Shilling Israel Tour | October 2023

Activities:

• Arrival at Ben Gurion airport

• Transfer to Tel Aviv

• Day at leisure - To acclimate and explore Tel Aviv on your own

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Day at leisure

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit Joseph Bau House - This unique museum tells the story of a very special man involving arts, love, cinematography, graphic design - and all of this, with great humor!

• 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.

• Lunch on own at 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.

• Gallery hopping in Old Jaffa - Artists' Quarter

• Dinner at Onza - Onza is the place where a young, vibrant Tel Aviv atmosphere combines with the magic and mystery of the Jaffa flea market to make a delicious restaurant “cocktail”.

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• 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.

• 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. (replaces lunch)

• Afternoon at leisure

• Dinner at Ouzeria - A fun, festive and popular mezze restaurant in the heart of the market. Owned by Chef Avivit Priel, who was named Best Female Chef of Tel Aviv in 2017.

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Travel to Rehovot

• Spend the morning in Weizmann institute of science - The state-of-the-art Levinson Visitors Center is the gateway to the Institute, giving visitors a window into the unique nature of scientific investigation and discovery at the Institute, Here, visitors will learn about the Weizmann Institute’s central role in Israeli science and technology.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Hatikva Market Tasting Tour - Hatikvah Market is a lesser-known gem. Since the market's renovation it has become a joyful, colorful place. Many say this is Tel Aviv's best market for variety, price, people-watching, and authenticity. The Hatikva Market was built in the mid-1930s as a response to the Arab Revolt, when residents of the village of Salama stopped coming to the neighborhood to sell their goods. What began with a few produce stalls put up by local residents of Iraqi, Yemeni, Syrian and Iranian background grew into a sprawling market spread out along the triangle of Ha’Etzel, Hahagana and Hatikva Streets.

• Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - If your tour is on Tuesday or a Friday, visit Nachalat Binyamin, an open-air market in the heart of Tel-Aviv that has become synonymous with quality Israeli crafts and folk art. The market is comprised of over 100 stands representing specialty crafts and folk art in virtually every medium imaginable: wood, stone, sand, glass, ceramics, and various metals with most if not all containing materials or themes found only in Israel.

• Dinner at Goshen - Goshen is a Kosher popular meat restaurant

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Graffiti Tour - Explore Florentine through an urban graffiti tour. Who are the people going out at night and changing the face of the neighborhood? What kind of story do these images and words tell us about the people living there? What is unique about graffiti in Israel and in Tel Aviv? We will walk through Florentine, the neighborhood of Tel Aviv best-known for graffiti art to answer these questions and many more in a dynamic and inquisitive tour.

• The Milk & Honey Distillery - Stop at the Milk and Honey Distillery, the first whiskey distillery in Israel, for a tour and tasting.

• Lunch

• ANU Museum of the Jewish People - In June 2021, after ten years of planning and construction, the largest Jewish museum in the world opened its doors. You’re invited to join a fascinating journey that portrays the story of the Jewish people through the generations and up to the present time. The Museum represents all parts of the Jewish people and highlights the creative works and cultural riches of a variety of communities in different periods of history. This story is about all of us and each and every one of us is part of it.

• Dinner at Popina - A modern chef's restaurant in Tel Aviv, The open kitchen, located in the center of the restaurant, allows
  diners to have a dialogue with the chef and his staff

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Tel Aviv Museum of Art more with Shirel Horovitz - During this dynamic tour with Shirel Horovitz we'll figure out what makes Israeli art what it is and learn about its relationship with the Zionist narrative as well as the international art world. Tour the extensive Israeli collection at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and visually explore the Israeli narrative from the early 20th century until today. Alongside her art practice, Shirel lectures, leads art tours, teaches art and is an art consultant to a variety of private groups and institutions among them Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Alma Hebrew college, Classrooms Without Borders, Ashdod Museum of Art, Azrieli LTD, Hartman institute and more. Drawing from multiple fields of knowledge, Shirel weaves into each experience aspects of social issues, politics, economy, religion and more to create a vivid and nuanced image of the Israeli reality. Her knowledge, passion and love of all that is Art, Tel Aviv and Israeli history are nothing less than contagious.

