Experience the diverse landscape of Israel on a guided tour that captures the unique religious, historical and cultural character of the country.
With these Israel tour packages, there’s no need to worry about planning, booking flights and hotels or managing your time—just pack your bags and enjoy the ride.
Highlights
Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Massada, Beit Shean, Nazareth, Tiberias, Capernaum, Golan Heights, Druze village, Safed Acre, Haifa, Megiddo, Caesarea, Tel Aviv
Itinerary
Friday
Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv
Upon your arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, a tour representative will meet you and accompany you on the transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv.
Saturday
Tel Aviv
Highlights: Namal Tel Aviv, Old Jaffa, Nahalat Binyamin, Shenkin St.
Use your first day in Israel to explore Israel’s vibrant financial and entertainment capital on your own.
From the ancient ruins, art galleries and beaches of Old Jaffa in the south to the one-of-a-kind café’s of Nahalat Binyamin and Shenkin streets of the center and the upscale restaurants of the restored Tel Aviv Port, Tel Aviv has a little of something for everybody.
Sunday
Caesarea, Megiddo, and Druze Village
Highlights: Daliyat el-Carmel, Druze restaurant, archaeological excavations, Mt. Carmel, Bahai Gardens, Haifa
Start your guided tour with an exploration of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, with stops at some of the most impressive viewpoints and archaeological excavations, as well as a unique cultural experience in a Druze village.
Drive up the coastal plain to Caesarea, the capital of the Judea under the Roman Empire and home to a bevy of impressive ruins from many periods, including a complex of Crusader fortifications, the Roman theatre and aqueduct.
Continuing inland to the north, your next stop is Meggido, the biblical site of Armageddon. Here you’ll tour the various excavations of the ancient city, including the well-preserved water supply system.
Drive into the mountains for a visit to the colorful Druze village Daliyat el-Carmel high on the slopes of Mt. Carmel. Get acquainted with the unique character of the people, streets and market before you sit down for an authentic Druze meal.
Conclude your day with a spectacular view of the Haifa bay and the beautiful Bahai Gardens before settling in for a quiet night at the quaint Kibbutz Lavi.
Monday
Safed and the Golan Heights
Highlights: Safed synagogues, Katzrin, Golan Winery
Travel to the northern reaches of Israel to discover the roots of Jewish mysticism and tour the frontier-like Golan Heights.
Take in the stunning views and feel the unique atmosphere of Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism. Walk through the cobblestone alleyways and stop to see its many medieval synagogues and the quaint artists’ colony.
From Safed, you’ll continue east to tour one of Israel’s most beautiful regions, the Golan Heights. Tour the old military installations from the wars with Syria and see the new city of Katzrin and the Golan Heights Winery.
Tuesday
Sea of Galilee and Nazareth
Highlights: Basilica of the Annunciation, Capernaum, Church of St. Peter, Mount of Beatitudes, Gilboa Mountains, Beit Alpha synagogue
A trip to the shores of the Sea of Galilee will give you the chance to learn about the early days of Christianity as you tour some of the most notable Christian sites in this region of Israel.
Start your day with the multicultural flavor of Nazareth, home to Israel’s largest Arab and Christian populations. Get a taste of the distinctly Arabic flavor as you meander through the city’s busy streets, and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, built to mark the place where Christian tradition says the angel Gabriel visited Mary.
Travel on to the beautiful shores of the Sea of Galilee. At Capernaum, you’ll see the wonderfully preserved remains of the synagogue that once served as the center of Jesus’ ministry and the ruins of the octagonal Church of St. Peter that may mark the place Jesus lived in Capernaum.
Afterwards, you’ll venture inland to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount, and then drive to the foot of the Gilboa Mountains for a look at the Beit Alpha synagogue and its unique mosaic floors depicting scenes from the Bible and the zodiac.
