A Possible Itinerary (April 28-May 11, 2008)

I am waiting for price quotes from a couple reputable tour companies based on the following sample itinerary. This is at least an idea of what the trip might look like. In future posts, I'll explain why these places are worth visiting. Stay tuned!

Day 1 – Depart Toronto for Tel Aviv (students will need to arrange for their own travel from Regina to Toronto) [I understand it is a lot cheaper to fly from Toronto. Otherwise a flight from Regina or even Calgary would be more convenient.]

Day 2 – Arrival and transfer to hotel in the Tel Aviv area.

Day 3 – The coastal plains from Tel Aviv to Tiberias

• Possible sites to include:
• Caesarea
• Mt. Carmel
• Dor
  
• Tel Megiddo
• Nazareth and Nazareth Village
  

Days 4-6 – Sea of Galilee, upper Galilee and the Golan Heights (nights at a Kibbutz hotel in the Sea of Galilee area).

• Possible sites to include:
• Mount Bental bunker
• Banias
• Tel Dan
• Baram
• Tel Hatzor
• Capernaum
• Mt. of Beatitudes
• Tabgha
• “St. Peter’s Boat” at Ginosar
• Bethsaida (Et Tell)
• Tiberias
  
• Gamla
  
• Arbel Cliffs
• Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee
• Cana
  
• Tzipori (Sepphoris)

Days 7-8 – Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Judean Wilderness

• Possible sites to include:
• Beit Shean
• Qumran (including hike to cave 1)
• Ein Gedi
• Dead Sea swim
• Masada

Day 9 – The Negev, etc.

• Possible sites to include:
• Tel Arad
• Beer Sheva
• Machtesh Ramon
• Lachish
• Beit Guvrin/ Tel Maresha
• Ashkelon

Day 10 – The Vicinity of Jerusalem

• Possible sites to include:
• Viewpoints on the Judean hill country including the Benjamin plateau and the Shephelah.
• Bethlehem
• Herodium
• Mt. of Olives
• Mt. Scopus
• Yad ve Shem
• Model of Jerusalem

Day 11 – Jerusalem #1

• Possible sites to include:
• Western Wall
• Temple Mount
• Via Dolorosa
• Church of the Holy Sepulcher
• Garden Tomb

Day 12 – Day off in Jerusalem

Day 13 – Jerusalem #2

• Possible sites to include:
• Jewish quarter excavations (high priest’s home)
• Southern Wall excavations
• Western Wall Tunnel
• Hezekiah’s Tunnel
• City of David

Day 14 – Departure for Toronto