Venture South: Geopolitics, Coexistence, Agritech, Adventure

On this unforgettable, uniquely curated tour, you will make several visits in the area of the Northern Negev in order to understand the reality and complexities of this region.

You will visit the city of Sderot, the largest of the Israeli towns and villages along the border with Gaza. The Gaza Strip is governed by Hamas and is Israel’s most volatile border; the daily experience of the Israeli citizens who live close to this border and under constant attack is an important element of Israeli society that reflects both the facts-on-the-ground but also the incredible fortitude of the People of Israel.

An imperative stop on our journey will be at the SodaStream factory, often dubbed an oasis of co-existence, bringing together local Jewish, Palestinian and Arab-Bedouin workers to create what many of them feel to be a family. To deepen our understanding of the people who make up this fascinating part of Israel, we will have lunch in the cafeteria of the SodaStream factory where we can chat with the workers and absorb ourselves in the factory’s culture and ethos.

Following lunch, you will visit a local kibbutz, Hatzerim, which is now famous for its kibbutz company Netafim, the inventors of drip irrigation. You will tour the site and discover first-hand the technology and vision that is enabling produce to be grown from the sand as well as irrigation AgriTech in general. There you will learn about the kibbutz movement; a uniquely Israeli social enterprise that was an integral foundation of the country. At our final stop, you will enjoy an unforgettable jeep tour in the desert and a visit to a Bedouin hospitality tent to culminate your day down South.

$185.00 USD per person

Booking Information

• All tours by reservation only at tours@authenticisrael.com
• Tours must be reserved by 1 January, 2023
• Minimum participation is 20 participants per tour; tours will not be run if less than 20 participants sign up
• 5% early-bird discount for reservations made prior to 1 December, 2022

Gems of the Galilee: A Day of History and Social Impact

We will begin our memorable day driving to Caesarea Maritima. Built by Herod the Great at about 25-13BCE, it served as an administrative center of Judaea Province of the Roman Empire.
After centuries of conquest a Jewish town of Caesarea was established in 1952 near the ancient ruins.
Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains from many periods, in particular a complex of Crusader fortifications and a giant Roman city that boasted the largest harbor on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
You will then continue northbound, where you will meet more faces of the Galilee at the Tulip Winery in Kfar Tivka. Kfar Tivka is a village of around 200 people, all with disabilities and special needs. Within the community and the Tulip winery, the residents of the village are able to work and integrate with self-respect, creating a stable social environment, and producing award winning wine which you will enjoy!
Following Tulip, you will continue northward to Acre, where you will have an incredible tour of an ancient fortress overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

$170.00 USD per person

Booking Information

• All tours by reservation only at tours@authenticisrael.com
• Tours must be reserved by 1 January, 2023
• Minimum participation is 20 participants per tour; tours will not be run if less than 20 participants sign up
• 5% early-bird discount for reservations made prior to 1 December, 2022

From Geographical Lows to Spiritual Highs: Dead Sea & Masada

This morning we are going to conquer Masada!
Built by King Herod as a mountain-top desert fortress at the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea, it was to here that the last of the Jews fighting the Romans in the Great Revolt fled; and it was here that they took their last stand 2,000 years ago. The incredible events to which the mountain bears testimony, and the unbelievable choices of those besieged on it will drive our tour through the site today. With breathtaking views over the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, the Roman encampments below, and the Moabite Mountains, the astonishing story of Elazar Ben Yair, leader of the Zealot Jews, will leave its mark on us as the story literally comes to life with a team of actors reenacting the events before our eyes.
Leaving the past behind us, we will take a short drive to the Dead Sea, or the Salt Sea as it is known in Hebrew. A lake in which nothing can sink, it was considered by the ancient Roman writers to be one of the miracles of this land. Today we will enjoy lunch and spa at a seafront hotel with semi-private access to the Dead Sea itself.
Visit the Qumran National Park on route back to Jerusalem. High up on the cliff faces above the Dead Sea, two Bedouin young men discovered the archaeological finds of the century in 1947. That place was Qumran; the discoveries were the first 7 of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Since those initial discoveries thousands of ancient scrolls have been found in this area, as well as the remains of the Qumran Community’s base; believed to be home to the people who wrote and hid these scrolls 2,000 years ago. On our tour we will view the place of the discovery of the scrolls and learn about the community from the remains they left behind. This is an experience you can never forget.

