The Many Facets of Israel

Dates: October 21 - November 1, 2009, 10 days/9 nights

Fee: $3479 per person, double occupancy, single person supplement $759.
Minimum number of participants 8, maximum 10. Minimum age 18.

Israel is a destination and an experience that no one should miss in their lifetime. It is a land of contrasts and dynamics, constant and yet ever changing, archaeology over 3000 years old, home to three of the world’s great religions, growing and modern developments with vibrant arts and culture, and diverse and dramatic scenery.

The tour starts in bustling Tel Aviv with visits to its busy markets and the old port of Jaffa. We travel north to the Roman port of Caesaria built by Herod the Great, then on to Haifa and the Baha’i Gardens on Mount Carmel, the old city of Acre, the last stand of the crusaders, and on to the Galilee. We then explore the Golan Heights stopping at Capernaeum, a winery, Mt. Bental and on to the 12th century Arabic Nimrod’s fortress in the north. Leaving the Galilee we visit Safed home to Kabbalah Judaism as well as a thriving art community, and continue to Nazareth, Mount Tabor, and on to the Roman city of Bet She’an and then to Jerusalem. Touring modern Jerusalem there is Yad Vashem, Mt. Herzl, and the Israel Museum. The most impressive way to see Jerusalem is to view it at dawn from the top of the Mount of Olives. Touring the Temple Mount itself there is the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque, and then leaving it we go up the Via Dolorosa and past the stations of the cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Then off to the Western Wall, the Jerusalem Archaeological Park with its Byzantine and Umayyad Palace ruins, an excavation at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount, the City of David, and Mount Zion. One can’t miss Masada and its violent history nor swimming in the Dead Sea. There is much more including great restaurants and Israeli wines. Your senses and emotions will be stimulated at every turn with what you see and what happened there.

During this tour, there will be much to photograph and we will therefore spend time learning about photography including: capturing the perfect image, how the digital camera works and how to control it, and what Photoshop is all about and what it can do for you, and finally some of the intricacies of printing. This is a comprehensive, fun filled, total experience not to be missed.

Accommodations:

Accommodations in Israel will be at 5 star hotels in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and at a marvelous hotel connected with a Kibbutz on the Galilee. The hotels are fully equipped with business centers, restaurants and a bar. In Jerusalem we will be a short walk from the Old City.

Itinerary:

