Galilee, Golan, Caesarea & Acre

 

Day 1

We begin our journey traveling north towards Caesarea, the ancient Roman port city, built by Herod, where we enjoy a walking tour through the impressive remains, such as the theatre, hippodrome, and other archaeological ruins. Leaving Caesarea, we head north for a scenic view of the modern port city of Haifa, from atop Mount Carmel and the city’s Bahai Gardens.

Continuing northwards, we drive to Rosh Hanikra, situated on the very border with Lebanon. In Rosh Hanikra we take a cable car to visit the special limestone grottos, shaped by the waves of the Mediterranean Sea.

Heading back south from Rosh Hanikra, we visit Acre, bustling with history and feeling. We visit Acre’s Crusader underground city and crypt, and walk through the Old City market, bustling with smells, flavors and atmosphere.

We stay overnight in a comfortable Kibbutz hotel.

 

Day 2

We begin our day in Megiddo, an important city-state in ancient times and a fascinating archeological site. From Megiddo we drive on to Bet Shean to tour the extensive archeological excavations of the ancient Roman city, including a well-preserved amphitheater, hippodrome, cardo and more.

 

Heading through the Jordan Valley we stop at the Yardenit, known as the Baptismal site on the Jordan River where according to tradition, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Continuing on our trip we ascend into the Golan hights, stopping at Hammat Gader for an overview of the triangular border with Syria, Jordan and Israel on route to the Shalom Observatory. We then proceed to the city of Katzrin, the Talmudic capital of the Golan, where we visit the archeological remains of the ancient village of Katzrin, including the 6th century synagogue, constructed entirely from Bazalt.

Leaving the ancient village of Katzrin we Ascend Mount Bental, elevated 1,170 meters above sea level. Mount Bental offers remarkable views of Mount Hermon (3,000 meters above sea level) and the Kuneitra Valley. We then shortly visit former Syrian fortifications before descending to the Hula Valley for an overnight stay at a Kibbutz hotel.

 

Day 3

We begin our day with a short tour of a Kibbutz settlement, and then drive off to the beautiful Banyas Reserve (Caesarea Philippi), one of the Jordan River’s main sources, gushing with icy water rushing through streams and waterfalls in a beautiful natural setting.

 

We then go on to visit the Crusader castle fortress of Kalat Nimrod (Nimrod’s Castle), one of the area’s largest and best-preserved Crusader fortresses. The castle offers a beautiful view of its surrounding.

From there we proceed to Birkat Ram, a natural lake, situated on a now-extinct volcano located on the foothill of Mount Hermon.

Before we end our tour and return to our hotels, we visit Safed, to take in the special atmosphere of this city, as well as visit ancient synagogues and the beautiful artists’ quarter filled with enchanted small alleyways and flowered-porches.