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Holy Land Luxury Tours & Trips

Searching for a top-class touring experience? Look no further, as our luxury adventures of Holy Land will allow you to discover exceptional destinations such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Explore and discover new cultures while enjoying top tier services and facilities.

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12 luxury holy land tour packages with 282 reviews.

• Christmas & New Year

Premium Jordan

Mo was an excellent tour leader in that he has such passion and enthusiasm about Jordan. I learnt so much about the history and culture and so enjoyed all of the activities. Mo went over and beyond to ensure my dietary needs were met as I have coeliac disease which was much appreciated. Highly recommend this tour.

• In-depth Cultural
• Coach / Bus

Heritage & Holy Land - 8 days

Everything is great I had an amazing time. Thanks be to God. And thank you, tour radar. Thanks also to CTO and our tour guide Joseph. He is the best. I can’t say anything more.

Road to Jerusalem - 11 days

Wonderful tour - the guides were fantastic

Journey Through the Holy Land - Faith-Based Travel

The only thing that I would have liked was a guide, that for the reading and interpretation of the scriptures , was a Christian and not a Jew

Journey Through the Holy Land with Jordan - Faith-Based Travel

Our guide for Jordan Tour, Suhaib was fantastic! - he was very organised and knowledgeable. Everybody loves him.

Highlights of Israel & Jordan - 11 days

Beautiful itinerary, good accommodation and good meals. Competent tour guides. Perhaps lunches stops in Israel could have been planned better.

Perseids Meteor Shower - 8 days

Jordan had been on my bucket list for a while, so I decided what better time to go than for the Perseids Meteor Shower! The welcome transfer at the airport was great as the rep helped us through the visa process, which really helped make the whole arrival stress-free. The tour certainly was 'on the go', with lots of sights and cultural experiences packed into the 8 day trip. The highlights for me were definitely seeing the Treasury in Petra (and a walk up the Monastery is worth the climb!), star gazing in Dana Nature Reserve (unfortunately the road leading to Wadi Rum was closed while we were there), canyoning in Wadi Mujib and floating in the Dead Sea. All the hotels were clean, conveniently-located and had nice restaurants. The transportation was mostly modern air-conditioned vehicles, though on the drive to Dana we did have some older bumpy vehicles, but it was all part of the adventure. As a solo female traveller I felt completely safe and well-looked after the whole trip. I'll definitely be going on another On The Go tour soon!

Biblical Lands - 8 days

Discover Israel

I arrived in Israel with a group. Our guide told us that one of the group members was arrested by the Israeli security since he lied about his contacts with terror elements. We haven’t seen him since. He might have been deported.

Classic Israel & the Palestinian Territories

Really enjoyed this tour which showed the highlights of Israel from an historical point of view. It had a great varied itinerary with religious sites, history, culture and scenery. We were fortunate that our driver Henry suggested altering the itinerary to climb Masada first thing in the morning when it was cooler. The views were amazing! Really enjoyed the walking tour of Old Jerusalem. Our guide seemed less knowledgeable than other guides that we have had on past Intrepid tours but our driver helped fill in the gaps.

