Salzman Family Trip to Israel | Summer 2024

Activities:

• Ruth and Ira arrive 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.

• Private transfer to Tel Aviv & check-in to your hotel - Please note: check-in time is after 3:00 PM.

• Rest day

• Friday night Shabbat dinner at the hotel - (meal included)

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - Every day you'll enjoy a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast at your hotel.

• Kids and grandkids arrive 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.

• Private transfer to Tel Aviv & check-in to your hotel

• Day of rest

• Dinner at a local restaurant - On your own, the meal and transfers are not included. We will be happy to give restaurant recommendations closer to date and assist with making reservations for dinners.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Day to explore on your own - Some suggestions for your day:
  - Bicycle tour along the beach promenade
  - Cooking experience and home hospitality in Jaffa
  - ANU Museum of the Jewish People
  - Graffiti tour and workshop
  - Peres Center for Peace and Innovation
  Please note: guide, activities and transportation are not included.

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and begin your Israel journey together

• Morning tour of the picturesque 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. Though the two were united into one municipality in 1949, each part has retained 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.

• Wind your way through the Flea Market - The market features everything from antiques to hip new clothing and design stores, cafes, restaurants, and bars.

• Drive to Rehovot to visit Ayalon Institute - This clandestine ammunition 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.

• Back in Tel Aviv explore the Carmel Market - Shuk HaCarmel is 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.

• Independence Trail - the birth of the First Hebrew City and the State of Israel - The Trail follows several stops of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites learning about the history of this great city along the way. Stand 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.
  Along Rothchild Blvd., you will also discover the development of the city through the architecture styles. As you might know, Tel Aviv has more Bauhaus buildings that any other city in the world, so many that it is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

• Dinner on your own - (meal and transfers are not included)

• Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel & check-out

• Tour of the impressive Caesarea National Park - Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and magnificent modern residences sit side-by-side. The city was initially built by King Herod in the 1st century BC, who dreamt 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 millennium. Caesarea 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 today as a performance venue, as well as the hippodrome that held 20,000 spectators for chariot races.

• Hummus and local food in Akko's market - (meal not included)

• Continue with a tour of the old city of Akko - 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.

• Lohamei Hagetaot - A tour of the Ghetto Fighters House - Delve into Holocaust history through various exhibits, survivor testimonies, and inspiring stories of resistance. Engage in thought-provoking discussions and gain a deeper understanding of human resilience. A moving and educational experience for all ages.

• After a meaningful visit we will drive to the hotel & cehck-in

• Dinner at the hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Start your day with a walk in Tel Dan Nature Reserve - It combines a lush nature reserve with a biblical archaeological experience and includes a short wheelchair- accessible trail. At the heart of the park is “Tel Dan”- the capital of the ancient northern Israeli biblical kingdom.

• Second Track: Go on an adventurous rafting along the Jordan River - Row through one of the most beautiful spots in Israel, amongst the plants, trees, and waterfalls in the middle of this beautiful Galilee nature reserve.

• Pelter Winery - wine tastings, cheese and light lunch - The Pelter Winery was 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 lunch of local cheese and some light snacks from the deli.

• Explore the Golan Heights by jeep - Take a fun off-road ride of the Golan with a local expert guide. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area, the agriculture and lives here today. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategic role this region has for the State of Israel.

• Travel back to your hotel

• Dinner at the hotel

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Sweet experience at La Chocolita boutique chocolate workshop - Learn how to make chocolate with an authentic music show at the Mohanna Family garden in Peki'in!

• Lunch - farm to table at Havat Rom - A visit to a magical organic farm, located on a mountain with a beautiful view of Meron Mountain. This is an agricultural organic farm, where they use ancient knowledge along with modern tools. Trying to find the balance between humans and nature. Meet the goat, enjoy a light meal from the fresh produce and excellent cheese.

• Korazim ancient Jewish village and impressive synogogue - Overlooking the Kinneret, the ruins of Korazim transport visitors back in time to the 4th century, when Korazim was a thriving Jewish village with a grand synagogue. Today, Korazim is a national park where visitors can explore the unique black basalt pillars and intricate carvings of one of the earliest known synagogues.

• OR fun water hike in the Majrase Nature Reserve - This is a unique meeting point draining the delta formed by a number of the major streams of the Golan on their way to the Sea of Galilee. Walk in water along the stream, get wet and refreshed in the hot Israeli summer. There is also a 'dry route' to enjoy the views without getting in the water.

