Into the Holy Land:
Daily Itinerary
October 21-31, 2008
Tuesday, October 21
We will depart from the USA (JFK airport at 11:50 p.m., El Al 8) to Israel.
Wednesday, October 22
We will arrive at Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion airport at 4:51 p.m.). You will get assistance and be transferred to the Jerusalem Crowne Plaza hotel. Participants traveling on their own (not on CMED flight) can meet up at Ben Gurion Airport at 4:00 p.m., the time of arrival of the group from the USA, or at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Jerusalem before dinner. We will have the evening meal together and be briefed about the wonderful upcoming nine days in the Holy Land.
Thursday, October 23
The Mount of Olives is the most beautiful view of all of Jerusalem, and it is where in ancient time Jerusalem pilgrims used to see the Holy City for their first time. This will be a good time for pictures and will be a good introduction to the city. It is the capital of Israel for more than 3000 years. Then we will go to where everything began when King David took it as his capital. (Caroline lectures here.)
Bring water shoes if you want to walk (water above your knees) in the original Hezekiah’s tunnel, but you will have the option on walking on the dry tunnel as well. You can also visit the Davidson Center to see and understand the Temple built by Herod the Great, the same temple that Jesus knew.-Tunnel of the wall (possible visit)
Friday, October 24
We will go to Yad Bashem, the new Holocaust Memorial Israel Museum. We will walk in the colorful market Mahane Yehuda where people do last minute shopping before the Sabbath. We will be going to the Western Wall at the moment when the Sabbath begins and back to the hotel for a special dinner led by the blessing and explanation of a Rabbi about the meaning of such a holy day.
Saturday, October 25
Mount Zion is where we will visit the Room of the last Supper and the Tomb of King David. The tower of David is an impressive museum divided into rooms, and each room will explain about the different conquerors of Jerusalem throughout history. We will walk in the Old City markets. The Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters are all surrounded by the wall of the old city built more that 550 years ago. (Caroline lectures here.)
Sunday, October 26
We will leave Jerusalem and will drive to Caesarea, right on the Mediterranean. Here we visit the Theatre, the Hippodrome, and the Aqueduct, all built during the Roman time. Our next visit will be the amazing Baha’i gardens in the city of Haifa, and we continue to the old Fortress of Akko. Then we go to the guest’s houses of the Kibbutzim Ha-Gosrim and Kfar Blum, both located around green spaces right beside the Jordan River under the Golan Highs.
Monday, October 27
We will walk around the nature reserve of the Hula valley, then we will ascend the Golan Heights and see the winery areas looking at Mount Harmon. After lunch we will have a boat ride on the Sea Of Galilee and will end up the day going to the mystical City of Safed, the fourth most important city in the Judaic world. (Caroline lectures here)
Tuesday, October 28
This day will be dedicated to the most important Christians sites around the Sea Of Galilee: the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabha, Capernaum, Cana, and Nazareth. *(There will be a Lecture on Islam here)
Wednesday, October 29
We will drive along the Jordan valley to see one of the most well preserved ruins of the city of Beit Shean and then on to an old synagogue floor to understand how synagogue floors used to be built. First we go to Qumran and then to our hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Thursday, October 30
We will relax and have a late departure so you can enjoy floating on the waters of the Dead Sea or enjoy the Spa with all kind of treatments. We will visit Masada and drive through the desert to Jaffa and Tel Aviv.
We will have a location to relax and freshen up. We will depart to the airport at 10 p.m. on the 30th.
Friday, October 31
CMED group flight departs at 1:00 a.m. El Al 1.