The Aarons’ Family Israel Trip

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.

• Transfer to Tel Aviv & check-in to your hotel - Check-in time: from 3.00pm.

• Day at leisure

• Welcome dinner - Suggestions and reservations can be made.

• Tel Aviv: Dan Panorama, TLV Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel - Every morning enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast at your hotel.

• Begin with a tour of Jaffa Old City - On a walk through Jaffa, discover the ancient and modern situated side-by-side. Stroll through the alleyways of the Old City filled with artist studios as well as archaeological discoveries. Discover which Jewish and Christian stories took place in 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)

• Architecture "White City" Tour - Walk along Rothschild Boulevard, one of the first streets to be built in the city of Tel Aviv a little over 100 years ago. In the heart of the “White City”, it is lined with Tel Aviv’s iconic architecture, the Bauhaus style, which led to its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of these buildings have been beautifully restored and now house the offices of financial institutions, creative firms, cafes and luxury residences. Learn about Tel Aviv history through the various architectural styles.

• Dinner on own

• Tel Aviv: Dan Panorama, TLV Room

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Drive along the coastal road to Caesarea National Park - It was Caesarea where King Herod built a large port in honor of Emperor Augustus Caesar 2,000 years ago. Visit the Roman Theater, Herod’s palace, the walled Crusader town with its galleries and restaurants and Caesarea’s latest attraction, the Time Trek, a fascinating multimedia presentation.

• Lunch suggestion: Mataim Restaurant - Set in Ramat Hanadiv, in the heart of nature. The restaurant's meals are made of the highest quality raw materials, all intrinsically linked to the place where it is located. To the land, its history, its values.
  Mata'im also believes that giving to the other, caring for one's neighbors, are natural values. and runs a program in partnership with ELEM-Israel, to engage at-risk youth and train them for the restaurant business, paving their way to future careers and fulfilling roles in society.

• Head to Tel Magido - Tel Megiddo is heaven for history-lovers, standing above the fertile Jezreel plain. Explore the ruins of ancient Canaanite and Israelite homes, public buildings, and temples; descend into the underground water system built in the 9th century BCE by biblical King Ahab; and learn about the many battles that took place here, giving rise to the word Armageddon.

• Drive to your hotel & check-in

• Dinner at the hotel

• North: Nof Ginosar

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin your day with Snir Water Hike - Walk between the beautiful water streams, water plants and shaded track, in one of Jordan’s water sources.

• Continue with a Rafting Adventure - Row along the Jordan River, through one of the most beautiful spots in Israel, amongst the plants, trees, and waterfalls in the middle of this beautiful Galilee nature reserve.

• Lunch on rout

• Head to the magnificent Nimrod Fortress - High on a peak above the Hermon River rises a Crusader stronghold built in the 12th century against the Moslem center of hostility in Damascus. Legend attributes the fort to the biblical "mighty hunter before the Lord", Nimrod. In Arabic it is known as Ka'alat Nimrud - Fort of Nimrod. This is a magical lookout over the Hermon, Golan Heights, Hula Valley and Lebanon.
  Alternative activity for the afternoon: tour of Tzfat old city

• Druze home hospitality and cooking workshop - 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.

• North: Nof Ginosar

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Explore the Golan Heights through a jeep tour - With a geo-political local guide expert. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria from Mt. Bental to get a better understanding of the geography and strategical roll this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the Syrian border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Visit Umm el Kanatir and participate in a archeological dig - Also known as Ein Keshatot, home to a Jewish village from the Period of the Mishna and Talmud, with a magnificent synagogue in its center. The ancient village is located above the Samekh Riverbed, looking towards the Sea of Galilee and the hills of the Galilee. Enter a synagogue that features the original Ark Complex – the most preserved and magnificent ever to be discovered in Israel. The synagogue was excavated and reconstructed with advanced technological methods, and today it stands at a height of one story.
  Take part in archeological dig with an archaeologist, learn about the process and feel the excitement of finding a message from the past.

• Lunch near the Sea of Galilee

• Drive to Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley

• Time permitting: stop at Qasr el Yahud - According to tradition, Qasr el Yahud (Arabic: Tower of the Jews) is the baptismal site on the Jordan river, marking Jesus’ spiritual birth. As John the Baptist called the People of Judea to baptize in the Jordan River, he was referring to a long-existing sentiment in Jewish heritage towards the river: present in numerous miraculous stories, this is where the ancient Hebrews crossed to enter the Land of Israel, and where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven (Joshua 3:15-17, Kings 2 2:1-17). It was regarded as a sacred body of water, prominent in the scripts - it is mentioned 167 times in the Hebrew Bible (!!) - more than any river, stream, lake, or sea in the Old Testament. Today Qasr el Yahud is an integral part of any pilgrimage tour, and twice a year, mass baptisms are arranged on this site.

• Welcome to Jerusalem: Panoramic lookout from Mount Scopus - Mount Scopus, or “tzofim” in Hebrew, 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 across the Old City, the Dome of the Rock, and the sprawl of New Jerusalem.

• Check-in to your hotel

• Dinner on own - Suggestions and reservations can be made.

• Jerusalem: Herbert Samuel, Superior Room / Dlx triple room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Visit the Israel museum and the Shrine of the Book - Explore 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.

• Lunch suggestion: Meshek Ofaimme Restaurant located at the museum

• Explore 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. Visit Christian important sites, explore the local galleries and wander through the beautiful small streets.

• Friday night dinner - Optional: home hospitality at a local Jerusalemite family.

