Classical Israel Tour

Tour the coastal cities of Israel as we drive north of Tel Aviv and make our first stop in Caesarea. Here we tour the remains of an ancient Roman port city and see the amphitheater, hippodrome and ruins of palaces, temples and bathhouses. We travel further north along the coast to the port city of Haifa. Here we see the terraced Baha’i Gardens on Mt. Carmel and learn about the Baha’i faith. Continuing all the way to Israel’s border with Lebanon the tour takes you to the sea caves of Rosh HaNikra. Here we can enter the cave chambers and tunnels where waves crash against the rocks. We return south and the tour visits the Crusader city of Acre. Here we tour the Crusader fortress built in the 12th century, the Ottoman structures and a former Turkish and British Mandate citadel prison. 

The tour of Christian sites around the Sea of Galilee heads off towards northern Israel and travels through idyllic rural farmlands, hills and valleys. We see the Sea of Galilee nestled in a valley and make our way to Magdala, once a Biblical fishing village. Here we see the remains of a Second Temple Era synagogue where Jesus may have preached. The tour continues to Ginosar to see the Jesus Boat, a 1st century fishing boat found by the Sea of Galilee. We see the Mount of Beatitudes crowned by a beautiful church marking where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Our final stop on this Christian tour is at Kafr Kanna or Cana where the Wedding Church marks the site of Jesus’ first miracle when he turned water into wine. The tour leaves the Galilee and takes the return journey to Tel Aviv.

Before entering Old City of Jerusalem we take in the view of Jerusalem’s skyline from the Mt. of Olives. We can see beyond the Old City walls to the Dome of the Rock. Descending the mount we pass the beautiful Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, and Kidron Valley where there are centuries-old monumental Jewish tombs. We visit the Dormition Church and arrive on Mt. Zion. We visit the Room of the Last Supper and King David’s Tomb.
We pass through the 500-year-old Old City walls by way of the Zion Gate and into the Armenian Quarter. At the Jewish Quarter, we see the Byzantine-era Cardo and stop at the sacred Western Wall. The tour retraces Jesus’ footsteps along the holy Via Dolorosa to the beautiful Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This ornate 4th-century church holds the site of the crucifixion, Christ’s burial tomb, and countless religious relics. Our final stop is at the colorful Old City bazaar.

Take this Bethlehem and Jericho tour past the Inn of the Good Samaritan and descend beneath sea level to the ancient city of Jericho. In Jericho see the sycamore tree climbed by Zacchaeus when he tried to get a better look at Jesus. Recall the Biblical tale of Joshua marching his troops around Jericho’s city walls until they fell. The tour leaves Jericho passing the Mount of Temptation and continues to Bethlehem where Jesus was born just over 2,000 years ago. The Bethlehem tour stops in Manger Square and we enter the Church of the Nativity which holds the Holy Grotto where the nativity took place. The tour visits the adjacent Church of St. Catherine and its subterranean caves holding ancient tombs and shrine. From here the tour passes Shepherds Field and returns to Jerusalem.

This tour heads to southern Israel through the Judean Hills and past the Inn of the Good Samaritan. We pause at sea level for an unforgettable photo-op then continue our descent further and further down beneath sea level towards the iconic Dead Sea. Our first stop is at Masada where we take a cable car to the plateau summit and tour the remains of Herod’s 2,055 year old palace fortress. We see remarkable structures including palaces and a bathhouse. From Masada the tour takes you past the desert oasis of Ein Gedi and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We spend the rest of the day relaxing on one of the Dead Sea beaches. You can float in the salty-water that is 8.6 times more saline than the ocean creating natural buoyance. Use the Dead Sea mud as a natural skin mask and soak up the glorious Dead Sea sun.