by a representative and escorted through passport control, baggage claim, and customs. • Transfer to Tel Aviv and check in to hotel • Afternoon at leisure • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Rothschild 96, Tel Aviv DAY TWO – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH – COASTAL PLAIN (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel and check out • Explore Caesarea National Park home to ancient palaces built for King Herod, a Roman amphitheater, historic port, and other Roman archaeological wonders, such as the Promontory Palace with the remains of its mosaic floor. • Visit the Ein Hod Artists’ Village, home to 150 artists of all different mediums, located in northern Israel. These artists live among olive groves and fruit orchards, creating fascinating works of art that are displayed in important private and institutional collections. Come visit the galleries, cafes, and studios, and get to know the local artists. • Discover the historic town of Old Akko: as one of the oldest ports in Israel, it boasts archaeological wonders spanning the entire length of the port’s history. Visit the famous Templars’ Tunnel along the coast, the expansive Knights’ Halls, and the charming open-air market. • Continue to the hotel and check in • Dinner at the hotel - included Overnight: Galilion Hotel, North DAY THREE – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH – GOLAN (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel • Explore the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, complete with wading pools, archaeological wonders, and the source of the Dan and Jordan rivers. Home to the remains of a 5000-year-old city from the time of Solomon, this used to be the northernmost city of the ancient Kingdom of Israel. • Go to Kibbutz El-Rom and watch Oz 77, the moving film tribute to the tank unit that fought against the Syrian forces for the Valley of Tears during the Yom Kippur War, then stop by neighboring Kibbutz Merom Golan to visit the memorial to the fallen soldiers of the battle. • Lunch en route • Look out over the border of Syria atop Mt. Bental and explore the Israeli bunkers • Take a tour of the Golan Winery, complete with a wonderful tasting, light bites, and a tour of their beautiful facility in the Golan Heights. • Return to the hotel for dinner - included Overnight: Galilion Hotel, North DAY FOUR – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH – JORDAN VALLEY (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel and check out • Experience the Mystical City of Tzfat with its beautiful synagogues, art galleries, and candle factory. • Lunch and shopping time in Tzfat • Tour Beit Shean, a national park filled with archaeological remains from throughout the entire history of the region. View the wall that used to surround the ancient city, a Roman temple, ancient public baths, and more. • Continue down through the Jordan Valley • Welcome to Jerusalem!!! Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the city from atop Mount Scopus • Check into your hotel • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem DAY FIVE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH – JERUSALEM (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel • Visit the Israel Museum, featuring a display of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls and the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world. • Explore the hustling and bustling Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, where you can taste wonderful foods from local vendors, buy local goods and produce, and enjoy the quintessentially Israeli chaos of market shopping. Enjoy lunch on your own in the shuk. • Afternoon at leisure for Shabbat preparations • Join thousands of others from around the world at the Western Wall for Kabbalat Shabbat • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem DAY SIX – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH – JUDEAN DESERT (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at hotel • Enjoy a nature stroll the Ein Gedi Oasis where David flew from King Saul. Get up close with the stunning array of desert flora, take a dip in a refreshing desert spring, and cool off under a breathtaking waterfall. • Lunch at footsteps of Masada • Ascend to the top of Masada via cable car and explore the fascinating remains of King Herod's palace, the roman-style bath house, and the ancient storerooms and watchtowers. Here you'll learn about the significance of the site and the mass suicide that occurred during the Roman siege on the fortress. • Drive by Qumran National Park and learn about the historical significance of this archaeological site that includes the caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. • Return to Jerusalem • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem DAY SEVEN – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH – JERUSALEM OLD CITY (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel • Explore the Davidson Center, home to archaeological discoveries from the First and Second Temple periods, including a drainage channel containing rare artifacts from the destruction of Jerusalem. • Visit the Western Wall Tunnels and walk through ancient and fascinating subterranean spaces with exquisite archeological findings, such as large stone arches, water pits, an ancient aqueduct, and more. The tunnels allow visitors unique access to the vast segments of the Western Wall that have been hidden from view for over 2000 years. • Lunch in the Jewish Quarter o Option to ascend the Temple Mount – time permitting • Explore the Jewish Quarter and experience the rich history and culture of the Jewish people through the Cardo, Broadwall, synagogues, and of course the Western Wall. • Walk through Mount Zion and see the King David’s Tomb. This special site offers a unique opportunity to get an understanding of how the three major religions of Jerusalem intertwine. • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem DAY EIGHT- MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH – JERUSALEM (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel • Tour Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial site and the definitive source for Holocaust education, documentation, and research. Learn about and pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, Jews who fought their Nazi oppressors, and non-Jews who aided the victims of the Nazi Regime. • Stop at Mount Herzl and pay tribute to Israel’s military and political heroes at the cemetery and memorial site. • Lunch en-route • Visit Ammunition Hill, a museum and monument to the paratroopers and other soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battle for the re-unification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967. • Enjoy the Sound and Light Show at the Tower of David • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem DAY NINE- TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH – NEGEV (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel and check out • Visit the home of first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, where he resided with his wife from 1953 until his death in 1973. The home now serves as a museum and visitor’s center, operated by the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, and is preserved exactly as Ben Gurion left it. • Continue to Ben Gurion’s Tomb in Sde Boker, where both David Ben Gurion and his wife Paula are buried overlooking the Zin Canyon. He chose this spot instead of the Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem due to his love for the Negev, the beauty of which can still be seen today. • Lunch en-route • Learn about the geology, ecology, and history of the Ramon Crater (Mahktesh Ramon) at the Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center on an exciting tour, which includes a presentation about Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon. You’ll have an opportunity to enjoy the amazing views or even a lovely hike through the crater. • Afternoon to enjoy the hotel facilities • Dinner at the hotel Overnight: Beresheet, Mitzpe Ramon DAY TEN – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH – NEGEV DESERT (GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel and check out • Go on an exciting Jeep tour around the Ramon Crater; you’ll enjoy once-in-a-lifetime views of the incredible desert landscapes and rock formations on your ride. • Lunch en-route • Continue to Eilat and check into the hotel • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Dan Panorama, Eilat DAY ELEVEN- THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST – PETRA (JORDAN GUIDE & CAR) • Full Israeli breakfast at hotel • Pick up from hotel and assistance crossing the border • Travel to Petra – your local guide will escort you to the famous site: o Experience the Rose Red Nabatean city. o Enter the city through the Siq and be rewarded with the most famous monument in Jordan: the Treasury. o See the theater, the tombs and façades, the colonnaded street, and more… • Return to the Arava border with assistance crossing back into Israel • Transfer to the Ramon Airport for Arkia flight IZ1806 at 8:40 pm back to Tel Aviv • Transfer to your hotel • Dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant Overnight: Rothschild 96, Tel Aviv DAY TWELVE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND – TEL AVIV (ON OWN) • Full Israeli breakfast at the hotel • Day at leisure in Tel Aviv – options include o Explore the historic neighborhood of Old Jaffa, with its alleyways, flea market, and trendy port area, complete with restaurants and shopping for everyone. Make sure to stop by the historic Ottoman-era clock tower and St.