Great combination of the main sites of the ancient sites in Holy Land and Ancient Rome, together with the tour of Vatican, the centre of the Christianity.
Great tour for early Spring or late Fall. A lot of activities and one of the best historical tour which require less time spend on the bus then any other similar tour
11 Days
11 Cities
Day-1. DEPARTURE CITY-TEL AVIV: Flight to Toronto and continue with overnight trans Atlantic flight to Rome.
Day-2. TEL AVIV-JERUSALEM: Arrival Rome and short flight to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival, board the private Motor coach for ride to Jerusalem. Accommodation in hotel and after short refreshment break join your tour director on walking tour along Via Dolores.
Day-3. JERUSALEM: After breakfast in hotel, Start the day with a magnificent panoramic view from Mount of Olives Drive to the Old city ; Visit the tomb of King David and the room of last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter the walled city and walk through the newly restored Jewish quarter. Visit the Roman Cardo, the Herodian quarter and continue to the Western Wall. Walk along the Via Dolores to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem*; view Rachel's tomb and proceed to visit the Church of Nativity.
Day-4. JERUSALEM-THE NEW CITY: Drive to the Israel museum; visit the Shrine of the book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period; Proceed for a tour at the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Continue to visit Mount Hertzel cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit Mea Shearim, the ultra orthodox neighbourhood in Jerusalem and learn about their unique lifestyle.
Day-5: QUMRAN-MASADA-DEAD SEA: Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, almost 1300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumeran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. Ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing mass suicide in 73 AD. Descend by cable car. Continue to the Dead Sea; Cover yourself with the mineral rich mud and experience a swim in the Dead Sea* that many believe has its therapeutic effects. (*weather permitting). Late return to Jerusalem.
Day-6. CAESAREA-MEGIDO-HAIFA-TIBERIUS: Drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. See the excavations of the Crusader city and the Roman port, aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue. Proceed to Megiddo, the site of Armageddon. Visit the archaeological excavations including the well preserved water supply system . Continue to Daliat El Carmel, a Druze village and enjoy a late lunch at a local restaurant Proceed via Mount Carmel to Haifa for a panoramic view of the Haifa bay and the Golden domed Bahai shrine and gardens. Then to Tiberius hotel.
Day-7. GALILEE-NAZARETH-TEL AVIV: After early breakfast, board the Motor coach for ride through central Israel. We will arrive Nazareth before lunch. Visit the church of Annunciation, and then after short break. we will continue to Tiberias; Visit Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and the famous octagonal church of St. Peter; Visit Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount. Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac. Then to Tel Aviv for overnight.
Day-8. TEL AVIV-ROME: After breakfast, panoramic tour of Tel Aviv. Then transfer to the airport for a short flight to Rome. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel located in walking distance to Roman Forum. Check in, and join your tour director on walking tour to visit Santa Maria Maggiore. Then to Trevi Fountain one of the main symbols of Rome.
Day-9. ROME: Walk to Colosseum and start with guided tour of Ancient Rome. See / visit: the Colosseum (inside visit), Arch of Titus, Arch of Constantine,Forum Romanum (inside visit), Foro Traiano, Capitoline Hill, Victor Emmanuel Monument, and the Pantheon. Free afternoon for group or individual activities.
Day-10. ROME-VATICAN: Take a metro to Vatican for a guided tour of Vatican Museum. See the Greek Cross Room, Candelabra Gallery, Maps Gallery, Raphael's Lodge, Then visit Sistine Chapel (with ceilings by Michelangelo), seat of Conclave used for election of the Popes. Then tour of St. Peter's Basilica, the largest catholic church in the world, with Michelangelo's masterpiece La Pieta. In the afternoon, walk to Castel San Angelo, created as the burial place for Emperor Hadrian, Ponte degli Angeli, as well as the main sites of the area known as Baroque Rome. Rest of the day is free for some late shopping along Via Corso.
Day-11. DEPARTURE
Our Tour hotels are never far from where you need to go. We choose only the best hotels in centralized locations so you can get on with your tour.
With every group tour we provide you will see all the best attractions and some you might not even know. These attractions are just steps away from your hotel:
Mt. Zion, Via Dolores, Western Wall, Holy Selpuchre, Betlehem, Church of Nativity, Judean Desert, Masada Fortress, Dead Sea, Caesarea, Tiberius, Galilee, Nazareth, Tel Aviv, Roman Colosseum, Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, Victor Emanuel Monument, Trevi Fountain, St. Peters Basilica, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel
Your tour is important to us and we provide the most inclusive tour possible. This student group tour includes the following: