Signature Israel

Signature: The ideal private journey, ready to book.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Tel Aviv, Israel/Jerusalem

Arrive in Israel. Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion airport, you are met by your Abercrombie & Kent representative who assists you in passing through customs and immigration procedures before transferring you to your hotel.

Mamilla Hotel or The King David

Day 2: Jerusalem/Bethlehem/Jerusalem

Today's sightseeing begins with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Jewish people's memorial to the six million lives lost in the Holocaust and a leader in Shoah education, commemoration, research and documentation. Departing Yad Vashem, drive past the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, en route to the Israel Museum. Here you see the fascinating model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of the Second Temple, as well as the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Continue to Bethlehem, where you visit the Church of the Nativity, which rests over the cave where Jesus was born.

Mamilla Hotel or The King David | Meals: B

Day 3: Jerusalem

Explore the Old City, beginning with a drive to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful view of Jerusalem, including the Garden of Gethsemane, with its ancient olive trees. Visit the Western Wall and view the Al-Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. Stop at the Davidson Center to view artifacts, video and virtual reality presentations that take you back through the ages. From here continue along the Via Dolorosa and on to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reputed site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Continue to the Jewish quarter and take a walk through the Cardo (old Roman street) at the heart of the city. Your busy day of sightseeing also includes stops at the traditional Tomb of King David and the Upper Room, the location where the Last Supper is believed to have taken place.

Mamilla Hotel or The King David | Meals: B

Day 4: Jerusalem/Masada/Qumran/Jerusalem

After breakfast, drive along the Dead Sea to Masada, where you take the cable car up to the last stronghold of the Zealots, where brave Israelite soldiers held out for three years against an invading Roman army before taking their own lives to avoid capture and enslavement. After visiting Masada, stop at Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Now a national park, the caves were used for storage purposes by the Essenes, a mystical sect that produced the scrolls.

Mamilla Hotel or The King David | Meals: B

Day 5: Jerusalem/Beit Shean/Nazareth/Tiberias

Head north into the Jordan valley to Beit Shean, the biblical Scythopolis, to visit the Israel's best-preserved Roman amphitheater, stopping at Beit Alpha to visit the Old Synagogue and mosaic floors. From here, continue on to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent much of his life. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, as well as Mary's Well, the Church of St. Gabriel and the basement of the Church of St. Joseph that contains a cavern said to have been the carpentry workshop of Joseph. Continue to Cana, site of Christ's first miracle. End the day at Tiberias.

Scots Hotel | Meals: B

Day 6: Tiberias

This morning, set off on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, stopping at Capernaum, where you see the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught, and St. Peter's house. Visit the Church of Peter's Primacy and the ancient mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes before continuing to the Mount of Beatitudes, the site where Christ issued his famous Sermon on the Mount. This afternoon, drive up to the Golan Heights, a rocky plateau overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and stop at Banias, one of the sources of the River Jordan at the foot of Mt. Hermon. Here you see the archaeological remains of this sacred place that span the Pagan, Jewish, Roman, Byzantine and Muslim eras.

Scots Hotel | Meals: B

Day 7: Tiberias/Safed/Haifa/Caesarea/Tel Aviv

Travel overland across the Jezreel Valley to the mystical city of Safed, famous for its synagogues and Artists' Quarter. Here you see the stunning halls and buildings of the Hospitaler and Templar Knights. Your drive then takes you to Haifa, where you view the magnificent Persian Gardens at the Bahai Shrine. The city is essentially built on three levels, rising from its first location along the waterfront. Continue down the coast to Caesarea. Near the excavated theater, you can view a partial inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate — the only secular reference of his existence. At the conclusion of your sightseeing, continue to Tel Aviv and your hotel.

InterContinental David Tel Aviv or Dan Tel Aviv Hotel | Meals: B

Day 8: Tel Aviv/Depart