Overview
Features
Itinerary
Overview (Return to top)
For centuries, Israel has been a focal point of three of the world’s major religions. This tiny nation, smaller in area than Lake Michigan, is replete with historic and spiritual milestones -- vestiges of the Roman Empire, pathways of Crusaders, and monuments to freedom. Explore the winding lanes of Jerusalem. Descend into the spectacular Jordan Rift Valley and marvel at the Dead Sea, the deepest hyper-saline lake in the world. Walk along the storied shores of the Sea of Galilee. Learn about the struggle for settlement near the contested Golan Heights. Admire the architectural beauty of Hiafa and Tel Aviv. See this enduring, evolving county on a comprehensive tour and discover the myriad and magnificent wonders of Israel.
Priced from $2,195 plus air
Alumni Holidays, Inc.
For reservations or additional information, contact:
Jan Breitman [jbreitman@alumni.iastate.edu]
Iowa State University Alumni Association
Phone: (515) 294-6526 direct or (877) ISU-ALUM toll-free
Fax: (515) 294-9402
Features (Return to top)
Exclusive highlights:
• See the legendary landmarks of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, including the Western Wall, the revered Temple Mount, and the poignant Yad Vashem memorial museum
• Experience the stark beauty and calming ambience of the Dead Sea
• Trace sites referenced in the Bible along the shores of the Sea of Galilee
• Visit both a historic and modern settlement in Upper Galilee near the Golan Heights
• Admire the lovely port city of Haifa on the slopes of Mount Carmel
• Tour the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast
Transportation:
• Scheduled, round-trip jet service to Tel Aviv, Israel*
• Round-trip motorcoach transfers to/from the Tel Aviv Airport to/from hotels, including baggage handling at the hotels
*Provided for air package participants only.
Accommodations:
• Four nights in Jerusalem at the first-class Crowne Plaza Jerusalem
• Three nights in the Upper Galilee region at the first-class Kibbutz Hagoshrim
• One night in Tel Aviv at the first-class Hotel Dan Panorama
Meals:
• Enjoy an extensive meal program, including eight breakfasts, six lunches, and six dinners, in addition to in-flight dining service. Tea or coffee is included with all meals, plus wine with dinner. Take advantage of leisure time to try the local cuisine independently.
• Sample authentic regional specialties at featured local restaurants
• Attend a special welcome reception
• Gather for a farewell reception and graduation ceremony, followed by a farewell dinner at the hotel
Also included:
• Informative educational programs, presented by local experts, will enhance your insight into the region
• All excursions
• Services of a professional campus director and expert English-speaking local guides throughout your stay
*Provided for air package participants only.
Itinerary (Return to top)
Day 1
Depart your gateway city for Tel Aviv, Israel, aboard scheduled jet service. (Provided for air package participants only.)
Day 2
Jerusalem
Upon arrival, transfer by motorcoach to Jerusalem and the Crone Plaza Jerusalem. (Transfer provided for Air Package participants only.)
This evening, attend a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.
Day 3
Jerusalem
Excursion: Chinchero and the Temple of Ollantaytambo.
Excursion: The Old City. In Jerusalem, visit the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Trace historic footsteps along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the Mount of Olives, walk in the Garden of Gethsemane. Tour the Israel Museum and its Shrine of the Book wing, which houses the mysterious Dead Sea Scrolls discovered between 1947 and 1956.
Local Flavor: Enjoy a restaurant lunch.
Day 4
Jerusalem
Educational Focus: From the Ashes of Hell to Rebirth in Freedom.
Excursion: Modern Jerusalem. Visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial. Admire the Chagall stained-glass windows in the Abbell Synagogue. See Mount Herzl and Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Local Flavor: Lunch is served at a restaurant in the artists’ village of Ein Kerem.
Local Flavor: Gather for dinner at a restaurant in Jerusalem.
Day 5
Jerusalem
Excursion: The Dead Sea. Journey 1,378 feet (420 m) below sea level to the lowest dry-land point on earth.
Independent Exploration: The afternoon and evening in Jerusalem are free.
Day 6
Kiryat Shmona
Educational Focus: The Roots of Early Christianity.
Depart Jerusalem for Upper Galilee.
Excursion: Nazareth. Visit the Church of annunciation and Mary’s Well.
Local Flavor: Lunch is served at a restaurant that features the local tilapia.
Excursion: Sea of Galilee. Follow a route along the northwestern shore to the Mount of Beatitudes and, on either side, the ancient fishing villages of Capernaum and Tabgha. Upon arrival near Kiryat Shmona, check in to the Kibbutz Hagoshrim.
Day 7
Kiryat Shmona
Educational Focus: Tiny Country, Technological Giant.
Excursion: Upper Galilee. In the northernmost corner of the country, tour the Tel Hai settlement. In Hermon National Park, see Israel’s largest waterfall and the ruins of the city of Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. Visit a Syrian bunker and a modern settlement.
Local Flavor: Lunch at a restaurant.
Day 8
Kiryat Shmona
Excursion: Western Galilee. Visit the Mediterranean port of Acre. See Haifa’s gold-domed Bahá’í World Centre on the slopes of Mount Carmel. Enjoy a wine tasting at a vineyard near Zichron Ya’aqov.
Local Flavor: Lunch is served in Haifa.
Educational Focus: Meet the People.
Day 9
Kiryat Shmona
Educational Focus: Dreams of Peace and Political Realities.
Depart Upper Galilee for Tel Aviv.
Excursion: Mediterranean Coast. Explore the Roman amphitheater and aqueduct in Caesarea. In Tel Aviv, see Independence Hall, the Bauhaus beauty of the White City and Old Jaffa, and artists’ colony. Following the tour of Tel Aviv, check into the Hotel Dam Panorama.
Independent Exploration: Spend some time shopping in Tel Aviv. Tonight gather with fellow travelers for a farewell reception and graduation ceremony followed by diner at the hotel.
Day 10
Transfer to the airport for the return flight(s) to your gateway city. (Provided for air package participants only.)
