The Holy Land

Guests arrive today and will be met at the airport and assisted through immigration and customs. Then we'll chauffeur you to our boutique hotel to enjoy your complimentary pre-tour overnight in the heart of Tel Aviv.

After breakfast, guests have this day to do as they wish. Take advantage of our hotel's wonderful city-center location close to the waterfront to explore on your own - or simply relax. After our other guests arrive later today, you'll meet for a congenial welcome dinner.

This morning's sightseeing begins in Jaffa, or Joppa, an ancient waterfront in Tel Aviv from which Jonah embarked for his confrontation with a whale. An important seaport since early times, Jaffa's lively streets still offer a palpable sense of the ancient traders who came here by sea and caravan in biblical eras. Continue along Rothschild Boulevard to see the distinctive White City of Tel Aviv. Founded in 1909 and developed under the British Mandate in Palestine, this outstanding example of innovative, early 20th-century town planning is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — recognized as a fine architectural ensemble of the European Modern Movement in a new cultural context.

After breakfast, you'll proceed to Tabgha to admire the fine mosaics at the Church of the Multiplication, the site of Christ's feeding loaves and fishes to an audience of 5,000 pilgrims, and the site of the third resurrection appearance of Jesus. We'll drive on to the Golan Heights and continue touring the archaeological site of Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Mt. Hermon. Built around a spring, one of the main sources of the Jordan River, this Greco-Roman city was in ancient times associated with the Greek God Pan before its ancient reconstruction by Philip, the son of King Herod. It was here that Saint Peter proclaimed his faith in Jesus and was declared by Jesus 'the rock' on which he would build his church. You'll ascend the Golan Heights for sweeping views over Syria before visiting a Druze family for a Galilean cooking class featuring local olive oil, lemons and hand-picked grape leaves. We'll enjoy the resulting lunch together before continuing on to Tiberias. There you'll board a small boat for a ride across the calm waters of the Sea of Galilee, the same waters Jesus crossed with his disciples 2,000 years ago.

After breakfast at the Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel, you'll drive to picturesque Safed/Tzfat, an ancient and renowned center of Jewish mysticism, one of Judaism's four sacred cities. The highest hilltop city in the Galilee and all of Israel, you'll walk the winding cobblestone streets of the Old Town and its Artist's Colony before exploring the underground tunnels discovered during excavations. Continue on to a local winery for a tour and tasting before traveling south through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. At arrival, take in spectacular views of the city from atop the Mount of Olives before we move on to Mt. Zion and visit both King David's tomb and the Cenacle, the Upper Room traditionally thought to be the site of the Last Supper. You'll then check-in to the 5-star Inbal Hotel overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem for the next four nights. Tonight, gather with a local accomplished chef for dinner.

After free time, this evening we'll take you to the Tower of David, an ancient citadel near the Jaffa Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City. As darkness envelops the site, a spectacular Sound and Light Show unfolds with breathtaking virtual reality images and sophisticated trompe l'oeil technology to tell the story of Jerusalem.

Then travel to Bethlehem where we've arranged for you to have lunch in the home of a Palestinian Christian family. With a tempting variety of Middle Eastern salads and appetizers and a main course, this congenial lunch is enhanced by lively conversation with your hosts – and a chance to gain genuine insight into their lives. Then visit the Nativity Church, the oldest standing church in the Holy Land. Originally built in the 4th century by St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, the present 6th-century structure was erected by Justinian.

Your next stop is the Dead Sea. Be sure to bring your swimsuit as you'll enjoy lunch and time for a swim – or maybe just a relaxing float in the buoyant therapeutic waters. On your return journey to Jerusalem, you'll stop to see Wadi Qelt and its 5th-century Monastery of St. George, still inhabited by monks and built into the side of a cliff. Back in Jerusalem, our farewell dinner is this evening.

You'll be escorted to the airport today for your departure flight.