ISRAEL TOURS KING SOLOMON TOUR

Friday
Arrival to Ben Gurion airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Tel-Aviv

Saturday : at leisure
Overnight Tel-Aviv

Sunday
Caesarea /Megiddo/ Druze village/Haifa
Drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. See the excavations of the Crusader city and the Roman port, aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue. Proceed to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon; visit the archaeological excavations including the well preserved water system. Continue to Daliyat-al-Karmel, a Druze village and enjoy a late lunch at a local restaurant. Proceed via Mount Carmel to Haifa for a panoramic view of the Haifa bay and the golden domed Bahai shrine and gardens .
Overnight in a kibbutz guesthouse.

Monday
Safed / Golan Heights/Winery
Drive to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism, where you will visit the ancient synagogues and the Artist Colony.
Continue to the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers, Kuneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin. Stop at the Golan Winery for a tour and wine tasting. Proceed to “Kessem Hagolan”, a multimedia presentation of the area and it’s history .
Overnight in a kibbutz guesthouse.

Tuesday
Sea of Galilee / Nazareth
Start the day with a visit to Nazareth and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation. Drive via Tiberias to visit Capernaum see the ruins of the ancient synagogue and octagonal church of St. Peter. Visit the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to see the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting a zodiac wheel.
Overnight in Jerusalem.

Wednesday
Jerusalem: the Old City
Start the day with a magnificent panoramic view from Mount of Olives and then drive to the Old City. Visit King David’s Tomb and the Room of Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter the walled city and walk through the newly restored Jewish Quarter. Visit the Roman Cardo, the Herodian Quarter and continue to the Western Wall. Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem*; view Rachel’s Tomb and proceed to visit the Church of Nativity and Manger Square.
Overnight in Jerusalem.

Thursday
Jerusalem: the New City
Drive to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and a scale model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple Period. Proceed for a tour of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament. Continue to visit Mount Herzl cemetery and Yad Vashem, a memorial to the Holocaust.

Visit Mea Shearim, an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem and learn about their unique lifestyle.
In the evening enjoy a Middle Eastern dinner followed by the Night Spectacular Sound and Light Show at the Tower of David Museum.(weather).
Overnight in Jerusalem.

Friday
Qumran / Masada / Dead Sea
Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, over 1300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. Ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing mass suicide in 73 CD. Descend by cable car. Continue to the Dead Sea. Cover yourself with the mineral rich mud and experience a float in the Dead Sea* that many believe has its therapeutic effects.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Saturday – at leisure
Overnight in Jerusalem

Sunday
Timna/Underwater Observatory/Eilat
Travel south through the Negev Desert. Visit Timna and see the copper mines, Solomon’s Pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations. Continue to Eilat and stop to visit the Underwater Observatory, one of the largest seaquariums in the world, built into a coral reef .

Overnight Eilat.

Monday
Free day in Eilat or Day in Petra (optional)
After assistance with visa to the Jordanian border, drive straight to Petra through desert highways, your ultimate destination is the astonishing rose-red city of Petra built by the Nabateans (an early Arab tribe). Petra is renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans who settled in the south of Jordan more than 2000 years ago. The visit begins with the possibility of a 700 meter horse-back ride until the entrance of the siq, which is about 1.2 km long (walking distance). There is a possibility to rent a chariot (extra charge) to get inside Petra and back to the main gate. Petra is famous for its huge monuments such as the treasury, royal tombs, the court, Roman theater, Roman street, Qassier el-Bint (palace of Pharaoh’s daughter) and many other smaller monuments which fascinate the visitors. The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the second wonder of the world. After the visit, time for lunch in a nice restaurant. After lunch drive back to border. On the way, a short visit to Aqaba with the possibility of stopping to take a walk around. Transfer to the border at around 6:00 p.m and cross back to Eilat.

Overnight Eilat

Tuesday
Mitzpe Ramon/Sde Boker /Tel-Aviv
Depart Eilat driving via Mitzpe Ramon. Stop to gaze into the Ramon Crater, a geological wonder. Then proceed to Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley
Stop for a camel ride and a visit to an authentic Bedouin tent where you will learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch.
Continue to Hatzerim and visit Israel’s Airforce Museum to view the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force.
Drive back to Tel-Aviv .

Wednesday
Transfer to Ben Gurion airport for departure

* Visit subject to availability
** Visit subject to weather conditions.
The above program can be extended and tailor-made for groups.