The Holy Land: A Confluence of Culture

Arrive Tel Aviv, Israel

Welcome to the unforgettable city of Tel Aviv, nicknamed the ‘White City’ because of the presence of unique Bauhaus Architecture. From the beach to the trendy restaurants to the world-famous street art, Tel Aviv is a city for everyone.

Arrive into Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv, Israel before 2:30 PM today.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. There will be one group transfer provided (time TBD). Transfers for other arrival times are available for an additional cost.

After checking into the hotel, join your guide for an orientation walk along the sea promenade in Tel Aviv. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Jaffa port along the way.

Enjoy an animated welcome dinner tonight as you get to know your fellow travelers. Share stories of past adventures and learn about why everyone is
excited to explore the Holy Land!

Dinner

Overnight: Melody Hotel

Tel Aviv and Jaffa

Set out on a walk through the city of Jaffa this morning. As you make your way through the Old Town square, consider the transformation of this city from ancient port to modern metropolis. Along the way, you’ll learn about the city’s ancient history from Greek mythology to becoming a major Christian site. Discuss the limits of “shared society” in a city that holds both majority Jewish and Arab neighborhoods and communities of asylum seekers and foreign workers. Wander through the quaint Neve Tzedek neighborhood, and onto tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard.

Visit Na La’Gaat, a unique restaurant simulating the eating experience of those without sight, for a lunch experience in the dark.

After lunch, head south of the city to meet a Mizrahi activist whose women’s collaborative advocates and organizes improved housing access and  economic opportunities for people in less-resourced areas of the city.

Conclude your day with either a bike ride through the vibrant Yarkon Park north of the city or a paddle boat ride on the river which runs through the park.

Enjoy the rest of your night, including dinner, on your own.

Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight: Melody Hotel

Tel Aviv to Galilee

Check out of your hotel after breakfast and head up the coast to Caesarea where you will explore the world-class excavations from the Roman period while learning about the development of the maritime civilization from antiquity until today.

Venture further up the coast to visit an authentic Ethiopian-style house built of mud and straw in a nearby kibbutz for a buna (coffee) ceremony and injara (lunch). Then meet the entrepreneurial women whose work brings the unique traditions of the Ethiopian Jewish culture to both local and international visitors.

In the afternoon, continue to the centuries-old Crusader Fortress of Akko. You’ll walk the Templar’s Tunnel and visit the Jazzar Mosque while appreciating the impressive preservation efforts and rich diversity of this unique coastal town. You will then complete the drive to Galilee where you will check into the hotel that will be your home for the next three nights.

Later, enjoy dinner with the group.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Nof Ginosar

Nazareth and Galilee

After breakfast, set out to the Church of Annunciation, the site where Mary received the news of the Immaculate Conception. Then take a walk through the Old Town, stopping along the way to visit “Ghada’s Corner,” a local women-led group that champions the preservation of local culture. You’ll then have time to enjoy lunch with the group.

Later this afternoon, continue on to the Kibbutz Hannaton where you will meet one of the leading female Jewish clergy members in the country. Spend some time hearing about the issues of religious pluralism and the rewards of communal living. Sip some wine from the community’s Jezreel Valley winery before departing.

Begin the drive back to the hotel, making a stop along the way at the Mount of Beatitudes, the site of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Take in the beautiful views of the surrounding region. Finish your journey to the hotel where you will enjoy dinner with the group tonight.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Nof Ginosar

The Golan

Visit the Circassian village of Rehaniya, home to one of the smallest minority communities in the country. Here, you will meet women in their homes and learn how the local production of cheese and honey have sustained their families for generations. Your time here will conclude with a delicious lunch as a group.

Travel into the Golan Heights and stop at Banais, a national reserve featuring remnants of Greek and Roman temples from ancient times that later became an important Christian site. Continue to the Mount Bental viewpoint where you’ll learn about regional politics of both past and present. For those who are feeling adventurous, descend into the bunker tunnels on a ladder for a quick glimpse into
the harsh reality of conflict.

What better way to end the day than a private boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Glide across the smooth, still waters as you cross this body of water on your way back to the hotel. You will enjoy dinner with the group back at the hotel after your return.

Wake up early today and head to the Agamon Hula Nature Park for a tour of the grounds. You can choose to see the park on a mountain bike or cart ride across moderate terrain.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Nof Ginosar

Galilee to Jerusalem

You’ll check out of the hotel after breakfast this morning and begin your journey south along the long and winding highway that follows the Jordanian border as you make your way to Jerusalem. Total travel time for today will be about four and a half hours, but will be broken up with many interesting stops along the way.

Make a stop at the timeless Qasr al Yehud baptismal site where you will hear about the many challenges and innovative solutions relating to water management in the region. Then continue to Masada, where you will enjoy lunch and then take a
cable car ride to Herod’s mountaintop fortress. Explore the site excavations for this swath of land that was a refuge for Jewish rebels in 70 CE.

After a bit more driving, you will head to a nearby Dead Sea beach for a quick dip in the waters that are at the lowest point in the world!

You’ll arrive in Jerusalem late this afternoon. After checking into the hotel, you have the rest of the night on your own for dinner and some downtime.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Harmony Hotel

Jerusalem

Explore Jerusalem’s Old City on foot today along with two guides – one Jewish Israeli and one Palestinian – who will share their perspectives in tandem. First, visit the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary complex which features sites rich in history as
well as religious and political significance.

After taking time to approach the Western Wall, head to the City of David where you will tour the recent excavations and set out on an optional walk through underground Jerusalem and the water canal.

Enjoy lunch on your own before visiting the Church of Holy Sepulchre and walking the “Way of the Cross” to Saint Stephen’s gate and the Pool of Bethesda.
Later, you will enjoy an intimate dinner at a family home nearby. The lively meal will be accompanied by live, local music as well as a discussion on the themes of the day.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Harmony Hotel

Bethlehem

Today you will head to Bethlehem where you will stop at Manger Square and the Church of Nativity, the millennia-old heart of Christianity in the Holy Land.

Later this morning, you will meet an accomplished Palestinian chef, a woman whose work draws on local produce and innovates local flavor. Walk through the market with her on your way to a nearby kitchen where you will enjoy lunch followed by a hands-on tutorial on preparing one of the favorite Palestinian dishes you just sampled.

Take in the bold visual display as you walk past the extensive graffiti art and murals along a tall barrier that separates this city from Jerusalem when you visit Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel and Museum.

Later, you will meet a local woman within West Bank Palestinian society and hear a different view from a women-led group that advocates for further Israeli development in Jewish settlements in these disputed territories.

Return to Jerusalem for time on your own to enjoy dinner and explore the city.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Harmony Hotel

Yad Vashem

Spend the morning on a guided tour of Israel’s national holocaust museum and memorial, a sobering exhibition of an atrocity whose impact has touched generations of Jewish people in Israel and abroad. Take some time to reflect and consider the importance of preserving memory and promoting tolerance.

You will have a chance to meet with a leading Israeli female politician or diplomat today for a discussion on the achievements of women in leadership at critical moments in the nation’s history up until today.

Lunch today will be on foot, as you wander through the famed Mehane Yehuda market for a tasting tour before spending the rest of the afternoon on your own for shopping or exploring.

Enjoy a celebratory farewell dinner tonight with your fellow travelers along with two women peacemakers – Israeli and Palestinian – whose efforts show the way toward a shared future.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Harmony Hotel

Depart Jerusalem

Say goodbye to your new AdventureWomen friends as you transfer to the airport for your flights home.

Depart Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) any time after 12:00 AM (midnight on the night of Day 9) today.

Breakfast