Jenna Schulner Family Israel Tour | June 2024

Activities:

• Welcome to Israel! 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.

• Drive to your hotel in Jerusalem and check in

• Explore the neighborhood and have dinner at a local restaurant

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Meet your guide and begin your Israeli adventure together

• Leisurely morning walk on the Ramparts of the walls of the Old City - 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 Yemin Moshe - Yemin Moshe, located just outside Jerusalem's Old City, was established in 1891 with the financial support of British Jewish banker Moses Montefiore. It was built as a solution to the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions inside the Old City walls. The original houses were built with a wall around them and a gate that was locked at night. Montefiore left an indelible mark on the Jerusalem landscape by building the landmark Montefiore Windmill in Yemin Moshe. Walk through this special neighborhood.

• Dinner on your own - We can make recommendations and reservations

• Optional: Light and Sound Show at the Tower of David Museum - Amidst the archaeological remains in the David Citadel courtyard, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through virtual reality images. The Night Spectacular uses trompe l'oeil technology – the stones of the walls and structures fade into the scenes and the viewers are part of a multi-sensory experience.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Start your day with a tour at City of David - Visit the excavation of the City of David where King David captured a Jebusite citadel to build his capital. The city was well fortified with its own water source and Jerusalem was a perfect site for the new kind of national state that David envisaged.

• Enter the Old City and go on the 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.

• Continue to 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 the First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, vibrant synagogues, and learning institutions, all jostling for space in these busy stone streets.

• Meet The Jerusalem Scribe - Kalman Gavriel Delmoor is a traditional Scribe with a modern lens. Through his unique perspectives and expertise in the ancient craft, Kalman brings the Torah to life in his art. Discover the fusion of artwork and tradition below. Meet Kalman, see him work, and learn about his mission.

• Dinner on your own - We can make recommendations and reservations

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the east on the cable car 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.

• Lunch on your own

• You may choose one or more of the following options:

• Option 1: Dead Sea Bike - 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. (Intermediate level route; for the less active ones there's an option of a jeep ride between the stops, it is not a jeep tour)

• Option 2: Dead Sea Boat Ride - Take a boat ride on the Dead Sea in a small group motorboat or in kayaks and see amazing salt formations and scenery. During this unique experience you will enjoy the wondrous muds, salt pearls, salt diamonds, water springs streaming to the sea and sink holes filled with sweet water. Learn about the ecosystem and the environmental issues connected to the Dead Sea.

• Option 3: Dead Sea Jeep Tour - Explore the Dead Sea Region from a different perspective on an exciting jeep tour! See the beautiful shapes that Mother Nature formed in marl in Wadi Prazim, and much more!

• Return to Jerusalem

• Machane Yehuda Market and dinner on your own - This bustling multi-ethnic market is bursting with life, art, and flavor in the heart of Jerusalem. At night the market transforms into the city's hottest night scene.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check out from hotel

• On your way north visit Kibbutz Magal - Visit the kibbutz's olive and almond agricultural and production center, as well as Netafim, the world-renowned agricultural lead in irrigation methods.

• Druze Cooking Workshop and Lunch - 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 Shfaram - Explore the history of Shefar'am, today an Arab city and the site of an ancient Jewish-Roman city which was the second Galilee site of the Sanhedrin (the supreme council and tribunal of the Jews during postexilic times), at the end of the second century AD. Explore the unique social variety of the town and its 2,500-year-old rich history.

• Continue to your hotel - Check-in and dinner at hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• 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 or ATV - Learn about the recent history of the region and explore the issues that have confronted Israel during the civil war in Syria. Stop at Har Bental, an extinct volcano and an army stronghold.

• Wine tasting and light lunch at a local winery (TBD)

• Afternoon tour of Ein Keshatot (Umm al-Kanatir) - Ein Keshatot is is one of about 30 Jewish villages that existed in the Golan during the Talmudic Period, which was period of great growth in the area. The synagogue building was constructed in the 6th century CE (approximately 500 years after the destruction of the Second Temple), and was the center of local communal life. It served as a place for prayer, reading of the Torah, and various public activities.

• Return to hotel - And dinner at hotel

• North

Activities:

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

• Tour the Town of the Kabbalah, 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. Tzfat'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.

• Continue to Rosh Hanikra - Travel 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.

• Have lunch on your own and 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.

• Travel to Tel Aviv - And check-in to your hotel

• Enjoy afternoon at leisure by the beach

• Dinner on your own - We can make recommendations and reservations

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Travel to colorful Kuchinate - African Refugee Women’s Cooperative, for a coffee ceremony and to hear the story of this incredible social start-up. Meet founders Diddy Mymin Kahn and Sister Aziza, who have turned the lives of refugee women around by empowering them to find their voices and regain their dignity after very difficult life circumstances.

• 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.

• Take your time and mingle with the local hipsters of Florentine at Levinsky Market on a Friday Afternoon

• Time to rest

• Shabbat Dinner with Eatwith (included)

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy a day of leisure to explore and enjoy Tel Aviv on your own

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - And check-out

• Visit the Ayalon Institute - This clandestine ammunitions factory was 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.

• Lunch on your own at the 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.

• Ajami Neighborhood, Jaffa - Tour the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, a predominantly Arab neighborhood in Jaffa, you’ll hear a challenging narrative about the city and its history. Continue your tour through Jaffa, enjoying the beauty of the winding streets and the beautiful port with its biblical reference.

• You're warmly invited into the home of Doris Hiffawi to hear about her life as a Christian Arab living in Jaffa - Over coffee brewed by her family and Arabic sweets, she'll talk about whether the Jewish, Muslim and Christian populations interact or merely live side by side. We'll also find out how female entrepreneurs like Doris are bringing change to this socio-economically deprived neighborhood.

• Farewell dinner at a local restaurant - We can make recommendations and reservations

• Farewell - Safe travels and we hope to host you again in our beautiful country!