Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tour of Israel - Center and the North

Arrival - Tel Aviv

Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah party will be met at Ben Gurion Airport and then transferred by private coach to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Past and Future

We begin our tour in Jaffa, one of the world's most ancient ports. Enjoy the art galleries, cafes, and boutique shops which are all part of today’s Jaffa scene.

In the afternoon we’ll visit the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. Israel is often called “the start-up nation” and here you’ll learn why, with a guided tour of the exhibits including an exciting VR experience.

Dinner will be in one of Tel Aviv’s many trendy restaurants

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Secrets of Tel Aviv

If it is Tuesday or Friday we can start with the Nachalat Binyamin craft market. The atmosphere is like a street party – with colorful stalls, cafes and street entertainment. You can pick up unique hand-made mementos from the artists themselves.

Next, we’ll take a fun Graffiti tour in Tel Aviv’s up and coming Florentin neighborhood and hear all about the many different street art creations. We will also have an opportunity to taste some local delicacies.

In the afternoon we can visit Independence Hall, where the modest home of Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, became the site, where David Ben Gurion declared the State of Israel.  Pictures and memorabilia from the event adorn the walls and it is also possible to listen to the original recording of the declaration speech.

Or

Any wannabe fighter pilots in the group?  “The Squadron”, the world’s only flight simulator squadron for flying F-16 fighter jets inspired by Israel’s Air Force, is the place. A fun family activity.

Or

Visit the Palmach Museum, multimedia, interactive and innovative Museum covering the Palmach legacy through the stories of individuals and soldiers.

Or

Visit the Yitzhak Rabin Center, which presents 2 parallel stories: the history of the State of Israel & Israeli society and the life and times of Yitzhak Rabin.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Water, water everywhere... Sea, Tunnel, Caves

Today we start our journey north. After checking out of the hotel we will drive along the coast to ancient Caesarea to explore the excavations spanning from the days of King Herod and the Romans until the Crusader period. Your guide will help you imagine exactly how this port city looked like in ancient times.

We’ll then continue to Mei Kedem, in Alona Park and have fun walking through the water tunnel which was built more than 2,000 years ago, in Herod and Hadrian’s day. Don’t forget torches and suitable footwear for walking in water!

Driving north up the coast we come to Rosh Hanikra, a vast network of grottoes and caves formed as a result of the interaction between the waves and the rocky cliffs that make up Israel’s coastline. We’ll take the steep cable car down to sea level and wander around the grottoes discovering stalagmites and glowing pools of water. 

Dinner will be at your hotel in the Upper Galilee.

Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee

Beautiful nature of the Golan Heights

This morning we will tour the Golan Heights, stopping at an observation point overlooking the city of Kuneitra, and the Syrian territory. Atop Mount Bental we will take in the scenic beauty and learn about the political and strategic complexity of the area. 

Next, we’ll all climb into jeeps for a wonderful nature tour of the area taking in the spectacular scenery.  

You’ll also get a chance to enjoy cherry and fruit picking (and of course eating!!) if in season, from one of the Kibbutzim or villages located on the Golan.

Depending on the weather, the afternoon can be spent rafting along the Jordan River.

Dinner & Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee

Thrills, Mysticism, and Chocolate

After checking out of the hotel we will drive to the Manara Cliff with its magnificent view of the whole area and adventure park with fun things to do like mountain slides and trampoline Bungee dome. Manara also boasts Israel’s longest cable car.

From here we will go on to Safed, the city of Kabbalah. Stroll through the old streets and visit the galleries of some of the most notable Israeli artists. Tour the old synagogues where Jewish mysticism is still a part of daily life.

We then have a special activity for those chocoholics among us! A hands-on chocolate workshop at the Galita Chocolate Farm on Kibbutz Degania.

After lunch, we will make the journey to Jerusalem and we can stop on the way for an amazing panoramic view of the Holy City and a moving Shehechiyanu blessing.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Day!

Please note the ceremony will not necessarily be on Day 2. The ceremony will be either on Monday or Thursday according to religious requirements, time of year, and security matters.

Today is the big day!! The ceremony will take place at the Kotel.

You can choose from different options for the ceremony depending upon personal preferences:

1. Religious ceremony at the main Kotel
2. Reform ceremony at the Southern Wall – Robinson’s Arch
3. Musical procession with family and musicians playing drums, clarinet and blowing the shofar.
4. Release of blue and white balloons or white doves – or other special requests.

Next, the group will be taken to a celebratory lunch in a restaurant not far from the Old City.

If the schedule permits you can opt for a fun and educational tour of the Western Wall Tunnels where you will be able to reach the segments of the Wall hidden from view and to touch the original and special stones that tell the story of the Jewish nation. This will be before lunch.

In the evening, after a rest in the hotel, you will enjoy a spectacular multimedia Sound and Light Show on the walls of the Tower of David before continuing on for dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Jerusalem – old and new

This morning we will start at the City of David, to discover the “original” Jerusalem. We’ll walk through the recently discovered Pilgrims Tunnels which will take you from the City of David to the Southern Wall excavations near Robinson's Arch. Next, onto the Jewish Quarter to see the Cardo, an 1800-year-old shopping mall still in use today and the Broad Wall, remains of the First Temple Period city wall. We’ll leave the Old City through the Jaffa Gate and on the way experience the delights of the oriental bazaar - admire the wares, taste the delicacies, and smell the spices.

There are a number of optional activities we can arrange for the rest of the day – choose from:

• Visit the Israel Museum, the largest museum in Israel, to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the model of the Second Temple plus explore the different exhibitions.
• Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Holocaust Museum. A special program for children between the ages of 5-10 can be arranged together with Yad Vashem (accompanied by an adult).
• Take the kids to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, featuring animals, birds, and reptiles that are mentioned in the Bible and set in a beautiful landscape.
• Enjoy the interactive Herzl Museum on Mt. Herzl which brings to life the story of the founding of the State of Israel. You can also discover where Theodore Herzl, Yitzhak Rabin, and other great leaders are buried in the famous cemetery.
• Wonder through the sights, smells, and noises of Machaneh Yehuda Market. Here you will find many opportunities to taste local delicacies. It is both a regular fruit/veg market and a culinary center with specialty stalls and restaurants. Here you can try a delicious falafel or shawarma, chocolate rugelach, bureka, halva, boutique cheeses and more.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Unique Army Adventure

An unusual fun activity awaits the whole family somewhere in the Jerusalem Hills. Experience what it takes to be an IDF soldier. SUFA special ops simulate the complete military experience from basic training through to combat fighting and discharge. You will learn basic skills, weapons training and hand to hand combat with Krav Maga.

After training, you will enjoy a well-deserved lunch in the beautiful Jerusalem Hills.

For the afternoon you can choose an option from day 3. 

Overnight: Jerusalem.  

Tel Aviv / Ben Gurion Airport

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your return flight home.