Itinerary:

 

DAYS 1 & 2: Tel Aviv

Our first night, we gather with our guide and key team members from the NYU Tel Aviv Global Site for a Welcome Dinner to begin our journey and get to know our fellow travelers.

 

The next morning an expert NYU Center faculty guides us as we discover Tel Aviv and its historic center including the beautiful Rothschild Boulevard with its famous Bauhaus-style buildings. This afternoon we have the opportunity to visit the NYU Tel Aviv Global Center. The Director will invite us to learn about the unique educational opportunities available for students as well as discuss Tel Aviv's importance in the NYU Global Network.

 

With numerous NYU alumni based in Israel, this evening we are joined by members of the local alumni group to enjoy drinks and light hors d’oeuvres before having the evening free to explore and dine on our own. 

 

Overnights in Tel Aviv: The Brown Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner (Day 1), Breakfast (Day 2)

 

DAYS 3 & 4: Tiberias

After breakfast we drive to Akko, capital of the Second Crusader kingdom and site of human settlement for thousands of years. The Hospitallers Fortress and the famed Templars Tunnel still remain to show us a glimpse of the Holy Land in the Middles Ages. After a traditional hummus and falafel lunch we continue to The Scots Hotel in Tiberais, our home for the next two nights and arguably one of the most unique hotels in Israel.

 

The next morning we depart for a gentle hike in the lush Tel Dan nature reserve. This northern region of Israel has been a focus of military and refugee work, and we will meet and share lunch with Colonel Kobi Marom to understand Israel’s border with Syria. In the afternoon we continue to Israel's wine region, Golan Heights. With the climate soil and topography to produce internationally recognized wines, this is an excellent place to enjoy a tasting before continuing to Safed. We wander Safed's cobblestone alleys and discover this artist haven and the center of Jewish mysticism. Dinner tonight is at the Bat Ya'ar Ranch located in Biriya Forest.

 

Overnights in Tiberias: The Scots Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch (Day 3 & 4), Dinner (Day 3 & 4)

 

DAYS 5 & 6: Jerusalem

The scenery unfolds as we depart Tiberias for our drive to Jerusalem via the Jordan Valley, filled with sites intergral to Israel's history. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, we visit the Supreme Court, considered to be one of the most beautiful public buildings in Israel. We enjoy lunch in a lovely neighborhood originally built by the German Templars in the mid-19th Century.

 

This evening is free to enjoy dinner on oour own before we meet with representatives of The Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF), a joint Palestinian Israeli organization of over 600 families. All have lost a close family member as a result of the prolonged conflict and will share their personal stories with us.

 

After breakfast the next day, we embark on a difficult yet integral education of Israel's tragic and heroic past at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and Memorial. Our guide will help to shed light on the realities of this history as we honor the memories of all affected. After lunch on our own in Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem's busy and colorful open-air market, those interested will have time to go to Kotel, the Western Wall, to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. Tonight we gather for a traditional Sabbath dinner at hotel. 

 

Overnights in Jerusalem: Inbal Jerusalem Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch (Day 5), Dinner (Day 5 & 6)

 

DAY 7:Jerusalem / Masada / Jerusalem

This morning we embark on a 4,000 ft descent to Masada and the Dead Sea. We will ascend via cable car to explore this ancient fortification located at the top of a rock plateau, originally Herod The Great's desert retreat. After lunch we have time for a swim in the Dead Sea or just to sit on the shore, the lowest point of dry land on Earth, and marvel at this natural wonder before returning to Jerusalem. 

 

For observant travelers or those who have already visited Masada, you will have the opportunity to spend the dayat leisure in Jerusalem touring the Old City on your own to learn how life has continued unchanged in many ways for centuries within the city’s walls.

 

Overnight in Jerusalem: Inbal Jerusalem Hotel               

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

 

DAY 8: Jerusalem / Tel Aviv / Home 

After an early breakfast, we visit Temple Mount, Har HaBayit in Hebrew, the holiest site in Judaism where both the First and Second Temples once stood. Visited often by Jesus as well as, according to tradition, where Muhammad ascended to Heaven on his Night Journey and received the tenets of Islam, this site holds an integral place in many religious traditions. We spend our final afternoon exploring the unique Quarters of the Old City.

 

We enjoy a festive Farewell Dinner to celebrate the end of a great trip before transferring to the airport for our overnight return flights home.*

 

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

 

*For travelers interested in spending extra time in Israel, we will continue to hotels in Tel Aviv city following the airport transfer.