This is Israel’s most extensive tour package we offer, with an in-depth review of its Jewish history and Heritage. Our 11-day Jewish heritage tour to Israel covers many sites and activities, unfolding Israel’s history and culture most excitingly. From the Golan Heights to the Red Sea, Tel-Aviv to the Negev desert. Our hand-crafted tour proposal combines outdoor activities, enchanting landscapes, cultural and food experiences, and much more.
Welcome to Israel! After assistance with passport control and baggage claim, your journey begins along the Mediterranean coast. The first stop is Caesarea, once a magnificent Roman metropolis. Here you can explore the new visitor center and admire the wealth of archaeological remains, especially around the port. If time allows, continue to the Atlit Detainee Camp, where in the 1940s the British detained Jewish immigrants seeking to reach the Land of Israel. Driving north, arrive in Haifa, where you will pause to take in the grand view of the Bahai Gardens before checking into your hotel and enjoying dinner.
Begin the day at Sepphoris, an important Jewish center in Talmudic times, where the Mishna was compiled in the third century CE. Explore the impressive ruins, including one of the most extensive mosaic collections in Israel. Among them is the enigmatic mosaic of the Sepphoris Synagogue, which intriguingly combines Jewish and pagan imagery. Continue to Beth Shearim, the most significant Jewish cemetery in ancient Galilee, where Rabbi Yehudah the Prince was buried in a monumental cave. Returning to Haifa, visit Elijah’s Cave, where tradition associates the prophet with prayer and miracles.
Drive to Akko, a city with a history stretching back to Canaanite times and a former Crusader capital. Walk through its atmospheric Old City, exploring the antiquities and vibrant local market. Visit the British Mandate Prison, where Jewish underground fighters were imprisoned and some executed during the struggle for independence. Continue north to the Rosh Hanikra Grottoes, descending by cable car into striking sea caves carved in the soft chalk cliffs on the Israel–Lebanon border. After lunch, head to Peki’in, a Galilean village with a synagogue that preserves the traditions of a Jewish community tracing its ancestry back to Roman times.
Travel to Safed, one of the four holy cities of Judaism, famed for its role as a center of Kabbalah in the 16th century and today home to a thriving community of Jewish artists. Stroll along its main street, browse unique art galleries, and visit the historic Ha’ari HaKadosh Synagogue and where Rabbi Yosef Karo compiled the Shulchan Aruch. Nearby, in Meiron, lies the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), the most revered rabbinic burial site in Israel. Continue along the border with Lebanon, gaining perspective on Israel’s northern frontier, and end the day at the beautifully preserved ancient synagogue of Bar’am.
Ascend the Golan Heights and stop at Mount Bental, where views extend across northern Israel and deep into Syria. Explore an abandoned IDF bunker, then continue to the Valley of Tears, the battlefield of October 1973. For adventure, ride ATVs along the Syrian border and appreciate both the beauty and geopolitics of the landscape. Pause in a Druze village for a warm hospitality lunch before continuing to Gamla, the site of a dramatic Roman siege 2,000 years ago. Today, Gamla combines archaeological ruins with eagle nesting cliffs and stunning views of the Sea of Galilee.
Begin the morning with an optional sail across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberias to Kibbutz Ginosar. Nearby, visit Magdala, where archaeologists uncovered a first-century synagogue with an enigmatic decorated stone. Combine it with an optional stop at the ancient magnificent synagogue of Capernaum, reflecting the richest Jewish community in the region in Talmudic times. In Tiberias, see the Tomb of Maimonides and other rabbinic burial sites, and learn about discoveries possibly linked to the Sanhedrin.
Pass the Kinneret Cemetery, final resting place of Zionist pioneers and 2 famous Israeli poets. Enjoy a classic Israeli barbecue lunch in Beit She’an, then tour its magnificent Roman ruins. Arrive in Jerusalem at sunset and pause at the Mount of Olives for a “Shehecheyanu” blessing over the grand view of the city.
Explore the City of David, where Jerusalem’s oldest remains tell the story of its biblical past. Begin with a 3D presentation at the visitor center, then descend into the ancient water systems. Walk through the dark, water-filled Hezekiah’s Tunnel until you emerge at the Pool of Siloam. From there, ascend via the Herodian drainage channel to the Southern Wall Archaeological Park and its monumental Temple steps. At its Davidson Center, engaging exhibits illuminate the city’s sacred history. After lunch in the Jewish Quarter, continue to landmarks like the Hurva Synagogue and the Burnt House, while browsing shops in the Cardo.
Ascend to the Temple Mount, where today the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque dominate the sacred plateau, and consider how visible remains may reflect the Second Temple period. Next, descend into the Western Wall Tunnels for a guided group tour revealing Herodian construction at the Temple’s foundations. Return to the Western Wall Plaza, where you may also join a virtual Temple tour (“Look into the Past”) that reconstructs the sanctuary as it once stood. In the afternoon, drive to Gush Etzion to experience training at an anti-terror facility, learning Krav Maga techniques and live shooting. Conclude at Herodium, King Herod’s palace fortress, later reused by Bar Kokhba’s rebels and identified as Herod’s burial site.
Drive into the desert with an optional photo stop at the Sea Level sign and perhaps a short camel ride. Ascend the fortress of Masada, where King Herod built lavish palaces and where Jewish rebels made their last stand against Rome. After touring the site, enjoy a kibbutz lunch at Ein Gedi and stroll its famous botanical gardens. Alternatively, spend the afternoon at a Dead Sea resort, relaxing and floating in the mineral-rich waters. On the return, stop at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and if time allows, visit the Tekhelet Factory to learn how biblical blue dye is produced.
Travel through the rolling hills of the Shephela, where biblical tales and modern battles unfolded. From Tel Azekah, look across the valley traditionally associated with the confrontation of David and Goliath. Continue to Tel Lachish, a city destroyed by the Assyrians in 701 BCE, with archaeological remains vividly illustrating the conquest. Drive along the 1948 Burma Road, recalling its critical role in supplying Jerusalem during the War of Independence. If time permits, visit the 1948 Secret Bullet Factory (“Machon Ayalon”), where Jewish underground fighters secretly produced ammunition for the struggle.
Spend the final day exploring Israel’s modern heart. Begin at Independence Hall, where David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel. Continue along Rothschild Boulevard and learn how Tel Aviv grew from sand dunes into a bustling metropolis. Head to Jaffa, wander its scenic alleys, and enjoy its unique art galleries. Pause for lunch and discoveries at the lively Flea Market, then continue to Rabin Square, where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995. If time permits, add a visit to the Palmach Museum, the ANU Museum of the Jewish People, or take on the thrilling IAF fighter jet simulator at “The Squadron”.
