ОПИСАНИЕ ЭКСКУРСИИ

Nazareth with its famous Church of Annunciation and St. Joseph, is a holy city for Christians, although it is a melting pot for many religions including the Moslems and Jews. There are many shrines in Nazareth that commemorate biblical events that took place here.  
The Sea of Galilee is the largest freshwater lake in Israel. Many of the miracles of Jesus were said to have occurred here on the lake, including the one where Jesus was said to have walked on water.
Caesarea is a city in Northern Israel and was built by Herrod the Great around 13 B.C.  Herod the Great named the city Caesarea in honor of Ceasar Augustus.
Acre is a large crusader city situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.  The Baha'i religion considers Acre to be one of the holiest cities of their faith.  Thousands make the pilgrimage to Acre every year.

Haifa is the major seaport town of Israel and is the home of the Baha'i gardens and shrines.  The gardens are very beautiful with 9 tiers, each one with a special meaning.
Jerusalem has so much history.  It has been destroyed and rebuilt too many times over the centuries.  The main features of Jerusalem are contained in the Old City, where the Wailing Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher are located.  
Bethlehem is the said birthplace of Jesus.  The Church of Nativity resides in Bethlehem, where it is built over the cave where Jesus was born in.  
Masada is located on top of a plateau in the desert.  This is the place where the Jews tried to fight off the Romans, and in the end with the use of 15,000 troops, and months of trying the Romans finally succeeded.  King Herod built 2 palaces up here on Masada, and the ruins of them are still visible today.
The Dead Sea the lowest place on Earth, with 33% salt content in its waters, is very buoyant.  The minerals in the water are said to be very good for the skin, and a good cure for most ailments.
Petra the famous one of the seven wonders of the world.  An amazing site to see.  As you enter through the Siq.  you will view the Treasury.  The famous facade is carved out of sandstone mountains.  There is plenty to see in Petra including temples, an amphitheater, tombs, caves, and much more.
Wadi Rum is in the middle of the desert, with stone structures popping out of the sand.  There are Bedouins that live here in their goat-haired tents. There are paintings thousands of years old like graffiti on the sides of the mountains.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Middle East.  The pyramids are an amazing part of Egypt, tens of thousands come here every year to view them.  They were built to house the dead pharaohs and their treasures.  The smaller pyramids that surround them are where their nobles and close family members are buried.  The Egyptian Museum holds over 150,000 artifacts including ancient coins, paintings, statues, masks, and much more.
 

Day 1: Transfer from Ben Gurion airport to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Free day - evening.

Day 2:  Nazareth and Sea of Galilee

Nazareth, travel along a scenic route with a view of Megiddo.  Ascend to Nazareth and stop at the Mount of Precipitation.  Then we will drive to the Church of Annunciation next to that is the Church of St. Joseph, viewing the carpentry work that Jesus and Joseph created.  Pass Cana where Jesus turned the water into wine, and continue on to Mount Beatitude and Capernaum, home of the Benedictine Church.

Travel along the Sea of Galilee where you might have a chance to be baptized at Yardenit, in the Jordan River waters.  Pass Mount Tabor on the return journey. 

Return to hotels for overnight.

Day 3:  Caesarea, Acre, and Haifa

Drive along the Mediterranean Coast to stop at the ancient town of Caesarea.  Tour the amazing Roman theater that has been well preserved, and still is in use today, beside it is the Hippodrome.  Also, tour the remains of a Roman temple.

Pass through Haifa and see the gold-topped Bahai shrine and gardens.  Then continue North to stop at Rosh Hanikra, take the cable car down to the grottos, and walk through the caverns.

The final stop for the day is Acre, which was the largest crusader city in Israel.  Be amazed at the way Acre is preserved, and tour the Turkish prison where the British used to hang Jews after the immigration from World War 2.

Return to hotel for overnight.

