Best of Israel tour, 8 days/7 nights, Special rates

Begin your trip with an introduction and special visit to Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel was signed in 1948. Drive north along the coastal highway to Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Empire; visit the Herodian Theater and new excavations along the Mediterranean shore concluding with a visit to the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site. Lunch on your own in the quaint town of Zichron Ya'acov, one of the first communities established by the early Zionist pioneers and the home of the famous Carmel Winery. Travel to a Druze village high atop the Carmel Mountains for a unique hospitality experience. Continue north to Haifa. Check into your hotel. Dinner on your own. (B): HAIFA

View the golden-domed Bah'ai Shrine and the colorful Persian Gardens before departing Haifa. Visit Acre (Akko) and explore the newly renovated underground crusader city now listed on the UNESCO Heritage List and the famous British prison, followed by a visit to the Ottoman fortifications around the city. After lunch on your own, drive north to Rosh Hanikra, a rock formation at the very northern tip of Israel. These white chalk cliffs, created when the strong Mediterranean waters carved subterranean tunnels out of the soft limestone, offer a spectacular view of Haifa Bay and the surrounding hillside. Continue north to the Upper Galilee. Check into the kibbutz hotel. Dinner at the hotel. (B,D): GALILEE

Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River near the Biblical settlement of Dan, or take a short hike along the Banias River at the base of the Golan Heights. Take a jeep tour climbing to the Golan Heights in the footsteps of IDF soldiers and their battles in the Six Day War, and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, gaining insight to the strategic complexity of the Golan, followed by a tour of the Golan Heights. After lunch on your own, proceed to Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artist colony. Visit the many unique synagogues and stroll through the quaint art galleries and shops. Conclude the day by kayaking on the Jordan River (summer months only) and then return to the guesthouse for dinner. (B,D): GALILEE

Depart the Upper Galilee and drive south via Tiberias, a bustling city located on the shores of the Kinneret, which is one of the four holy Jewish cities in Israel and the site where Maimonedes is buried. Continue on to the archaeological excavations at Beit Shean, one of the largest Roman-Byzantine cities uncovered in Israel (winter) or swim in the warm waters and natural springs at the Gan Hashlosha Nature Reserve (Sachne) situated at the foot of Mt. Gilboa (summer). After an independent lunch en route, ascend to Jerusalem, stopping at Mount Scopus to say the traditional shehechiyanu blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem. View Jerusalem from a panoramic vantage point for an appreciation of its size and glory. Check into your hotel. Optional services followed by a traditional Shabbat dinner at your hotel. (B, D): JERUSALEM

Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Jerusalem, or choose an optional tour to Massada and the Dead Sea. Drive via the Judean Desert to visit Massada (fortress of King Herod and last stronghold of the Zealots). Enjoy the Ein Gedi Spa and a dip in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth at 1,200 ft below sea level. ($80) (B): JERUSALEM

Dialogue with a political science analyst on Israel's political reality and/or meeting with a representative of the Israel Reform Movement. Proceed to the Old City for a guided visit through the Jewish Quarter including the Hurva Square, the Cardo, the Herodian Mansions, the Davidson Center at the Ophel Gardens and the Kotel (Western Wall). After an independent lunch, depart for a guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, which includes the new Historical Museum and the Children's Memorial. Balance of the day at leisure to pack, shop and relax at the hotel. (B,D) JERUSALEM

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure

• 7 nights accommodations in your choice of hotels.
• 1 night Tel Aviv.
• 1 night Haifa.
• 2 nights Galilee.
• 3 nights Jerusalem.
• All transfers including meeting and assistance at the airport.
• 12 meals: 7 Israeli buffet breakfasts, 5 dinners.
• Sightseeing per itinerary in a modern air-conditioned motor coach with panoramic windows, reclining seats and foot rests.
• Services of friendly and professional English-speaking tour educator-guide throughout.
• Entrance fees per itinerary.
• Restaurant tipping in hotels included.
• All hotel and airport portage and tipping included.
• Desert Paramours neck cushions, document holder, luggage straps and name tags.