Israel & Turkey 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 / Istanbul

• 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 Istanbul.
• Arrive at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport.
• After customs, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to the hotel, enjoying a panaromic city tour en route.
• Check to Istanbul hotel.
• Dinner at the Istanbul hotel.

Overnight: Istanbul hotel

Istanbul - Hagia Sophia Church - Basilica Cistern - The ancient Hippodrome

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today we begin with a visit to the world famous Hagia Sophia Church which is now a museum. Constructed by Emperor Justinianos as a church at the beginning of the 6th Century, Hagia Sophia remained the largest cathedral in the world for almost a thousand years and is considered the 8th Wonder of the World. The Church was converted into a mosque in 1453 and subsequently into a museum in 1935.
• Continue to the cascading domes and six slender minarets of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (better known as the "Blue Mosque"), which dominates the skyline of Istanbul.
• In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet I. wished to build an Islamic place of worship that would be even better than the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for him is the result.
• The two great architectural achievements now stand next to each other in Istanbul's main square, and it is up to visitors to decide which is more impressive. The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet when he was only 19 years old. It was built near the Hagia Sophia, over the site of the ancient hippodrome and Byzantine imperial palace (whose mosaics can be seen in the nearby Mosaic Museum). Construction work began in 1609 and took seven years. The mosque was designed by architect Mehmet Aga. Sultan Ahmet was so anxious for his magnificent creation to be completed that he often assisted in the work. Sadly, he died just a year after the completion of his masterpiece, at the age of 27. He is buried outside the mosque with his wife and three sons.
• The original mosque complex included a madrasa, a hospital, a han, a primary school, a market, an imaret and the tomb of the founder. Most of these buildings were torn down in the 19th century.
• Walking through the ancient Hippodrome where the chariot races took place in antiquity, we will get to the Basilica Cistern, a wonderfully serie underground chamber built by Justinian in 537 AND and comprised of 336 columns.
• Come back to our Istanbul hotel.
• Dinner at the Istanbul hotel.

Overnight: Istanbul hotel

Istanbul - Topkapi palace - Kasikci diamond - Spice market - Cruise along the Bosphorus

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today’s touring begins with a visit to the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years.
• Enjoy the exquisite collection of Chinese porcelain, the stunning Imperial Treasury including the "Spoonmaker's Diamond" aka the Kasikci Diamond, which is the third largest diamond in the world and the Topkapi Dagger.
• We leave the Palace and view the Egyptian Obelisks, which are the oldest historical works in Istanbul. These stones, which were made of pink granite, were constructed in year 390 in the era of Theodosius.
• Visit the Spice Market, followed by a cruise along the Bosphorus, which separates Asia from Europe.
• Our final stop is the Grand Covered Bazaar with 4000 tiny shops.
• Come back to our Istanbul hotel.
• Dinner at the Istanbul hotel.

Overnight: Istanbul hotel

Istanbul - USA

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of our hotel.
• An early departure takes us from our hotel to the airport for our continuing flight home to the USA.
• We return home exhausted but exhilarated by 12 days exploring Israel and Istanbul.