Treasures of Israel

Fly from London (regional connections available) to Ben Gurion airport with British Airways. Transfer to the Cinema Hotel / Lily & Bloom (or similar) in Tel Aviv for 2 nights. (N)

Explore Jaffa’s ancient port and modern Tel Aviv. Visit Neve Tzedek, the oldest neighbourhood in Tel Aviv and the bustling Carmel Market. Continue to Rothschild Boulevard and view Independence Hall, where David Ben-Gurion famously declared the independence of the modern State of Israel. (B)

Travel north to Nazareth and visit the imposing Church of the Annunciation. Take a tour of a kibbutz then visit the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Continue to Capernaum and see ruins of a fifth-century synagogue and the early octagonal church built around the house of St Peter. Stay at the Merom Golan kibbutz (or similar) for 2 nights. (B, D)

Visit the impressive Banias Waterfall and the archaeological remains of Caesarea Philippi at Banias Spring, at the foot of Mount Hermon. Take a tasting tour at an award-winning winery. Continue to Mount Bental for stunning views of the Golan and a visit to the Syrian bunkers. (B, D)

Visit the Old City of Acre, a Unesco world heritage site with stunning Crusader remains. En route to Caesarea, stop at Yemin Orde, a safe haven and home for Holocaust orphans. Visit Caesarea National Park to see the large Roman amphitheatre and the historic port. Continue to Jerusalem for a 5-night stay at the Lady Stern Hotel (or similar). (B)

Take a guided tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall among other sites. (B)

Take a guided tour of the New City of Jerusalem. Visit the Israel Museum, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls; Knesset, the building of the Israeli parliament; and the Yad Vashem Holocaust monument. Continue to Mahane Yehuda market. (B)

Travel through the desert to the Unesco world heritage site of Masada and its mountain-top ruins. Continue to the Dead Sea for a dip in the mineral-rich waters. Then visit Qumran, one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. (B)

Day at leisure to explore the city further or taken an optional excursion to Bethlehem. (B)

Transfer to Ben Gurion airport and fly to London with British Airways. (B)