Wednesday
Jerusalem—Old City
Highlights: Mount of Olives, Room of the Last Supper, Temple Mount, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall, Garden Tomb
Dive into a guided crash course in the history of religion in Israel, as you visit one of holiest places to the world’s three major religions—the majestic Old City of Jerusalem.
Set out in the morning for the Mount of Olives, where you’ll have a tremendous view of Jerusalem, visit the Church of All Nations and walk to nearby Mt. Zion to see King David’s tomb and the Room of the Last Supper.
From there, you’ll proceed through the Zion Gate into the Old City, home to the ruins of the Cardo, the authentic shops of the bazaar and some of Judaism and Christianity’s most sacred places.
Relive history as you walk in Jesus’ final steps along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and ascend the Temple Mount, where the ancient Temple of Solomon once stood.
Finally, wrap up your day with a stroll through the Oriental bazaar of the Old City and a visit to the Garden Tomb, the site where some believe Jesus was buried and resurrected.
Thursday
Jerusalem—New City and Bethlehem
Highlights: Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book, Dead Sea Scrolls, Yad Vashem, Tower of David museum
Enjoy a day of cultural activities that will help you get acquainted with the history of Israel and the Jewish people, starting with a trip to Israel’s largest cultural institute, the world renown Israel Museum.
Immerse yourself in the museum’s massive collection of archaeological, fine arts and Jewish arts exhibits, and visit the Shrine of the Book complex, where you’ll see some of the most important original ancient texts in the world, including the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls and the Aleppo Codex.
Next, you’ll visit what many consider Israel’s most important museum, Yad Vashem. Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust will offer you a unique and emotional look at an event that shaped history.
Continue your tour in one of the oldest neighborhoods in West Jerusalem, Mea Shearim, where you’ll see a unique example of ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle that originated hundreds of years ago in Eastern Europe and is preserved by the neighborhood inhabitants.
Finally, settle in for a night of authentic local cuisine followed by a spectacular sound and light show at the Tower of David Museum.
Friday
The Dead Sea and Masada
Highlights: Qumran, Masada, Herod’s palace
Travel south for an unforgettable exploration of the archaeological and natural treasures of the Dead Sea region.
After a scenic morning drive through the Judean Desert, your first stop will be Qumran, where archaeologists first unearthed the Dead Sea scrolls you saw at the Israel Museum.
Touring the excavations, you’ll be able to get an idea of how the writers of the texts lived and see the room where experts think they may have written them.
From Qumran, your tour will take you on a scenic drive along the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth, to the foot of Masada.
Ascend the mountain by cable car for a tour of the fortress built by King Herod in 31-37 BC, where the Jewish Zealots made their last stand against the Romans in 73 CE.
Here, you’ll see the remains of the walls, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors and Roman baths that once made up the city, as well as King Herod’s personal palace.
Time and weather permitting, you’ll finish your day in the waters of the Dead Sea, where you can bathe and float in its salty, therapeutic waters before returning to your hotel in Jerusalem for your final night in the holy city.
Saturday
Jerusalem
Highlights: Mahane Yehuda market, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, restaurants
Use a day of leisure in Israel’s capital to see anything you might have missed, such as the Mahane Yehuda Market, nearby Bethlehem (15km) or perhaps sample the city’s thriving fine-dining culture with a meal at one of the many unique
Sunday
Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport
Bid farewell to Israel as you enjoy the ride from your hotel in Jerusalem to Ben Gurion International Airport for your flight home.
Additional Tour Information
What’s included
Transfer on arrival and departure (Ben Gurion International Airport), 7 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis and 2 nights on half board (kibbutz), 6 touring days with English-speaking guide, entrance fees to sites on itinerary, dinner in Jerusalem on Thursday, lunch in Druze village on Sunday
What to bring and wear
Comfortable walking shoes, modest dress (no shorts or sleeveless shirts) and head covering for holy sites, sunscreen
Departure
Year-round
Special notes
Tour only available in English, Bethlehem trip is subject to availability, tour can be extended and tailor-made for private tours according to different religious interests