12 Days Grand Jewish Israel Tour

Tour Plan

An in depth experience of ancient and modern Jewish heritage in Israel

12 days jewish israel tours This Grand Jewish tour of Israel offers the perfect combination between Jewish heritage, general site seeing of Israel and well... fun!

The tour includes all of the wonderful sites found on the classic Jewish Israel Tour, plus two additional days in Tel Aviv, old Jaffo and the central coastal area of Israel where you'll visit some important sites related to the establishment of the state of Israel.

For booking requests and inquiries regarding this tour please submit the form below

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 1

Arrive in Israel, hotel check in and overnight stay in Tel Aviv

Step off the plane at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv-the busiest international airport in Israel. Here your tour representative will greet you and transport you to your hotel in Tel Aviv for check in.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 2

Tour of Tel Aviv - Independence Hall, Mini Israel, Ayalon Institute and Yad Mordechai

Begin your Jewish Israel tour at Independence Hall--the famous landmark where the Israel Declaration of Independence was signed. From there, you'll head to "Mini Israel" Park, a popular tourist attraction in Tel Aviv that features hundreds of exact miniature replicas of important historic, religious, social and archaeological sites throughout Israel. Your tour will then proceed to Ayalon Institute, a secret underground ammunition factory that the Haganah built in 1945.

Your second day of the tour will conclude with a fascinating trip to Yad Mordechai, a kibbutz in southern Israel that was named in honor of Mordechai Anilevitz, the leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization who died while fighting the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto. The kibutz was also the site of a fierce battle during the independce war when he stood in the way of the advancing Egyptian army. Here you'll also view the restored battle fields and tour the museums to learn about Anilevitz and the Battle of Yad Mordechai.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 3

Tel Aviv - Diaspora Museum/Rabin's Square/Old Jaffa/Neve Tzedek/Nahalat Benyamin

Your day will begin at the Jewish Diaspora Museum where you'll gain a greater understanding of the complex fabric of Jewish life through the six "gates" of family, community, faith, culture, the Jewish people among the nations, and the return to the land of Israel.

After the museum tour, your professional guide will take you on a drive along the main streets of Tel Aviv and escort you to Rabin's Square, the large and open square i n Tel Aviv that marks the exact location where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995. From there, you'll continue to Old Jaffa, an ancient port city that served Egyptian and Phoenician sailors. In Old Jaffa, you'll walk through one of the oldest port cities in the world to experience its rich history and its modern-day artist's quarters, art galleries and shops.

Conclude the day with tours of three of Tel Aviv's most famous neighborhoods--Neve Tzedek, Nahalat Benyamin and Sheinkin St. Neve Tzedek was built in 1909 and is the city's first neighborhood.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 4

Shabbat in Tel Aviv

Experience Shabbat in Tel Aviv and spend the day immersing yourself in the city either alone, or in the company of family and friends.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 5

The coast of Israel - Caesarea/Haifa/Acre (Aco)/Rosh Hanikra/Galilee

Today you will depart Tel Aviv for the northern coastal city of Caesarea, which is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline. Here you'll view archaeological ruins from both the Roman and Crusader times, including aqueducts and a restored amphitheater that is now being used as a concert hall. Your tour guide will then lead you to Haifa where you'll experience breathtaking views from Mt. Carmel--the coastal mountain range where Haifa is located. Your tour of Haifa will also include a visit to "AF AL PI CHEN," the naval museum that pays tribute to the Ha'apala, or clandestine immigration, that lasted from 1934 to 1948.

You'll leave Haifa in your luxurious travel accommodations and head to the northern city of Acre where you'll walk along the old harbor of one of the oldest, continuously inhabited sites in Israel. Your tour will take you even further North along the coast to Rosh Hanikra, a city located along the border of Lebanon where a cable car will bring you down into cavernous tunnels that were formed by the Mediterranean Sea.

The day's tour concludes with a drive to the lower Galilee to Kibbutz Lavi, where you'll spend time meeting Kibbutz members who will share stories about their history, culture and daily life. After getting acquainted with the community and its inhabitants, you'll retire to a local hotel in the Kibbutz.

Overnight in Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 6

Safed/Golan Heights/Jeep Tour/Banias/Tel Hai/Upper Galilee

Day six will take you from Kibbutz Lavi to Safed--one of the four holy cities in Israel. Safed has been a spiritual center in Israel since the seventeenth century, when it was the center of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. Here you'll stroll through the artists' quarter where local artists work and display their paintings, sculptures and other pieces of art in display windows. Safed is also home to a number of beautiful synagogues, namely the Joseph Caro and the Ha'ari synagogues.