• Dinner at a local restaurant - (meal not included)

• Sunset boat ride in the Kinneret - The best way to appreciate the beauty of the Sea of Galilee is by taking a boat ride across the blue water, especially at sunset as the sky changes color and the sun sinks behind the dreamlike hills that surround the lake.

• North

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Easy morning to enjoy pool and relaxed time

• Biblical experience at Kfar Kedem - Go back in time and experience the lifestyle of our ancestors – dress like the Israelites, go on donkey riding, Pita baking and tastes of the Galilee light snacks.

• Travel to Jerusalem with a stop along the way for a snack

• She'echeyanu - welcome to Jerusalem at a lookout from the Mount Scopus - Gather to bless your family's journey in Israel! This is one of the tallest hills surrounding Jerusalem. The name “scopus” means a vantage point, and the lookout post on the edge of this hill is the place to go for the finest views of the Old City, the Dome of the Rock, and the sprawl of New Jerusalem.

• Check-in to your hotel

• Free afternoon and candle lighting - Optional - join a local progressive community to welcome the Shabbat.

• Shabbat Family Dinner at the hotel's dining room - Dinner included. Alternatives: local home or local restaurant within walking distance from the hotel.

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Shabbat leisure time

• Dinner at a local restaurant - recommended at the First Station or downtown near Ben Yehuda Street - (meal and transfers are not included)

• Optional: The Night Spectacular - 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. (not included, booking is required)

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• On this day you will have a taxi transfer in the morning and back to hotel at the end of your tour

• City of David - including a walk in the ancient water system - Take a trip back in time through the layers of Jerusalem’s past. It was on this hill where Jerusalem was built 4 millennia ago. Continuously excavated over the last 120 years, discoveries are regularly made. Tour the palace of King David, ritual purification pools, and the tour's highlight - a walk through water in Hezekiah’s Tunnel built to protect the water supply. Exit the site onto the magnificent road where the Jewish pilgrims walked, over 2,000 years ago. Get your flashlights ready!

• Take time to reflect at the Western Wall - The Kotel is 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.

• Lunch break at the Arab Market - Browse in the famous Arab shuk in the Old City. Check out the local hummus and sweets, the many stalls selling spices, pastries, pottery, sheepskin, embroidered clothes, and so much more. Meet store owners whose stores have been in their family for generations. (meal not included)

• Tour the Jewish Quarter - 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.

• Free afternoon and dinner on your own - (meal and transfers are not included)

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Nahal David oasis nature hike - This beautiful Ein Gedi Nature Reserve features Nahal David, a spectacular water hike for all ages. Trails in a range of levels of difficulty take you alongside and through the cool, fresh waters of Nahal David, down waterfalls, along jaw-dropping canyons, and past caves. If you’re both quiet and lucky, you might even glimpse the sure-footed ibex and other local animals.

• Lunch break at Kibbutz Ein Gedi - Don't miss out the unique botanical gardens in the Kibbutz. (meal included)

• Swim and 'float' in the Dead Sea - At 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. Known in Hebrew as "The Sea of Salt", it is also one of the saltiest lakes in the world. This is 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. Enjoy time to swim and attempt floating.

• Travel back to Jerusalem for rest and time on own

• Dinner at a local restaurant - (meal and transfers are not included)

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Beit Guvrin archeological experience - Explore Beit Guvrin National Park located in "the Land of Thousands of Caves". The caves of Beit Guvrin hold a rich trove of artifacts that visitors like you have uncovered over the years. Don’t forget to check out the amazing Bell Caves too. Experience the thrill of unearthing the hidden past on Dig-for-a-Day, a ground-breaking archaeological experience designed for active travelers of all ages.

• Machane Yehuda Market culinary tour - In the heart of Jerusalem sits this bustling, multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. Immerse yourself in the world of Middle Eastern cuisine as you indulge in a tasting tour through Machane Yehuda Market. Learn about the market's rich history, and meet the vendors who bring this place to life, as you experience the vibrant energy unique to this iconic culinary destination. This is a great way to conclude your tour in Israel. (tastings will replace a meal)

• Enjoy an easy afternoon and pool time

• Jerusalem

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy the day to explore on your own - On this day a tour guide, activities and transportation isn't included.
  See some ideas:
  - Guided tour in the Hebrew Music Museum
  - The Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book
  - The Biblical Zoo or Israel Aquarium
  - Art workshop

• Check-out by noon - Luggage can be stored at the hotel's concierge.

• Farewell meal at a local restaurant - (meal not included)

• Family of four - transfer to Ben Gurion Airport - VIP fast-track assistance is available but not included.

• One room for Ruth and Ira - kept for an extra night check out on June 27