Private Israel tour, Dec. 2016 – Mar. 2017 - Suggested program

Day 1 – Arrival -  Tel Aviv

Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport where you will be met by an Amiel Tours representative.  We will be provided assistance through baggage claim and customs and escorted to our transfer vehicle. Drive to Tel Aviv and check in to your hotel.

 The rest of the evening at leisure......Overnight – Tel Aviv

Day 2 – day at leisure in Tel Aviv

Today would be a “free day” to enjoy all that Tel Aviv has to offer. The famous beaches, the port area restaurants, Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv center shopping area are all easily accessible.  

Overnight – Tel Aviv

The Coast Line

After breakfast, we will leave Tel Aviv and travel north to visit the ancient city of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great and once the seat of Roman rule. View the excavated Roman Theater, and aqueduct once used for conveying water to the city.  Visit the Hologram room and ask questions to important and historical figures from Caesarea's past.

 Then we will travel to the ancient crusader port city of Acco, the fascinating UNSCO town with new excavations 1000 years old. Visit the Crusader Halls and see the underground tunnels and pathways. Look upon the port and fortifications that enabled the inhabitants of the town to resist against Napoleon Bonaparte.  Spend some time walking through the Arab Bazaar with vendors selling fresh fish and other goods.

 Arrive in Haifa and ascend Mt. Carmel for a panoramic view of Haifa Bay and the beautiful Bahai Gardens with its impressive Shrine.

Drive with your guide to Jerusalem and ascend up the Judean Mountains and upon arriving in Jerusalem, we will stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Old City where we shall celebrate our arrival with a special She’hecheyanu ceremony, a blessing we use to offer thanks for new and unusual experiences

Overnight – Jerusalem

The Old City of Jerusalem

Day 4 – The Old City of Jerusalem

Drive to the Walter Elias Haas Promenade offering a magnificent view of Jerusalem, the Old City and the City of David from the south.  This is situated near the "Armon Hanatziv", the former British and UN Headquarters taken over by the Jordanians and the scene of fierce fighting during the Six-Day War.  See the city through King David's eyes and follow his footsteps to Jerusalem.

Next we will enter the Old City and head for the Southern Wall Excavations.  Here we will visit the Davidson Center, one of the most significant archeological sites in the country.

 Proceed to the holy Western Wall - "Kotel".  The Kotel is part of the few remaining structures of the Temple Complex built by Herod the Great.

 We’ll then walk through the Jewish Quarter, which was reconstructed when the city was unified after the Six-Day War in 1967. A special point of interest in the restored Jewish Quarter is the "Cardo". View the unearthed main Roman thoroughfare and ancient marketplace lined with columns.

Walk through the Old City Bazaar and see Middle Eastern life with it rich colors, flavors, and smells.  Here we will have a short break for individual lunch.

On to Mt Zion to visit King David's Tomb and Cenacle-the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper).

Overnight – Jerusalem

Day 5 – The New City of Jerusalem

After breakfast, we’ll travel to Yad Vashem, considered the primary museum and memorial for the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. We will visit the very moving exhibit at the Children’s Pavilion, commemorating the death of over 1.5 million Jewish children in the Holocaust.

Continue to the Herzl Vision Experience, to witness “Herzl’s Dream”, an interactive tour though the life and times of Zionism’s founder.

We will visit the renovated and exciting Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited, and view a large Model of Jerusalem, as it used to look in the 2nd Temple period.  The Museum itself has a vast priceless collection of archeological finds and artifacts.

 We’ll have a quick stop at the Knesset building where we’ll be able to take pictures in front of the famous Menorah in front of the famed building.

 Visit Machane Yehuda Market – Israeli Shook. Enjoy the colors, smells and unique atmosphere of the alleys and stalls, as well as tasting of local products.

Overnight – Jerusalem