Wigotsky Reed Israel Trip | March 2023

Activities:

• 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. Flight info: AA0146 American Airlines arrival at 5:00 PM.

• Private transfer to Jerusalem & check-in to your hotel

• Welcome dinner at a local restaurant - We will be happy to make restaurant recommendations and help with making reservations (on your own, meal and transfers are not included).

• Jerusalem: Orient Hotel - 1 Family room

Activities:

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

• Begin with a magnificent lookout from the Tower of David - Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the Old and New Cities, as an introduction to your day and the places you will be visiting.

• Old City tour - Tour Jerusalem’s Old City and meet the people and places that make this place so unique. In the Jewish Quarter, uncover the layers of Jewish history from the time of the First Temple until the present day. In the Christian Quarter, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and, if conditions permit, visit the one of the holiest Muslim sites, the Temple Mount. Throughout the tour explore the complexity of a city that is holy to these three major religions.

• Authentic lunch at the Arab Market - (included)

• Tour the Western Wall Tunnels - Take time to reflect at the Kotel (Western Wall). Then explore what’s under the Muslim Quarter 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 of the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during the biggest of all his immense building projects - the expansion of the Temple Mount.

• Head to the modern Jerusalem and stop 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.

• Tour the picturesque Mishkenot Sha'ananim and enjoy a glass of wine with the view of the Old City Walls - This was the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, on a hill directly across from Mount Zion. Built in 1859–1860, it was the first area of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem outside the Old City walls. Besides Montefiore Windmill, one of Jerusalem’s iconic landmarks, which was originally a flour mill, enjoy a glass of wine with a beautiful view.

• Dinner on your own - Machneyehuda restaurant at 06:45 pm

• Orient Hotel - Family Room

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Tour of Yad Vashem historical museum - 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.

• Lunch suggestion: Cafe Shalva - Shalva is a Jerusalem based organization that provides services to children with special needs and their families. Graduates of Shalva work at the café, and the café’s profits go back to the center to support its programs. (meal not included)

• Stroll through 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.

• Dinner: continue with a culinary tour - After a meaningful morning, we'll look ahead as we immerse ourselves in the life and vibrancy of Jerusalem. In the heart of the city, sits this bustling multi-ethnic market bursting with life, art, and flavor. And, a tasting tour through Machane Yehuda market is an adventure for your taste buds. Enjoy the hustle and bustle with all the rich fragrances, colors, and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers.

• Orient Hotel - Family Room

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Tour of Masada National Park - Ascend the mountain from the east by a 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. Optional: hike down the Snake Path with the views of the Dead Sea and the desert (30-45 minutes hike down).

• Nahal Arugot - hike in a beautiful oasis - This beautiful 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 on route - (guide will recommend a place, not included)

• Dead Sea - Kalya Beach - swim and attempt floating - 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. Don't miss out the cool "Gallery -430" and explore the graffiti street art in the abandoned budlings.

• Drive north and check-in to your hotel

• Dinner at the hotel - Wood grill restaurant at 19:00

• Galilee: Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel, Hermon Suite - Wood grill restaurant at 19:00 om March 21

Activities:

• Breakfast at your hotel

• Magical morning bike ride in Agamon HaHula nature reserve - At one time, the Hula Valley was an important resting place for migrating birds and many species of rare fish and plants creating a wonderland of flora and fauna. In 1948, the government decided to drain the swamps and pond and convert them into agricultural fields. Due to efforts to conserve at least part of the original landscape the Hula Valley Nature Reserve was the first nature reserve in Israel. Explore the magnificent bird sanctuary on a bicycle ride, stopping on the way to do some bird watching.

• Continue with a beautiful hike in the 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.

