Sample Itinerary
The following is a sample itinerary of a typical IsraelExperts program. While our specialized programs will have components and activities that are specific to them, and certain outdoor activities will vary according to the season (winter programs vs. spring/summer), the itinerary below will give you an idea of the type of original and balanced program we strive for and what you will experience if you receive this amazing gift!
Day 1 - Welcome to Israel!
- Arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport where you will be met and assisted through customs by IsraelExperts staff and your Israeli tour guide.
- Enjoy refreshments and IsraelExperts' welcome to Israel orientation seminar.
- Drive up the Mediterranean coast to take in the view of Haifa Bay from the top of the beautiful gardens of the Bahai temple in Haifa, the city of co-existence.
- Check-in and dinner at the hotel on the shores of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).
- Evening ice-breaker activities and a chance to get to know your fellow participants even better!
- Accommodation - Kibbutz hotel on shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Day 2 – Northern Israel: The Kinneret & Golan Heights
- "Poets and Pioneers" at the Kinneret Courtyard on the shores of Lake Kinneret and the nearby Kinneret Cemetery. Hear about the loves and lives of a handful of young idealists who left Eastern Europe one hundred years ago in order to lay the foundation of the Jewish state.
- Tour the Golan Heights, a majestic plateau overlooking Israel's northern Galilee region and site of fierce armored battles during the 1967 Six Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War, for a better understanding of its strategic significance to Israel.
- Travel to the former military outpost at Har Bental and take in a stunning 360 degree view of Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
- Nature hike in the lush Gilaboon Nature reserve, one of three water sources that feed into the Jordan River.
- At Hamat Gader you will relax by taking a night dip in the hot springs
- Accommodation - Kibbutz hotel on shores of the Sea of Galilee
Day 3 – Safed & Jerusalem
- Tour the Ancient city of Safed (Tzefat in Hebrew), home of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, and tour of the ancient synagogues and artists' quarter.
- Engage in a co-existence seminar were you will be able to learn about the Arab Israeli situation of the region,
- Depart for Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.
- Visit the Haas Promenade to take in a beautiful panoramic view of Jerusalem and the traditional Shehechiyanu Jewish prayer of thanks with wine.
- Accommodation - Jerusalem
Day 4 - Jerusalem
- Visit Yad Vashem, Israel's national memorial to the Holocaust, including the Children's Memorial and the Valley of the Lost Communities.
- Tour Mount Herzl, named after the founder of Zionism, and the burial ground for Israel's past leaders and fallen defenders, including the grave of Yitzhak Rabin, the assassinated former Prime Minister of Israel.
- Visit Mahane Yehuda- Jerusalem's largest outdoor market.
- Return to hotel in time to prepare for Kabbalat Shabbat.
- Enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner at the hotel.
- Special evening program of interaction and discussion on a Shabbat theme with your fellow participants.
- Accommodation – Jerusalem
Day 5 - Shabbat in Jerusalem
- Late wake-up
- Take a walking tour through the beautiful Rose Garden of Jerusalem where you can see Israel's Parliament building known as the "Knesset".
- Traditional Shabbat lunch at the hotel.
- Unique "Changing Map of the Middle East" activity and discussion focusing on the political and historical background that led to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the current situation in Israel and the Middle East.
- Free time to relax.
- Havdalah - A brief ceremony marking the end of Shabbat.
- Spend the night out on Jerusalem's vibrant pedestrian mall, Ben Yehudah Street, filled with pubs, shops and restaurants.
- Accommodation – Jerusalem
Day 6 – The old city & Southern Israel
- Morning walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. Entering through the Zion Gate, visit the Kotel (Western Wall), Judaism's holiest site.
- Explore the rebuilt Jewish Quarter with its ancient Roman commercial street (the Cardo) and winding alleyways.
- Late afternoon drive south to the Kfar Hanokdim Bedouin Village and experience a camel ride through a magnificent desert landscape as the sun sets.
- Traditional Bedouin welcome ceremony, coffee and tea, followed by a lavish Hafla dinner accompanied by tales of Bedouin folklore.
- Israeli songs (guitar in hand) and Turkish coffee late into the night around a campfire in the middle of the desert.
- Accommodation - Kfar Hanokdim Bedouin Village (in a goat's hair tent or under the stars - the choice is yours).
Day 7 – Masada & the Dead Sea
- Early breakfast before departing for nearby Masada, the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans 2000 years ago, and a walk up the earthen Roman Ramp built to storm the desert fortress.
- Visit Masada's remarkable excavations including Herod's Palace and stables, the ancient synagogue and the ancient water system and hear about the defenders' anguished choice between slavery and death before descending via the winding Snake Path.
- The Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, and plenty of time to enjoy a float in the extremely salty waters and to experience the therapeutic benefits (and fun) of Dead Sea mud!
- Hike through Nahal David canyon, observe desert wildlife and flora and cool off under a natural waterfall.
- Arrive at Kibbutz Gvulot in the Western Negev desert and enjoy participating in the unique "First Outpost of the Negev" activity and settlement program.
- Outdoor BBQ dinner in the original kibbutz outpost's courtyard.
- Late evening free time to relax and enjoy meeting Israelis in the informal setting of the kibbutz pub.
- Accommodation - Kibbutz Gvulot
Day 8 – Southern Israel
- Visit Kibbutz Sde Boker, founded by soldiers on May 15, 1952, the fourth anniversary of Israeli independence, with the aim of making the desert bloom.
- Visit the grave and home of David Ben Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister and a member of the kibbutz, overlooking the biblical Wilderness of Zin.
- "Give back to Israel" - help Israelis by taking part in a community service project
- Drive north and arrive in Israel's metropolis of Tel-Aviv.
- Take part in Israeli nightlife along the boardwalk in Tel-Aviv.
- Accommodation – Tel-Aviv
Day 9 – Central Israel
- Experience the bohemian atmosphere of picturesque Nachalat Binyamin.
- Visit Rabin Square, the site of the 1995 assassination of then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
- Visit Independence Hall where David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's Independence in 1948
- Wrap-up session - Reflecting on the Taglit-Birthright Israel experience.
- Accommodation - Tel Aviv hotel.
Day 10 - Flight back to U.S.
- Visit the ancient port city of Jaffa with its quaint artists' quarter and harbor and the modern and vibrant city of Tel Aviv.
- Travel to Ben Gurion International Airport for check-in and flight back to the U.S.
Shalom U'lehitra'ot!
Good-bye and see you again soon!
