Fishman – Gabriel Israel Trip June 2023

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport - Welcome to Israel. Arrive on United Flight #84 from Newark, arriving at 9:55AM. Your VIP agent will be waiting to greet you at the sleeve of the plane. After assisting with arrival procedures, collecting your baggage, and relevant Covid testing, you will be taken to meet your driver.

• Check-in to hotel - Please note: check-in time is at 3:00 PM. You will be able to leave your luggage with the hotel's concierge.

• Dinner at a local restaurant - (on your own, meal not included) closer to your trip we'll be happy to make restaurant recommendations and reservations for you.

• Jerusalem: Orient Hotel, Colony View - Orient Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - Every morning you will enjoy a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast in your hotel.

• Enjoy a full private walking day tour of Jerusalem old city

• Begin with a magnificent lookout from the Tower of David - Located near the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.

• Ramparts Walk - Discover the Old City on the Rampart Walls which were built in the 16th century for patrolling by the Ottomans. Today you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the Old City and the surroundings.

• Tour the Jewish Quarter - The Jewish Quarter is best known for the Western Wall, but there’s a lot more to see and do here. See archaeological finds from First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, and vibrant synagogues, learning institutions which jostle for space in these busy stone streets. The central plaza offers an excellent place to contemplate the power this quarter holds for so many.

• Browse in the famous Arab shuk (market) in the Muslim quarter - Browse in the famous Arab shuk (market) in the Muslim quarter. Check out the local humus and sweets Its many stalls sell spices, pastries, pottery, sheepskin, embroidered clothes and so much more. Meet store-owners whose stores have been in their family for generations. (meal is not included)

• Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - The church is situated on the hill called Golgotha or Calvary and contains the last five Stations of the Cross, including the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Several Christian denominations claim ownership to various parts of this site so holy to Christendom.

• Take time to reflect at the Western Wall - Proceed to the Kotel, (The Western Wall), sacred because it is the last remnant of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans. Feel the stones that have witnessed so much in the history of the Jews. Place your special and personal prayer in the cracks of the stones.

• Explore what’s under the Kotel through the Kotel Tunnels Tour - Explore what’s under the Kotel through the Kotel Tunnels Tour. The Western Wall is impressive, but its greatness is truly discovered when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels. The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters (1601ft) of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste for the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during this biggest of all his immense building projects - the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Jerusalem: Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin your day with a magnificent lookout from the Mount of Olives - The Mount of Olives offers a panoramic lookout over the city. There are countless Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions about Mt. Olives, including that from here the Messiah will come, and from here the dead will be resurrected in the vision of the End of Days. Enjoy a beautiful lookout of the Holy Basin, the old and new city of Jerusalem.

• Tour the Israel Museum - Visit the unique collections and expansive grounds of the Israel Museum, the country’s national museum. Linger over the renowned international and Israeli art, the world’s most complete Judaica collections and the charming Billy Rose Sculpture Garden. You will also visit the Shrine of the Book, home to the exceptional archaeological finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient manuscripts.

• Magical Friday lunch meal at Rama's Kitchen - “Rama’s Kitchen” was founded by Rama Ben Zvi 22 years ago, as a unique restaurant in the Jerusalem hills. Over the years Rama’s Kitchen has become a thriving culinary landmark and is consistently ranked as one of Israel’s leading restaurants. The magnificent surroundings enhance a total and uniquely special culinary experience. The menu constitutes a confluence of contemporary western cooking techniques and traditional Arab and Mediterranean cuisine.

• Continue to Ein Kerem - Tucked into the hills of Jerusalem is the biblical Ein Kerem, whose name means "the spring in the vineyard." Step into another world while you visit this quaint neighborhood. In the Christian tradition, this is the place pf birth of John the Baptist. Visit local artist galleries in their homes, beautiful churches and walk in nature as well.

• Drive back to Jerusalem

• Optional: experience Shabbat atmosphere at the Western Wall - Walk from your hotel through the old city's alleys and visit the Western Wall. Join Friday night services and singing, feel the special Shabbat atmosphere.

• Friday night Shabbat dinner - (on your own, not included) Suggestions: Shabbat dinner home hospitality/ Chakra / Adom

• Jerusalem: Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the west to explore Masada, scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. The new museum at the Visitor Center reveals the secrets of the daily life of the rebels, the story of the excavations, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.

• Dead Sea Resort for swim and lunch - Israel’s Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, a stunning, other-worldly landscape of shimmering blue water ringed by bare, orange and yellow hills. The waters of the Dead Sea hold a potent solution of minerals and salts that have strong healing properties. Together with its ethereal beauty, these health-giving minerals make the Dead Sea’s beaches and spas popular vacation spots for Israelis and tourists alike. At one of the local hotels, have lunch and 'float' in the Dead Sea.

• Ein Gedi nature hike (time permitting) - The landscape, climatic conditions and water sources at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve have created a unique ecosystem of springs, waterfalls and pools surrounded by lush greenery in a desolate desert setting. We will have the opportunity to hike up to and cool off in the refreshing pools and waterfalls of the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. The stunning Ein Gedi oasis consists of two separate waterways: Nahal David (David’s Stream), where David took refuge from King Saul; and Nahal Arugot, where remains of a 6th-century synagogue were discovered.

• Drive back to Jerusalem

• Dinner on own - Suggestion: check out Machne Yehuda Market - At night the market turns to a young, fun area with a great atmosphere. You will also be able to see the amazing graffiti art on the shop screens that are closed at night.

• Jerusalem: Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Take a taxi to Yad Vashem - Transfers are not included on this day.

• Visit the museum at Yad Vashem - Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust. Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in the world and Jewish history, its children’s memorial, and exquisite gardens. Yad Vashem is an unforgettable place of tribute and remembrance. You'll be guided by a member of the Yad Vashem staff.

• After a meaningful morning focusing on our past, we will head to the present and modern day - Take a taxi (not included) and meet your culinary guide at the market.

• When it's lunch time go for a culinary tasting tour of Machane Yehuda Market - In the heart of Jerusalem, a bustling multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor, a tasting tour through Mahane 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.

• Afternoon to explore on own

• Dinner on own - Suggestions: Machneyuda restaurant

• Orient Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Drive along the Mediterranean coast and tour Caesarea National Park - One of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. A national park where 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 dreamed 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 Millenium. The city 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 as a performing venue today and the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• Continue to Rosh Hanikra - "Head of the Grottos", with the stunning chalk-white cliffs at Israel’s northernmost coastal border. Enjoy the view of the Mediterranean coastline stretched out before you, then take the cable car down beneath the cliffs to the grottos below and tour the system of underground marine caves eroded by pounding waves over thousands of years.

• Lunch on route - (meal not included)

• Drive to Akko and tour the old city and market - The ancient city of Akko, on the Mediterranean, is one of the oldest ports in the world, a city shared by Jews and Muslims. Walk narrow streets past towering ramparts, deep moats, green domes, venerable synagogues, slender Muslim minarets, secret passageways. Discover the subterranean city built in the Middle Ages by the Crusaders beneath Akko. Learn about the city’s ancient history as well as its important role in Israel’s modern history.
  Optional and time permitting: visit Al Jazzar Mosque - explore the architecture, hear about Islamic traditions and historical brief.

• Visit Saleem Amer stone artist in his studio - Optional and not included: try your hand at stone carving with local stone artist Saleem.

• Drive to your hotel & check-in

• Wood Grill meat restaurant at the hotel

• Mitzpe Hayamim - Jasmine Room with Balcony

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin with a morning nature hike in the Banias National Park - Take a refreshing walk around the Banias, one of Israel’s most beautiful nature reserves. The Banias spring feeds into the Jordan River, the reserve’s large waterfall tumbles down a 33-foot precipice year-round, and a nearby cave houses remains of a temple to the Greek god Pan. In the wars of 1948 and 1967, when the Golan was held by Syria, the site housed a Syrian officers’ club.

• Explore the Golan Heights by jeep - Geo-Political tour of the Golan with an expert. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategical roll this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the Syrian border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Wine and cheese at Pelter Winery - Established in 2005 and is a study in Terroir. Taste the wines made from grapes grown on the rich Golan soil and hear the story of the winery. Together with the wine, enjoy a light lunch of local cheese.

• Head back to hotel and take time to relax - Enjoy the hotel facilities or the local town

• Dinner at the hotel or at Rosh Pina - Recommended casual Middle Eastern meat restaurant: Simha and Sons Grill (meal and transfers are not included)

• Mitzpe Hayamim

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Morning cycle through the magical Agamon Ha'hula - The Hula valley sits in part of the northern Syrian African Rift Valley which stretches as far south as Mozambique in Africa. During every migration season over 500 million birds travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small waterfalls, cormorants, heron, pelicans, raptors, storks, and cranes. Morning ride through the park.

• Tour of Tzfat - Jewish mysticism's birthplace - Discover Tzfat which sits at a higher altitude than any other city in Israel and has been known since the 16th century as a major center of Kabbala, Jewish mysticism. The old synagogues, narrow alleyways, and artists’ studios add to the hilltop city’s unmistakable charm. You can wander around the artist quarter and find some beautiful galleries in the artist row.
  Eat lunch there as well.

• Lunch on route - (meal not included)

• Visit Korazim ancient town - A Jewish town in a basalt landscape overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The beautiful synagogue at Korazim, built at the end of the fourth century or the beginning of the fifth century CE, is made of basalt, the region’s most common stone, carved in geometric, floral and faunal patterns.

