Private Israel

Arrive in Tel Aviv, where you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Take a scenic, coastal drive to the ancient Roman capital, Caesarea, where Herod laid out a classical city. Near its amphitheater, view a partial inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate. Then, visit the seaport city of Acre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While at Acre, tour the Knights’ Halls, the Crusaders’ main fortress and palace; view the El Jazzar Mosque (White Mosque); and see covered markets. Continue to Tiberias and your hotel, which occupies a historic building along the Sea of Galilee.

See St. Peter’s House and Tabgha, where the feeding of the 5,000 is commemorated. In the afternoon, visit the Mount of Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount, then continue to the Golan Heights, a rocky plateau with a rich history of strategic importance.

Visit Nazareth, where Jesus spent much of his life. See the Basilica of the Annunciation, built on the traditional spot where Mary’s home once stood; and the basement of the Church of St. Joseph, purported location of Joseph’s carpentry workshop. Continue overland through the Jordan Valley to the Decapolis city of Beit Shean. Arrive in Jerusalem this afternoon. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

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. Later, visit the beautifully simple St. Anne’s Church with the Pool of Bethesda, where the water for the Temple rituals was stored. 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.

After breakfast this morning, 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 at 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. Return to your luxurious hotel for an evening at leisure.

Pass the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) en route to the Israel Museum, where you view the Shrine of the Book, home to a selection of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. See a fascinating model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of the Second Temple. Then visit Yad Vashem, a vast Holocaust memorial on the Mount of Remembrance and a leading institution for Shoah research. Drive to Bethlehem, located in the West Bank, to see the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Drive along the Dead Sea to Masada, where you ascend by cable car to the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots; here, Israelite fighters held out for three years against the invading Roman army before taking their own lives rather than allowing themselves to be enslaved. Stop at the Dead Sea before returning to Jerusalem.

Transfer to the airport and board your flight.