• River Cruise

19-Day Holy Land Israel, Jordan and Egypt tour

Wow! What an incredible experience we had in Israel, Jordan and Egypt! The sites and history of these three countries were spectacular! We enjoyed every site, every stop along the way, and every guide. The itineraries were well-organized, covered an amazing number of sites. The guides and drivers for each country were knowledgeable and passionate about their history as well as providing excellent and personal service each day. The overall itinerary and our travels throughout Egypt were coordinated by Vacations To Go (Cairo), in cooperation with Abeer Travel (Israel) and Jordan Attraction Tours. Each company specialized in their home countries with degreed and certified guides for each segment. We really appreciated the thoughtfulness and flexibility provided by all of our guides to show us sites beyond the basic itinerary (i.e. an olive oil processing business, a donkey ride through the back of Petra and evening carriage ride through the local market of Luxor). ISRAEL COMMENTS: The basic itinerary for Israel did not include a tour guide, but per our request, Abeer Travel provided an exceptional guide, named Salame Zarini. We strongly recommend requesting a guide for Israel as they added so much historical and local knowledge to each day. Our driver, Awwad, was professional, courteous, prompt and knowledgeable with every route. The transportation was by a spacious Mercedes van which Awwad kept spotless. The Prima City in Tel Aviv was a very nice boutique-type hotel with a nice restaurant. The Leonardo Plaza in Tiberius was adequate and full of large tour bus groups and the Crowne Plaza in Jerusalem was in a great location and nice; however, the facilities could use an update. Breakfast was included in the tour package, but we enjoyed sampling the local cuisine recommended by our driver and guide. Most appreciated was that our wonderful driver and guide escorted us to the border control point between Israel and Jordan to ensure there were no issues. JORDAN COMMENTS: We were thrilled with our experience here. The people were so friendly and proud of their country, the food was fantastic and the history and sites were beyond our expectations. Our driver and guide was Mustafa. He patiently awaited our arrival at the border and treated us like long, lost friends from the moment we met. His enthusiasm and knowledge is amazing. We will always remember his passion for people and his country. The itinerary was well-organized and filled with excellent sites from Jerash to Amman to Petra (to name a few). At Jaresh and Petra, Mustafa arranged for the local site guides who were also excellent (Sam at Petra and Mamoud Bani Mostafa at Jerash). Mustafa was an excellent driver and the car was spacious and comfortable. The Corp Executive Hotel in Amman was excellent. The Hayyat Zaman Hotel in Petra was dated, but in a great setting. Breakfast was provided at each hotel and was good. The other meals were at local restaurants suggested by Mustafa. They were AMAZING and ALWAYS plentiful! Mustafa took great pleasure in selecting the food and watching with delight as we tried the local dishes. It was hard to leave, but as Mustafa reminded us, "we come as friends, but leave as family." We'll be back! EGYPT COMMENTS: Egypt seemed like two separate tours -- Cairo and Upper Egypt. Cairo was CRAZY, but fun. Of course, it was a thrill to see the sites that we had always read about -- from the Great Pyramids to the museums to The Citadel. Ahmed Gamel, the Cairo Tour company representative, met us at the airport and escorted us on our first day. Ahmed was very knowledgeable and quite accommodating when we requested additional activities for our first evening. His suggestions for a sunset camel ride and the laser light show at the Pyramids were the perfect beginning for our Cairo adventure. Ahmed assisted with our checking in to the OUTSTANDING Sheraton Hotel, explaining our itinerary before we met our guide and accompanied us back to the airport when we departed, including walking us through security and checking in for our flights. On our second day, we met our personal guide, Walid. With 22 years of guide experience, Walid shared great facts about the sites and also took us to local markets. Walid was professional and courteous. Transportation was very good. We were quite comfortable in our mini-tour van. Hang on to your hat & buckle up -- the traffic & drivers are unlike any we had experienced. Fortunately, we had an excellent driver, Mohammed, and felt completely safe. Upper Egypt - We flew from Cairo to Luxor and met our next amazing guide, Hussein El Mouneir who was with for the rest of the trip. Luxor was spectacular! We loved the city, the amazing temples, the history, the local markets, the carriage rides and an even better laser light show than in Cairo. We took the optional hot air balloon ride, early the next morning, and highly recommend it! From the air, we saw all the sites that we'd be walking through later that afternoon. Do it! That evening, we departed for a 4-day cruise up the Nile River on the Ms. Tyua boat. We enjoyed the daily stops along the Nile with our exceptional guide. Hussein's passion and appreciation for the history of Upper Egypt was quite impressive. The daily schedule was fast-paced and efficient. Hussein's adept planning allowed us to avoid most of the large crowds and gave us more time at the sites and also resulted in great photographs. We also took the optional flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel temple which we highly recommend (FLY, don't drive). Vacations To Go arranged for our Abu Simbel guide, also named Walid. He shared interesting information about the temple as well as his Nubian heritage. If we had more time, we would have visited the Nubian village. The Ms. Tuya was a nice, comfortable river cruise ship. Service was great, fun entertainment was provided each evening, and all meals were included and delicious. Sorry for the lengthy review. We covered over 4,500 years of history in only 19 days. We wish it could have been longer. We left each country wishing we had more time there and look forward to exploring them more in the future. We hope you enjoy this amazing adventure as much as we did!

Explore Jordan, Israel & the Palestinian Territories (13 destinations)

A great trip for exploring the cultural and political history of the region.