• Jerusalem: Herbert Samuel, Superior Room / Dlx triple room

Activities:

• Early breakfast at your hotel

• Drive to Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain by 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.

• Continue with a stunning nature hike along Nahal David - 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.

• Don't miss visiting Ein Gedi ancient synagogue - Ein Gedi was one of the ancient cities in Judah. Famed for its fruitful vineyards that covered the mountainsides, ancient Ein Gedi was also well known for it's "secret". The secret is still unknown today but the remains of a mosaic floor from the 5th century synagogue at Ein Gedi clearly allude to some important mystery.

• Lunch on rout

• 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 - with about 34.2% salinity. 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. Take time to swim and attempt floating.

• Optional: sunset Dead Sea Boat Ride - Take a boat ride on the Dead Sea in a small group motorboat and see amazing salt formations and scenery.
  Learn about the ecosystem and the environmental issues connected to the Dead Sea.

• Head back to Jerusalem and dinner on own

• Jerusalem: Herbert Samuel, Superior Room / Dlx triple room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin the day with a City of David tour - A visit to the City of David, with its tagline “where it all began,” is a trip back in time through the layers of Jerusalem’s past. This hill, on which Jerusalem began 4 millenniums ago as a Jebusite village, has been continuously excavated for the last 120 years, and still, most of its mysteries are yet to be discovered. The tour of the site leads you through the biblical palace of King David, past ritual purification pools from the First and Second Temple eras, beside Roman, medieval, and Byzantine ruins.

• An exciting experience walking through Hezekiahs Water Tunnels - Biblical King Hezekiah had the Siloam tunnel built in preparation for an Assyrian attack in the 8th or 7th century BCE, to redirect water from the Gihon spring into Jerusalem. Today, you can splash through the knee-deep water as you marvel at this astonishing feat of ancient engineering that is still standing today.
  You will continue your tour by walking the streets of Second Temple Jerusalem on recently revealed sites. Be amazed by the excavation in the Central (Tyropoeon) Valley where you will walk through a section of the Second Temple period drainage channel to the highlight of the tour--the monumental foundations' stones of the Western Wall at the foot of the Temple Mount. From there we will climb and exit onto the magnificent road where the Jewish pilgrims walked, two thousand years ago.

• Proceed to the Kotel - The Western Wall - Sacred because it is one of the last remnant 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.

• Continue with a tour of The Western Wall Tunnels - Explore what’s under the Kotel through the Kotel Tunnels Tour. The Western Wall is impressive, but its greatness is truly discovered when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels. The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters (1601ft) of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste for the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during this biggest of all his immense building projects - the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Authentic local lunch in the Arab Market - Browse in the famous Arab shuk (market) in the Muslim quarter. Check out the local humus and sweets Its many stalls sell spices, pastries, pottery, sheepskin, embroidered clothes and so much more. Meet store-owners whose stores have been in their family for generations.

• Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Situated on the hill called Golgotha or Calvary. The Church 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 the site so holy to Christendom.

• Tour the Jewish Quarter - See archaeological finds from First and Second Temple periods, Roman ruins, and vibrant synagogues, learning institutions which jostle for space in these busy stone streets. The central plaza offers an excellent place to contemplate the power this quarter holds for so many.

• Dinner on own

• 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.

• Jerusalem: Herbert Samuel, Superior Room / Dlx triple room

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Explore Beit Guvrin National Park - To really dig deep into the past, head to Beit Guvrin, where thousands of underground caves date back to the time of the Phoenicians. Discover the amazing Bell Caves at Beit Guvrin. In total there are at least 800 bell-shaped caves in the park, some of which are linked by underground tunnels. These caves were quarried during the 4th to 9th-century when the chalk was used to make roads, plaster, and mortar. Visit the Roman theater as well.

• Tour and light lunch at Naot Farm - Naot Desert Farm is one of the many havot bodedim (lone farms) built by Lea and Gadi Nahimov, modern-day pioneers who are making David Ben-Gurion’s vision of the desert blooming come to life. Visit the goats taste some delicious cheese.

• Visit Ben Gurion's Desert Home - Paula and David moved to their Desert home in 1953, following their acceptance as Sde Boker Kibbutz members, which manifested Ben-Gurion’s pioneering vision of settling the Negev. Their home has remained as it was left in 1973, according to Ben-Gurion’s instructions in his will, that his home will be open for the public to come visit. Since 1974, visitors can enjoy a tour of his home – as they would if they we’re his own personal guests.

• Check-in & leisure at hotel

• Dinner at the hotel's restaurant

• South: Kedma hote, Kedma Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Begin your day with a hike in the spectacular Makhtesh Ramon - Makhtesh Ramon is a type of geological formation found only in Israel and northern Sinai. The steep rock cliffs surrounding a closed valley drained by a single wadi are the product of erosion. Ramon Crater is the largest of three in Israel. The ancient Nabatean Spice Rout also passed through this crater. Walk to Ein Sahronim spring where Nabatean ruins were found.
  ATV's or jeep tours are available.

• Continue with a tour of ancient city, Avdat - Explore the desert at the Nabatean Spice Route at Avdat, which is over 2,000 years old. Learn the history of the desert’s significance on the culture and flavors of Israel.

• Enjoy leisure time at the hotel

• Farewell dinner & night desert experience - Authentic dinner in a desert resort, including a family bonfire with smores. Then go on a walk at night to watch the stars and experience the 'sound of silence'.

• South: Kedma hote, Kedma Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Enjoy morning at leisure and pool time

• Check-out at noon and drive to the airport - A private driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Ben Gurion Airport (1 group transfer)

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