• Afternoon spa treatment is available

• Dinner at the hotel's dining room - (meal included)

• Mitzpe Hayamim

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Visit to Rish Lakish olive oil press - Try your own hands in olive picking followed by a visit to Rish Lakish, a family-owned olive oil press. Meet the family, learned the process of making olive oil, and try tasting olive oil produced in the farm.

• Head to Haifa and stop for a lookout over the Bahai Gardens - From the Louis Promenade, on the top of Mount Carmel, we will admire the stunning scenery. Nicknamed the Balcony of the Country, a 400 meter long promenade at the top of the Baha'i Gardens offers a view of the entire Haifa Bay, all the way to the border with Lebanon. This impressive spot offers a truly spectacular view, so have a camera ready!

• Lunch break in Wadi Nisnas - One of Haifa’s most colorful neighborhoods, full of narrow streets, picturesque stone houses, and the Wadi Nisnas market. It is a mixed neighborhood that captures the nature and atmosphere of the city of Haifa - a city of many faiths and communities, that live alongside each other in an exemplary co-existence. The Wadi Nisnas market is the place to go and experience some of the local flavors and wind your way through the local Flea Market. (meal not included)

• Drive to Tel Aviv & check-in to your hotel

• Dinner at a local restaurant - (on your own, not included)

• Tel Aviv - Royal Beach Hotel, Bellavista Special Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy the day exploring the city, on the beach, at the pool - No guide and transfers are included on this day.

• Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - Visit Nachlat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Friday night Shabbat dinner - (on your own, not included)

• Royal Beach Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Transfers on this day are not included

• Morning tour of the Israeli art collection at Tel Aviv Museum of Art - In this dynamic tour we'll figure out what makes Israeli art into what it is, and what’s it relationship with the Zionist narrative as well as the international art world. This tour through the extensive Israeli collection is an amazing way to visually explore the Israeli narrative from the early 20th century until today. What is the story the Arts Establishment tells about Israeli Art? You'll be guided by a local artist and art historian.

• Suggested: lunch and free time at Jaffa Flea Market - Wind your way through the Flea Market which features everything from antiques to hip new clothing and design stores, cafes, restaurants, and bars.

• Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city

• Dinner on own - Suggestion: Ha'basta

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy a full day walking guided tour - Transfers are not included on this day.

• Begin your day with a tour of Old Jaffa - On a walk through Jaffa, discover the ancient and modern situated side-by-side. Stroll through the alleyways of the Old City filled with artist studios as well as archaeological discoveries. Discover which Jewish and Christian stories took place in the city.

• Continue to Neve Tzedek - 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. They were looking to head out of the ever-growing and over-crowded Jaffa, to build what was considered back than modern and comfortable housing. In recent years, after a period of neglect, the neighborhood was resorted and became a trendy fun beautiful part of the city and a good place to try some Israeli Gelato!

• Carmel Market Tasting 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. (The tasting tour replaces lunch)

• Walk along the Independence Trail - Inspired by the Freedom Trail in Boston, the new Independence Trail follows 10 stops of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites learning about the history of this great city along the way. The trail begins at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street, home to Tel Aviv’s first kiosk. The trail ends across the street at Independence Hall, where on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion read aloud the Declaration of Independence as Israel was declared an independent Jewish state.

• Explore the unique architectural styles - In the heart of the “White City”, it is lined with Tel Aviv’s iconic architecture, the Bauhaus style, which led to its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the various architecture styles and the history of the city through these different types. What style will you like the most?

• Visit to Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel - Asif is a non-profit organization and culinary center in Tel Aviv dedicated to cultivating and nurturing Israel’s diverse and creative food culture, a joint venture of the New York City-based Jewish Food Society and Tel Aviv’s Start-Up Nation Central. Have a drink and fresh snack in their caffe.

• Dinner on your own

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Optional not included: Ayalon Institute in Rehovot - A private taxi driver can take you from the hotel to Rehovot and back. Visit the Ayalon Institute, a clandestine ammunitions factory built in 1945 by the Haganah. In just three weeks, preparations for the factory were completed and it was code named the Ayalon Institute. Above ground, it appeared to be no more than a kibbutz. However, located eight meters below ground, this was the country's largest bullet factory. It has been said that the bullets manufactured at the Ayalon Institute played a crucial role in the success of the War of Independence.

• Enjoy the rest of the day to explore on own

• Farewell dinner at a restaurant - (not included)

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Check-out by 9:00 and private transfer to Ben Gurion Airport - A VIP assistant will greet you at the entrance to the airport and take you through a fast track all the way through check-in and security. Flight info: United Airline flight #85 departing at noon.

• Farewell - we look forward to hosting you again in our beautiful country!