My Turn tells the story of Israel through the lens of Jewish history. We begin where it started in Jerusalem, we follow the path of the Exile to Masada and Galilee, and then we conclude in Tel Aviv celebrating the establishment of modern Israel.
FINAL ITINERARIES VARY ONLY SLIGHTLY AND ARE RE-CONFIRMED ABOUT TWO MONTHS PRIOR. VIEW PROJECTED HOTELS WE ARE OFFERING.
DAY 1 > THURSDAY | Baruch HaBah – Welcome to Israel!
NOTE: To best acclimate for the journey ahead, travelers are encouraged to arrive at least a day early. Group rates are available at the Jerusalem hotel.
- Arrive at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on your self-booked flight
An airport VIP greeting and complimentary transfer to our Jerusalem hotel is included for all travelers arriving between 6:00am and 4:20pm today and between 6:00am and 5:35pm the day before - A complimentary "pre-tour" is available for anyone already in Israel from the night before or arriving to Ben Gurion Airport by 9:30am this day. Notify us at least a month in advance if you plan to participate.
- Pick-up at 12:00pm from our Jerusalem hotel and travel to the bustling open-air Mahane Yehuda Marketplace for lunch on own
- View the renowned Chagall Windows at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem
- Evening: Enjoy a welcome dinner at Joy Restaurant in the Mamilla Complex followed by the Tower of David Night Spectacular show in the Old City
DAY 2 > FRIDAY | The Old City of Jerusalem
- Experience a panoramic introduction to Jerusalem from the Haas Promenade
- Enter the Old City via Zion Gate – Explore the rooftops, alleyways, and ancient squares of the Jewish Quarter
- Reflections at the Kotel – The Western Wall – explore the Southern Wall Excavations and go deep under the Old City in the Kotel Tunnels
- Return to our accommodations - Freshen up, relax, and experience the quiet that descends on Jerusalem as the city prepares for the start of Shabbat
- Evening: Option to experience Kabbalat Shabbat at the Western Wall followed by a festive Shabbat dinner as a group at our hotel
DAY 3 > SATURDAY | Shabbat in Jerusalem
All touring today is on foot
- Morning Option: Return to the Old City to tour the historic Christian Quarter and Arab Shuk (bazaar), including a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- Shabbat lunch is included at our hotel
- Afternoon Option: Jerusalem Beyond the Walls – Montefiore's Windmill, Yemin Moshe, Mishkenot Sheananim, and the First Jerusalem Train Station Market
- Evening: Discover Jerusalem nightlife at Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall, the German Colony, the Russian Compound, and beyond (on own)
DAY 4 > SUNDAY | Loss & Renewal in Israel
- Docent-led tour of Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center
- Learn about the leaders who shaped the story of modern Israel at Mt. Herzl National Cemetery
- Explore the Knesset grounds, Israel's parliament building, and stop for a photo-op at the Knesset Menorah
- Evening: Travel to the near-desert for a short camel ride and a desert tent dinner feast at Eretz Bereisheit
DAY 5 > MONDAY | Adventures in the Judean Desert
- Rise early and travel into the deep Judean Desert
- Ascend Masada via the cable cars or hike up the Snake Path – Tour of Herod's desert mountaintop fortress and the bastion of an ancient Jewish rebellion
- Experience effortless floating at the Dead Sea with access to the private beach and spa at the Vert Resort
- Travel northwards to the Galilee via the Jordan River Valley, part of the vast Syrian-African Rift
- Check-in and dinner at our country resort accommodations in the Galilee
DAY 6 > TUESDAY | Mystics in the Galilee
- Relaxed morning to enjoy the hotel facilities
- Explore ancient Tsfat – The historic center of Jewish mysticism in the Galilee
- Lunch on own and personal exploration time in the Tsfat artists’ colony and meet a local Kabbalistic artist
- Afternoon: Tasting and tour at the Dalton Winery in the Galilee highlands
- Travel to the Kinneret – the Sea of Galilee – and embark on a festive cruise across Israel’s largest lake
- Return to our hotel where dinner is included
DAY 7 > WEDNESDAY | Perspectives from the Golan Heights
- Ascend the Golan Heights, and explore this strategic region on a historical and geo-political off-road jeep trek
- View Israel’s neighbors and navigate former IDF bunkers at the summit of Mt. Ben-Tal, a dormant volcano on the Golan overlooking Mt. Hermon and Syria
- Travel to Ein Kinya village to learn about Druze culture over a traditional lunch
- Continue on to Mitzpe Gadot to learn about the remarkable story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli super-spy who left his mark on the Golan Heights
- The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel facilities
- Evening: Dinner on own and personal exploration time in the village of Rosh Pina, an early Zionist settlement founded with the assistance of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild
DAY 8 > THURSDAY | The Western Galilee
- Depart the Sea of Galilee region and travel to the Western Galilee
- Descend into the ocean-swept caves of Rosh Hanikrah on Israel’s far northern border
- Lunch is served at the Rosh Hanikrah restaurant overlooking Israel’s rugged coast
- Continue to Haifa for a view of the Bahai Temple Gardens on the slopes of Mount Carmel
- Caesarea – Discover Herod’s Roman amphitheater and grand palace on the beach
- Arrive to Tel Aviv, Israel’s cultural and commercial capital, in the early evening:
- 8-day tour travelers booked on overnight flights this evening are offered a transfer to Ben Gurion Airport departing Tel Aviv at ~7:15pm and arriving to Ben Gurion Airport at ~8:00pm
