Our 8-day small-group escorted tour to Tel Aviv, Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, Jerusalem & Massada features 14 meals, sightseeing and all on-tour transportation from $1,749. Departures limited to 20 guests.

Small Group Touring... The Christian Pilgrim. Our small-group, fully-escorted trip features all of Israel’s ancient highlights, the significant sites of early Christianity and the Holy Land’s stunning landscapes. Travel carefree with our experienced tour manager in the intimate company of just 20 guests, with enriching and moving sightseeing every day. Enjoy your choice of our fine city-center accommodations and great Mediterranean cuisine, including 7 dinners. This is a comprehensive and illuminating journey.

 IT'S INCLUDED:

• Our signature small-group touring affords a deeper, more thoughtful experience. Explore the principle sites of early Christianity in the intimate company of never more than 20 travelers.

• Our complete sightseeing includes 3 days in Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

• Enjoy breakfast and dinner daily and your choice of our fine hotels... All with great city-center locations, like the deluxe Sheraton Tiberias right on the Sea of Galilee.

• 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

ITINERARY:

Day 1 - Tel Aviv, Israel
Arrive in Tel Aviv and check in at your choice of downtown hotel. Meals D First class: Dan Panorama; Deluxe: Sheraton Moriah

Day 2 - Tel Aviv / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias
Drive along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar. Continue to Megiddo in the Valley of Armageddon, an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6000-500 B.C.). Explore the ancient ruins and then drive toward the Sea of Galilee. Arrive Tiberias and check-in to your superior first-class hotel. Meals B,D Sheraton Tiberias

Day 3 - Sea of Galilee
After a tour of Tiberias, enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and then visit Capernaum on the north shore, where Jesus spent most of his ministry and chose his first disciples – Andrew, Peter, James and John. Visit the synagogue on a spot where Jesus once preached. Tabgha, just north of Tiberias, is the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000 and at the Church of Multiplication the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes. Drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes and the Golan Heights, and Banias Springs at Caesarea Philippi before returning to Tiberias. Meals B,D

Day 4 - Sea of Galilee / Jordan River / Jerusalem
Travel to Cana this morning to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. Visit Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You’ll also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Continue through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean with its recently excavated amphitheater and then onward to Jerusalem, where you check-in to your choice of hotel. Meals B,D First Class: Dan Panorama; Deluxe: Sheraton Plaza,Deluxe

Day 5 - Jerusalem
A holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – Jerusalem occupies a unique place in the world. Your tour includes the Mount of Olives, a stop at the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the Old City you’ll see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of David and the Room of the Last Supper. Meals B,D

Day 6 - Dead Sea & Massada Excursion
En route to the Dead Sea, you’ll see the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit as your guide can arrange for a swim. Continue along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada where you ascend by cable car to visit the hilltop ruins and hear the chilling tale of its brave inhabitants. Meals B,D

Day 7 - Jerusalem
Today’s tour includes the Yad Vashem Memorial to the Holocaust and Ein Kerem, home of John the Baptist, to see the Church of Visitation. Visit the Israel Museum with a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the modern side of Jerusalem, drive by the Knesset (Parliament) and the campus of Hebrew University. Situation permitting, a visit to Bethlehem may be added. Meals B,D

Day 8 - Jerusalem
Your program finishes today. Or, discover more of the world with our FreeStyle Travel. Meals B

SCHEDULING & PRICING:

Add our attractively-priced air & transfers
See your travel counselor or call us for current international economy or business class airfare associated with this vacation. When you purchase air from us, arrival and departure transfers are automatically included. Prices are in U.S. currency and are per person based on double occupancy, unless otherwise noted. Availability is limited.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

• Dan Panorama (Tel Aviv, Israel)

• Sheraton Jerusalem Plaza (Jerusalem, Israel)

• Dan Panorama - Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Israel)

• Four Points Sheraton (Tiberias, Israel)

• Sheraton Moriah (Tel Aviv, Israel)

• Sheraton Tiberias (Tiberias, Israel)

FREESTYLE ADD-ONS:

9 days from $1,399
Jordan offers amazing sites of antiquity, and our small-group escorted tour explores the best, including Jerash, the “Pompeii of the East,” and the stunning ‘Lost City’ of Petra, carved into the sides of a deep gorge. More information

Rome
4 days from $649
Rome’s ancient monuments and rich history are the perfect complement to your travels through Israel. We offer a fine selection of city-center hotels and a great sightseeing tour.