Highlights of Israel Private Tour

You’ll begin your adventure through Israel by flying into Tel Aviv’s airport. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed and assisted with the visa process before meeting your private driver for transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv.  A modern, laid back city that lies along the Mediterranean Sea offers pristine sands and beautiful turquoise waters, cultural attractions and lively nightlife. After getting settled in you might want to take a stroll on the boardwalk where you’ll find many restaurants and beach bars to unwind with a delicious meal and a drink. The sandy beach stretches for miles, ideal for relaxing.

Meet your guide this morning for a private walking tour that begins at the Ottoman era Clock Tower in the central square of Old Jaffa, which dates back some 4,000 years. You’ll explore the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood with its magnificently restored homes and trendy upmarket area with artisan shops, artist studios, thriving bar and café scene. Enjoy time for lunch on your own before continuing in the afternoon to visit Independence Hall, take a drive on Rothschild Boulevard, home to one of the city’s highest concentrations of 1930s architecture, concluding with a visit to the Museum of the Jewish People.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv, travel north with your private driver/guide to traditional Tiberias. Along the way, you’ll make multiple stops, starting at the coastal city of Caesarea. As the region’s former Roman capital city, you’ll be able to explore its archaeological site that includes an aqueduct and restored theater, now used as a concert venue. Take in a panoramic view from Mount Carmel, wander through the magnificent Bahai Gardens that are important to Bahai faithful and then visit their holiest city, Acre. Your last stop before Tiberias is a ride on the world’s steepest cable car to spectacular limestone grottos.

Today you’ll follow the footsteps of Jesus, starting with Sepphoris, the childhood home of Mary, with the 12^th-century Crusader church built on the site said to be her parents’ home. In Zippori National Park, tour ancient Roman and Byzantine mosaics and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, constructed on the site where the angel Gabriel is believed to have appeared to Mary, telling her she would bear the son of God. Your final stop is the Church of the First Miracle in Cana (also known as the Wedding Church), dedicated to Jesus’ first miracle, the site where he turned water into wine.

Enjoy relaxing as you take a scenic drive via private transfer this morning. Your private driver will pick you up at your Tiberias hotel from the approximately three-hour journey to Jerusalem that skirts the West Bank. Upon your arrival to Jerusalem you’ll be delivered to your hotel where you’ll have the rest of the day to relax, perhaps enjoying a refreshing swim or unwinding with a spa treatment. Or get out and explore for a preview of the Old City, the cradle of civilization, considered a Holy City by Judaism, Christianity and Islam with its multiple sites of key religious importance.

You’ll explore Jerusalem’s Old City with your private guide today for an in-depth look and expert insight. Begin by enjoying the view looking over the olive trees and the city from the Mount of Olives. From there you’ll enter the city through the Lion’s Gate, visiting the Church of Saint Anne, before following the important pilgrimage route to the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. Wander through narrow souks that link the Jewish and Christian quarters, ending at the Western Wall before heading to the City of David outside of the Old City walls, discovering archaeological findings from the times of the Old and New testaments.

Your private driver/guide will bring you through the streets of Jerusalem for a tour that begins at the Israel Museum, exhibiting artifacts relevant to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The most important the Dead Sea Scrolls, the world’s oldest biblical manuscripts inside the Shrine of the Book and the model of the city from the time of the Second Temple. Visit the Holocaust Memorial of Yad Vashem which pays respects to the Holocaust victims and then head to the Machane Yehuda Market. You’ll have time for lunch on your own and enjoy tastings at various vendors of local produce, nuts, sweets, spices, and pita breads.

Today you’ll embark on a tour with your private driver/guide that will reveal some of the region’s most stunning natural wonders and centuries-old sites before ending with a float on the Dead Sea. Begin at the Ein Gedi Reserve, a magnificent desert oasis with waterfalls that was referenced a number of times in the Book of Psalms. Travel to Masada, a UNESCO-listed stone fortress with panoramic vistas used as King Herod’s mountain palace getaway. Explore the palaces, bathhouse and other impressive features before concluding with a swim in the Dead Sea. Its high saline content makes humans float like a cork.

Leaving Jerusalem, your driver will pick you up for a private transfer to Tel Aviv Airport. From there you’ll catch a direct one-hour flight to Eilat. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed by a private driver for transfer to your accommodation in Eilat. This southern port city and resort town sits along the Red Sea with its beaches known for calm, clear waters outstanding for snorkelling and diving. At Dolphin Reef, marine mammals are frequently spotted. After getting settled into your room you might want to enjoy the sun and the sand, the water is clean, and the temperature rarely dips below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Today you’ll explore Eliat with your private driver/guide. You’ll be picked up at your accommodation with the first stop on your tour the Underwater Observatory, one of the world’s largest aquariums. It was built directly into the coral reef seafloor, providing a look at the coral reef and more than 800 fish in the Red Sea. Afterwards you’ll continue to Timna, a short drive north, which covers some 15,000 acres in a horseshoe-shaped valley that’s surrounded by steep cliffs. In the center is the first copper mine in the world. You’ll also see the towering sandstone columns known as King Solomon’s Pillars.

Enjoy a full day to yourself, taking advantage of Eliat’s many attractions. You might leap into the clear blue waters of the Red Sea to swim with bottle-nosed dolphins in the wild, enjoying the playful creatures along with tropical fish and vibrant coral. Coral Beach is known as one of the top places to dive in the world, or you can snorkel closer to the surface. Or just relax and enjoy sunbathing on any one of the many beaches. As Eilat is a tax-free zone, it’s a great place to go shopping, perhaps picking up last minute gifts and souvenirs.

Your Israel Signature tour comes to an end this morning having followed in the footsteps of Jesus, floating in the Dead Sea, discovering the spectacular underwater world and the Red Sea, and so much more. You’re sure to have hundreds of photos to bring with you as you make your return to Eliat’s airport via private transfer. Catch a domestic flight to Tel Aviv followed by your international flight back home.