Grand Tour of Israel- 2008 Season

A weekly tour of Israel and Eilat
14 days / 12 nights, 8 touring days

Thursday

Departure from North America.

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Tel Aviv Marina

Friday

Arrival

Arrival in Israel, assistance at Ben Gurion Airport.

Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

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Old Jaffa

Saturday

Tel Aviv

Free day in Tel Aviv.

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Caesarea

Mount Carmel

Sunday

Diaspora Museum | Caesarea | Druze Villages

Depart Tel Aviv and drive to the Diaspora Museum for a visit.

Proceed 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 amphitheatre that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue.

Continue via the Druze villages to Haifa.

Overnight in Haifa.

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Golan Heights

Monday

Haifa | Safed | Golan Heights

The tour of Haifa will begin at the summit of Mount Carmel where you will take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the Haifa Bay and Western Galilee.

Continue on to the golden domed Bahai Shrine to visit the exotic Persian Gardens.

Proceed to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism, where you will visit the ancient synagogues and the artists’ colony.

Continue to the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers, Kuneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin.

Dinner & overnight Kibutz hotel Lavi

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Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee

Tuesday

Sea of Galilee | Nazareth

Start the day with a visit to Tiberias.

Drive to Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and octagonal Church of S. Peter .

Proceed to Nazareth , here you will visit the Church of the Annunciation.

Drive around the new Jewish town and visit the Arab market.

Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

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Jerusalem - Old City

Wednesday

Jerusalem: The Old City

Visit the tomb of King David on Mount Zion and the room of the last supper .

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 .

Proceed to Mount Scopus and then to the Mount of Olives for a magnificent panoramic view of the Old City.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

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Chagall Stained Glass Windows

Shirne of the Book

Thursday

Jerusalem: The New City

Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem to see the Chagall stained glass windows.

Continue to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust and then to the Israel Museum.

Visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed
At the same grounds of the Museum we will visit the Miniature model of Jerusalem, as it was 2000 years ago.

We will see the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, and the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

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Qumeran

Massada

Friday

Qumeran | Massada | Dead Sea

Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, almost 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 Massada. 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 AD.

Descend by cable car, time and weather permitting, an opportunity will be provided to float on the Dead Sea.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

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Tunnels		Mea Shearim

Saturday

Jerusalem

Day at leisure in Jerusalem.

Overnight Jerusalem.

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Dead Sea

Sunday

Negev | Mitzpeh Ramon | Timna | Eilat

Travel south to the Negev desert, visit Israel’s Air force Museum at Hatzerim to view the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force.

Visit Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley.

Stop at Mitzpeh Ramon to gaze into the Ramon crater, a geological wonder.

Drive to Timna to see the copper mines and King Solomon’s pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations.

Arrive to Eilat for overnight .

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Scuba Diving

Monday

Eilat

At leisure.

Stroll around the city’s streets, the beach promenade and enjoy
the water sport activities on your own OR take an optional tour to the Rose city of Petra.

Overnight in Eilat.

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Underwater Observatory

Tuesday

Eilat

Visit the Underwater Observatory, one of the largest sea Aquariums in the world, built into a coral reef.

Drive to Mamshit for a camel ride experience and a visit the Bedouin tent. Learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch .

Drive back to Tel Aviv for overnight.

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Wednesday

Tel-Aviv | Ben-Gurion Airport

Transfer to Ben-Gurion airport for departure.

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Grand Tour of Israel - 2008 Season

GRAND TOUR OF ISRAEL	5-Star Deluxe	5-Stars	Superior 4 Stars	Moderate 4 stars	Nights
Tel Aviv	Dan	Carlton	Dan Panorama	Mercure	2
Haifa	Dan Carmel	Dan Carmel	Dan Panorama	Dan Panorama	1
Galilee	Kibbutz Hotel Lavi - Hod Wing	Kibbutz Hotel Lavi - Hod Wing	Kibbutz Hotel Lavi - Hod Wing	Kibbutz Hotel Lavi - Lev Wing	1
Jerusalem	King David	Inbal	Dan Panorama	Prima Royal	5
Eilat	Dan	Sheraton	Dan Panorama	Palmira	2
Tel Aviv	Dan	Carlton	Dan Panorama	Mercure	1

Rates per person in USD $.
Valid: March 1, 2008 - February 28, 2009

GRAND TOUR OF ISRAEL	5-Star Deluxe	5-Stars	Superior 4 Stars	Moderate 4 stars
Per person in double room, including breakfast	2760	2545	1900	1668
Single room supplement	1415	1400	841	600
Child under 18 yrs in parents' room	1686	1416	1246	N.A.
High season supp X-mass departures Dec 11, 18	215	200	90	220
High Season supp on the following other departure dates : June 25,July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 , Sep 18 , Oct 23, Feb 2,Feb 12	130	-	90*-	-

* The usd 80 suppl for the superior 4 stars category will not apply on the following dates: Oct 23, Feb 2, Feb12

Tour will not operate on the following departure days from North America
Sep 25 , Oct 2 , 9 ,16 (high Jewish holidays )

July 31 & Aug 7, 14,21 departures: rates and confirmation on request only

Included services in our tour rates:

1. Private transfer from Ben Gurion Airport to your Hotel in Tel Aviv and from the hotel in Jerusalem to the aAirport.
2. Meeting point on arrival at the Steimatzky bookstore at the Main Arrival Hall at the Ben Gurion International Airport.
3. 8 full days of touring with all entrance fees as per the above itinerary.
4. 12 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the hotels as mentioned above.
5. One dinner at the hotel in Kibbutz Lavi / Galilee.
6. light lunch and Camel ride at a Bedouin village

Not included services in our tour rates:

1. Tips to guide/driver and hotel staff.
2. Petra tour