The Holy Land: Israel, Palestine & Jordan

Arrival Ben Gurion International Airport.  Your guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Begin the day with a city walk in Tel Aviv, starting at the intersection of tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard and Herzl Street and walk through some scenery, stopping at the Carmel market to the city center of Tel Aviv. The site of the intersection and market is declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Tour includes a visit to Rabin Square, where an assassination happened and shook the country to its core.  Also stopping over to visit the Florentine Quarter and the Hellen Keller Society.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Morning tour around Holon near Tel Aviv, and with a stop to visit the ‘Dialogue in Silence’ exhibition by local Deaf actors.

The tour continues to the ancient port city of Yaffo (Jaffa) and to Neve Tzedek, which is the first Jewish neighborhood just outside of Jaffa.

At the Nalagat Center in the same area, there is a very special performance by the DeafBlind Theatre. Depending on the box office schedule, you may be able to watch a performance.

Note that ticket admission for the play is not included in the tour package.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Check out Tel Aviv, drive up north to Hafia.  Along the way, you stop to see Caesaria, an ancient site belonging to the Rome Empire.  And to Megido, the place where some people say that Armageddon will begin.

Next, you stop for lunch at the Carmel Mountains with the Druze people, a cultural ethnic minority.

After lunch, you drive to our hotel and check in.  Your hotel is close to the famous German colony part of town. You may meet some Deaf locals.

There are plans to visit the Bahai Gardens and the Stella Maris Monastery in Hafia.

Overnight in Haifa.

After breakfast, you drive up north to visit the city of Akko that was once the city capital for the Crusaders. There you will see the ancient city walls and tunnels that are well preserved. 

Then you stop for lunch before your afternoon trip to Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up, and see the Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where the birth of Jesus was announced.

Overnight in Nazareth.

Check out in the morning and embark on a drive around Lake Tiberias where Jesus performed his miracles including Sermon on the Mount. Also stopping at the ancient fishing village of Capernaum, and the Magdala Synagogue that is the oldest excavated synagogue in the world. Both of which are near the Sea of Galilee. 

Overnight in Nazareth.

Morning check-out and drive to the Golan Heights for a view into Syria. On a clear day, one can catch glimpse of Mount Hermon, the highest point of Israel.

You pass Kufr Qasim, the primary filming location for the Israeli political thriller television series Fauda.

Overnight in Jerusalem

After breakfast, start at the Mount of Olives for a splendid view of the old Jerusalem. Then return to the center of Jerusalem for a walking tour inside the walls of the old city. You start at Via Delarosa following Jesus’ footsteps to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where he was crucified. You will also see the Muslim and Christian quarters and King David’s tomb.

And until dusk, there’s a spectacular light show at King David’s tower.

Overnight in Jerusalem

After breakfast, you continue to explore old Jerusalem but with an emphasis on Judaism. A Deaf Rabbi will come to meet you at the Wailing Wall for a morning tour of the Jewish Quarter in the old city.

By noon, you visit the Jewish neighborhood in the western part of Jerusalem. With your guide, you will learn about Jewish history, culture, and heritage. And you will have a traditional Jewish Kosher meal with a local Deaf family.

Overnight in Jerusalem

After breakfast, you check out and drive to Hebron, a Palestinian city. Hebron is an ancient city that is important to the three religions – Judaism, Muslims, and Christians.  There you stop to see Rachel’s Tomb, and the Tomb of the Patriarchs also known as the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

After visiting Hebron, we drive to Bethlehem for lunch with a local Deaf Palestinian family and go visit the Chruch of Nativity where Jesus was born.

Overnight in Bethlehem.

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and drive to see Shepherd’s Field where the coming of Christ was announced.

Then continue your drive to Jericho, the oldest city in the world.  There you take a cable car up to Mount of Temptation to see the Greek Orthodox monastery.

by late afternoon, check-in your hostel that looks out to the Dead Sea.

Overnight at the Dead Sea.

In the morning you drive out to visit Masada, an ancient fortress where Jewish people maintained their last stand against the Romans.

In the afternoon you have free time to float on the Dead sea or visit a spa.

After breakfast, you leave the Dead Sea to Susya, a Jewish settlement in the Westbank. You will meet a Deaf Jewish settler family and learn some things about Kibbutz, the collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on collective settlement.

In the afternoon you have free time to do different things in the Negev desert like a camel ride in the desert or a hands-on experience culture activity.  Options will be presented to you.

After breakfast, you drive to the El Sayid village in Negev Desert and meet with the Deaf Bedouin community, who will welcome you to their village. They will talk about their Deaf heritage, sign language, and lives.

After the visit, you drive to Eilat, a city at the southernmost tip of Israel with a small window to the Gulf of Aqaba, which is the outflow of the red sea.

We spend the night in a Kibbutz.

Overnight in Eilat

Check-out and embark on a morning tour of the city, Eilat and cross the border of Jordan for the Wadi Rum. This place is without a doubt one of the most beautiful deserts in the world.

Upon arrival at our campsite, we check-in our tents and embark on a 4-hour Jeep tour to the most scenic sites of the Wadi Rum desert.

Overnight in Wadi Rum

You enjoy the morning at your campsite. You may sign up to go on a camel ride with the sunrise or just stay back and around your camp.

In the afternoon after lunch, you embark on a journey to Wadi Musa and then to the famous ancient city of Petra.

Overnight in Wadi Musa

After breakfast, a Deaf guide will meet you and give you a tour around ancient Petra.

There are many more interesting ancient sites in Petra.

Overnight in Wadi Musa

Check out the camp and drive to Amman, the capital of Jordan. Along the way, you stop to visit Mount Nebo, where Moses looked into the holy land after he led his people through Egypt.

After arrival in Amman, You may visit the Roman theatre and citadel, the spectacular ancient Roman sites in the center of the city.

Overnight in Amman

After breakfast, you go to visit the Deaf organization that is the supplier of this tour and exchange greetings.

Your afternoon is spent at Jerash a city just outside of Amman.  Jerash is spectacular. It’s a site with Roman and Byzantine ruins that ranks among the largest and best-preserved in the world.

Overnight in Amman

Time to say goodbye.  Your guide will drop you off at the airport.