Heritage & Holy Land 5 star

Thursday. Arrival Ben Gurion Airport and included transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the dynamic city of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean your way.

Renowned for its hedonistic nightlife, this dynamic city also offers beautiful beaches, art galleries and markets. And with a variety of trendy bistros, high-end restaurants and delicious street food stalls, there's plenty to choose from, for dinner.

Tel Aviv - Jaffa - Tiberias. A short drive brings us to Jaffa, an ancient port where we enjoy a walking tour of the picturesque fortified town, see the House of Simon, the Tanner and marvel at the hilltop views. Continuing north along the coast we visit Caesarea, one of the great cities of antiquity and Megiddo, the location of many ancient battles, and the city referred to in the book of Revelation as ‘Armageddon’. Here we explore the archaeological ruins before continuing to the Sea of Galilee and historic Tiberias, where Jesus lived and preached.

Tiberias. Today we visit Capernaum, an ancient fishing village and the centre of Jesus’ ministry. In Tabgha, the site where Christ miraculously fed the 5,000, we see the wonderful mosaic floor of the Church of Multiplication before continuing to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. Ascending to the rocky plateau of the Golan Heights we enjoy panoramic views of the rugged peaks of Mount Hermon with the green pastoral Huleh Valley stretching out below. The Golan Heights is a disputed territory, and our guides will be politically neutral for the duration of our touring in this part of Israel.

This afternoon, we will continue to the source of the river Jordan, Banias, where Jesus took his disciples to reveal his true purpose. We'll then make our way to the southern part of the Sea of Galilee and to the Yardenit Baptismal Site, before we return to Tiberias for our overnight stay.

Tiberias - Jerusalem. First stop today is Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. We continue on to Nazareth, the city where Jesus spent his childhood, where we visit the Church of Annunciation, Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Passing through the Jordan Valley we reach the ancient synagogue of Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains, it has one of the most well preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel. We end the day in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem - Dead Sea (West Bank) - Jerusalem. An excursion today takes us to the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea and Masada, a UNESCO-listed fortress situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. We ascend by cable car to the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Here, we visit the excavations of King Herod’s Palace, the synagogue and bathhouse. The site also offers spectacular views of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. We’ll also see the Qumran Caves located in the West Bank where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and enjoy floating in the salty, mineral-rich waters (weather permitting) before heading back to Jerusalem.

We discover new Jerusalem on day 6, starting with the official memorial site of Yad Vashem, a sprawling complex dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. After paying our respects we head to Ein Karem, a picturesque village where John the Baptist was born. Spend some time in the Israel Museum visiting the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple. Passing the Knesset (House of Parliament) and the campus of the Hebrew University we make our way to Bethlehem in the West Bank where we visit Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity. Then, we return to Jerusalem for the night. Travel today and tomorrow is within the West Bank.

On day 7 we start with the spectacular panoramic views from Mt. Scopus before a stop is made at the Mount of Olives, the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer. We explore the Garden of Gethsemane before heading to the Old City where we see the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Just outside of the Old City is Mount Zion with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper.

Thursday. Jerusalem - breakfast. Today marks the end of our tour. After hotel check out, transfer to the Ben Gurion Airport to meet your onward flight. If you would like to stay on and further explore, we can arrange post accommodation, please enquire.

For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide.