Israel: Crossroads of History

Arrive in Tel Aviv, where you are met and transferred to your hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Drive to the ancient Roman capital, Caesarea, where Herod laid out a city and constructed a revolutionary, artificial harbor. View a partial inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate, the only secular reference to his existence. Then, visit the UNESCO-listed seaport city of Acre to tour the Knights’ Halls, view the El Jazaar Mosque and explore the elaborate covered markets. Gather for a Chef’s Table welcome dinner and savor a menu created to highlight Israel’s vibrant culinary scene.

Begin a day that carries you back in history, exploring sites associated with early Christianity and its shared roots with Judaism. Cruise the Sea of Galilee and view Tabgha, where the feeding of the 5,000 is commemorated, and the Mount of Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount. Continue to Capernaum, home of St. Peter and the synagogue where Jesus taught. Drive to Banias, a source of the Jordan River where archaeological remains dating back millennia have been discovered. Cap off the day with a sommelier-hosted Israeli wine tasting in the hotel’s wine cellar.

Today, discover Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent much of his life, to see the Basilica of the Annunciation and an area below the Church of St. Joseph, thought by some to be the site of Joseph’s carpentry shop. Traverse the Jordan Valley to the Decapolis city of Beit Shean. Later, arrive in Jerusalem.

Begin today at the Mount of Olives for a view of the city, and visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed with his disciples. Then, explore the fascinating Old City of Jerusalem, built by King David in 1004 BC, pausing at the Western Wall, Judaism’s most sacred site and a tangible link between Israel’s past and present. In the background, view the Temple Mount area (Al Haram el-Sharif) with its mosque of the Dome of the Rock. In the Christian Quarter, walk along the Stations of the Way of the Cross, a route trod by Pilgrims for hundreds of years. Your day culminates at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, witnessing the devotion and prayer exhibited by many denominations at the momentous sites of the Crucifixion and the Tomb of Christ.

Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s poignant and moving memorial to Holocaust victims. Continue to the Israel Museum, which houses a portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the impressive Second Temple Model. Drive to Bethlehem, located in the West Bank, for an A&K-exclusive private lunch with a local Christian family in their home, and enter the Church of the Nativity, built upon the birthplace of Jesus. Conclude your day with a Scenic Sundowner that offers inspirational views of the Old City.

Ride Like a Local by cable car up to Masada, last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots who held out for three years against the Romans. Float in the Dead Sea before returning to Jerusalem for a special farewell dinner.

Enjoy an early morning walk of the Temple Mount. Stop for lunch at the Machane Yehuda Market. This afternoon, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Explore the Historic Jewish Quarter for site visits of the stunning new discoveries excavated at the City of David. See More of the Christian Quarter, with the opportunity to view the tomb within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Revisit the Old City to see the Tower of David and wander myriad alleyways, home to local merchants for centuries. Afterward, return to your hotel.

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your flight home.