Culinary Trip Through Israel- June 2023

Activities:

• VIP arrival at Ben Gurion airport - Your VIP agent will be waiting to greet you at the sleeve of the plane. After assisting with arrival procedures and collecting your baggage, you will be taken to meet your driver.

• Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv - Check into your hotel.

• Walk to Levinsky Market - Along the way stop on Rothschild Boulevard for a bit of Tel Aviv history.

• Tasting your way through Levinsky Market - The Levinsky Market specializes in spices and Mediterranean delicacies. It is, in many ways, the best market in Tel Aviv, known for its variety, freshness, and special atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a rare Indian spice or some good quality saffron - this is the place. Shops offer a cornucopia of excellent cheeses, smoked fish, wines, and other delicacies. Tour the market and have "tastings" throughout.

• Ibn Ezra restaurant for lunch

• Walk back to the hotel through Neve Tzedek - This is the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa and currently one of the most beautiful and desired locations in Tel Aviv. It was built by some of the dignitaries of the old Jewish community of Jaffa in 1887. Looking to head out of the ever-growing and over-crowded Jaffa, they built, what was considered back then, modern and comfortable housing. In recent years, after a period of neglect, the neighborhood was restored and has become a trendy fun beautiful part of the city and a good place to try some Israeli Gelato!

• Opening Dinner at George and John's Private Room - George & John offers a contemporary menu, corresponding with locality and seasonality, serving refined and creative dishes within a unique atmosphere. The Private Room by George & John is situated in a historic location, previously used as the wine and beverage storage of the original Jerusalem hotel where Mark Twain would visit and write his memoirs during his visit to Palestine. George & John by Head Chef Tomer Tal was voted the Best Restaurant in Israel, and in the top 6 best restaurant in the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 best restaurants 2023 awards.

• Tel Aviv-The Norman Hotel - The Norman Tel Aviv- Boutique Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and impressive modern residences sit side-by-side. The city was initially built by King Herod in the 1st century BC, who dreamt of a major seaport to connect the Province of Judea with Rome. For this purpose, the king's men designed an entirely artificial harbor that was in use for about a millennium. Caesarea became a central city in Roman and Byzantine times as can be seen from the massive archeological remains on site. View the spectacular Roman amphitheater, still used today as a performance venue, as well as the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• Lunch at Habait restaurant in the village of Ein Hud - Enjoy local Arab cuisine.

• Continue to Akko

• Akko historical Tour - Walk through 4,000 years of history in this ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient city of Akko, situated on the Mediterranean coast, is one of the oldest ports in the world, and a city shared by Jews and Muslims. Walk narrow streets past towering ramparts, deep moats, green domes, venerable synagogues, slender Muslim minarets, and secret passageways. Discover the subterranean city built beneath Akko in the Middle Ages by the Crusaders. Learn about the city’s ancient history, as well as its important role in Israel’s modern history.

• Dinner with Uri Buri - For the past 40 years, the popular Uri Buri restaurant has offered a variety of delicately prepared fresh fish and seafood dishes, and boasts a wine list with over 100 different kinds of fine Israeli wines. With the legendary Uri Buri get inside of Akko's Fish Market- from the boat to the plate. Meet local fisherman, sample fresh raw fish of the Mediterranean then finish with dinner at the restaurant.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Tel Aviv-The Norman Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Walking tour of Jaffa - Jaffa is one of the most ancient port cities in Israel and the Mediterranean basin. Today Jaffa is a mixed city, where Jews and Arabs live alongside each other. Tel Aviv, Jaffa's younger sister, was established centuries later, in the year 1909, but the two were united into one municipality in 1949, yet each part kept its unique feel and atmosphere. Jaffa has been regenerated in recent years with the old narrow streets and courtyards becoming a highly popular part of Tel Aviv’s urban tapestry.

• Hummus Abu Hassan - Make a stop at Abu Hassan which started out in 1959 with a small hummus stand with two pots on Hadolphin Street near the Jaffa port and is now legendary.

• Haj Kahil - Haj Kahil, delicious Arabic food across from the clock tower in Jaffa.

• Carmel Market Tour - Continue to Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel), the largest market in Tel Aviv. Touring the market reveals the taste of the ages of Tel-Aviv in the youthful atmosphere of the city's central market. The Polish, the Persian, and the Yemeni... in this case, it is not the start of a joke, but the fascinating culinary traditions that mix in this place. The established market that was founded over 90 years ago, can now reveal its secrets, stories, and legends to you.

• HaKosem - The best Falafel in Tel Aviv! Enjoy HaKosem falafel, which in recent years has developed a serious cult following in Israel. Jerry Seinfeld even made a point to stop here on his last trip. The chef and owner, Arik Rosenthal, left fine dining to make good classic dishes more accessible.

• Time to relax before dinner

• Dinner at Dok and Makolet HaAchim - Lilliputian dining room, Dok, showcases modern Israeli cooking by brothers Asaf and Yotam Doktor. Emphasizing locally-sourced ingredients, the menu changes daily, featuring creative dishes and artisanal drinks, locally crafted. We'll also meet Asaf Doktor, for a tour of the restaurant and Makolet Haachim - the local delicatessen.

• Tel Aviv-The Norman Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel - Asif is a cultural center in Tel Aviv with a library, farm, gallery & café that encourages open discourse around local foodways and identity.

• Continue to the farm and home of Hedai Ofaimme

• Lunch and Conversation with Hedai Ofaimme at Ofaimme Farm - Ofaimme is uniquely structured in its approach. As Hedai Offaime explains, there are predominantly two kinds of “farm to table” models. One is the “fine dining, super elite” that can usually be found in expensive restaurants in big cities; the other is the more alternative lifestyle type, illustrated by small farmers selling their limited wares at local farmers’ markets. “Our method is to create a model that relies on the values that we stand for, but to do it on a larger scale, thus we have the ability to bring fresh, organic, sustainable products and food to wider communities. We come to you; that’s the idea.”

• Drive to Jerusalem and check into your hotel

• Old City, Jerusalem - Embark on a culinary tour through Jerusalem's Old City, a melting pot of cultures, savoring vibrant market spices, traditional pastries, and diverse dishes that narrate centuries of rich, shared history.

• Dinner at Zemah Restaurant

• Jerusalem-Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. A tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market is an adventure for your taste buds! Enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers.

• Hatzot - the original Jerusalem Mix - Hatzot is a part of Jerusalem’s history. Two brothers, Abraham and Michael Ajami founded this landmark family restaurant in 1970. Legend has it that Meurav Yerushalmi - the favorite Israeli mixed grill dish - was born at Hatzot Restaurant.

• Azura - Lunch at Azura, a family-run institution in the Iraqi section of the market, famous for its Turkish-inspired delicacies that are slow-cooked to perfection atop kerosene burners.

• Drive out to Abu Gosh - Halva and Tehina tasting at Al Yasmin in Abu Ghosh- get ready to be wowed!

• Geo political tour - Explore the complexities and delicate balance of life in this part of the world.

• Reshta Restaurant - Reshta chef restaurant in Ein Rafa village is set among green fields in front of the breathtaking view. Offering authentic Arabic food, Reshta restaurant is named after a traditional lentil and noodles dish, which is made by the restaurant’s chef, Ranam Barhom, out of local produce, grown in the fields surrounding the restaurant.

• Jerusalem-Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Transfer to the airport