Accommodations in Tel Aviv are not included tonight for 8-day travelers unless otherwise requested - 10-day tour travelers check in to our hotel on the coast and enjoy a free evening with dinner on own
- 8-day tour travelers booked on overnight flights this evening are offered a transfer to Ben Gurion Airport departing Tel Aviv at ~7:15pm and arriving to Ben Gurion Airport at ~8:00pm
DAY 9 > FRIDAY | Founding of Modern Israel
- Visit the Ayalon Institute (“the Bullet Factory”) – Learn about the story of the Haganah and the quest to create a modern Jewish State at this secret factory
- Tour the ancient port city of Jaffa and browse the Jaffa Flea Market
- Spend the rest of the afternoon celebrating the spirit of Tel Aviv at Nahalat Binyamin street festival, the Carmel Market, the trendy Rothschild Boulevard, and Independence Hall where the modern State of Israel was founded (re-opening in 2024-25)
- Program wrap-up and farewells on the beach followed by the option to attend a Kabbalat Shabbat service
- Evening: Enjoy a festive Shabbat dinner experience as a group at our hotel
DAY 10 > SATURDAY | Shabbat on the Beach
All touring today is on foot
- Relaxed morning to explore Tel Aviv on your own and its Mediterranean beach culture
- Shabbat lunch is included at our hotel this afternoon
- Walking Tour – Rabin Square Memorial, HaBimah Theater (grounds), and the classic “White City” Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv
- Late afternoon/early evening transfer options:
- 10-day tour travelers booked on overnight flights this evening are offered a transfer to Ben Gurion Airport departing Tel Aviv at ~7:15pm and arriving to the airport at ~8:00pm
Accommodations in Tel Aviv are not included tonight for 10-day travelers unless otherwise requested - 12-day tour travelers are transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for a late afternoon/early evening flight to Eilat (see below)
- 10-day tour travelers booked on overnight flights this evening are offered a transfer to Ben Gurion Airport departing Tel Aviv at ~7:15pm and arriving to the airport at ~8:00pm
EILAT EXTENSION | DAYS 11-12
Conclude your travels at the Red Sea resort city of Eilat – with the option to visit Petra, Jordan’s wonder of the world. The package includes two nights at a resort hotel with breakfast daily, round-trip domestic flights, and all airport transfers. The Eilat extension is designed as a vacation package and is not guided. The guided day tour of Petra in Jordan costs an additional $219 per person and is designed for active travelers. It includes round-trip transfers, entrance fees, and lunch (not kosher). It excludes border crossing fee of $65 to be paid via credit card on the Israeli side and a visa fee of $60 to be paid in cash on the Jordanian side. Government fees are subject to change.
DAY 10 > SATURDAY | Flight to Eilat
For morning & afternoon programming – see above
- Board a domestic flight to Eilat from Ben Gurion Airport
- Arrive at Ramon Airport and transfer to our resort accommodations on the Red Sea
- Check-in to our hotel and dinner on your own along the Red Sea
DAY 11 > SUNDAY | Optional Petra Day Tour
- Option #1: Guided day tour of Petra in Jordan
Pick-up at 7:30am at our hotel; lunch is included (not kosher) - Option #2: Relaxed day to enjoy Eilat and the Red Sea on your own
DAY 12 > MONDAY | Red Sea Relaxation
- Relaxed day to enjoy Eilat and the Red Sea
Check-out is at 11:00am, however, guests will retain access to hotel facilities all day - Transfer from the hotel to the Ramon Airport for a domestic flight to Ben Gurion Airport (see below)
Accommodations are not included tonight unless otherwise requested
EILAT FLIGHT LOGISTICS
The Eilat (Days #11-12) begins with a 50-minute domestic flight from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday (Day #10) that we will book on your behalf and arrange for your airport transfer. Most flights will depart in the late afternoon and early evening and are not appropriate for Shabbat-observant travelers.
The Eilat Extension ends with a return domestic flight on Monday. If you are departing from Israel immediately after the Eilat Extension, we encourage you to book an international flight that departs Ben Gurion Airport between 11:00pm (Monday) and 1:00am the next day (Tuesday).
Unless otherwise requested by the traveler, your return domestic flight will be selected by our office according to a schedule that will bring you to Ben Gurion Airport’s international terminal 3-5 hours ahead of your scheduled international flight. If no such domestic flight exists we will contact you with alternate options. Domestic flight delays and airport transfer delays are infrequent but can occur. Any such delay resulting in a missed international flight is the responsibility of the traveler alone, and travel insurance is recommended accordingly.
If you are considering an international return flight that departs Ben Gurion Airport before 1:00pm, keep in mind that there are limited or no early morning flights from Eilat to Tel Aviv, and you will almost definitely need to spend the night before at a Tel Aviv hotel or at a hotel near the airport such as Sadot. Ground transportation is not provided by the program in such scenarios.
We can only book your domestic flights after we first receive your connecting travel plans. Since domestic flight availability is limited, we encourage you to send us your post-Eilat travel plans as soon as possible. If you have any questions about coordinating your international flights, please do not hesitate to contact us. Shortly before the start of the program, we will provide you with a logistics plan based on your personal travel arrangements to and from Eilat.