• Luxury Group tours (12)
• Luxury Fully Guided tours (12)
• Luxury In-depth Cultural tours (11)
• Luxury Family tours (8)
• Luxury Christmas & New Year tours (5)

Travel Styles

• Singles and Solo (23)
• For Couples (14)
• Seniors (20)

Luxury Holy Land

• What's Included
• Day-by-Day Itinerary
• Dates & Prices
• Destination Information

For 8-nights call Jerusalem “home” as you explore the Holy Land in luxury. Unpack once to make the most of your experience in this Sacred place. Discover the rich history of the Holy Land while enjoying the modern-day culture. With 206 Tours arranging every detail for your comfort, you can cast your worries aside and enjoy convenient travel, high class accommodations, local delicacies, experienced local Christian guides, and Catholic Mass daily. Witness the Scripture come alive and focus solely on deepening your faith and connection to Jesus through the life changing act of Pilgrimage.

On this luxury Holy Land Pilgrimage, you will…

Enjoy the best cultural elements the Holy Land has to offer. Learn about the spices and herbs that have been used for thousands of years in a Nazareth market. Sample simple delicacies like fresh pomegranate juice, handmade bread from a bakery inside the Old City, humus made by generations of the same family, and more. Eat in some of the best restaurants in the country, experiencing the height of modern Israeli cuisine at Satya, and try ancient recipes from Galilee at Magdalena.

Relax in iconic locations. Go wine tasting at the American Colony Hotel courtyard and dine at the Notre Dame rooftop boasting a stunning panoramic view of the Old City.

Engage in local life and become one with the community. Visit a school for disadvantaged children where you experience a project where local Christians and meet with local Catholic clergy to learn about their life and work in Jerusalem.

Explore early in the morning and late in the evening. Enjoy an early morning stroll on the Temple Mount. The plaza around the Dome of the Rock is easily one of the most contested pieces of land in the world. For Jews it is the site of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. For Muslims it is their third most important holy site and where the Dome of the Rock is situated. This stroll provides an opportunity to walk on the sacred ground where Abraham intended to sacrifice his son and where the Temple housed the Ark of the Covenant. Circle the Dome of the Rock and to take in the tremendous history and tensions of this Holy site.

Take an evening walk through the spiritual epicenter of Jerusalem. On Mt Zion see the Tomb of David, the Upper Room, the House of Caiaphas where Jesus was imprisoned before crucifixion and the Dormition Abbey where Mary fell into eternal sleep. Walk from this powerful place into the Old City though the Jewish Quarter and down to view the lit up Western Wall with the Dome of the Rock in the background. Continue along part of the Via Dolorosa though the Christian Quarter past the empty Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and up to the Jaffa Gate. This walk takes in the special atmosphere of the evening light of the Old City and traverses 3,000 years of human history as you reflect on your own pilgrimage of faith in the city where Jesus died and rose again.

Any Questions? Contact Us:

800-206-Tour (8687) or

why travel with 206 Tours

Additional information, your trip includes.

• Round-trip airfare from your desired Airport * or book without airfare (land only option)
• All airport taxes & fuel surcharges
• Base Price: 2 Travellers in 1 Room: Queen or King Bed or 2 Twin beds
• Optional - Additional Cost: ◦ Solo Traveler: No Roomate ◦ Triple Room: Upon Request

• Breakfast each morning
• Dinners each evening
• Two (2) Specials Dinners will be at local Five Star rated Restaurants
• Lunches daily with Soda/Juice  (Seated at local Restaurants)
• Wine and Mineral Water with all Dinners
• Catholic Priest, Mass daily & Spiritual activities
• Transportation by a Luxury motor coach (Free WiFi) or car
• Free Water on motor coach
• Assistance of Christian guide throughout
• All Touring and Admission Fees as per itinerary
• Whisper Headsets each day for Touring
• Porterage Fees at Hotel and Airport
• Tips to all Staff Members  (Hotel, Restaurants, and Luggage handlers)

Centrally located hotels or similar

Inbal Hotel

Group Size may vary between 18 to maximum 33, always accompanied by a Catholic Priest and Tour Guide throughout.

*Renew Wedding Vows in Cana –  Couples will have a special opportunity to renew their wedding vows during a ceremony led by their Spiritual Director on Day 4, (Each couple will receive a commemorative Certificate following the ceremony) Please note: It is NOT a Mass, but a ceremony.

Not Included

• Tips to your guide & driver.

Travel Protection

Providing you coverage for situations that may arise during your trip, including medical and dental emergencies, loss of luggage, trip delay, and so much more.

