Land of Creation ORTRA Ltd. 1 Nirim Street, Tel-Aviv 6109202, Israel Tel. +972 3 638 44 54 Fax. +972 3 638 44 55 Email : [email protected] WWW.ORTRA.COM Excursions INDEX 2015-2016 Israel’s Wonders 4 - 10 Discover the Cultures 11 - 17 From Jerusalem to Petra 18 - 23 Wine & Culture 24 - 30 Incentive Program 31 - 34 Active Incentives 35 - 38 ISRAEL’S WONDERS 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS DAY 1 WELCOME TO ISRAEL Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, you will be met by an Ortra representative before transferring to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in the Tel Aviv area DAY 2 TEL AVIV / JAFFA Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Bauhaus quarter - “The White City” - a unique urban and historical fabric of Tel Aviv which has been proclaimed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The visit continues on to Neve Tzedek, a picturesque village in the new city and the first quarter of Tel Aviv to be built outside of Jaffa. Lunch at a restaurant Afternoon in Jaffa, the oldest port in the world and inspiration for prophets, poets and legends as well as the scene of triumph for Pharaoh Thutmose III, Alexander the 1st, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Tel Aviv 5 DAY 3 CAESAREA / HAIFA / ACRE After breakfast, we will drive north along the coast to scenic Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the Holy Land. Here we will explore its excavated Roman harbor, amphitheater and Crusader fortress. Our tour continues to the Lower Galilee, where we will stop in Haifa, the greatest harbor of Israel, with its breathtaking panoramic view of Haifa Bay and the Western Galilee from the summit of Mount Carmel. Lunch at a restaurant After lunch we head northwest to Acre, also called Ptolemais or St. Jean d’Acre, for a visit to the Crusader Fortress and the Museum of the Underground Prisoner. Acre is a city of intrigue, where you can stroll through labyrinthine alleys and streets, explore the vestiges of Crusader, Muslim and Ottoman conquests. Dinner and overnight in a Kibbutz hotel in Galilee Meeting with a Kibbutz member. 6 DAY 4 NAZARETH / CAPARNAUM / TABGHA / JORDAN VALLEY After breakfast, we will visit Nazareth and the Basilica of the Annunciation before continuing to Lake Tiberias, better known as the Sea of Galilee. We’ll also stop in Tabgha to visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes and discover its 4th century mosaic floor. The excursion continues to the town of Capernaum, said to have been the home of Jesus, where you will visit St Peter’s home and tour the ruins of an ancient synagogue. We will also enjoy an outstanding panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee from the Mount of the Beatitudes. For lunch, you can dine on a St Peter’s Fish at a local restaurant The excursion continues through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem 7 DAY 5 OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM After breakfast, our day starts at the Mount of Olives with its magnificent and celebrated panorama of the Old City. Pause to reflect at theGarden of Gethsemane and its beautiful Church of the Agony situated in the Valley of Josaphat. We’ll continue on to Mount Zion for a visit to King David’s tomb and the “Upper Room” where the Last Supper, is believed, was held (Coenaculum). Enter the Walled City through the Roman Cardo, the ancient Roman and Byzantine main street, to reach the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall which is the most sacred site in the Jewish faith. Visit the Temple Mount (depending on opening hours) Lunch at a restaurant After lunch, walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Muslim & Christian quarters, to the Holy Sepulcher. At the end of the day, take a stroll through the Armenian quarter. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem 8 DAY 6 NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM After breakfast, departure for the Israel Museum to admire the collections of centuries-old Israeli artifacts including the Shrine of The Book, where you can see the Dead Sea Scrolls and an accurately detailed Second Temple model of Biblical Jerusalem. Later on, a tour of the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and a visit to the new Museum inaugurated in 2005. Lunch at a restaurant Drive by the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, to see the Menorah with its biblical symbols. Afterwards we will proceed to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem 9 DAY 7 MASADA / DEAD SEA After breakfast, we will drive through the strangely lunar landscape of the Judean desert and down to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at over 400 meters below sea level. On the way, we will pass the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. A visit to Masada, where we will take the cable car to the top of the mountain to marvel at King Herod’s desert palace fort and last stronghold of the Jewish zealots against Roman domination in 73 CE. We arrive to Ein Bokek for lunch in one of the Dead Sea hotels, followed by a relaxing float on the Dead Sea, with access to the hotel swimming pool. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem DAY 8 DEPARTURE Transfer to and assistance in Ben Gurion Airport 10 DISCOVER THE CULTURES 9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS DAY 1 WELCOME IN JERUSALEM Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, you will be met by an Ortra representative before transferring to your hotel. Transfer to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem DAY 2 THE BEDOUINS After breakfast, departure towards the south and Joe Alon Center. Tour of The Museum of Bedouin Culture, the only museum in Israel devoted entirely to the Bedouin culture. The tour includes a Bedouin-style coffee break. Later on, transfer to the Kfar Hanokdim Bedouin Village to enjoy Bedouin hospitality with traditional stories and a Bedouin-style lunch. Afterwards, we’ll travel to the Dead Sea - the lowest point of any land mass on Earth at exactly 429 meters below sea level. Check-in at the hotel with plenty of free time to enjoy a float on the Dead Sea’s salty water. Dinner and overnight at your hotel by the Dead Sea 12 DAY 3 LOT’S WIFE PILLAR / MASADA After breakfast, visit to the Sodom Pillars of Salt. Lot’s wife is a character in the Book of Genesis, she is described as turning into a pillar of salt for failing to heed the orders of the angels of deliverance while fleeing the city of Sodom. Afterwards, we drive to Masada, where we’ll ascend by cable car to the top of the mountain to marvel at King Herod’s desert palace fort and last stronghold of the Jewish zealots against Roman domination in 73 CE. Lunch at Masada Restaurant In the afternoon, enjoy floating and leisure time in theDead Sea. Dinner and overnight at your hotel by the Dead Sea 13 DAY 4 QUMRAN / LAKE TIBERIAS After breakfast, departure for Qumran, where you will visit the caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Followed by a drive through the Jordan Valley to Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Lunch at a restaurant on the way Pause to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the Sea of Galilee from the Mount of the Beatitudes. We’ll also stop in Tabgha to visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes and discover its 4th century mosaic floor. The excursion continues to the fishing village of Capernaum, said to have been the home of Jesus, where we will visit St Peter’s home and tour the ruins of an ancient synagogue. Dinner and overnight at a Kibbutz hotel in the Galilee 14 DAY 5 THE CIRCASSIANS After breakfast, we’ll travel to Nazareth and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, followed by free time at the Arab Bazar. Then transfer to Kfar Kama (Circassian Village). Lunch at a typical Circassian restaurant Followed by a tour of the village. In the afternoon, we’ll travel to the Tabor Winery, where we will tour the facilities and enjoy tasting the vineyard’s produce. Dinner and overnight at a Kibbutz hotel in the Galilee DAY 6 THE DRUZE After breakfast, we head northwest to Acre, also called Ptolemais or St. Jean d’Acre, for a visit to the Crusader Fortress and the Museum of the Underground Prisoner. Acre is a city of intrigue, where you can wander through labyrinthine alleys and streets and explore the vestiges of Crusader, Muslim and Ottoman conquests. Transfer to the Druze village of Ussefiya. Lunch at a typical Druze restaurant Tour of the village and explanations about Druze culture, followed by a visit to the ancient olive oil factory. In the afternoon, transfer to Jerusalem, the Holy City. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Jerusalem 15 DAY 7 JERUSALEM - THE OLD CITY After breakfast, the day starts at the Mount of Olives with its magnificent and celebrated panorama of the Old City. Pause for reflection at theGarden of Gethsemane and its beautiful Church of the Agony situated in the Valley of Josaphat. We’ll continue on to Mount Zion for a visit to King David’s tomb and the “Upper Room” where the Last Supper, is believed, was held (Coenaculum). Enter the Walled City through the Roman Cardo, the ancient Roman and Byzantine main street, to arrive to the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall - the the most sacred site in Judaism.