Cultural Discovery Tour In Israel & Palestine

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Israel’s second largest city, Tel Aviv was founded at the beginning of the 20th century on the outskirts of the old port city of Jaffa. Today its fabulous ‘White City’ contains the world’s largest concentration of Modernistic-style buildings on the planet, a factor that saw it achieve UNESCO World Heritage status in 2003. We’ll get a chance to take a tour of this impressive 1930s architec-ture this morning (inspired by the Bauhaus school of art), before exploring something of nearby Jaffa en route to the ruins of Ceasarea. Built by Herod the Great during the 1st century BC, Ceasarea was a major administrative centre of Roman Palestine, even witnessing the ritual slaughter of over 2500 Jewish prisoners at a series of Gladiatorial Games following the failed Jewish revolt of 70 AD. Its harbour was once one of the greatest in the ancient world, rivalling even that of Alexandria and over the centuries it saw Byzantines, Muslims and Crusaders pass through its city walls, until it was finally destroyed by the Mameluks in 1265 AD. Continuing along Israel’s northern coast, our next stop is the historic city of Haifa, where we get a chance to take in the panoramic views from the slopes of Mount Carmel and visit the Bahá’í Gardens, another UNESCO site that is also the spiritual and administrative centre of the Bahá’í faith. As we con-tinue north we head through landscapes that are populated by minority Druze villages, gaining an opportunity to discover something of a community which can trace its settlement in the area back to the Ottoman invasions of Syria back in the 16th century. The Druze are neither Christian, Jewish or Arabic, but rather a group that follow a unique interpretation of all three monotheistic faiths, providing us with a fascinating insight into a community who have attained a special status amongst Israel’s minority groups. The end of a long day finally sees us in Akko, on the northern extremes of the Bay of Haifa, a city that can boast one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in Israel.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today we visit the important Christian sites of Tabgha and Capernaum. It was at Tabgha, or rather on the nearby slopes of the Mount of the Beatitudes, that it is believed that the Sermon on the Mount took place, where one of the most significant events of the New Testament saw the feeding of the 5,000. We will take an opportunity to visit the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves, the Church of the Primacy of St Peter and the Mount itself, before continuing on to Capernaum, the birthplace of St. Peter and the site where it is believed that Jesus first started his ministry. Taking an afternoon boat trip out onto the waters of the Sea of Galilee, we then head for our kibbutz, close to the historic city of Tiberias. Following the Bar Kochba Revolt in the 2nd cen-tury AD and the exile of the Jews from Jerusalem, Tiberius became the centre of Jewish life in Israel. The Mishnah and the Palestine Talmud holy books were completed here and the Hebrew alphabet further developed, elevating Tiberias to the status of one of the four Holy Jewish towns. En route we will make a brief stop in the town of Nazareth to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and St. Joseph’s Church. Believed to have been the site where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the Basilica is one of holiest sites in Christendom, whilst St. Joseph’s is said to occupy the site where Joseph’s carpentry shop once stood.

Overnight Kibbutz (H) Included meals: Breakfast

Heading towards the Jordan Valley this morning we travel via the strategically important town of Beit She’an, en route to the ancient city of Jericho. Lying amidst the hotly contested settlements of the West Bank, Jericho was the first city to fly the flag of the newly formed Palestinian state and its antecedents stretch back some ten millennia, making it not only one of the oldest cities on earth, but at 250m below sea level also the lowest. Following our visit to Jericho, we will drive to our overnight stop, a Kibbutz.  A Kibbutz is traditionally known as a collective community of people in Israel based mainly on agriculture and shared living.  They began in the 1920's and currently there are approximately 270 Kibbutzim in Isreal.  Over the years, the output has diversified from agriculture to include factories, technology and tourism.  For your afternoon you can choose to either enjoy, experience and encounter more of Kibbutz life by staying and relaxing for the afternoon or if you're feeling more active, an optional camel ride and lunch showcasing local Beduoin Tradition might be the choice for you.

