Israel & Athens tour (12 days)

Departure

• We depart from the international airport nearest to your city, on overnight flight to Tel Aviv.

Overnight: Dinner and breakfast will be served.

Arrival

• Afternoon arrival to Tel Aviv.
• Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred to our hotel.
• Check-in and accommodation in the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Netanya

Caesarea - Haifa - Megiddo - Tiberias

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check-out of the hotel.
• We begin our journey northward by motor-coach along the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea. This ancient city was built in honor of Caesar by Herod the great, and was the capital of the Romans in the Holy Land for nearly 500 years.
• You will see the Crusader City, and the fantastic aquaduct before continuing to Haifa, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
• View the Ba'hai Gardens, one of the holiest sites of the Ba'hai religion.
• We will drive to the crest of Mt. Carmel, through the Jezreel Valley and arrive at the site of Megiddo, one of King Solomon's "chariot cities" and according to scripture, the location for the last battle in history.
• Lunch on your own, en route.
• See Gideon's brook, the "Well of Herod" and continue on to Nazareth, Jesus' boyhood home, where you will visit the Church of Annunciation.
• Then to Cana where he made his first miracle of turning water into wine, continue to Tiberias and to our hotel.
• Check into the Tiberias hotel.
• Dinner at the Tiberias hotel.

Overnight: Tiberias Hotel, Lower Galilee

Tiberias - Capernaum - Banias

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• There is nothing quite like witnessing the morning sun on the Sea of Galilee. Although there are many places which we must admit are traditional, you can be sure that the Lord Jesus walked along these shores.
• After breakfast (and a Sunrise service, if you choose) we return to Tiberias for a full day of sightseeing.
• Visit the Mt. of Beatitudes, traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount.
• Visit Tabgha, the Chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
• Continue on to the ruins at Capernaum, then the Synagogue and the house of Simon Peter.
• Cross the sea of Galilee by a boat similar to those used in Jesus days. We end the day with a stop at the Jordan River, where a baptismal service is possible.
• Come back to our Tiberias hotel.
• Dinner at the Tiberias hotel.

Overnight: Tiberias hotel, Lower Galilee

Tiberias - Beit Shean - Bait Lehem - Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of the hotel.
• This morning will begin with a stop at Gergesa.
• Then to south through Beth-Shan, the Jordan Valley, past Shiloh and Bethel.
• Our trip takes us "up into Jerusalem": continuing on into Bethlehem. Visit the Church of Nativity, built over the stable where Jesus was born and the Church of Visitation. Take some time for shopping.
• Check into our Jerusalem hotel.
• Dinner at the Jerusalem hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem hotel

Jerusalem old city - St. Stephens gate - Pool of Bethesda - Western wall - Church of the holy Sepulchre - Tower of David - Garden Tomb - Garden of Gethsemane

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• The high point of our entire tour. Enter the Old City through the Damascus Gate and begin a walking tour which takes us through St. Stephens Gate to the Pool of Bethesda and Saint Anne’s Church.
• Continue to the Temple area of Mt. Moriah. Visit the Dome of the Rock area (entry to the Mosque not included) and the Western Wall, also know as the "Wailing Wall" which is the only remaining portion of the original temple built by Solomon.
• Walk through the Old City Bazaars to the church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• View the Tower of David, the Citadel and King David's Tomb.
• Visit the Jewish Quarter before we leave the Old City through Jaffa Gate. We visit Mt. Zion and the Upper Room, then onto the Garden Tomb and Golgotha, place of the skull, where a worship service is possible.
• Our evening ends with a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane and with a trip to the Mt. of Olives for a spectacular view of the city.
• Come back to our Jerusalem hotel.
• Dinner at the Jerusalem hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem hotel

Ancient Jericho - The Good Samaritan - The Dead sea - Qumran caves - Masada

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• We begin with an early morning departure today as we head south from Jerusalem.
• See the ruins of ancient Jericho, stop at the Inn of the Good Samaritan, drive through the modern city of Jericho and continue to the Dead Sea, 1300 feets below sea level, the lowest spot on Earth.
• See the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.
• Then continue to Masada. Ascend the mountain by cable car to the remarkable ruins of the fortress built by Herod the Great. From 70-73 AD, Jewish Zealots made their last stand against the Romans.
• Come back to our Jerusalem hotel.
• Dinner at the Jerusalem hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem hotel

Jerusalem

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today we will have a full day of leisure to revisit favorite spots in Jerusalem.
• Explore some of the recent excavations or try your hand at bartering at the famous bazaars of the Old City.
• Our guide will have several options available for those who prefer to visit sites not on the "typical" tour, so prepare for this exciting day and make the most of it!
• Come back to our Jerusalem hotel.
• Dinner at the Jerusalem hotel.

