EXPLORE ISRAEL - 03
Israel Tour (08Days/07Nights)
Day 01
Arrival at Israel
Overnight stay in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem
Day 02
Moving to Nazareth
Basilica of the Annunciation
The Church of the Annunciation sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation, is a Catholic church in Nazareth, in northern Israel. It was established over what Catholic tradition holds to be the site of the house of the Virgin Mary, and where the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus – an event known as the Annunciation.
On the walls enclosing the courtyard of the basilica, there is a gallery with icons representing some of the most important Marian devotions in different countries. Some of the main Marian devotions from Spain are included: the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands; the Virgin of Montserrat, patroness of Catalonia; the Virgin of the Forsaken, patroness of Valencia; and the Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Extremadura.
St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph's Church is a Franciscan Roman Catholic church in the Old City of Nazareth, modern-day Northern Israel. It was built in 1914 over the remains of much older churches. It is located close to the Church of the Annunciation. It was built in the Romanesque Revival style.[1]
The church is built on the site of the Church of Nutrition quoted by the pilgrim Arculfe about 670 in "De locis sanctis" (II, 26), then a church of the crusaders of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, whose vestiges are under the crypt, and a Franciscan church built in the 17th century. This history is described by the Franciscan Quaresmius in his "Historica, theologica et moralis terrae sanctae elucidatio", written between 1616 and 1626, but merely affirms the existence ab antiquo of the tradition of a cult in this place, without giving evidence.
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, shortened to the Church of the Multiplication, is a Roman Catholic church located at Tabgha, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The modern church rests on the site of two earlier churches.
Mount of Beatitudes
The traditional location for the Mount of Beatitudes is on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and the archeological site of Gennesaret, on the southern slopes of the Korazim Plateau. Its negative altitude makes it one of the lowest summits of the world.
The actual location of the Sermon on the Mount is not certain, but the present site has been commemorated for more than 1600 years. The site is very near Tabgha. Other suggested locations for the Jesus' Sermon on the Mount have included the nearby Mount Arbel, or even the Horns of Hattin.
Baptism site of Yardenit
Yardenit, also known as the Yardenit Baptismal Site, is a baptism site located along the Jordan River in the Galilee region of northern Israel, which is frequented by Christian pilgrims. The site is located south of the river's outlet from the Sea of Galilee, near Kibbutz Kvutzat Kinneret, which owns and manages the site.
Overnight in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem
Day 03
Moving to Caesarea
City tour at Akko
Beautiful Bahai Gardens
Nine concentric circles provide the main geometry of the eighteen terraces. Just as the identification of a circle presupposes a centre, so the terraces have been conceived as generated from the Shrine of the Báb. The eighteen terraces plus the one terrace of the Shrine of the Báb make nineteen terraces total. Nineteen is a significant number within both the Baháʼí and Bábí religions.
The gardens have elements of the Persian gardens of Shiraz, Iran, the Nishat Bagh gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, India and English gardens, isolating the site from the noise of the surroundings and connecting the different Baháʼí buildings on Mount Carmel together.
Fariborz Sahba began work in 1987 designing the gardens and oversaw construction. The terraces were opened to the public in June 2001. Beginning at its base, the gardens extend almost one kilometre (0.6 miles) up the side of Mount Carmel, covering some 200,000 square metres (2,152,782 square feet) of land. The gardens are linked by a set of stairs flanked by twin streams of running water cascading down the mountainside through the steps and terrace bridges.
Stella Maris Monastery
The Stella Maris Monastery is a Catholic Christian monastery for Discalced Carmelite monks, located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
The main church inside the Stella Maris Monastery is said to contain the Cave of Elijah, a grotto associated with Biblical prophet Elijah.
It is also known as the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for monks, to distinguish it from the nearby Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for nuns, located higher up on Mount Carmel.
Overnight in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem
Day 04
Jerusalem City Tour
Western Wall
The Via Dolorosa
Church of the Sepulcher
Jaffa Gate
Mount Zion
Machane Yehuda
Mahane Yehuda Market often referred to as "The Shuk" is a marketplace in Jerusalem. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors; clothing and shoes; and housewares, textiles, and Judaica.
In and around the market are falafel, shawarma, kibbeh, kebab, shashlik, kanafeh, baklava, halva, zalabiya and Jerusalem mixed grill stands, juice bars, cafes, and restaurants. The color and bustle of the marketplace is accentuated by vendors who call out their prices to passersby. On Thursdays and Fridays, the marketplace is filled with shoppers stocking up for Shabbat, until the Friday afternoon sounding of the bugle that signifies the market will close for the Sabbath. In recent years, the 'shuk' has emerged as another Jerusalemic nightlife center, with restaurants, bars and live music.
Stay overnight in Jerusalem
Day 05
Judean desert
Visit Masada by cable car to see the impressive desert fortress
Relax at the Dead Sea
Ein Gedi
Ein Gedi also spelled En Gedi, meaning "spring of the kid" is an oasis and a nature reserve in Israel, located west of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran Caves. Ein Gedi was listed in 2016 as one of the most popular nature sites in the country
The reserve is a sanctuary for many types of plant, bird and animal species. The vegetation includes plants and trees from the tropical, desert, Mediterranean, and steppian regions, such as Sodom apple, acacia, jujube, and poplar. The many species of resident birds are supplemented by over 200 additional species during the migration periods in the spring and fall. Mammal species include the Nubian ibex and the rock hyrax.
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 06
Shuk HaCarmel (market),
The Carmel market was established in the 1920s.[2] It is bordered by Allenby Street and Magen David Square and is principally located along Carmel Street (which becomes King George Street after Magen David Square), but has expanded over time to streets such as Nahalat Binyamin Street.
The market is open every day of the week, except Shabbat (Saturday), and sells mostly food but also a variety of items such as home accessories, and flowers. Tuesdays and Fridays are the signature days at the market as several independent artists and vendors sell unique crafts, art, and jewellery along Nahalat Binyamin Street.
City Tour at Tel Aviv
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 07
Tour Bethlehem
The Church of the Nativity is one of Bethlehem's major tourist attractions and a magnet for Christian pilgrims. It stands in the center of the city — a part of the Manger Square — over a grotto or cave called the Holy Crypt, where Jesus is believed to have been born. Nearby is the Milk Grotto where the Holy Family took refuge on their Flight to Egypt and next door is the cave where St. Jerome spent thirty years creating the Vulgate, the dominant Latin version of the Bible until the Reformation.
City tour at Jericho
Visit the Qasr al Yahud at the Jordan River
Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 08
Move back to Airport