Gilly Regev and Friends Israel Tour | March 2024

Activities:

• 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 Jerusalem

• Day at leisure to relax and acclimate

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Walk through the Southern Wall Davidson Center 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.

• Drinks and Art at Hamiffal - Hamiffal, "The Factory" is an art community that turned an abandoned 19th century building in the heart of Jerusalem into a shared platform for art and culture. This stunning space wraps itself around you with it's complexity and intrigue.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Yad Vashem - 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.

• 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.

• Thinkers Distillery - "At Thinkers we maintain pace with all the new developments and painstakingly connect the old together with the new to fulfill our mission of taking spirits further. Our Jerusalem distillery is part research library, part chemistry lab, part advanced technology workshop, part mind and behavior study center, part design studio, and 100% passion. It’s not easy, but we will never put any product into a bottle unless we are convinced that is has been furthered in every way into the best in class."

• Dinner at St. Urban Wine Bar - In the picturesque German Colony in Jerusalem, Have dinner, wine, and cocktails at the exquisite St. Urban Wine Bar

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Ein Karem - Tucked into the hills of Jerusalem is the biblical Ein Karem, whose name means "the spring in the vineyard."
  Step into another world while you visit this quaint neighborhood.

• Wine Tasting at Castel Winery - Castel’s philosophy and winemaking values are an inseparable part of the winery– harmony, esthetics, refinement, patience, elegance and precision; all these guide us when creating the wines we love to drink. Wines with a strong presence and stamina, but with a hint of “down to earth” modesty. Meet with Eli Ben Zaken, Founder of Castel Winery

• Cooking workshop Arcadia Ein Karem Chef Ezra Kedem - Ezra Kedem is deeply 'Yerushalmi'- a Jerusalemite- in his roots and has taken this destiny along with the Iraqi- Jewish kitchens of his mother and grandmother and the experiences he shared with him to create Arcadia Restaurant. Arcadia has been at the forefront of New Israeli Cuisine with Kedem as an innovator and frontrunner in the industry.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

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

• 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, 'float' in the Dead Sea and have lunch.

• Dinner and Wine Tasting at Tsoof winery - Eliezer and Deganit Bar Sade, the pioneers of tourism in Arad and the region, invite you to their home for a visit to the Tzoof Winery.
  The winery is charming and unique. The organic and natural wine is meticulously prepared thanks to a thorough understanding of the grape skins and their types.

• Yehelim boutique Hotel

Activities:

• Check-out from hotel

• Sunrise Hike to Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the east 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. (Packed breakfast)

• Depart north and visit Safed - Safed, pronounced Tzfat in Hebrew, 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. Safed’s mystical aura adds to its special status as one of Israel’s four holy cities, along with Jerusalem, Tiberias and Hebron. The old synagogues, narrow alleyways and artists’ studios add to the hilltop city’s unmistakable charm.

• Tour Rosh Pina - The earliest major wave of immigration, the First Aliya, created small agricultural colonies along the coastal plain. Rosh Pina, established in 1882 on deserted rocky land, was the first settlement in the Galilee. Walk along the historical main stoned paved street, explore the local artist's studios, and hear about the story of this place.

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Hike part of the Golan Trail - The Golan Trail is a marked path that stretches for 120 kilometers (75 miles) with breathtaking scenery. Hikers on the Golan Trail can see views of Mt. Hermon and Lake Kinneret, volcanos and reservoirs, wildflowers, and archaeological sites.

• You may choose one of the following options:

• Option 1: Tel Winery - Tel Winery is a woman-owned micro boutique winery, offering intimate tours led by the passionate and knowledgeable Lital. All wines are single varietal, made exclusively from Northern Golan grapes and feature high acidity and fruits flavors which provide for a refreshing sip.

• Option 2: Mika Winery - Mika Winery in Moshav Natur in the Golan Heights was established in 2006, out of a desire to live and uphold the values of land, family, and creation. Along with the wines, the highest quality products are served, carefully and lovingly produced in the neighboring farms in the Moshav or the Golan Heights: cheeses, olive oil, breads, seasonal fruits, patisseries and more.

• Option 3: Tour with Naama Sorkin - Meet with Naama Sorkin, Viticulturist, Wine and Cider Maker and tour Kibbutz Hama vineyard

• North

Activities:

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

• 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.

• Nazareth - Israel’s biggest Arab city, Nazareth is a fascinating place, set in the Lower Galilee. It combines traditional, simple Arabic charm, Christian history, and grand old Arabic architecture. Nazareth is home to many important early Christian sites, including the Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary’s Well, and the Synagogue Church, as well as an authentic, living Arab souk (market).

• Druze cooking workshop and meal - Together with your hosts in their private home, prepare traditional Druze Galilean dishes and then enjoy the feast you create. Learn about Druze culture and history from your hosts and from the food you eat.

• Continue to Tel Aviv

• Dinner at Yaffo-Tel Aviv Restaurant - Yaffo-Tel Aviv Restaurant takes classic and romantic food into the modern culinary world and combines it into something authentic with nostalgic (perhaps even mythological) tastes, using techniques, precision and modern interpretations.
  Meet with Haim Gan, also known as "Grape Man",

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Tour 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.

• Explore 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!

• Walk the Independence Trail - Inspired by the Freedom Trail in Boston, the new Independence Trail leads to 10 of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites teaching visitors 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.

• The White City - Explore Lev Ha'ir, the Heart of the City, where the first roots of Tel Aviv were planted in 1909. Lev Hair contains some of Tel Aviv’s most beautiful buildings, being at the center of the UNESCO designated “White City” known for its Bauhaus, Eclectic, and International Style architecture. The area is densely populated, rooted in history, and with a glance towards the future with impressive skyscrapers, and a high concentration of start-up companies. Bordered by Habima Theater in the north and Florentin and Neve Tzedek in the south, Lev Ha’ir is a gateway to almost every district in the city. Lev Ha'ir is a cultural hub, filled with galleries, restaurants and parks.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Graffiti Tour - Enjoy a creative Graffiti workshop in the trendy neighborhood of Florentin, and experience fun and artistic freedom. Discover new and daring Israeli Graffiti Artists that are gaining recognition around the world.

• 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.

• Yarok Bair (Green In The City) - An urban farming complex - Visit an urban roof-top garden which provides produce for the hotel and restaurant under it.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Day at leisure on your own

• Dinner at The Salon - "Eyal Shani, chef, artist, poet and entrepreneur and Owner of Salon restaurant, his flagship restaurant, will cook for us a tasting dinner. Salon is the only place where one can use all 5 senses to experience Shani's food."

• HaSalon

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

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

• You may choose one of the following:

• Option 1: Continue on a Jordan extension

• Option 2: Transfer to Ben-Gurion Airport and Departure