Israel Adventure - Private / Group Tour - ISRAEL

 

Day 1:

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv. Dinner and introduction by your tour guide. Overnight (HB), in Tel Aviv.

 

Day 2:

We start our tour with a drive to Jerusalem and a hike around the Old City of Jerusalem:

From top of the Mt. of Olives we can enjoy a panoramic view of the Holy City and understand its complex history. Then we hike down through the Jewish Cemetery to the Garden of Gethsemane with its famous Olive Trees that are almost 2000 years old! We head on to the Kidron Valley where we watch some of its ancient burial-monuments, carved in the rock. From here a steep trail leads us through the “Dung Gate” and into the Wailing Wall, the last remnants of the Temple in Jerusalem. We continue in the footsteps of Jesus along the Stations of the Via Dolorosa, Jesus' "Way of Suffering", and unto the Church of the Holy Sepulcure, where Jesus was crucified and buried. The Via Dolorosa also passes through the Old City's oriental "Suq" (Bazaar). At the end of the day we visit King David's Tomb and the "Room of the Last Supper". In the afternoon we have time to stroll along the Arab Market, walk through water in the 1 mile long Siloah-Tunnel, built by the Jewish king Hezekiah in 701 BCE(!) or drive through the New City of Jerusalem, with a short visit of the “Menorah” (Candelabra) situated in front of the Parliament building (Knesset).

Overnight (HB), in Jerusalem.

 

Day 3:

After breakfast we drive to “the Valley of the Therabynth”, where the famous fight between David and Goliath took place. After telling this story from a viewpoint on the hill, we will crawl for approx. 1 hour through the Azeka-cave-system. This sophisticated system of caves was curved out of the rock by the Jewish Bar-Kochba rebels, who rebelled against the Romans in the 2^nd century. From here we drive to Acre (Akko), an ancient oriental port-city by the Mediterranean Sea. Here we take the opportunity to walk on its massive walls, and take a look at the port of Akko, which is still used by fishermen and travelers.

Drive for overnight to our hotel near the Sea of Galilee (HB)

 

Day 4:

Today we visit the places where Jesus acted around the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum, with Peters House and the famous Synagogue, enjoy the view from Mt. of the Beatitudes, where the "Sermon on the Mount" was given, and the reconstructed church at Tabgha, where tradition puts the miracle of the Bread and The Fish. In the afternoon we drive to the Jordan River, where we go onboard rafting-boats, to raft down the river…

Drive for overnight to our hotel near the Sea of Galilee (HB)

 

Day 5:

We leave the Sea of Galilee and drive up to the Yahudiyah Nature Reserve. Here a staff of certified Rappelling Instructors will wait for us, and guide us through “The Black Gorge”. The “Black Gorge” is considered to be one of Israel’s most beautiful and challenging Rappelling Routes: We will be let down over a series of streaming waterfalls and then cross some water-pools that can only be crossed by swimming! After we say goodbye to our rappelling team, we drive down to the Dead Sea, the deepest

point on earth, where we also spend the night. (HB)

 

 

 

Day 6:

Today is dedicated to the famous desert-fortress Massada: we start hiking through the bizarre Lisan-marl formation at the foot of Massada. We walk through a white, mysterious landscape that might remind the “Monument Valley” in the USA, until we reach the well-preserved Roman Siege Wall. We ascend Massada, King Herod's desert palace, by the “Messengers Trail”, and then visit Massada thoroughly. Massada, where some Jewish-freedom-fighters decided to prefer their own death on slavery by the Romans, became an important national symbol for the modern state of Israel. We descend Massada by the famous “Snake Path, or by the longer “Ben Yair Ascent”. Today we can also end the day with a float on the Dead Sea. (Length of hike: 3 miles through the Snake Path, and 5.5 miles through Ben Yair Ascent) Overnight near the Dead Sea (HB)

 

Day 7:

Our bus takes us to the ruins of the ancient Nabatean city Avdat, once a major stopover for the caravans that transported the incense and frankincense through the Arabian Desert to the port of Gaza and Rome. After a thorough visit of the remnants of the once blooming city we continue by foot into the desert, passing the remnants of some old agricultural installations, which the Nabateans built in the desert, and finally arriving to the Ein Akev spring, where we even have an opportunity to swim and cool ourselves off after the hike. After a picnic lunch in Ein Akev, we hike along the cliffs overlooking the wide Tzin valley and end the day by Ben-Gurion's tomb, where our bus will be waiting for us.

Overnight at Har-Hanegev Field School (FB)

 

Day 8:

Today we start our 3 days jeep Safari across the Negev Desert. In the morning we load our luggage on the Jeeps. The Jeeps will take us down into the Ramon “Crater” – a unique geological phenomena, found nowhere else in the world. On a steep dirt road we arrive at the top of Mt. Gewanim, overlooking the Ramon Crater. After another steep drive down the mountain, and a short drive through Nachal (Wadi) Gewanim, we arrive at the bottom of the Saharonim Ridge, where we start a 2 hour hike by foot: We walk on top of the ridge, between two cliffs that enable us to enjoy a wide view over vast areas of the Negev Desert. Then we walk down to the oasis Ein Saharonim, where the Jeeps will wait for us by the ancient Nabatean Caravanserai. From now on our Jeeps will take us along the famous “Incense Road”, in the footsteps of the Nabatean Caravans carrying their expensive goods from “Arabia Felix” to Rome. After driving through the impressive Canyon of Nachal Nekarot we arrive at the Nekarot-Fortress. After a short walk to the Nabatean Water-Cistern nearby, we set our camp for the night (FB)

 

Day 9:

We continue with the Jeeps along the “Incense Road”, passing by the Katzra-Fortress, and arriving at the Oasis Moa. We visit its most interesting sites, such as the ancient caravanserai, the Nabatean water-pool, and more. Then we drive along the “Spring Route” and arrive at the bottom of the Barak-Gorge. The Jeeps leave us here and meet us again at our campsite. We continue by foot, climb on rope-ladders over the Barak-Water-Holes that are only filled with water after a winter with sufficient rainfall. A 1.5 hour hike brings us to Mt. Kippa, where the Jeep-drivers already started to set the camp for the night. (FB) 

 

Day 10:

Our safari is now southward bound, towards Eilat. We drive on some more unpaved roads, but also have some short sections on the paved road (We must start getting used to it again...) and towards the end of the day we reach the “Scouts Ascend” and the deep canyon of Nachal Eteq. Nachal Eteq has also a few dry waterholes, where we also can climb with the help of some ladders nailed to the rock. We reach Eilat in the late afternoon.

Overnight: Eilat Field School (FB)

 

Day 11:

We spend the whole day on a yacht that will take us along the colorful coral reef of the Gulf of Eilat to the Coral Island with its Crusader Castle. This cruise includes Diving and snorkeling in the coral reef and BBQ lunch onboard.

Overnight: Eilat Field School (FB)

 

Day 12:

We visit the Underwater Observatory to take a close look at the colorful underwater world of the Red Sea Coral Reef. Then we have the afternoon at leisure. In the evening we drive to the "Camel Ranch" just outside Eilat, where we have a biblical-style "Bedouin" Farewell-Dinner.

 

Day 13:

Transfer to Eilat Airport and flight back via Ben-Gurion Airport