Start Date
The Best of Israel 10 Day Christmas Tour with Underground Jerusalem 2024
Christmas Tour
Israel Christmas Tour 2024. Have a joyful and one-of-a-lifetime Christmas in the Holy Land. Spend time at the holiest sites in the world. Includes Christmas Dinner and Mass in Bethlehem. Explore the underground Jerusalem. An uplifting spiritual journey!
Day 1
Arrival
Arrival at Tel Aviv International Airport. A Noah Tours representative will meet you after passport control and accompany you to your transfer to your hotel.
Day 2
Jaffa – Caesarea – Haifa – Nazareth – Galilee
After breakfast drive through Jaffa, an ancient port city, and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. Continue to the ancient city of Caesarea that was built by King Herod the Great while driving along the beautiful Mediterranean coast. We will then proceed to Haifa, passing by Mt. Carmel to see the famous Bahai Gardens. From Haifa, we will drive to Nazareth and the Church of Annunciation. Pass by Cana, where the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine took place. End the day with an overnight in Tiberias/Galilee Sea.
Day 3
Galilee – Mt. Beatitudes – Capernaum – Tabgha - Golan Heights
Start the day with an exciting boat ride on the Galilee Sea. Continue to see the “Jesus Boat”, the ancient boat found sunk in the Sea of Galilee from the time of Jesus. Ascend to Mt. Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the “Sermon on the Mount”. Continue the day in Capernaum, known as “The Town of Jesus”, and visit the synagogue and Peter’s house. Take a lunch break with a delicious St. Peters fish lunch. Next, we will visit Tabgha, the place where the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes took place. You will also have the amazing opportunity to see the famous mosaic under the altar of the ancient church of Tabgha. Proceed to the Golan Heights and have an overview from above. End the day at your hotel in the Galilee Sea for your overnight.
Day 4
Jordan River – Qumran – Masada – Dead Sea
Begin the morning driving along the Jordan River to the Yardenit Baptismal Site. Visit Qumran and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Travel on to Masada where you will take a cable car up to the fortress. The history of the famous Jewish fortification will unfold before your eyes; the palaces built by King Herod, the synagogue, and bathhouses used by the Jews. Descend Masada by cable car and drive to the Dead Sea for relaxation and a water dip. Overnight at the Dead Sea.Mt. of Olives – Mahane Yehuda – Christmas Dinner – Manger Square
Day 5
Mt. of Olives - Mahane Yehuda - Christmas Dinner - Manger Square
After breakfast, ascend to the holy city of Jerusalem via the biblical and ancient road of the Judean Desert. Go up to the Mt. of Olives, a cemetery that once was covered in olive groves, where you will have a magnificent panoramic view of Jerusalem. Finish the day back in Jerusalem continue the day with an exciting tour of the Mahane Yehuda Marketplace (Shuk) and experience life as an Israeli. Return to the hotel for a rest. In the evening, we will have a Christmas Dinner in Bethlehem and visit the Christmas mass from Manger Square outside the Church of The Nativity. returning at 11:00 pm to the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 6
Jerusalem (Old City) - Via Dolorosa - Western Wall
The morning will begin with the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before his crucifixion. Make your way to Mt. Zion where you will visit David’s Tomb and the site of the Last Supper, also known as the “Upper Room”. We continue to the Christian Quarter where you will enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified. From there, walk where Jesus walked and make your way down Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross). The day will continue with a trip to The Cardo, what used to be a main street in the Old City during the time when Judea was under Roman rule. Go down to the Western Wall and spend some time in reflection and/or prayer. End the day in your Hotel.
Day 7
Jerusalem (New City) and Bethlehem Tour
Today will begin with a short city tour in New Jerusalem, we will pass by the Israeli parliament “Knesset”, and if time permits, stop by the famous menorah. We will visit the Israel Museum, Israel’s national museum, where you will see the Dead Sea Scrolls and a model of the Second Temple. Travel to Bethlehem to see the Church of Nativity located at Manger Square. Overview of the Judean Desert and Shepherd’s Field. Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 8
Underground Jerusalem Tour
Explore the city on a walking tour and discover the city of David and its fascinating archaeological excavations. Visit the Archaeological Park Davidson Center and enrich yourself with the ancient history of the Temple. Proceed to explore the Southern Wall excavations and learn about the Robinson Arch, the ritual bath, and get a glimpse of the era before the destruction of the Second Temple. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 9
Free Day in Jerusalem
Free Day to rest and explore on your own the holy city of Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 10
Departure
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Until next time!
To view photos of the hotel, click on the hotel name
Arrival Date
Departure Date
Including
- Meeting and assistance upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport
- 2 transfers: from & to the airport
- 9-night hotel accommodation including daily Israeli buffet breakfasts
- all entrance fees according to the itinerary
- Government licensed English speaking guide on touring days
- 8 days sightseeing in a modern air-conditioned motor coach
- 1 Christmas Eve Festive dinner in Bethlehem on December 24th
- Viewing the mass from the outside in Bethlehem at Manger Square
Excluding
- Tips to guide, driver, hotel staff, etc.
- Domestic and international flights
- Traveler’s medical & baggage insurance
- Porterage at the airport
- Dinners, if booking on BB basis
- Beverages with meals
- Supplement for private transfers
- Anything not mentioned in the „rate includes“ section
Optional Services
vip meeting and assitance from the plane sleeve upon arrival USD 85 per person
Important Notes
- The tour departs on Friday, December 20, 2024, with a transfer from the airport to the hotel.
- Check-in time is no earlier than 15:00 pm.
- Check-out time is no later than 10:00 am.
- Noah Tours does not assist with purchasing tickets to the mass.
- The mass will only be viewed from the outside. If you have a ticket and stay for the entire mass, you must book your own transfer back to the hotel.
- In case the hotels mentioned in the table are not available, a similar hotel from the same category will be booked
- Kibbutz Hotel is upon availability. In case of no availability, the overnight will be in Tiberias.
- Dead Sea Hotel is upon availability. In case of no availability, the overnight will be in Jerusalem.
- The dinner supplement includes 3 dinners. ( 2 in The Galilee and 1 in the Dead Sea)
- If you book on an HB basis and your arrival flight arrives after dinner time, dinner cannot be guaranteed.
- It is possible to book additional nights at hotels if arriving before or departing after the tour dates.
- In the case where the client books an extra night before the tour with their own arrangements, the transfer to the hotel is not included in the package.
- Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least 7 months at the time of your tour.
- The sequence of the tour, hotels used, and sites visited may be amended due to circumstances.
- Tours of holy sites require modest dress (should cover shoulders, no short sleeves, short skirts, or shorts).
- Available extensions to Jordan and Egypt – for additional information please contact us.
- We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express & bank transfers.
- A third adult sharing a double room receives a 5% discount from the double room rate.
- To confirm a place on this tour a deposit of USD $200 per person is required.
- The program can be extended and tailor-made for groups or private tours.
- Noah Tours may change the sequence of the tour as long as we include all the sightseeing in the tour program.
- Free WiFi is available at most hotels but cannot be guaranteed.
- For more information, please see our terms and conditions