Day 4:  Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Tour Jerusalem, starting with a view of the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Jewish burial tombs, and the Church of all Nations.  Enter the Zion gate of the Old City, and pass the Armenian Quarter to the Byzantine Cardo.  Walk through the Jewish Quarter to arrive at the Western Wall.  Continue to walk along the Via Dolorosa following the Stations of the Cross to arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 

Walk through the markets in the Old City, and then depart for Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. In Bethlehem walk across Manger Square to the Church of Nativity. When leaving you will see the field of Ruth.

Day 5:  Masada and Dead Sea

Descend Jerusalem through the Judean Desert to arrive at the Dead Sea.  Pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan and stop for a few minutes at the sea level marker.  You can see Jericho in the distance.  Arrive at Masada to ascend on the cable car to the top.  Tour the palaces, bath house, ancient synagogue, and the Roman barracks.  After touring Masada go for lunch and then continue on to the Dead Sea for a swim in the therapeutic waters.

Return to Tel Aviv and overnight in a hotel.

Day 6:  Petra

In the early morning, you will get on the plane in Tel Aviv and arrive in Eilat. Upon
landing take shuttle no #30 of Egged Company to the Central bus station (5
NIS - NOT INCLUDED). We will pick you up from the Eilat Central bus station and take you across the border to Petra.  Enjoy touring with a qualified guide, see the treasury, the amphitheater, and much more.  After the tour go for lunch and to your hotel.  (There is an option to sleep in a hotel in Petra or the tents in the Wadi Rum desert.)

Day 7:  Wadi Rum

Start the day with a 2-hour jeep tour.  See how the Bedouins live, the great drawings on the sandstone that are over 2000 years old. After the jeep tour drive back to the Arava border, cross to Israel, and transfer to the Egypt border. Our representative will meet you on the Egypt side, drive to Cairo (around 10 hours, with stops), arrive in Cairo, and check in to your hotel overnight.

Day: 8 Cairo

After breakfast, start the day with a tour of the pyramids and the Sphinx.  Continue to tour the famous Khan el Khalili Bazaar, where you can buy just about anything. Tour the Reptilian Museum with its hundreds of thousands of artifacts, paintings, coins, mummies, statues, and much more. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 9:  Cairo

Travel to the Sakkara Valley to see some of the most famous pyramids like the Djoser which is also called the Step Pyramid.  Tour the Old City of Cairo with its many fortifications, and Churches. 

Overnight Cairo.

Day 10: Transfer

After breakfast check out from the hotel and transfer to Cairo airport.

Highlights:

• · Church of Annunciation
• · Nazareth
• · Church of St. Joseph
• · Capernaum
• · Sea of Galilee
• · Caesarea
• · Roman temple
• · Haifa
• · Bahai shrine and gardens
• · Rosh Hanikra
• · Acre
• · Jerusalem
• · Church of All Nations
• · Old City
• · Western Wall
• · Church of the Holy Sepulcher
• · Bethlehem
• · Church of Nativity
• · Masada
• · Dead Sea
• · Petra
• · Wadi Rum
• · Cairo
• · Pyramids
• · Sphinx
• · Egyptian museum
• · Sakara Valley
• · Djoser pyramid

Included:

• · Transportation from day 1 of the tour until day 10.
• · 9 nights 3-star hotel on a B/B basis (upgrade is available for an extra fee)
• · All breakfasts.
• · Lunch on the Petra day tour
• · Lunch on the Cairo Tour
• · 8 days of guided touring
• · Entrance fees to all the main attractions mentioned
• · Group tour
• · Domestic flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat 1 way

Excluded:

• · Departure tax ($65 for each border) per person for both borders
• · Visa (we provide the visa on the spot for $60)
• · Visa for Jordan $75 per person
• · Dinners
• · Tips
• · Personal expenses and private insurance. 
• · Other languages available for an extra fee.
• · We recommend that you have cash money available for border fees and tips.
• - Other Lunches

What you need to know:

• · Have a valid passport and landing card.
• · Voucher and visa/tax/tip money in cash only (payable in U.S dollars, Euro, Pound Sterling, or Israeli Shekel).
• · Very warm clothing in Winter, cool comfortable clothing, and head covering in Summer.
• · Good walking shoes.
• · Personal insurance is not included. Please note: No insurance company insures any accident from a horse or any other animal.