Author: Meital Visberg

Through remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea we travel to Masada which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea below. Visit the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit as if weather permits it’s possible to “float” on the salty, mineral rich, water. Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent his last night and was betrayed by Judas. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem – the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Return to your hotel for overnight.

Start the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Enjoy Ein Karem a picturesque village in the south western outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where according to tradition John the Baptist was born. Visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. Visit Bethlehem the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.

Sail on a boat on the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and fee). Travel through the Galilee to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Visit the ancient synagogue at Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains which has one of most preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel. Drive through the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho, before ascending through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem. Overnight at your Jerusalem hotel.

After early breakfast, leave the hotel and travel south on the road to Wadi Musa, the modern village of Petra. Ride on horseback to the “Siq” (canyon) and then on foot to Petra, known as the red rock city, the ancient capital of the Nabateans from 3rd century B.C. to 2nd Century A.D. Visit the most interesting monuments such as the Treasury, El Khazneh (a tomb of a Nabatean king) then the field of tombs, obelisks, the altar, (Al Madhbah) – from this point you can view the whole of the rock city. Return to Wadi Musa village. Overnight in Petra.

Drive from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the Sheikh Hussein border crossing for procedures to enter Jordan. Proceed to Jerash – city of the Decapolis, located about 45km north of Amman in the fertile heights of the Gilad. Visit the ancient Roman city with colonnaded streets, the baths and the hill of the top Temple etc. Drive to Amman for a panoramic city tour of the Jordanian capital. Overnight in Amman.