Showering thoughts...

 

Please note that this is only an outline of your itinerary. It represents possible stops along your journey. This itinerary will, of course, change here and there (weather and security allowing), but in general these are the things you can expect on your trip. We purposely left out the exact timing as our programs allow for flexibility under the discretion of the guide. Links for useful information about the sites you will visit are also provided here.

You will be updated daily about your itinerary by the IsraelExperts staff. Also, please note that each IsraelExperts trip is different from every other trip. 

 

SEE YOU SOON!!! :)

 

 

·        6:50 AM - Arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport. You will be met and assisted through customs by IsraelExperts staff and will meet your Israeli tour guide and driver who will be with you throughout your tour.

·        Orientation: Take some time to get to know your fellow participants, staff, and guide while preparing for the 10-day journey ahead of you.

·        Take a walk along the beach at the ancient Roman city of Caesarea and tour the remnants of Herod’s structures and amphitheater.

·        Visit the beautiful town of Zichron Yaakov nestled in the hills of the Carmel region.

 

·        Explore Tzfat- the ancient and modern home of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Tour ancient synagogues and artists’ quarters.

·        Travel to the former military outpost at Har Bental and take in a stunning 360 degree view of Israel and Syria.

·        Arrive at your kibbutz in time to prepare for Kabbalat Shabbat (the arrival of Shabbat) and candle lighting followed by Shabbat dinner. Participate in Oneg Shabbat program.

* Accommodation: Kibbutz Gadot

·        Spend Shabbat relaxing with your group with various programming and free time at the kibbutz.

·        You’ll also have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the Kibbutz to learn more about the history of the Kibbutz movement and the history of the Kibbutz on which you’re staying.

·        Take part in the ceremony ending the Shabbat and welcoming the new week: Havdalla.

·        Take an in-depth look into Israeli society via an interactive workshop on Israeli cinema.

* Accommodation: Kibbutz Gadot

 

·        Mifgash (“Encounter”) Begins. Today you will be joined by 8 young Israelis who will be traveling with you for the next 5 days. You will have the privilege to explore Israel through their eyes (and they through yours) and to forge new and lasting friendships.

·        Enter the Old City through the Zion Gate. Visit the Jewish quarter and be witness to millennia of Jewish history, from the time of biblical kings and prophets to modern celebrations and conflicts. Walk to the Cardo, the street built by the Romans in the sixth century, situated 20 feet below modern street level. One part of the Cardo is a restored arcade of Jewish galleries and shops, while the other part is an open-air reconstructed street.

·        Take time for personal prayer and reflection at the Western Wall (Kotel).

·        Hear from Rabbi Gail Diamond about her unique story combining issues about LGBTQ rights in Israel and the US.

·        Hear a dynamic, interactive update on the current state of affairs in Israel with KolVoice Seminars.

·        Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust. The museum presents the historic events that befell Europe following the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany and the fate of the Jews under Nazi rule in the occupied countries.

·        Visit Mount Herzl, Israel’s military cemetery and the burial place of Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir and Theodore Herzl.

·        Go out for dinner and spend the night out on Jerusalem’s vibrant pedestrian mall, Ben Yehudah Street. Enjoy the open-air mall (a.k.a. ‘ha midrechov’) with its pubs, shops, and restaurants with plenty of live music.

* Accommodation: Rimonim Jerusalem

·        Visit Neve Shalom, a cooperative village of Jews and Arabs of Israeli citizenship. Learn about the history, development and ideology of the village, and meet with its members.

·        Tour Kibbutz Kramim and learn about its emphasis on green planning and what it means to aspire to be a green community. Hear about the gray water system used on the Kibbutz and experience building one yourself.

·        Spend the night at Kfar Hanokdim - Desert Experience. Partake in a light taste of Bedouin tradition and cultureincluding a welcome ceremony of coffee and tea followed by a Middle-Eastern dinner served in the traditional style seated on rugs and pillows in a Bedouin style tent. Accommodation is in a mock up of a traditional Bedouin tent.

·        Enjoy a group gathering around an Israeli style bonfire and take a night hike.

* Accommodation: Kfar HaNokdim Bedouin Village                 

 

·        Start the day with a camel-back ride in Bedouin tradition. 

·        Climb Mount Masada. Walk up the earthen Roman Ramp built 2000 years ago to storm this desert fortress and view the remarkable excavations including Herod’s Palace and stables, the ancient synagogue and the ancient water system.

·        Hike in the Ein Gedi desert oasis at Nachal David and float in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth.

·        Get to know your Mifgash Israelis by partaking in a special activity they have prepared for you.

 

·        Hear from a special guest speaker about life in the LGBTQ community in Israel.

·        Enjoy a panel discussion featuring three prominent LGBTQ organizations in Israel.

·        Farewell for Israelis – End of Mifgash.

·        Enjoy a night out at Tel Aviv’s port, the night spot on the north end of the beach promenade, full of trendy restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes and shops.

·        Visit Independence Hallwhere David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel’s Independence in 1948.

·        Stroll the trendy area of Nahlat Benyamin and the neighboring market “Shuk HaCarmel”, where you can find many cafes, shops and unique gifts.

·        Tour ofJaffa, one of the world’s ancient ports. Modern Jaffa has a heterogeneous population of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Jaffa is a major tourist site with an exciting combination of old and new. You may have time to explore the local flea market called Shuk Hapishpeshim for all kinds of hidden treasures (and delicious things to eat).

·        Walk through Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood in south-west Tel Aviv. It was the first Jewish neighborhood to be built in Tel Aviv outside the walls of the ancient port of Jaffa. For years, the neighborhood prospered as Tel Aviv, the first modern Hebrew city, grew up around it. Today Neve Tzedek has become one of Tel Aviv’s most fashionable and artsy districts.

·        Arrive at your hotel in time to prepare for Kabbalat Shabbat (the arrival of Shabbat) and candle lighting followed by Shabbat dinner. Participate in Oneg Shabbat program.

·        Stroll the Tel Aviv boardwalk (in hebrew “tayelet”) at night and take the opportunity to walk in the soft Mediterranean sand.  

·        Spend Shabbat relaxing with your group with various programming and free time at the hotel.

·        Take a walking tour around Tel Aviv and visit important venues, such as Rabin Square (“Kikar Rabin” in Hebrew), a large public city square in central Tel Aviv, named after Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated at the conclusion of a massive peace rally held at the square on November 4, 1995 andRothschild Boulevard, a long European-style avenue in central Tel Aviv, which with it’s variety of cafés, restaurants, kiosks, and different styles of architecture is one of the most popular and famous streets in Israel. Israel’s Declaration of Independence was signed at the Independence Hall, which is situated on the boulevard.

·        Take part in the ceremony ending the Shabbat and welcoming the new week: Havdalla.

·        Bring the experience to an end with a closing session.