Overnight Kibbutz (H) Included meals: Breakfast Swimming available

Along the western shores of the Dead Sea lies the isolated hilltop fortress city of Masada, the last stronghold of the Zealots against the Romans during the First Revolt in AD 70. Originally fortified by Herod the Great, the fortress gained renown when, following the crushing of the Jewish resis-tance in Jerusalem, Masada held out for a further two years, before the Romans finally breached the walls. Rather than surrender to their oppressors the entire population of Masada (some 1000 people) committed suicide.  From the top of the citadel there are some stunning views of the sur-rounding desert, including the mountains of Moab and the Dead Sea. After a chance to explore the ruins we continue our journey for a visit to the biblical oasis of Ein Gedi before continuing to Qumran, home of the Essenes, a strict and devout Jewish sect who lived in the area until early in the 1st century AD and who are believed to have been the authors of the 2,000 year old manuscripts found amongst the hillside caves in 1947. The Dead Sea scrolls are amongst the most important biblical records ever discovered, providing historians and archaeologists with an incredible insight into the development of the Bible and its historical context. Whilst we are in the area we will also take some time to enjoy a float in the remarkable saline waters of the Dead Sea. At 418m below sea level, this salty expanse of mineral rich water is the lowest point on earth and has been re-vered for centuries for its beneficial properties. Surrounded by barren hills, this remarkable body of water has an amazingly high salt content (33%), which means no animal life can survive here and it is almost impossible to sink! We will have an opportunity to experience a little something of its remarkable buoyancy as we enjoy a dip in its unique waters, before continuing on to Jerusalem. heading towards the fertile oasis of Kfar Hanokdim on the vast plains of the Negev Desert, a wilderness of canyons and wadis, high pla-teaux and fertile plains that covers almost half of Israel’s entire landmass. We’ll enjoy some tradi-tional Bedouin hospitality en route, including lunch and a short camel ride, before we continue to Be’er Sheva, the self-styled capital of the Negev. The city features prominently in Biblical lore, but its importance declined after the Byzantines left in the 7th century. It wasn’t until the Ottoman Turks began to develop the town that its fortunes were rekindled and it went on to play a vital role in the Allied campaigns of World War I. Indeed the city saw the last ever successful cavalry charge in British history, when the 4th Light Horse Brigade overran the Turkish trenches (ironi-cally the troops were Australian, not British). We’ll take a brief tour of the city before heading to our final destination of the day, Jerusalem, a city described as the ‘fairest of all cities’ and once believed to be the centre of the world.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we drive through the new part of Jerusalem, taking in the Hebrew University, the Parliament building and the Supreme Court, before continuing to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls parchments and the largest museum to all things Israeli anywhere on the planet. We’ll also visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, a 45-acre complex of memorials, sculptures and commemorative sites that sits at the foot of Mount Herzl. Passing by Ein Karem we then visit the Church of St John the Baptist, before making our final visit of the day to Bethlehem and the Church of the Na-tivity. The original building was believed to have been built by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, the emperor who legalised Christianity in 313AD. Helena ordered a church built here in 339AD, on what was strongly rumoured to be the site of the Christ’s birth. The original structure was later enlarged in the 6th century, during the reign of the Emperor Justinian and today stands fortress like overlooking Manger Square. From here we return to Jerusalem.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Certainly one of the world’s most intriguing cities, Jerusalem can boast a history stretching back some three millennia, and during its long history it has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times and recaptured 44 times. This morning we drive by bus up to the Mount of Ol-ives for a superb view down over the Old City, before descending into the Josaphat Valley to visit the Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Na-tions. Entering the Old City we then visit the Pool of Bethsheba, before taking a walking tour of this most hallowed of settings. Passing along narrow winding streets that overflow with street vendors and shops, we head to the Via Dolorosa, traditionally believed to be the route taken by Christ on the day of his execution. We will follow the ‘Stations of the Cross’ to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in Christendom and the reputed place of the crucifixion, burial and eventual resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jerusalem is unique in that it is held sacred by the three great monotheistic religions of the world, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and after having visited Christendom’s most sacred site, we move on to the Wailing Wall, believed by Jews to be the last remaining remnant of the second Temple and, as such, considered the most revered of all sites for the Jews. Finally we head up onto the slopes of Mount Zion, where we visit the tomb of King David, the beautiful Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition and the Cenacle, which since the 4th century has been identified as the site of the Last Supper. After our visit we drive back to our hotel.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Driving back to Tel Aviv after breakfast this morning, our tour ends at Tel Aviv’s international airport.

Included meals: Breakfast