Compare The Best of Israel 9 Day Tour by Noah Tours vs Immersive Israel by Culture Trip

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival to Tel Aviv International Airport. A Noah Tours representative will meet you after passport control and accompany you to your transfer to your hotel.

Day 2: Jaffa – Caesarea – Haifa – Nazareth – Cana – Galilee

After breakfast drive through Jaffa, an ancient port city and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. Continue on to the ancient city of Caesarea that was built by King Herod the Great while driving along the beautiful Mediterranean coast. We will then proceed to Haifa, passing by Mt. Carmel to see the famous Bahai Gardens. From Haifa, we will drive to Nazareth and the Church of Annunciation. Drive to Cana, where the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine took place and visit the “Wedding Church”.  End the day with an overnight in Tiberias/Galilee Sea.

Day 3: Galilee – Mt. Beatitudes – Capernaum – Tabgha - Golan Heights

Start the day with an exciting boat ride on the Galilee Sea. Continue to see the “Jesus Boat”, the ancient boat found sunk in the Sea of Galilee from the time of Jesus. Ascend up to Mt. Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the “Sermon on the Mount”.  Continue the day in Capernaum, known as “The Town of Jesus”, visit the synagogue and Peter’s house. Take a lunch break with a delicious St. Peters fish lunch. Next, we will visit Tabgha, the place where the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes took place. You will also have the amazing opportunity to see the famous mosaic under the alter of the ancient church of Tabgha. Proceed to the Golan Heights and have an overview from above. End the day at your hotel in the Galilee Sea for your overnight.

Day 4: Jordan River – Qumran – Masada – Dead Sea

Begin the morning driving along the Jordan River to Yardenit Baptismal Site. Visit Qumran and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Travel on to Masada where you will take a cable car up to the fortress. The history of the famous Jewish fortification will unfold before your eyes; the palaces built by King Herod, the synagogue and bathhouses used by the Jews. Descend Masada by cable car and drive to the Dead Sea for some relaxation and a dip in the water. Overnight at a Dead Sea hotel and spa where you will be able to take advantage of the spa facilities.

Day 5: Dead Sea - Mt. of Olives - Bethlehem

Take advantage of some extra sleep or an early spa treatment, since check out isn’t until 11:00 AM. Go up to the Mt. of Olives, a cemetery that once was covered in olive groves, where you will have a magnificent panoramic view of Jerusalem. Depart for Bethlehem to see the Church of Nativity located at Manger Square. Overview of the Judean Desert and Shepherd's Field. Finish the day back in Jerusalem for your overnight.

Day 6: Jerusalem (New City) - Mahane Yehuda Market

The morning will begin with a visit to Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust, Yad VaShem, located on Mt. Herzl. Drive past The Knesset and the Israeli Supreme Court, on your way to the Israel Museum, Israel’s national museum, where you will see the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as a model of the Second Temple. Continue the day with an exciting tour of the Mahane Yehuda Marketplace (Shuk) and experience life as an Israeli. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 7: Jerusalem (Old City)

Today will begin with a tour of the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before his crucifixion. Make your way to Mt. Zion where you will visit David’s Tomb and the site of the Last Supper, also known as the “Upper Room”. We continue to the Christian Quarter where you will enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified. From there, walk where Jesus walked and make your way down Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross). The day will continue with a trip to The Cardo, what used to be a main street in the Old City during the time when Judea was under Roman rule. Go down to the Western Wall and spend some time in reflection and/or prayer. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8: Jerusalem - Free Day - Explore Jerusalem on your own!

Enjoy your free day to explore the beautiful city and its rich and intriguing culture.  Do not miss the opportunity to visit the interesting museums and the magnificent sites of the city. End the day with an overnight in Jerusalem.

Optional Jeep/ATV tour in the Jerusalem area. Contact us for the rate.

Day 9: Departure

Transfer to Tel Aviv airport for your departure flight. Until next time!