• Gallery hopping with Shirel - Continue with Shirel to the most interesting, colorful galleries that Tel Aviv has to offer

• HaBasta - Small but perfectly formed, HaBasta is located on a street leading off Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, from where almost all its produce is sourced. An extensive daily changing menu is scribbled on a piece of paper on the wall. The dishes, while simple, are satisfyingly complex in execution. The international wine list is equally exceptional. You will be greeted by Maoz Alonim, chef and owner.

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit Ein Hod Artists Village - Ein Hod is on the road to Haifa and is an artists' village on a hill, at the foot of Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean coast, the town of Atlit, and an ancient 12th century crusader fortress. After the War of Independence the area was abandoned and left in ruin. In the fifties, a group of artists led by the acclaimed Dada artist Marcel Janco decided that Ein Hod would be a place where they could work, build studios and workshops, and form a creative environment for art and art education.

• Light Lunch and Wine Tasting at Amphorae Winery - Visit Amphorae Winery which deserves the coveted title of Israel’s most beautiful vineyard and can compete with rural vineyards around the world. At the heart of Makura Farm on Moshav Kerem Maharal in the north, decorated with a stone mosaic and shaded by a red tile roof, is the lovely winery building, with the forested slopes of the Carmel mountain ridge in the background. (meal is included)

• Zichron Yaakov - Established in December 1882, Zichron Ya'akov was one of the first modern Jewish communities in the country. Due to the massive support of Baron de Rothchild the town was soon named after Rothchild's father (Zichron Yaakov - "in memory of Jacob") and became known for its fine wine cellars, which produce high-quality vintages to this day. The town is also famous as the center of the NILI spy ring, organized by Jews to aid the British in ousting the Turks at the beginning of the 20th century. Tour the town to learn its history and enjoy its charming, shop-lined streets.

• Return to Tel Aviv

• Dinner at M25 - One of the top meat restaurants in the city just happens to be this unassuming, tavern-style eatery. Featuring one-of-a-kind Israeli dishes, with fresh meat taking the spotlight, carnivores can rejoice in the deliciously juicy flavors, and a menu that changes daily.”

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Day at leisure - And relaxation at the beach

• 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.

• Dan Tel Aviv

Activities:

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

• Travel to Jerusalem

• City of David - Begin the day at the City of David and tour the newly excavated Pilgrim’s Way- walk from the City of David through a tunnel to the Davidson Center. The Ancient Shiloah Pool was discovered just a few years ago. The pool was constructed 2,000 years ago during the days of King Herod, in Jerusalem’s glorious building tradition, and served as an important meeting point for Jerusalem’s pilgrims.

• 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.

• Western Wall - We take the time to reflect at the Western Wall – Ha Kotel Ha’Ma’aravi or simply HaKotel. Over generations, Jews came to pray here, as it was the closest they could come to the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. When you see the Wall, you aren't just seeing it with your eyes - there is so much more. There are thousands of years and the weight of millions of Jews there. Your eyes may just see giant bricks and people praying, but your heart sees infinitely more. What does being here mean to each of us individually and as part of the Jewish people?

• 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.

• Dinner at Mona Restaurant - Mona restaurant is an elegant and relaxed Chef Bistro, nestled in an historic stone house in the heart of Jerusalem.

• Mamilla Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Walking Tour in 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.

• Visit the Museum on the Seam - A socio-political contemporary art museum, located on the geographic seam line between East and West of Jerusalem, in the meeting point of the three religions. The Museum, in its unique way, presents art as a language with no boundaries in order to raise diverse social issues for public discussion and bridge the gaps.

• Optional: Check out Jerusalemite 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.

• Dinner at HaSadna Restaurant - HaSadna Restaurant's menu features fresh ingredients with a minimum of treatment. Part of the charm is the interior of this building which was once a warehouse that served the Jerusalem railroad and railway station built in 1892. Part of the Machneyuda group, HaSadna is a jewel of contemporary Israeli Cuisine.

• Tower of David Sound and Light Show - 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. (King David)

• Mamilla Hotel

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.

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

• Evening on own at Mamilla

• Optional Concert - Depending on concerts schedule

• Mamilla Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Day on own to Explore Jerusalem - And late check-out

• Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport

• Departure

• Farewell - We look forward to hosting you in our beautiful country again soon!