Richard Dubbs-2- May 2023

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel - Meet your guide after breakfast.

• Old Jaffa - Start your tour of Tel Aviv where it all began with Jaffa which 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.

• Neve Tzedek - After Jaffa move on to Neve Tzedek which 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. 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 has been restored and is now a trendy, fun, and beautiful part of the city.

• 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)

• 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 it’s 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.

• No hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Transfer to the Bethlehem checkpoint - Meet with your Palestinian guide for the day who will accompany you and guide you throughout the day in the biblical and modern day city of Bethlehem, today under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

• Tour of Bethelehem - Bethlehem (Hebrew: "House of Bread") is celebrated as the site where Jesus Christ was born. It is a town south of Jerusalem, remembered in the Jewish tradition as the hometown of King David. "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (Luke 2:4-5). The first church at the site was built by Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine around 326 CE. This church later was destroyed and then rebuilt at the beginning of the 6th century in its present form by Emperor Justinian. The Church of the Nativity is thus one of the oldest Christian churches in existence. Visit the traditional birthplace of Jesus' birth.

• Drive to Jerusalem and check into your hotel

• Jerusalem Orient Hotel Garden Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Begin your tour at the Jaffa Gate - An imposing entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City, the Jaffa Gate is one of the six original entrances built by Suleiman the Magnificent.

• 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.

• 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.

• Muslim Quarter - Extending from the Damascus Gate to the Via Dolorosa, the Muslim Quarter is the largest of the Old City’s quarters and has been home to Palestinian Arabs for centuries. Meet people who have lived in the Old City for generations, practicing their crafts and raising their families. Browse the famous Arab shuk (market) in the Muslim quarter.

• The Temple Mount- conditions permitting - Also known to Muslims as the Haram el-Sharif and the Al Aqsa Compound, this hill located in the Old City has, for thousands of years, been venerated as a holy site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike.

• 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.

• Western Wall - Proceed to the Kotel (The Western Wall), sacred because it is one of the last remnants 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.

• Jerusalem Orient Hotel Garden Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Drive to the Judean Desert

• Qumran-National Park - Stop at the Qumran ruins, a fascinating site of great significance. In 1947 two Bedouin shepherds accidentally came across a clay jar in a cave near Khirbet Qumran that contained seven parchment scrolls. There is vast evidence that the manuscripts discovered in the Qumran caves belonged to the library of the occupants of the site in this period -a small hermit community referred to as the Dead Sea Sect. Today the scrolls reside in a specially constructed site for exhibiting the scrolls -the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

• 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.

• Kalia Beach - Just before leaving the area, stop at Kalia Beach to enjoy the experience of floating in the Dead Sea.The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. 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

• Return to Jerusalem

• Jerusalem Orient Hotel Garden Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Day on your own

• Jerusalem Orient Hotel Garden Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Transfer to the airport

• Depart Israel