Author: Meital Visberg

This touring day will give you an opportunity to enjoy the north of Israel in a unique and exciting way. We will start our day by driving up into the Golan Heights. Visit Tel Faher (Golani Lookout), a former Syrian outpost in the Golan which was the site of an intense battle during the Six-Day War. Continue to Mount Bental, a beautiful spot for a panoramic view of the Upper Galilee, the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon and Syria. Visit Golan Magic, an entertaining 3-D multi-media adventure viewed on a 180-degree screen. After the film, walk through a giant model of the Golan Heights, the largest of its kind in the world, accompanied by special narration, sound and light effects. We will then walk through The Golan Olive Oil Mill and Visitor Center, a uniquely-designed building with ancient ambience, as your guide explains the olive oil production process, including the evolution from antique tools to modern machinery. We will finish the touring day with a visit to the Golan Heights Winery for an Israeli wine-tasting tour and to get an up close and personal view of the wine production process. The rest of the day is free to relax in the pastoral surroundings of the kibbutz, Some afternoon options include: a biking or hiking tour, rappelling, kayaks. Evening Option (Seasonal) – a lantern tour in either the Valley of the Lost River or Nimrod Fortress. Overnight: Kibbutz hotel

Check out after an Israeli breakfast in the hotel. Our journey will begin with a drive through the mountain ranges and valleys which extend from the west to the east of the Galilee region. Drive up to Safed (Tzfat), where we will walk through ancient sections of the city and hear stories of the Kabbalists and their ancient synagogues. Our Tzfat tour will end with a visit to its famous artists’ colony. Continue to Rosh Pina, originally founded in 1878 by a group of ultra-orthodox Jews intending to become farmers, with the support of Baron Edmund de Rothschild. Rosh Pina is one of Israel’s oldest colonies but today boasts a small town known for great restaurants, cafés and art galleries. In the afternoon, we will visit the beautiful Hula Valley, Israel’s first Nature Reserve, which has become one of the world’s most important centers for bird watching and ornithology. Overnight in Kibbutz hotel

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and drive to Rehovot. Our first stop will be at the Weizmann Institute which played a key role in the development of the state. We will enjoy the presentation of high technology and see the mansion house of Haim Weizmann, the first president of Israel. Visit Caesarea, built over 2000 years ago by King Herod the Great, which served as a key Mediterranean port for centuries. Hear about Caesarea’s role in Jewish history, including its part in the Great Revolt of AD66. Continue along the Mediterranean coast to the Atlit Detainee Camp, telling the heroic story of the struggle of Jewish immigrants at the detention centre established by the authorities of the British Mandate in the 1930s.Onwards to Mount Carmel and into Haifa – Israel’s major port city, with a stop at the Louis Promenade for a great view of the Haifa Bay and the beautiful Baha’i Gardens. Overnight in Haifa

Day at leisure in Tel Aviv. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

After breakfast leave Eilat, Israel and cross into Jordan at the Arava border. Drive to Petra through the scenic Jordanian desert, passing by the Wadi Rum area. Enter the Rose City of Petra through the Siq, a narrow passage through the mountains that has inspired people for centuries. Up to the Treasury which suddenly appears at the end of the gorge, leaving visitors breath taken by its’ size, color and beauty. Continue into the heart of this ancient city carved into the mountains, passing hundreds of tombs and monuments and a spectacular Amphitheatre, which once held 3,000 spectators. Exit the city and stop for a sit-down lunch in Wadi Musa – the new town of Petra, followed by a visit to Moses Spring before leaving. Drive to Aqaba for a short city tour, before returning to the Arava border and back to Ramon Airport, Eilat for return flight to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. Transfer from Tel Aviv airport to Tel Aviv hotel for overnight.

Day at leisure in Tel Aviv, or an optional tour to Masada & the Dead Sea. Overnight in Tel Aviv.