Overnight: Jerusalem hotel

Jerusalem / Athens

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check-out of Jerusalem hotel.
• Enjoy a leisurely morning in Jerusalem before transferring to the airport where we will bid "Shalom" to Israel, and board our flight to Athens.
• Arrive at Athen's International Airport.
• After customs, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to the hotel, enjoying a panaromic city tour en route.
• Come back to our Athens hotel.
• Dinner at the Athens hotel.

Overnight: Athens hotel

Athens – The Parthenon - Temple of Athena - The temple of Olympian Zeus - Royal palace - Lycabettus Hill - The Flea market

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• This morning, our full day of touring begins with a visit to the “sacred rock”, the Acropolis which is the most photographed site in all of Greece. Here you will see the Parthenon that was dedicated to the goddess Athena (Parthenos), Propylea, the monumental entrance to the sacred area, the temple of Athena Nike which was dedicated to Victory, the Erechtheion with its famous female statues, the Maidens dedicated to both goddess Athena and god Poseidon, the Odeum of Herodus Atticus and the ruins of the first theatre in the whole world - the Theatre of Dionysus, and finally the Areopagus (Mars Hill).
• We will proceed to the Temple of Olympian Zeus and then to Panathenaic or Kallimarmaro Stadium which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
• We will drive by the Prime Minister’s Residence, the former Royal Palace, today’s Presidential Mansion and the House of Parliament with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a brief visit and to watch the changing of the Guard.
• We continue our tour by driving up to the highest point of Athens, Lycabettus Hill, which offers the best 360 degree panoramic view of the city.
• From here we proceed to the oldest and most picturesque neighborhood of Athens, Plaka with it’s stone-paved narrow streets, traditional Greek taverns - best gyros - and antique and souvenir stores.
• After lunch in Plaka we’ll drive through the city centre to the Flea Market, where we’ll visit the Ancient Agora (the political, financial and commercial centre of ancient Athens).
• There we’ll see the temple of Hephaistos, known also as Theseum (best preserved ancient temple in Greece) and the Stoa of Attalos (an ancient shopping centre) which was restored in the fifties by the American Archaeological School.
• We end the day with a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, which has one of the most extensive and important archaeological collections in the world. It houses, among other important exhibits, the frescoes of the island of Santorini and the prehistoric golden collection of Mycenae with the famous mask of Agamemnon.
• Come back to our Athens hotel.
• Dinner at the Athens hotel.

Overnight: Athens hotel

Athens - Visit three Greek islands

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today, enjoy a full day of leisure exploring Athens on your own, visiting the Port of Piraeus or walking along the Mediterranean Sea. An optional cruise of three Greek islands is available, and is very worthwhile for the first-time traveler to Greece.
• Visit three Greek Islands in one day on an island-hopping cruise from Athens! This day of touring includes visits to the islands of Hydra, Poros and Egina, and includes a delicious Greek lunch and hydrofoil boat transfers. Sightsee, shop, swim or join exciting excursions at additional expense at each island.
• Meet your guide in central Athens and head to Piraeus Port by luxury, air-conditioned coach. You’ll set sail from here for the island of Poros, roughly two hours away, during which the cruise hostess will provide information about the 3 islands.
• Arrive in Poros, the smallest of the three islands, and enjoy 1-hour of free time to wander around this endearing island. Visit Trinzia, Poros’ Russian dockyard, and learn about Greece’s cooperation with the Russian army in the 18th and 19th centuries or take a stroll in the Lemon Forest and find pretty windmills and waterfalls as you walk through the densely wooded area of lemon and orange trees.
• Back on ship, enjoy lunch (first sitting) while sitting comfortably on the lounge and admiring the views of the Mediterranean Sea during our 1 hour trip to the second island, Hydra.
• We enter the port of Hydra, whose amphitheater shape once served as a safe shelter for Pirates. Hydra is best known for its colorful capital, full of quaint, narrow alleys, charming red-tiled houses and mansions silently standing witness to a long and turbulent history.
• Your guide will point out the best shops and cafes, and then leave you to explore independently for approximately 2 hours.
• When you return back on board, relax on the ship's deck and enjoy the warm breeze as you sail to your last stop, the larger island of Egina. Upon arrival, you can either join a sightseeing tour to the Temple of Aphaia or stroll around the main town at leisure.
• Also known as Port of Aegina, the island is a bustling one, with ferries, catamarans and flying dolphins dotting the harbor. Soak up the sights or perhaps relax in one of the town’s popular cafes.
• The journey back to Piraeus takes approximately one hour. A traditional Greek folk show with singers and dancers in original costumes will entertain and animate you up to the final moment as the ship docks in Piraeus.
• On arrival, you’ll be transferred the short distance back to central Athens where your tour ends.
• Return to Athens hotel.
• Dinner at the Athens hotel.

Overnight: Athens hotel

Athens - USA

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of our hotel.
• An early morning transfer takes us back to Athens International Airport for our flight home. We bid a fond “Yassas” to Greece, and board our flight.
• Arriving in the USA early afternoon – exhausted but exhilarated by 12 wonderful days retracing the footsteps of Jesus and learning about early Greek culture.