Israel - Discover the Promised Land

Day 1 London - Tel Aviv Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your journey to London Heathrow or Luton Airport and your direct, scheduled easyJet or El Al flight to Tel Aviv. On arrival our coach transfers you to the sea front and the Dan Panorama (4T) hotel where we stay for two nights. Day 2 Tel Aviv Our exploration begins with a tour of this Mediterranean resort city, which also represents Israel’s modern and contemporary side. Our tour includes the ancient port of Jaffa, filled with wooden fishing boats and lined with a number of art galleries. Continue to Carmel Market, where the bustling aisles reveal the incredible ethnic mix found here. This afternoon is at leisure to further explore. Day 3 Tel Aviv - Jerusalem We drive to Jerusalem for a memorable day of discovery. Stopping first at the holy site of the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city, we then enter the Old City on foot to view the Dome of the Rock and Al Asqa Mosque; continue to the Western Wall, one of the most sacred spots in Jerusalem. See the Crusader Church of St Anne and the Pools of Bethesda where Christ is believed to have healed a sick man. For many Christians, a walk along the Via Dolorosa, the route taken by Christ to his crucifixion, will be one of the most poignant and meaningful experiences of the tour. It concludes at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We continue to the Jewish Quarter; walk along the excavated Cardo, once a main street of Byzantine Jerusalem, and visit the Davidson Centre, where you will see incredible archaeological finds and displays from the First and Second Temple periods, 2000 years ago, highlighting the importance of Jerusalem. We stay for three nights at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel (4T), on a half board basis. Day 4 Yad Vashem - Ein Karem - Bethlehem Drive to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust victims where we will see the Museum, the Children’s Pavilion and walk along the Avenue of the Righteous. Continue via the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) - and see the symbol of the Menorah - to the Israel Museum. The Shrine of the Book houses a number of exceptional archaeological finds, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scenery and atmosphere changes dramatically as we travel to the terraced hills outside the city to the picturesque village of Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist. Our day concludes with a visit to Bethlehem and to the Church of the Nativity which stands over a cave believed to be the birthplace of Christ. Day 5 Masada - Dead Sea This morning we descend the Judean hills to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. We first visit the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found before continuing to Masada where we take the cable car to the ancient fortress built on the cliff, where a band of Jewish rebels held out against a Roman siege for three years. No visit to the Dead Sea would be complete without an opportunity for a dip in the salty, healing waters. We return to Jerusalem. Day 6 Jerusalem - Nazareth - Galilee An early morning departure from Jerusalem, we drive along the Jordan Valley that extends from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee. We arrive at Kibbutz Ashdot Yaacov (Nehara) where a tour will introduce the communal way of life that echoed Communism ideals. On to Nazareth, located in the heart of valley surrounded by mountains where it is believed the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. We visit the Church of Annunciation and Mary’s Well. Continue via the small village of Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle at the Wedding Church and Tzippori, the 1st century capital of Galilee and birthplace of Mary. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Caesar Premier Hotel Tiberias (4T), where we stay on half board basis. Day 7 Capernaum - Tabgha Jesus is said to have walked on water on the Sea of Galilee, and this morning we enjoy a trip across the waters, surrounded by landscapes sacred for thousands of years. On to Capernaum, where we see Peter’s house and the many inscriptions left by Christian pilgrims over the centuries, and then to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Visit Mount of the Beatitude where Jesus preached the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ for lovely views over Galilee. Before returning to our hotel we see the extraordinary ancient boat reclaimed from the Sea of Galilee, dating from the time of Jesus. Day 8 Galilee - Haifa - Tel Aviv - London Morning departure from Galilee to Haifa, Israel’s largest port city, where we view the world-famous Baha’i Gardens. On to Caesarea, built by King Herod and once the capital of Judea, to see the amphitheatre and crusader ruins. Our discovery at an end, we return to Tel Aviv airport for our direct, scheduled easyJet or El Al flight to London Heathrow or Luton Airport. On arrival you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.