Fly to Tel Aviv, on Israel's Mediterranean coast, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay. Rest and relax after your journey, stroll along the seafront promenade or perhaps visit nearby bustling Jaffa.

 

 

Board the coach this morning for your first fascinating day exploring. See the old port of Jaffa and take in some of the sites of Tel Aviv, modern Israel's hub of commercial and cultural activity. You'll then head north to the ruins of the great Roman port of Caesarea, which flourished during the time of Jesus. You'll also pay a short visit to the modern port-city of Haifa before driving to the summit of Mount Carmel for a stunning panoramic view of Northern Israel and beyond.

Your explorations finish with a visit to the remarkably preserved remains of the Crusader city of Acre (or Akko) one-time fortress of Richard the Lionheart, before you drive to Tiberias, on Galilee's peaceful shore, for a two-night stay.

Today we'll head through a land familiar to Bible readers everywhere, beginning with a 45-minute boat journey across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, where Jesus recruited his first disciples. Our next stop will be Tabgha, site of the Feeding of the 5000, beneath the Mount of the Beatitudes, from which the Sermon on the Mount was preached. Journey inland via Cana, where Jesus is said to have performed his first miracle (turning water into wine), to bustling Nazareth. Here the monumental Church of the Annunciation dominates the skyline while St Joseph's Grotto offers a humble contrast.

After a fascinating day, you'll return to your beachfront hotel for dinner.

Another extraordinary day begins with a journey south, past the site where John the Baptist anointed Jesus and the ancient town of Jericho, to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth. En route you'll visit the UNESCO-listed fortress-citadel of Masada, where Jewish zealots held out against the Romans for three years following the fall of Jerusalem. There's an extraordinary view of the rift valley and the waters of the Dead Sea from this mountaintop site. This afternoon, why not take the opportunity to enjoy the unique sensation of 'floating' in the Dead Sea before you continue your tour, climbing up to Jerusalem for the first of four nights in this iconic, historic city?

 

A guided introductory tour reveals some of the many secrets of one of the world's most fascinating cities, today. You'll begin with a drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city skyline, much changed since Jesus stood atop the Mount but still a mesmerising, stirring sight.

Entering the city through the ancient Lion's Gate, you'll walk the Via Dolorosa, past the Stations of the Cross, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, site of the Crucifixion. Visits to the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) beneath the Dome of the Rock, and to the Garden Tomb that was found empty on the first Easter morning, complete your fascinating day.

Board the coach this morning for a short drive out of the city to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. One of the Holy Land's oldest churches, the church and its underground grotto boast several relics and centuries-old fragments of mosaics.

Returning to Jerusalem via the Shepherds' Fields where the angels are said to have announced Christ's birth, you'll pay visits to the moving Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and the Shrine of the Book, housing the historically priceless Dead Sea Scrolls recovered from a cave near Masada

 

Today you're free to relax in Jerusalem. Take the opportunity to wander the colourful souks of the Arab market, to explore the Old City once again, or perhaps to visit the excellent Tower of David Museum, all at your own pace. Later, a last dinner at the hotel offers the chance to look back on a thoroughly absorbing and enthralling week.

 

 

Drive back down through the scenic Judean Hills to the Mediterranean, making your way to Tel Aviv where you'll board the flight back to the UK, at the end of a marvellous holiday.