• Lunch on route - (meal not included, guide will recommend a place)

• Afternoon Jeep tour along the border - Take a fun and interesting jeep tour of Galilee with a local expert guide. While traversing the rich landscape, learn about the history, flora, and fauna of the area. Stop for a lookout over the border with Syria and Lebanon to get a better understanding of the geography and strategic role this region has for the State of Israel. Your local guide touches on the nuances of living so close to the northern border and what that has meant for Israel as it relates to security and humanitarian issues.

• Dinner on Own

• Mitzpe Hayamim - Hermon Suite

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Begin with a short tour of the beautiful Korazim ancient village - A Jewish town in a basalt landscape overlooking the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The beautiful synagogue at Korazim, built at the end of the fourth century or the beginning of the fifth century CE, is made of basalt, the region’s most common stone, carved in geometric, floral and faunal patterns.

• Akko's Old City 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.

• Authentic lunch at Akko's old city - (meal not included, guide will recommend a place)

• Caesarea National Park - On the Mediterranean coast, Caesarea National Park is one of Israel’s most impressive archeological sites. Here, amazing ancient harbor ruins, beautiful beaches, and impressive 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.

• Drive along the coast to Tel Aviv and check-in to your hotel

• Recommended for dinner: BlackOut Restaurant - Experience dinner that will trigger your senses at BlackOut Restaurant, located in Jaffa Port. In total darkness you will be served various dishes, escorted by blind waiters. There is so much to be “seen” when eyes are closed. Nalaga’at "please touch" Center – the first of its kind in the world, seeks to promote interaction between deaf-blind, deaf, and blind individuals and people able to hear and see, regardless of cultural or social distinctions. (meal not included)

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach Hotel, Large Studio room

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Old Jaffa tour - 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.

• 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.

• Check-out Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Market - Open on Tuesdays and Fridays, this is 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.

• The first Hebrew city - The new Independence Trail leads to several of Tel Aviv’s heritage sites teaching visitors the history of this great city along the way. The trail begins at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street, home to Tel Aviv’s first kiosk. The trail ends 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. You will also explore the beautiful and intresting archetecture along the way.

• Optional dinner with a local host - This is an opportunity to experience a Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) at the home of a host family at their home in Tel Aviv. Eat a delicious home made food with your hosts. (meal not included)

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Expereince the weekend's atmosphere in Tel Aviv - Walk the streets of the city or along the beach promenade.
  Some optional activities for your day - these are not included but can be arranged
  - Stroll through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood
  ANU Museum of the Jewish People
  - Israeli Art collection in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art - tour with a local artist and expert guide - learn about Israel's society and history through art.
  - Bike tour of the city.
  - Surf lesson.

• Afternoon Graffiti Tour - Tour the dynamic neighborhood of Florentine, Tel Aviv’s most bohemian and upbeat neighborhood and learn about contemporary Israeli culture through the writing on the wall, graffiti, bumper stickers and even painted garbage bins. In recent years Tel Aviv has become Israel's capital of urban art. (tour is included, transportation is not)

• Dinner at a local restaurant - (on your own, not included)

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Meet your guide at the lobby and head south to explore the Negev Desert

• Hike in Makhtesh Ramon National park - 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.

• Go on a camel ride in the Negev Desrt

• Authentic Bedouin style lunch - Hear about the Bedouin customs, history and traditions (meal included)

• Nana Winery - Tour and tasting at Nana Farm Winery. In the heart of desert, between ancient stone terraces and barren golden sand hills, wine vineyards appear. The powerful site is hard to describe in words. Experienced vintner Eran Raz, nicknamed "Nana", has created a quality leading wine in what some may be surprised to call ideal conditions for quality vine growth.

• Drive back to Tel Aviv

• Farewell dinner at a local restaurant - (on your own, not included)

• Tel Aviv: Royal Beach

Activities:

• Early morning Check-out from hotel

• Private transfer to airport - Your driver will pick you up from the hotel and drive you to Ben Gurion Airport. Fly back home. Flight info: IB3983 Iberia at 05:30 AM.

• We look forward to hosting you again in our beautiful country