DAY 1

Arrive in Jerusalem, followed by an evening craft beer tasting

Touch down in Ben Gurion Airport – or if you’ve been on our Beyond Petra: Discovering Jordan’s Rugged Side trip, you’ll be collected from the border. Check in to your hotel in Jerusalem. Here you’ll meet our Local Insider who will accompany the group throughout the trip. At 5pm, get to know your fellow travellers over a glass of wine. Next, head out for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Finish the evening in the Machane Yehuda Market for craft beer tasting at Beer Bazaar, a cool hangout that stocks more than 100 bottled Israeli microbrews.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Welcome dinner with beer tasting

DAY 2

Explore the holiest sites in Jerusalem

Today, you’ll take a deep dive into the Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites in the Old City with two locals, one Arab and one Jewish. Early birds can join an optional prayer service in the Holy Sepulchre. Regroup at the Mount of Olives, where you'll start the tour at the gold-topped Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, and al-Aqsa Mosque, before an optional Western Wall tunnel tour. After lunch, walk part of the Via Dolorosa, the crucifixion route Jesus took, towards the ancient Holy Sepulchre and end the day on top of the Old City ramparts.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Old City tour with two locals
• Old City ramparts tour

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Holy Sepulchre morning prayer service
• Western Wall tunnel tour

DAY 3

Tour of Mount Zion and home-cooked meal with a local family

In the morning, you can choose to visit Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial museum on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance, or take the opportunity for some free time. Lunch will be street-food bites at Machane Yehuda before a trip to Mount Zion. A representative from the Jewish Intercultural Centre (JICC) will take you on a tour of the multi-faith sites and discuss this hotly contested land. Dinner is a traditional home-cooked meal hosted by a local family.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Machane Yehuda Market tour
• Mount Zion visit with JICC representative
• Home-cooked dinner with local family

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• East to West Jerusalem food tour
• Meet religious leader at Mount Zion
• Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum visit

DAY 4

Step inside the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, followed by a cooking class

Leaving Jerusalem behind, you’ll be driven 25 minutes to Bethlehem, stopping at the Tent of Nations, an educational farm in the West Bank. Meet local Palestinian Christians here and learn how they turned their land into a reconciliation space. In Bethlehem, visit the Nativity Church and Manger Square. Next, see the colourful, politically charged graffiti on the Separation Wall. End the day with a visit to Banksy’s museum (aka the Walled Off Hotel) and a leisurely cooking class with a local family. Return to Jerusalem for a final night at the hotel.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Tent of Nations visit
• Nativity Church and Manger Square visit
• Bethlehem Old City tour
• Separation Wall and Banksy museum visit

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Bethlehem cooking class
• Meet with peace-focused NGO
• Cross West Bank checkpoint on foot

DAY 5

Climb Masada and take a Dead Sea boat cruise

After breakfast, you’ll be whisked away to the ancient fortress of Masada, in southern Israel. Built by Herod I, it sits on an isolated rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. You’ll have the option to hike to the top via the popular Snake Path trail. From here, enjoy a private boat ride on the Dead Sea. If time permits, take a tour of a kibbutz and visit a goat or date farm. Tonight, you’ll sleep in a lush desert oasis in the Kana`im Valley.

ACCOMMODATION

• Kfar Hanokdim

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Masada visit
• Dead Sea private boat cruise
• Bedouin dinner

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Hike up Masada
• Local kibbutz tour
• Goat or date farm visit

DAY 6

Discover Tel Aviv by bicycle – from food to tech startups

Ready to swap dunes for the glassy tower blocks of Tel Aviv? Today, you’ll visit the Yitzhak Rabin Center, a library and museum built in memory of the assassinated prime minister. Learn about Rabin’s life, peace processes and wars. Next, hop on a bike for a two-wheel foodie tour of the vibrant Carmel Market, trendy Levinsky Market and the Jaffa Flea Market passing historical sights (such as Independence Hall) as you pedal. You can also visit the Center for Israeli Innovation, and discover more about Israeli tech startups. Digest the week over a farewell dinner with new friends.

ACCOMMODATION

• Center Chic

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Yitzhak Rabin Center visit
• Tel Aviv bicycle tour
• Independence Hall and Jaffa visit
• Farewell dinner

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• South Tel Aviv refugee encounter
• Center for Israeli Innovation visit

DAY 7

Depart from Tel Aviv

After a lazy breakfast, it’s time to wave goodbye to the group and make your way to the airport by 8am. Alternatively, stay on and extend your trip in Israel. There’s always the south to discover next.