Gay-Aktivreisen – Off the Beaten Path | November 2023

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport - Meet your guide and driver who will transport you to your hotel.

• Travel to Tel Aviv

• Check in to hotel - And enjoy a day at leisure

• Tel Aviv Nightlife - Bar Hopping - Experience the "city that never sleeps" by a fun bar hopping tour.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Travel to Jerusalem

• Davidson Center - Walk through the Southern Wall Archaeological Gardens. Get a glimpse of the glory of the Second Temple, the heart of the ancient Jewish kingdom, and the devastation that followed. Visit the Davidson Visitors' Center and enjoy a modern and interactive virtual presentation. The museum presents a taste of the archaeology of Jerusalem from different eras - covering the First Temple, Second Temple, Byzantine, Islamic, and the Crusades periods.

• Old City Tasting Tour - Walk through the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City seeing the historical and religious sites. See some off-the-beaten track sites in the winding alleyways and enjoy some Jerusalem delicacies. We will have a “taste of history” that interweaves stories and anecdotes, historical information, and, of course, combines the senses of smell, taste, and sound.

• Christian Quarter - One of the four neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Old City, the Christian Quarter is home to a rich tapestry of Christians of many denominations. The historic and impressive Church of the Holy Sepulcher, encompassing the last 5 Stations of the Cross, dominates the area. Retrace the footsteps of generations of pilgrims, or eat some of Israel’s best hummus at one of the authentic restaurants in the quarter.

• Visit the Austrian Hospice - On the rooftop of the Austrian Hospice, have a beer and look out over the Old City from above.

• Night out and dinner on own

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• You may choose one of the following options:

• Option 1: Visit the museum at Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial to the Holocaust - Tour this memorial to the darkest moment in 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.

• Option 2: 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 can also visit the Shrine of the Book, home to the exceptional archaeological finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other rare ancient manuscripts.

• Machane Yehuda Market Tasting Tour - 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.

• Musrara Neighborhood - The Musrara neighborhood is a hidden gem off the beaten path in Jerusalem's center, near the Old City. The serene nineteenth century homes and prevalence of art galleries and artists belie the turbulent history of the neighborhood, which was once located "on the seam" between Israeli and Jordanian-occupied Jerusalem. It was here where, in the 1970s, the Black Panthers roared for social justice. In the 1980s renewal, gentrification, and ultra-orthodoxy began and now, Musrara is in high demand.

• Dinner at Chakra - Chakra offers a rotating Mediterranean menu & Israeli wines in modern surroundings with a garden-style terrace.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Herbert Samuel Jerusalem - Overnight: Jerusalem

• Hike Nachal Og - Nachal Og is a hike that brings you through a dry gorge that was formed by the Og stream. It drains from the Judean Mountains and into the Dead Sea during the winter period. In many areas it is incredibly wide and flat, and in others it becomes narrow. While we explore, we may encounter mountain goats and desert birds.

• Travel to hotel

• Check in to hotel - And dinner at hotel

• South

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Hike Gev Yamin to Ein Yorke'am - Between the Large Crater (Makhtesh) to the Small Crater, you will find a beautiful trail with the gorgeous desert views, breathtaking crevice with small, yet deep pools. After ascending the Palmach Ascent, hear the story of the Palmach company and learn about one of the Negev's most historically important climbs. Finish in the ancient Roman fort of Ein Yorke'am and the Yorke'am Pool.

• Return to hotel - And dinner at hotel

• South

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin your day with a hike at Havarim Stream - Havarim stream is one of the tributaries to Nahal Zin (Zin Stream). Havarim stream undermines flint and and chalk rocks, where you can also find ancient shark teeth! You will also find marlstone rocks which gave the stream its name.

• Continue to Ein Avdat National Park - Hike in the Ein Avdat National Park, in a beautiful canyon in the Negev desert. The Ein Avdat Spring flows down in a waterfall towards an 8-meter deep pool of water. The canyon is part of Nahal Zin, which is the longest wadi or dry riverbed in the Negev desert.

• Dinner and Stargazing in Makhtesh Ramon - When night falls in the desert, a whole new setting is revealed, and what could be better than stargazing in Mitzpe Ramon, one of the best locations to do this in Israel (and in the world!)?

• South

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• From Makhtesh Ramon to Mahmal Fort - Hiking in Makhtesh Ramon (The Ramon Crater) including following the Ancient Spice Route which begins in Makhtesh Ramon to the site of Nabatean city of Ovdat. Learn about the Nabatean winemaking while seeing one of the At least five wine presses dated to the Byzantine period that have been found at the various Nabatean sites in the area such as Ovdat and Shivta.

• South

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Short hike at Pratzim Stream - Nachal Pratzim is located in the Mishor Amiaz on Mt. Sodom. It is a very narrow gorge that was formed by flowing water eroding into the rather soft sedimentary rocks during the last 18,000 to 20,000 years.

• Continue to Nahal Zohar - Nahal Zohar is a short brook, 12kM long, flowing into the south-west shore of the Dead Sea. It served in antiquity as an important route, ascending from the Dead Sea to the region of Judea. Fortresses were constructed along the route during the Israelite Kingdom, Hasmonean Kingdom, Roman/Byzantine and Crusaders/Mameluke periods.

• Finish with the Dead Sea Bike and dinner - Bike in the spectacular scenery of the Dead Sea. Several route options available depending on the level of the riders. Riding off-road, explore the area between the mountains and the sea in the stunning quiet landscape of the area.

• South

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out from hotel

• Travel to Tel Aviv and join RainbowTLV tour - Explore the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Tel Aviv and visit all the "pink" points!

• Levinsky Market Tasting Tour - 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.

• Finish with a tour of Old 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.

• Farewell Dinner

• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport - Safe travel and we hope to host you again in our beautiful country!