You'll leave Safed and take a Jeep ride to the bottom of the Golan to enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the Golan Heights. You'll experience views of Kuneitra and the Syrian territory of Golan Heights at an observation tower before traveling to Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp, and Banias Springs. Before returning to your hotel in Kibbutz Lavi, you'll learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920 at the Tel-Hai and the "Roaring Lion" monument.

Overnight in Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 7

Tiberia/Beit Shean/Ban Hashlosha/Beit Alpha/Jordan Valley/Jerusalem

Begin the morning by planting a tree and drive to Tiberia to visit Rambam's grave. Next, you'll proceed to Beit Shean, also known as "Scythopolis," the biggest archaeological park in Israel with amazing archaeological artifacts from the Roman and Byzantine periods including a basilica, Roman temple, ritual bath and a pottery workshop. Your tour will continue to Beit Alpha to view the impressive mosaic floor of a synagogue from the Byzantine period and to the beautiful water springs that are located at the foot of Gilboa Mountain--the famous spot where King Saul was killed in a battle against the philistines. The day will conclude in Jerusalem, where the next leg of your journey begins. Prior to entering Jerusalem, you will stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 8

Mt. Zion/Western Wall Tunnels/Davidson Center/David's Tower

Your tour of Jerusalem will begin with a visit to the tomb of King David on Mt. Zion. After Mt. Zion, you will take a leisurely walk along the Cardo, the ancient Roman market, and visit the four Sephardic synagogues that were restored after the 1967 war in the Jewish Quarter. Next, your tour guide will bring you to the Western Wall tunnels--the underground portion of the Western Wall that exposes the wall's entire length.

As you walk along the Roman Cardo, you'll also experience a local Arab bazaar and walk through Jaffa Gate--the main gateway to the old city of Jerusalem that was built in 1538. In the old city, you'll visit The Tower of David Museum--a museum that brings 4,000 years of Jerusalem's history to life through archaeological ruins, maps, models, drawings and other learning aids.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 9

Western Wall/Mea Shearim/Israel Museum/Holy Land Model/Yad Vashem

Greet the day with a spiritual tour of the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. It is here where families who wish to hold a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony can do so under the direction of an Israeli rabbi. While these families take time to celebrate this important milestone in their children's' lives, the rest of the tour will continue to Mea Shearim--one of the oldest neighborhoods in Jerusalem where inhabitants adhere to strict Jewish laws. Here you'll learn about life in one of the most ultra-orthodox communities in Israel.

Next, your tour of Jerusalem will take you on a drive by the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, to view the Menorah and the biblical emblem, and to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book. This is where you'll get to see the historic Dead Sea Scrolls and the Holy Land model --a historical model of Jerusalem as it appeared in the Second Temple Period. After experiencing the history of Jerusalem, you'll be driven to the military cemetery Mount Hertzel and to Yad Vashem, a Holocaust Memorial.

Before returning to your hotel for the night, you'll visit Ammunition Hill, a national heritage site and museum that memorializes the fierce Six Day War battle that took place here between Israeli paratroops and units of the Jordanian army. You will learn about the battle while advancing through the trenches following the footsteps of the 6 days warriors.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 10

Dead Sea/Qumeran/Masada/Jerusalem

Today you'll drive through the Judean desert to visit one of the world's most spectacular places--the Dead Sea. At 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the planet and contains some of the saltiest water in the world.

About one mile inland of the Dead Sea is Qumeran--ruins of an ancient Israeli settlement where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Spend time experiencing Qumeran and its historical and archaeological significance before heading to Massada.

Instead of walking up its mountainous slopes, you will be transported in a cable car to the top of Massada to tour its ancient fortress and the remains of its walls, palaces, synagogue and other existing structures. At the conclusion of the tour, you'll descend the mountain in the cable car and have lunch before returning to the Dead Sea. Swim, float and experience the mystical health benefits of the Dead Sea before heading to one of the area's top hotels to relax and rejuvenate in the spa facilities.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 11

Free Day in Jerusalem

Spend Shabbat exploring the holy city of Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Jewish Heritage Tours - Day 12

Departure from Israel - Going back home!

Check out of your hotel, eat breakfast and transfer to the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for your scheduled flight back to the United States. Now is the time to reflect on your Jewish tour to Israel and the memories that you created along the way. You may be returning home, but the experiences and connections you've established in your homeland of Israel will remain with you for a lifetime.

For booking requests and inquiries regarding this tour please submit the form below

What's Included