Day 1, Wednesday October, 21, 2009 : DEPARTURE
Overnight departure from The United States for our overnight flight to Israel.
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Day 2, Thursday October 22, 2009: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!
Afternoon arrival in Israel at Ben Gurion Airport… Our Ayelet Tours representative greets us and assists us through customs and baggage claim… Transfer to our hotel in Tel Aviv for check-in… After time for settling in this evening, we enjoy a Welcome Dinner and orientation of the sites and cities we will be visiting during our tour… Overnight Tel Aviv.
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Day 3, Friday October 23, 2009: TEL AVIV – ANCIENT PORT TO MODERN METROPOLIS
Following breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour through the ancient port of Old Jaffa as we learn about the historic importance of this area during biblical times… Enjoy a tour through the “White City” Bauhaus district, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its beautiful examples of architecture… Arrive at HaKarmel/Nahalat Binyamin, a weekly market and street fair where entertainers, musicians and artists bring the streets to life… Overnight Tel Aviv.
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Day 4, Saturday, October 24, 2009: COASTAL VIEWS
Breakfast…Depart Tel Aviv heading north along Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, stopping in Caesarea to view the amazing Roman ruins, including the aqueduct and Roman Theater… Enjoy lunch en route at a Druze village as we learn about their customs and culture… Continue to Mt. Carmel for stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea, the Bahai Temple, and the Persian Gardens… Arrive in Acre, where we explore the Crusader Fortress and the Old City within the walls – if time allows we will also visit the British Prison… Travel eastward, arriving in the Galilee, where we check into our kibbutz guesthouse for dinner and overnight.
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Day 5, Sunday, October 25, 2009: THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH
Breakfast… Begin our day with a visit to the holy sites surrounding the city of Tiberias, including the Tabgha church and the Hidden Waterfall… Discover the ancient ruins at Capernaum … Visit a local winery (either Galil or Golan) for a behind-the-scenes tour and tasting in this picturesque setting… We enjoy a tour of the Golan Heights, stopping in Katzrin to view the ruins before taking in the panoramic views of neighboring Syria from atop Mt. Bental… Continue to Nimrod’s fortress before returning to our kibbutz for dinner and overnight.
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Day 6, Monday, October 26, 2009: MOUNTAINS AND MYSTICS
After breakfast, we visit the mystical city of Safed, center of Kabbalah practice – here we view the ancient Haari and Caro synagogues, and have time to visit the many local galleries and artist studios… Continue to Nazareth to view the biblical sites including the Church of the annunciation and Mary’s Well… Continue to Mount Tabor, where we view the Church of the Ascension and take in the amazing views offered from this peak… Arrive in Beit Shean where we enjoy a tour of the ruins dramatically lit up against the night sky, including a just-opened multi-media exhibition (schedule pending)… Transfer to Jerusalem where we enjoy dinner before checking in to our hotel… Overnight Jerusalem.
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Day 7, Tuesday, October 27, 2009: MODERN JERUSALEM
Breakfast…Begin our day at Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust, where we view the many moving exhibitions including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations…Continue to Mt. Herzl where we learn about the great Zionist leader and visit the gravesites of Theodor Herzl, Golda Meir, and Yitzhak Rabin… View the Knesset and Supreme Court buildings… Afternoon visit to the Israel Museum, where we view the Dead Sea Scrolls that are preserved and displayed at the Shrine of the Book, as well as the model of Jerusalem during the time of the Second Temple… Overnight Jerusalem.
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Day 8, Wednesday, October 28, 2009: ANCIENT PATHS
Begin our day of touring with sunrise views of the city from atop the Mount of Olives… Return to our hotel for breakfast, after which we will return to the Old City for our explorations of the holy sites, beginning with the Temple Mount (security pending)… Walk through the Christian Quarter, following the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre… Continue to the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall, where we take a fascinating tour of the Western Wall Tunnels… At the Davidson Center we learn about the history and construction of the Temple Mount through multi-media exhibitions and tour the Jerusalem Archaeological Park with Byzantine and Crusader ruins… Just outside the Old City walls, we discover Ir David, the ancient ruins that have been meticulously excavated from the time of King David… End our day atop Mount Zion… This evening we enjoy a walk along the Old City ramparts, allowing us a birds-eye
view into the different living quarters… Overnight Jerusalem.
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Day 9, Thursday, October 29, 2009: THE DEAD SEA BASIN
Early rise for travel to the Dead Sea Basin, where we ascend Masada and discover King Herod’s palace and fortifications as we hear the story of the Jewish Zealots’ revolt against the approaching Roman armies…After descending from the desert plateau, we enjoy lunch at a Dead Sea spa, followed by an unsinkable swim in the salty Dead Sea waters (you may also enjoy the healing mud baths)… Visit a nearby Bedouin village for hospitality as we learn about their culture… Visit the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found as we make our way back to Jerusalem… Overnight Jerusalem.
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Day 10, Friday, October 30, 2009: WELCOMING SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
Breakfast… This morning we take in the sights, smells and sounds of the bustling Machane Yehuda marketplace, as Jerusalemites busily prepare for the approaching Shabbat… Possible visit to the Anna Ticho House to enjoy their Friday morning jazz series… This afternoon we visit Ammunition Hill, site of the fierce battling that took place during the Six-Day War, where we can view the bunkers that were used and hear first hand testimonies from the soldiers that defended the country… Welcome Shabbat with Jerusalemites at the Western Wall… Overnight Jerusalem.
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Day 11, Saturday, October 31, 2009: A DAY OF REST
Breakfast… Morning visit to the Western Wall to view the Bar Mitzvah ceremonies and celebrations…Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, with time for exploration on own… Farewell dinner before we transfer to the airport this evening for our flight back to the United States.
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Day 12, Sunday, November 1, 2009: ARRIVE BACK IN THE UNITED STATES

Package includes:
Land Costs including guide, tour leader, transportation, lodging, breakfasts, 4 dinners, entry fees, and photography instruction .

NOTE:
Specifics regarding this trip are different from others as the arrangements for this customized tour are being handled by Ayelet Tours. Please see the notes on the “Procedures” page.

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