“What a trip! Leading up to visiting Israel we were excited with anticipation, but boy did it exceed anything we had imagined. Our tour guide CJ was outstanding. He broke down the Jewish culture, past and modern history, biblical connections/application, and geography of Israel at every site. It was just so awesome with how many sites and artifacts we were shown and how seamlessly our trip was organized. Throughout the week we were taken well care of. We stayed in very nice hotels, ate great food, and enjoyed a comfortable, air-conditioned bus driven by our expert driver, Happy. Happy made sure we stayed hydrated and took extra special care of us in keeping us safe. CJ and Happy complemented each other wonderfully. With packed days of touring, we enjoyed restful evenings. We also felt safe and secure throughout our travels, allowing us to delve fully into what we were learning and what God was teaching us about Himself.
Besides enjoying CJ and Happys sense of humor, we quickly experienced camaraderie between the rest of our group, which made little things like traveling, eating, and taking pictures fun. Thank you all for loving on us; we thank God for you and this short time we were able to connect. And most importantly we thank God as we recognize all the lessons we learned along the way. He definitely used this trip to reveal new things to us as we learned more about the Bible, God, and ourselves.
Thank you and many Blessings,
Jeanne Jackson
9-Day Holy Land Food Tour
Experience the tastes that define the Holy Land in this 9 day all-inclusive tour!
What’s Included
- Airfare from group departure city
- All Transfers
- Baggage Handling
- Entrance Fees to all Sites
- Gratuities
- Itinerary as per Description
- Premium Accommodations
- Professional Tour Guides
- Transportation by Deluxe Motor Coach
Schedule
Day 1 Depart USA
Relax and rest on your flight from the USA.
Day 2 Arrival - Caesarea and Akko
Arrival at Tel Aviv Airport, Tel Aviv. Meet and assist at the airport, travel to Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea for a wine and cheese reception hosted by experts. Continue to Akko for overnight and special seafood dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 3 Akko and Western Galilee
We will start the day with a walking tour of the Old Akko, visiting all the Old Crusader parts of Akko, visit the Tunisian Synagogue, we will be tasting and trying some of the local specialties as we walk through the old market. We will then enjoy a spectacular lunch with expert chef. In the afternoon we will travel to the grottos of Rosh Hanikra and return to Akko for a boat-ride, special dinner and overnight.
Day 4 Galilee
We will travel to the Mount of Beatitudes for an amazing view of the Sea of Galilee and have orientation about the biblical sites around the Sea of Galilee. Visit Tabgha, the place where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish, and we will take a boat-ride across the Sea of Galilee. The famous St. Peter's Fish for lunch, in the afternoon we will take a tour through the city of Safed, we will learn about Jewish mysticism and get to meet a local artist as they discuss the art of glass blowing and the connection of the craft to the Talmud. Dinner and overnight in Galilee.
Day 5 Golan heights
In the morning, travel up north to the Golan Heights and visit the beautiful nature reserve of Banias (Caesarea Philippi) where we will take a walk along the new footbridge overlooking the waterfalls. We will then continue to the Druze village of Majdel Shams, where we will be met by a local guide and be introduced to the Druze community. We will take a walk through the market, rich with with locally grown fruits and vegetables, and enjoy the hospitality and a light lunch as we watch the Druze women in the village bake the flat-bread which is served with za'atar and labaneh. Continuing south in the Golan Heights, we will take a jeep ride along the border and learn a bit about geopolitical issues of the region. You will have an opportunity to "pick your own" at the local orchards (and eat) the seasonal fruits of the area. We will end or day touring and tasting exquisite wines produced by a local winery. Dinner this evening will be at a restaurant in the Galilean mountains. Overnight in the Galilee.
Day 6 Samaria and Nablus
Traveling to Jerusalem through Samaria and the Palestinian territories, we will spend much of the morning in the Old City of Nablus learning about the ancient soap production, famous Nablus sweets, and other items within the ancient market. We will dine midday with a local women's group learning about the Palestinian slow food movement and local culture. After a brief visit to Jacob's Well, we will meet with Samaritians on Mt. Gerazim and learn about their culture and traditions. We will arrive in Jerusalem and enjoy a panoramic view of the Old City from the rooftop of the Notre Dame Center where we will enjoy a light wine and cheese dinner from the rooftop terrace.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 7 The Old City of Jerusalem
One of the thrills of our visit to the Holy Land is the view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the top of the Mount of Olives, especially in the morning sun. We will see the Western Wall and visit the Temple Mount (Haram al-Shareef.) We will tour other ancient sites within the Old City of Jerusalem including Mount Zion, the Via Dolorosa, and enjoy a lite lunch at the most famous Hummus and Jerusalem food place in the Holy Sepulcher, we will join the expert chefs from the acclaimed group, Chefs for Peace, for yet another unique tour, now through the bustling souq, with its rows of spice shops and meat markets and everything in between. This will culminate in a wonderful festive workshop and dinner. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 8 Jerusalem and Bethlehem
This morning we will visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Museum. We will then visit a Hasidic family's home as our small group, which will shed some light onto Jewish life and tradition in this holy city . And since the Jewish culture is so steeped in food we will add to the fun by making our very own loaves of braided challah bread to celebrate the uniqueness and cultural depth of the Holy Land. We will then travel a short distance to the home of an Arab family, where they will treat us to a homemade lunch and conversations about their customs.
Day 9 Return to USA
Relax and reflect on your flight home.
Jeanne Jackson
This was my first time to Isreal, and it was such a fantastic trip due to our guide Adam and our driver Money Mike! Adam is so knowledgeable and was really able to make each site come alive for me. We had a really large group, and I am sure that Adam felt like he was “herding cats” all week, but he kept us together and moving through the areas while sharing so much information. With Mike’s driving and sense of humor, I felt very safe even though the streets sometimes seemed way too narrow for all of the buses and cars! The team of Adam and Money Mike were fabulous, and I would highly recommend them!!
Adrienne Carter
If you’re doing the Holy Land Tour, there’s no question in which company to choose - it’s Travel With Friends! The entire trip was very well planned and wasted no time in getting us in and out of sites while beating the crowds. Ibrahim was a phenomenal guide! He was personable, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable in the Bible and history of the land. Will definitely do this trip again and go through Travel With Friends!
Ellie Hill