16 Day Classic Israel & Jordan

Full Day Upper Galilee & Golan Heights with lunch First, a stop at Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached His famous "Sermon on the Mount". Next, drive to Safed, a holy city in Judaism and the center of the mystical Kabbalah. Stroll through the artists' colony and visit an ancient synagogue. Proceed to Golan Heights stopping for a tour and lunch at a kibbutz . Continue to Har Bental site of a former Israeli bunker. Next visit a kosher winery in Katzrin, the largest town in the Golan Heights. Return to your hotel. Approximate tour duration is 9 hours. OnDay : 8 Price : $105 Half Day Bethlehem On this excursion, you will leave the State of Israel and cross the border to the Palestinian Authority. You will leave your Israeli guide and driver on the Israeli side, and upon arriving into the West Bank, you will be met by your Palestinian tour guide who will accompany you on this tour to Bethlehem. Large groups will necessarily split into smaller groups utilizing local shuttle buses, which will take you to visit the Church of the Nativity, commemorating the birthplace of Jesus Christ, with many restoration projects instituted throughout the years. The facade of the Church of the Nativity is encircled by the high walls of the three convents: the Franciscan on the northeast side, and the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Orthodox on the southeast side. A shopping stop for local souvenirs and olive wood handicrafts, a principal source of local income, is included in the tour. Please note that Bethlehem is located six miles south of Jerusalem in the West Bank and governed by the Palestinian National Authority. Due to the popularity of the Church, long lines are common and wait time may vary. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. OnDay : 4 Price : $33 Illuminated Jerusalem, Dinner & Sound & Light Show Jerusalem at night is truly a sight to behold, with the city's magnificent architecture beautifully illuminated. The evening begins with dinner at a popular restaurant. Afterwards, attend the spectacular "Sound & Light" Show at the Tower of David that tells the story of Jerusalem accompanied by original music and virtual reality images. Return to your hotel. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. This tour has limited availability and will sometimes be cancelled on short notice. OnDay : 5 Price : $72 Half Day Jerusalem Herodian Mansions & Burnt House This tour features two visits that take you back to the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, an era reaching back as far as 515 BCE. Your first stop will be a 6 house compound known as the Herodian Mansions. These were the homes of aristocracy, most especially Temple priests and their families. The homes were designed in the Hellenistic Roman style popular at the time. The design of the dwellings, and the findings revealed during the excavations, bear witness to the residents' wealth and high standard of living. They allow you to observe the living conditions and way of life of the Jerusalem upper class on the eve of the destruction of the Second Temple. The last visit on this tour will be to the Burnt House*, which was excavated in the 1970's. It was believed to have been set ablaze by the Roman legions in 70 AD. It was owned by the Kathros family, members of the wealthy Temple priest aristocracy. You will view an emotional video reproduction of the 2,000 year old events, as they were appearing before your very eyes. Watch as they prepare their revolt against the Romans, the different political opinions of the family members, the storming of the city and the house, and the destruction of the temple and the torching of the house. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. OnDay : 5 Price : $67 Half Day Bethany This morning, travel to the religious site of Bethany to explore first-hand the foundations of Christianity. The site of John the Baptist's settlement at Bethany where Jesus was baptized has long been known from the Bible and from Byzantine and medieval texts. The site has now been identified on the east bank of the Jordan River in Jordan, only 15 minutes by car from the Dead Sea Hotel. The Bethany area site formed part of the early Christian pilgrimage route between Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and Mount Nebo. This area is also associated with the biblical account of how the Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias in Arabic) ascended to heaven in a whirlwind on a chariot of fire. This is not to be confused with the village of Bethany near Jerusalem, where the Bible says Lazarus was raised from the dead. After the tour transfer back to your hotel. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. OnDay : 11 Price : $120

Additional Information: Land only price does not include arrival transfer, but does include departure transfer.