Depart on your flight to Israel.

Arrive Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv; meeting, assistance and transfer to your hotel. Meet your Tour Host. Remainder of the day at leisure. (D)

Morning drive to the ancient port of Joppa (Jaffa) where Peter raised Tabitha from the dead. Walk along the charming cobblestone streets, now filled with boutiques and galleries. Drive along the Mediterranean coast to ancient Caesarea; tour the theater, aqueduct and Crusader fortress. On to the sparkling port city of Haifa. Ascend to the top of Mount Carmel, home to the Prophets Elijah and Elisha; enjoy the beautiful view of the seacoast and the golden domed Bahai Temple. Continue to the Crusader city of Acre; tour the underground Crusader complex. Drive through the rolling Galilean hills to your hotel, nestled on the shores of the tranquil Sea of Galilee for overnight. (B, D)

Morning Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee takes you to Nof Geinosar; see the extraordinary Jesus Boat, reclaimed from the Sea of Galilee. Then, on to Cana, site of Jesus' first miracle and Nazareth, where He spent part of His youth. Continue to Tzipori, the 1st-century capital of the Galilee. Arrive at Megiddo, whose ancient "tel" has unearthed twenty levels of civilization and provided inspiration for Michener's The Source. Tonight, after dinner at the hotel, transfer to watch the film at the "The Galilee Experience." Return to your hotel. (B, D)

Drive along the shore of the Lake via Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene, to Capernaum, center of Jesus' preaching. On to Tabgha, site of the miracle of the multiplication of the fish and loaves. Drive to the Mount of the Beatitudes site of the Sermon on the Mount; enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the verdant Galilee. Continue through the Hula Valley and past Hazor, a Canaanite city rebuilt by King Solomon to command the Golan Heights. Ascend the Golan Heights and cross the Hatzbani River to Dan and Banias (ancient Caesarea Philippi) at the foot of Mount Hermon. Descend to the eastern shores to reach Kursi, from where Jesus drove the swine into the lake. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

This morning, stop at the Jordan River and its specially built Baptismal site. Drive via the Jordan Valley to Bet Shean, where you'll explore the extraordinary excavations of an ancient Roman city. Continue to the oasis of Jericho (security permitting), the oldest known city in the Western world. From the top of the ancient "tel," view Elisha's Fountain and Qarantal, the Mount of Temptation. Drive the winding mountain roads and ascend to the holy city of Jerusalem. Enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the Mount of Olives of this "golden" city. Visit the Chapel of the Ascension and Church of Pater Noster. Proceed to the olive-treed Garden of Gethsemane. Before checking-in, enjoy dinner at the hotel. (B, D)

Visit the Hadassah Medical Center to view the colorful stained glass Chagall windows. On to Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist, to see the Church of the Visitation. Continue to the Scale Model of the ancient city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Proceed to Yad Vashem, Memorial to the Holocaust. Visit the Museum, Children's Pavilion and walk along the Avenue of the Righteous. Drive via the Knesset (Israel's Parliament) to the Shrine of the Book, located at the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. Afternoon visit to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus. Dinner at the hotel. Then, a tour of "illuminated" Jerusalem and a rollicking Folklore Show. Return to your hotel. (B, D)

Ascend Mount Zion; visit Dormition Abbey, the Room of the Last Supper and the traditional Tomb of King David. Enter the Old City from the Zion Gate to reach the restored Jewish Quarter. Walk along the excavated Cardo, once a main street of ancient Jerusalem. Tour the Herodian Mansions, a complex of villas from 2000 years ago or walk through the newly-opened Hasmonean Tunnel (tunnel schedule permitting.) Descend to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Visit the Dome of the Rock, sacred mosque of Islam. Continue to the Pool of Bethesda and the lovely Crusader Church of St. Anne. See Pilate's Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation and the Arch of Ecce Homo. Then, follow the Via Dolorosa through narrow alleys and souks to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. End your touring day with a visit to the Garden Tomb. Return to your hotel. (B, D)

Drive through the stark Judean Wilderness, stopping at the Good Samaritan Inn, to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Arrive at Masada; ascend by cable car to this lofty palace/fortress constructed during the reign of Herod. Stop at Ein Gedi for a swim in the buoyant, therapeutic waters of the "unsinkable" Dead Sea! (Lockers and changing facilities are provided.) Return to Jerusalem via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Return to the hotel. After dinner, checkout and transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back home. (B, D)

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