An 11-day Bar-Mitzvah tour in Israel is the most extensive tour program we offer for celebrating the festive family event. This tour will include many attractions and activities from the Golan Heights to the Dead Sea and from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Such a tour will indeed generate memorable experiences that will be remembered long after the tour.
WELCOME TO ISRAEL!. Upon arrival, head for a few days in the north. The first stop could be Caesarea or Atlit Detainee Camp. If time and wind permit, we could set a more extreme activity such as a Powered Parachute flight or paragliding. Passing by Haifa, view the Bahai Gardens, check-in, and set dinner.
The day begins with collecting food for the needy at LEKET. This charitable organization provides fresh vegetables for those in need. Next, continue to Sepphoris, and tour this signficant Jewish center in Talmudic times. At nearby Beth Shearim, explore the burial caves of the most significant Jewish cemetery in Galilee in antiquity, including the burial of the famed R. Yehudah the Prince.
This day begins with a tour of Akko, a central city since Canaanites and the former capital of the Crusaders. We stroll among the antiquities and local market and visit the British-era prison where Jewish underground members were arrested and some executed. Proceeding to Rosh Hanikra Grottoes, we take a cable car into the caves carved in the soft chalk rock, all at the border between Israel and Lebanon. After lunch we head up into the upper Galilee. In Peki’in, we will visit the synagogue of a Jewish community whose ancestry traces back to Roman times! Near Bar’am, we will see a Talmudic-era synagogue, one of the best surviving examples of synagogues from antiquity.
This rather spiritual morning is devoted to Safed, the former center for Kabbalah philosophy and now a known Jewish artist’s colony. Stroll in its alleys and visit some of the local synagogues. Nearby, you could also see the famous tomb of the Rashbi. Descend to the sources of the Jordan River and possibly hike the Ayun Stream or Banias hike and waterfall. Visit Tel Hai, where we learn about Trumpeldor and Jewish pioneering heroism in the early 20th century. After a lunch break, enjoy a refreshing Kayaking session along the Jordan River and, in the afternoon, tour the Hula Lake Park, seeking some of the plentiful migrating birds common to the site.
Ascend to the top of Mt. Bental, where one can view the Golan Heights and Syria and explore an unmanned IDF bunker. At Kibbutz El-Rom watch a movie about the OZ 77 unit in the 1973 war, climb on some tanks at the 7th Brigade Tank Monument, and even go on an ATV tour against the Syrian Border. For lunch, we go to Katsrin, where we can also visit the Golan Magic Visitor Center and a local winery or brewery. You can also opt for a chocolate workshop at De Karina Chocolatiere. On the way back, visit Kol Shofar, a workshop for making a shofar out of rams horns.
Heading to Jerusalem consider visting ancient Jewish sites like Capernaum, Tiberias, and Hamat Tiberias. At Kinneret Farm, learn about the first Jewish pioneers and poets who also invented the “Kibbutz” farms concept. After lunch, explore the Roman city of Beit She’an, the nearby mysterious ancient synagogue at Beth Alpha, and possibly swim at the Sachne. Towards sunset, greet Jerusalem with a “Sheheyanu” from the Mount of Olives Viewpoint.
Start the day at the City of David. After watching a 3d movie at the visitor’s center, continue into the city’s ancient water systems and possibly walk along the pitch-dark 1700 feet from Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Reaching the Pool of Siloam, ascend the Herodian Drainage Channel, which takes you straight to the face of the Western wall. After a lunch break, explore the Jewish Quarter at sites like the Karaite Synagogue and the Burnt House, or tour the Hurvah Synagogue. In the evening you could go to the Tower of David Night Spectacle or the City of David Nighttime Show in the evening.
This special day begins with the Bar-Mitzvah ceremony at the Western Wall, followed by a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, the Chain of Generations exhibition, and a Virtual Tour of the Second Temple. After the festive brunch, we head to Gush-Ezion for some unique fan activity in the shape of Live Shooting and Zip-line. We could also visit the rehabilitation farm for teenagers in danger in Sde Bar and crawl in caves in search of the tomb of King Herod at Herodium.
Drive through the scenic Judean Desert with an optional stop for a Camel Ride on the way. At Masada admire the site which witnessed a great drama 2000 years ago. Proceed to a nearby hotel for a lunch + spa break at the Dead Sea or drive to Kibbutz Ein Gedi for a kibbutz-style lunch and a short walk amidst the Ein-Gedi Botanical Gardens. End the day by hiking to a waterfall in Ein-Gedi Nature Reserve. On the way back stop for a view of the caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered (Qumran). If time pemits, learn how Biblical Tsitsit was made at the unique Tekhelet Factory.
Heading to Tel-Aviv, enroute visit sites like David and Goliath battlesite or crawl in Bar Kokhba caves carved by revolting Jews some 2000 years ago. Following a light lunch, drive along the historical 1948 Burma Road and visit the contemporaneous Secret Bullet Factory (“Machon Ayalon”). If time permits, reach the noble institution Israel Guide Dog Training Center for the Blind and join a tour of the Palmach Museum near Tel Aviv.
The last day is devoted to exploring Tel-Aviv and its heritage sites. Start with a visit to Independence Hall, where the state of Israel was declared. Proceed to Jaffa and learn about its rich history and scenic views. Enjoy a delightful lunch at the Flea Market and and explore Carmel Market and Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Fair. Time permitting, end the day with an adrenalin-rush experience of an extreme jet fighter flight simulator (“The Squadron”)!