$275.00 USD per person

Booking Information

• All tours by reservation only at tours@authenticisrael.com
• Tours must be reserved by 1 January, 2023
• Minimum participation is 20 participants per tour; tours will not be run if less than 20 participants sign up
• 5% early-bird discount for reservations made prior to 1 December, 2022

Tel Aviv: City of the Past, Present and Future

You will begin your day at the earliest historical landmark, the ancient port city of Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world with a history spanning nearly 4,000 years. On this tour you will explore the history of Jaffa as well as its modern side with a peak into the artists’ colony and some of the world-famous galleries there.
From there you will walk through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood, the first built outside of Jaffa. Neve Tzedek is the original story of Start Up Nation and has reinvented itself as the center of modern Tel Aviv culture. Built in 1887, it housed several famous artists and writers, including Nobel Prize winner Shmuel Agnon.
You will then continue into metropolitan Tel Aviv along the famous Rothschild Boulevard to follow what is known as the Independence Trail. While Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, Tel Aviv’s Independence Trail is where the modern state was founded, and by visiting some of the major sites in the oldest part of the city, you will trace the history of the creation of Tel Aviv: firstly, as the first revived Hebrew-speaking City in two millennia, through to the Declaration of the State of Israel in 1948. It should go without saying that you will enjoy breaks to bask in the incredible coffee, ice cream, and street food that adorn this neighborhood.
For a light lunch enjoy a filling and fun Carmel market tasting tour. The historical market holds a fascinating variety of culinary riches, colorful spices and intriguing characters. Our Carmel market tasting tour will introduce you to flavors and scents of old Tel Aviv as well as the young and bustling atmosphere of the city’s central market.

$145.00 USD per person

Booking Information

• All tours by reservation only at tours@authenticisrael.com
• Tours must be reserved by 1 January, 2023
• Minimum participation is 20 participants per tour; tours will not be run if less than 20 participants sign up
• 5% early-bird discount for reservations made prior to 1 December, 2022

From Geographical Lows to Spiritual Highs: Jerusalem and Masada from Above

Booking Information

For reservations & booking information please email tours@authenticisrael.com 

Israel’s Narrow Waistline and Topographical Wonder

Booking Information

For reservations & booking information please email tours@authenticisrael.com

Culinary Tour Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Venture into the Old City of Jerusalem and begin your Israeli culinary adventure on a tour within the walls. As you walk through the narrow alleyways, hear the culinary history of Jerusalem, and visit factories that have functioned for over a hundred years, stopping to taste delicacies from the different stalls.

Travel to the Machane Yehuda marketplace and wind your way through to taste spices, fruits and veggies, and local delicacies. Whether you prefer salty or sweet, you will be able try new foods, and hear the stories of the vendors. Their stories hail from Morocco, Yemen, Ethiopia, and more, bringing an international flavor to the Middle East.

You will then travel to Tel Aviv, as your culinary tour is not complete without a tour of Jaffa, well-known for having some of the best hummus in Israel. Enjoy a hearty bowl of hummus and a pita filled with food, in the backdrop of the 4,000-year-old ancient port. Culminate the day with a tour of the colorful and authentic Levinsky Market in the Florentin neighborhood.

$165.00 USD per person

Booking Information

• All tours by reservation only at tours@authenticisrael.com
• Tours must be reserved by 1 January, 2023
• Minimum participation is 20 participants per tour; tours will not be run if less than 20 participants sign up
• 5% early-bird discount for reservations made prior to 1 December, 2022

Following Jesus’ Footsteps in the Galilee

Booking Information

For reservations and to book this tour click here

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