Sample 9 Day HOLY LAND ITINERARY

Friday Day One - The Old City of Jerusalem on Sabbath Eve

8:30 AM Arrive at Jerusalem International YMCA 3 Arches Hotel, King David St. (across from King David Hotel).

9:00 Drive up to Mt. of Olives observation point.

Enjoy and learn to identify the significant sites of the Old City of Jerusalem looking west.

Walk down the Pilgrim’s Path walking in the footsteps of Jesus on his way to the Last Supper.

Visit the Franciscan Dominus Flavit Chapel on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations.

Drive to Zion Gate and visit the Room of the Last Supper and enter into the Old City at the Armenian Quarter. Visit the Jewish Quarter and the Cardo (the heart of the Roman/Byzantine city)

Walk down to the Western (Wailing) Wall.

12:30 Visit the Davidson Center Archaeological Park (admission fee 30 NIS) (Closes at 14:00)

15:00 Friday Procession- from Chapel of the Flagellation on Via Dolorosa via the Muslim Quarter into the Christian Quarter to explore the Holy Sepulchre we will plan to walk with the Franciscan monks on this route.

Check into the 3 Arches Hotel – Jerusalem International YMCA (across from King David Hotel) (02) 569-2692

Shabbat Dinner

Overnight Jerusalem

Saturday Day Two - The Dead Sea Adventure

8:00 AM Depart YMCA Hotel on way to Dead Sea Adventure

Visit the fascinating fortress at Masada (Entrance Fee 49 NIS includes cable car) Museum recommended (20 NIS) (08) 658-4207/8

14:00 PM Take a walk in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (Entrance fee 27 NIS) 08-658-4285

15:00 Visit Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found hidden in caves 02-994-2235 21 NIS

16;00 Dead Sea “swimming” Kalia Beach (02)994-2391

Return to the hotel…Dinner TBA number of options

8:30 PM attend the Tower of David Sound and Light Show (admission 75 NIS) (02) 626-5333

Overnight in 3 Arches Hotel Jerusalem International YMCA Jerusalem

Sunday Day Three - Exploring more of Jerusalem and its history

7:00 AM Depart Hotel for Tour of the Temple Mount (Should be in line by 7:30 AM)

Optional – Sunday morning church service if desired

8:30 AM Drive to and visit Yad Vashem the Israel Holocaust Museum. (02) 644-3400

11:00 AM: Drive to the Israel Museum – visit the Second Temple Model, the Shrine of the Book that stores the Dead Sea Scrolls and the newly renovated archeological exhibit. (Admission 49 NIS) (02) 670-8811 (open 10-17; Tuesday 16-21)

3:00 PM Driving tour of view points around Jerusalem with a stop at the grave of Oskar Schindler (note that the gate to the cemetery is often locked). To get to it, walk about 300 yards downhill from the Zion Gate until you come to a small parking lot, across the road from which are two unmarked gates. Walk through the right gate and into the cemetery, and then down two levels to find it near the center of the third (the lowest) level. The stones on top may help you find it.

Dinner and early evening free time – program will be scheduled depending on interest.

9:10 PM Western Wall Tunnel Tour (Scheduled and booked)

Overnight 3 Arches Hotel Jerusalem

Monday Day Four – Going up to the Sea of Galilee

8:00 AM Check out of the Hotel (May leave extra bags in storage)

Drive to Jericho border crossing and meet your guide for tour. 10:00 (pending suitable guide)

Drive to Sea of Galilee (aka Lake Kinneret)

1:00 PM Check in at Rimonim Galei Kinneret Hotel (04) 672-8888 [Mark and Marilyn will stay at the Peniel Hotel nearby] Salah (057) 223-1293

Visit the major sites on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, Tabghe (Fish and Loaves) (8:30-17), Capernaum (home of Jesus) (8:30-16:00) 04-679-3865, Mount of Beatitudes (8:30-12,-14:30-17:00) Peter’s Primacy (8-12;14-17).

Evening walk on the Tiberias Promenade

Overnight Tiberias

Tuesday Day Five - Exploring the Golan Heights

8:00 AM Depart Hotel

View ancient “Jesus Boat” in the Yigal Allon Museum at Kibbutz Ginossar.
(Admission fee 25 NIS)

Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (054) 686-4247 (Daniel Carmel)

Drive up to the Golan Heights stop at Peace Viewpoint

Visit Gamla Nature Reserve The Masada of the North and Vulture Reserve
04-682-2285 8 A.M.–16 P.M 27 NIS

Look over the Valley of Tears site of major tank battle of Yom Kippur War

Overnight Tiberias

Wednesday Day Six – Exploring Northern Israel

8:30 AM Check out and depart hotel

Visit the Holy City of Safed- Roman Citadel, Synagogues and Artist Quarter
Drive to and visit Nazareth and visit the Church of the Annunciation and Old City

Overnight Nazareth Golden Crown Hotel 04-650-8000, 1-800-600-601 | Fax 04-601-6007

Thursday Day Seven – Antiquities from Megiddo and Caesarea to Ashkelon

8:00 AM Check out and depart hotel

Visit Megiddo Archaeological Site (8 A.M– 4 P.M) (04) 659-0316 27 NIS

Visit Caesarea Maritima Archaeological Site (8 A.M– 16 P.M) (04) 626-7080 38 NIS

Visit Ashkelon Archaeological Site (8 A.M.–22 P.M) Entrance fee 27 NIS

Check in to Holiday Inn Ashkelon 08-6748888

Overnight Ashkelon (Move clocks forward 1 hour for Daylight Savings Time at 2 AM)

Friday Day Eight – Drive to Jerusalem stopping at the Beit Guvrin Archeological Site

9:30 AM Dig for a Day archeological experience at Beit Gurvrin (Hadas (02) 586-2011

Check into the 3 Arches Hotel at Jerusalem YMCA

13:30-15:30 PM Bethlehem Tour Guide with Elias Ghareeb (052) 237-3317 (059) 967-4991

Jerusalem will be closing down for the Jewish Sabbath starting at sun down. We will plan the afternoon and evening given these constraints and your interests. A walk around west Jerusalem neighborhoods and visit to the Mahane Yehuda open air shuk should be fun.

Overnight Jerusalem

Saturday Day 9 - Final Day of Adventures in and Around Jerusalem


10 AM Jerusalem History Museum – Tower of David

Depart for Airport 7:30 PM

We will plan this day, remembering it is the Sabbath in Jerusalem. We will fill in any items that you would like to do at the last minute. The Jerusalem Historical Museum at David’s Tower just inside the Old City is open 10AM – 2 PM. The Old City will be open…perhaps we might consider the Wall Walk around the Old City.

The othe option could be Herodion National Park (Open on Saturday) 050-623-5821 (at site); 057-776-2251; 057-776-1143 27 NIS 8:00-16:00 (winter)