Innovation - Inspiration Tour

Welcome to Israel / Tel Aviv

The group will be met directly from the plane at Ben Gurion Airport and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv, “the city that never sleeps!”.
After a welcoming drink, you’ll enjoy a delicious dinner at one of the trendy Tel Aviv restaurants followed by a gentle stroll along Tel Aviv beach boardwalk.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Innovation and Recycling

We’ll start off our morning with a visit to the Volcani Agriculture Institute, one of the leading and most innovative research centers in the world for agro-products.

Then we’ll drive further south to the Granot Brackish Water Desalination Plant. As opposed to seawater desalination, this particular facility desalinates brackish water pumped from boreholes in the area, and thus prevents the spread of brackish water throughout the coastal aquifer.

After lunch, we’ll visit one of the leading water recycling plants, Shifdan. This plant collects the entire sewage of Greater Tel Aviv and can sanitize the water almost to drinking quality but certainly for agricultural usage.

Our evening, after dinner, will be spent touring magical Old Jaffa, one of the world's most ancient port cities, where stone buildings, narrow passages, and picturesque courtyards recall the rich past of this charming city.  Hear about those who left their mark on the city such as Jonah and the Whale, Andromeda, Simon the Tanner, Napoleon and more.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Cyber Industry and Desert Delights

Today we’ll take a short journey south of Tel Aviv to Rehovot, and visit the world renowned Weitzmann Institute for meetings. If time permits, we can visit the Ayalon Institute, a secret underground ammunition plant, used to produce ammunition during the British Mandate.

We’ll then continue south to Be'er Sheva, an oasis of cyber-tech in the desert, for professional meetings at Incubit Technology Ventures and Elbit Systems Incubator.

You can’t leave the desert before trying out a camel ride or partaking in a Bedouin feast together with an interesting presentation about new products made from camel and alpaca milk at the Desert Ship Khan (Sfinat Hamidbar). 

We will return to Tel Aviv in the late evening.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv Beginnings and Hi-Tech

There will be meetings in the morning with different companies including Venture Capitalists and banks that have special departments whose strategy is to further its focus on the hi-tech sector.

Whilst in the area of  Rothschild Boulevard, the afternoon will include a walk around the area and will learn more about the White City – a UNESCO World Heritage city.  It is home to many artists, poets, and intellectuals. This area of Tel Aviv is named the ‘White City’ due to the large number of buildings built in the unique form of the Bauhaus architecture. 

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Jerusalem – the Holy City

Today we will drive to Jerusalem via the scenic Jerusalem Hills. Our first stop will be Mount Zion to see King David’s Tomb and what is accepted as the site where the Last Supper took place known as The Upper Room. From here we’ll enter the Jewish Quarter via Zion Gate, just as Jewish warriors did through the ages, and visit the ancient Roman Cardo, a 1,800-year-old shopping street still active today and the Broad Wall, dating back to the First Temple Period. Our tour then takes us the spiritual heart of the old city, the Western Wall, where you can also see the Temple Mount and the famous Dome of the Rock. Next, we will carry on to the Muslim and Christian Quarters and walk through part of the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. On the way enjoy the delights of the oriental bazaar - admire the wares, taste the delicacies, and smell the spices.

In the early afternoon, we’ll take you to Machne Yehuda Market. Here you will find many opportunities to taste local delicacies. It is both a regular fruit/veg market and culinary center with specialty stalls and restaurants. Here you can try a delicious falafel or shawarma, chocolate rogalach, bureka, halva, boutique cheeses, and more. If we are there on a Friday you can smell the freshly baked Challa bread being baked for Shabbat.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Masada and the Dead Sea, the Lowest Place on Earth

Our day trip begins with an early start today as we travel to Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada is known as the last independent Jewish territory from the destruction of the Second Temple to the rebirth of the modern State of Israel.  Here we will explore the ruins of this ancient fortress built by King Herod and listen to stories of determination and heroism whilst enjoying the breathtaking views of the desert.  We’ll go down via the winding snake path or by cable car and then take a short drive to a private beach in Ein Bokek.

After a tasty lunch, you will have time to experience floating on your back on the lowest, saltiest body of water on earth. It is an incredible natural phenomenon and “swimming” in the Dead Sea is one of those experiences that cannot be put in words – you just have to try.

Make sure you relax on the drive back to Jerusalem because we have a special treat in store for the evening! The Tower of David Sound and Light Show. This magical experience combines the past and the present with bringing to life the Biblical stories of King David and Jerusalem using the most powerful modern technologies available. 

Overnight: Jerusalem

Israel Tech

We leave Jerusalem today and head to the Mediterranean coastal city of Herzliya, a high-tech hub center. The day will be spent with professional meetings starting at Viola Group, an Israeli private equity investment group focused on funding Israeli technology-based companies. Then we’ll visit the GM Advanced Technology Center in Israel, where groundbreaking ideas are revealing new possibilities, and making an impact on the new mobility era for customers worldwide.

After lunch, there will be further meetings with Vintage Technology Investors and at the Pfizer Innovation Center, a leading research-based biopharmaceutical company.

Overnight: Herzliya

Technology and Tradition

Today we’ll drive north along the Mediterranean coast to the harbor city of Haifa for professional meetings at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Our next stop will be at Ussfiya, a Druze town atop Mount Carmel. Our hosts will explain about this unique religious and ethnic group, dating back to the 10^th Century, who are loyal to the State of Israel. The Druze are well-known for their hospitality and we will enjoy an authentic home-cooked lunch including all traditional Druze dishes.

After lunch, we will drive further up Mount Carmel to for panoramic views of the magnificent Baha'i Gardens and the Haifa Harbor.

On our way back to Herzliya we will stop at Caesarea - the magnificent ruins of Herod’s showcase port city. This magical place will transport us back to the ancient Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader eras. We will visit the extensive excavations of the site including the harbor, the Crusader City, the theater, Hippodrome and the Roman aqueduct.

Back in Herzliya in the evening for a farewell dinner at one of the popular beach restaurants.  

Overnight: Herzliya

Relax before Departure

We will have a meeting for summary and feedback and then you’ll have time to relax and prepare for the journey home. We will then drive to Ben Gurion Airport in time for your return flight.