SCHANZER FAMILY IN ISRAEL April 12-27 JOE’S BAR MITZVAH TOUR Tour Guide: Alan Harkavy This is a preliminary draft of the itinerary and is subject to change \ DAY 1-FRI, APRIL 12- ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER ONLY (NO GUIDE) ● WELCOME TO ISRAEL!!! ● 5:00 p.m. arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport ● Meet guide and transfer to Tel Aviv and hotel check-in ● Evening of leisure ● Erev Shabbat dinner at hotel or local restaurant- reservation recommended ● Overnight: The Renaissance Hotel, Tel Aviv DAY 2-SAT (SHABBAT), APRIL 13- TEL AVIV/JAFFA ( GUIDE) ● Israeli breakfast at hotel ● Day in Tel Aviv-options include: o 10:00 a.m. Ayalon Institute o Walk/ride bikes on the beachfront promenade o Tel Aviv Museum of Art o Ben Gurion House (reservation required) o Stroll through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood and along Rothschild Blvd o Shop in the Sarona Market or the North Tel Aviv Port o Explore the ancient port city of Jaffa o Beach time! ● Overnight: Renaissance Hotel, Tel Aviv DAY 3- SUN, APRIL 14- COASTAL PLAIN, MT.CARMEL, UPPER GALILEE (GUIDE) ● Meet guide at the hotel ● Israeli breakfast in hotel and check-out ● Begin the day with an early morning stroll through the Carmel Market ● Tour the ancient Caesarea Port and the Roman Aqueducts ● Zichron Yaakov First Aliyah Museum and lunch ● Haifa Port Overlook ● 4:00 p.m. tornado boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea from Achziv to Rosh Hanikra (subject to weather) ● Descend into the Rosh Hanikra grottoes ● Continue to kibbutz hotel and check-in ● Dinner at kibbutz hotel or a local restaurant ● Overnight: Kfar Blum Pastoral Hotel, Hula Valley DAY 4- MON, APRIL 15-HULA VALLEY AND GOLAN HEIGHTS (GUIDE) ● Israeli breakfast at the Kibbutz hotel ● Nature stroll through the stream of Tel Dan ● Short hike to the Banias waterfall ● 10:30-Off-road Jeep tour on the Golan Heights with Royi Rimon ● Security briefing of Israel’s borders and wars on Mt. Bental ● 3:30-Rafting down the Jordan River ● Dinner at the kibbutz hotel or a local restaurant ● Overnight: Kfar Blum Pastoral Hotel, Hula Valley DAY 5- TUES, APRIL 16- UPPER GALILEE AND NAFTALI RIDGE (GUIDE) ● Israeli breakfast at hotel ● Experience the Mystical City of Tzfat with its beautiful synagogues, art galleries and candle factory 2 ● Morning hike in the beautiful Amud Stream ● 2:00-4:00-“Project Leket” picking fruits and vegetables for the needy at Nahalal ● Dinner in Rosh Pina ● Evening stroll in Old Rosh Pina and the Nimrod Lookout (optional) ● Overnight: Kfar Blum Pastoral Hotel, Hula Valley DAY 6- WED, APRIL 17- KINNERET, JORDAN VALLEY, JERUSALEM (GUIDE) ● Israeli breakfast at hotel and check out ● Head south along the Kinneret and then along the Jordan Valley ● Naharayim, Peace Island and the Old Gesher Kibbutz ● Beit Shean, one of the Roman Decapolis cities ● Qasr el Yehud ● Ascend to Jerusalem stopping at the Mount Scopus overlook for a “shehechiyanu” ● Check-into Hotel ● 8:30 dinner with family in Beitar Ilit ● Overnight: Orient Hotel, Jerusalem DAY 7- THURS, APRIL 18- JOE’S BAR MITZVAH DAY (GUIDE) ● Joe’s bar mitzvah - Robinson’s Arch prayer platform ● Bar mitzvah celebration brunch at Piccolino in Nachalat Shiva ● Walking tour of the neighborhoods outside the Old City walls ● Machane Yehuda Market ● Dinner on own ● Evening options include strolling Ben Yehuda Street and the Center of the City; David Tower Sound and Light Spectacular (advance reservation required); or Western Wall Tunnel Tour (advance reservation required) ● Overnight: Orient Hotelt, Jerusalem DAY 8- FRIDAY, APRIL 19- CITY OF DAVID AND OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM (GUIDE) ● 8:00 a.m. go back to where “It all began” in the City of David ● Wade through Hezekiah's Tunnel and prepare to get wet (option for a dry tunnel) ● Walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem inside the present day wall o Jewish Quarter o Cardo o Rooftops o Synagogues ● Visit Mount Zion where all three monotheistic religions collide at David’s Tomb David ● Return home to prepare for Passover ● Passover Seder in Jerusalem ● Overnight: Orient Hotelt, Jerusalem DAY 9- SAT (SHABBAT/YOM TOV), APRIL 20 – DAY OF REST (NO GUIDE) ● Optional tours of Jerusalem neighborhoods 3 DAY 10-SUN, APRIL 21- JUDEAN DESERT, EIN GEDI, MASADA, DEAD SEA (GUIDE) ● Depart Jerusalem descending to the lowest place on the planet ● Stop at the beautiful Wadi Qelt looking over the Judean Desert and Jericho ● Nature hike to the David Waterfall in Ein Gedi ● Ascend the desert fortress of Masada by cable car ● Float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek ● Drive to Kfar Hanokdim for a Bedouin experience including camel rides and overnight in the desert ● Overnight: Kfar Hanokdim Bedouin camp in the Negev DAY 11- MON, APRIL 22- NEGEV (GUIDE) ● Breakfast in the Bedouin tent ● Visit the Desert home of David Ben Gurion at Kibbutz Sde Boker ● Pay homage at the tomb of David and Paula Ben Gurion at Midreshit Ben Gurion ● Nature stroll to Ein Avdat ● Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center ● Afternoon hike at Ein Saharonim in the Machtesh Ramon ● Happy hour on the balcony of the Beresheet Hotel ● Return to Jerusalem ● Dinner along the way or in Jerusalem on own ● Overnight: Orient Hotel, Jerusalem DAY 12- TUES, APRIL 23- JERUSALEM MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS (GUIDE) ● Take part in an archaeological dig at Beit Guvrin ● Explore Khirbet Qeiyafa (if the road is open) or alternately explore Tel Azeka overlooking the Elah Valley where David slew Goliath ● Visit the Armored Brigade Museum at Latrun ● Return to Jerusalem through the Jerusalem Hills stopping at the Scrolls of Fire and passing through the hamlet of Ein Kerem ● Overnight: Orient Hotel, Jerusalem DAY 13- WED, APRIL 24- JERUSALEM ON OWN (NO GUIDE) ● 12:00 noon Yad Vashem Tour followed by Mount Herzl DAY 14- THURS, APRIL 25- SALT CAVES (GUIDE) ● 6:30 a.m. Israel Extreme Salt Caves ● Overnight: Tel Aviv DAY 15- FRI, APRIL 26- TEL AVIV ON OWN (NO GUIDE) DAY 16- SAT, APRIL 27- FLIGHT BACK TO USA AT MIDNIGHT- NEED TO ARRIVE AT BEN GURION AIRPORT ON THE EVENING OF FRIDAY APRIL 26, THREE HOURS BEFORE FLIGHT DEPARTURE 4 LEHITRAOT (FAREWELL) AND SAFE TRAVELS!!!!!!!!! 5 .