Cancel For Any Reason Waiver

A Cancellation Waiver – allowing you to cancel your trip and receive a refund anytime – up until 48 hours prior to departure.

Day 1: Depart for the Holy Land

Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight. Your meals are served on board.

Day 2: Arrive in Tel Aviv - Jerusalem

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, you will follow the signs to “Baggage Claim” where you will collect your luggage, and then continue on to the Arrival’s Hall where you will be greeted by a Tour Guide and/or 206 Tours Rep. They will escort you out to the Bus, where your checked-bag will be placed underneath the Bus – and you will board the Group Bus and transfer to your Five Star Hotel in Jerusalem. Upon arrival, the Porters will collect your luggage and send them up to your room. You will exit the Bus, into the Lobby of the Hotel, where you will receive your Room Key and Welcome Letter. There will be free time to relax and unpack before we make our way to celebrate Mass in the evening, followed by dinner and a restful night’s sleep.

Day 3: Ein Karem – Temple Model – Bethelehem – Jerusalem

This morning, you will have breakfast and then depart for a day in Jerusalem, which houses the temple to which Jesus was Presented (Luke 2:22). You will start the day with a visit to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. It is known that there are two churches in Ein Karem, both representing the two homes of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The first is in a valley where the birth of St. John the Baptist is commemorated (Luke 1:39-80) in the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The second is on a hill where Elizabeth spent five months in seclusion (Luke 1:24) at the Church of the Visitation. Your group will visit both of these churches and have the opportunity to pray the Mystery of the Rosary as you walk up the hill to the Church of the Visitation. From there, we will make a short drive to visit a model of the Second Temple, as it was in the time of Jesus. We will stop for lunch, and then make your way to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. In Bethlehem, you will have the opportunity to view Shepherd’s Fields (Luke 2:8). In the caves of these fields, you are still able to see the soot marks of fires that shepherds lit to keep warm. We will stop for lunch and then continue on the tour at the Manger Square, which stands in front of the Church of the Nativity. As you enter the Church, you will proceed down to the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the spot of Our Savior’s birth (Matthew 2:1-18). Beneath the Altar, there is a silver star and a Latin inscription that states: HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary). Following Mass in this Sacred space, your group will return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Mount Tabor – Nazareth – Cana - Jerusalem

After breakfast, we will board the bus and head to the site of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1-50). At this site, you will have some time to reflect on Christ’s Humanity and Divinity. Your group will also have the opportunity to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Transfiguration. We will stop for lunch at the famous restaurant – Tishreen (Arabic for “October”), and then your group will drive to Nazareth. Upon arrival, you will experience the town where Mary once lived and where Jesus lived as a child (Matthew 2:23). During the visit to Nazareth, your group will visit the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph, to which tradition identifies as the workshop and home of the Holy Family. Also, your group will visit Mary’s Well where the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God (Luke 1:30-34). Your tour continues to Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle changing water to wine, visit the wedding church where married couples will renew wedding vows. After, we will return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Mount of Olives – Gethsemane – Mt. Zion – St. Peter in Gallicantu - Jerusalem

Wake up and enjoy breakfast, and then make our way to the Mount of Olives, where you will be able to take in the beautiful, panoramic view of Jerusalem. Historically, the Mount of Olives was a mandatory transit point for Jesus during many iconic moments. Then start the day with a tour to Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Jesus brought His disciples here to pray the night before He was crucified (Luke 22:29-53). The Garden still contains trees with roots that date back to the time of Jesus. Beside the Garden is your next stop, the Church of All Nations, built over the “Rock of Agony”. This is where Jesus prayed alone on the night of His arrest. Throughout this time, you are invited to remain in prayer and to reflect on Christ’s agony that he experienced. Your group will have the opportunity to visit the Western Wall, which is the last remnant of the Jewish Temple after it was destroyed in 70 C.E. Your group will visit the Pater Noster Shrine, where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster) (Luke 11:1-4). You will have the opportunity to stop at Dominus Flevit, which is a Church that commemorates where Jesus wept for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). and then visit the Upper Room on Mt. Zion. The Upper Room is where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30) and, where Jesus appeared to His disciples after His Death and Resurrection (Mark 16:14). In addition, your group will visit the nearby Benedictine Church of the Dormition. Tradition tells us that this Church is where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, “fell asleep.” The tour continues as you will visit the house of the High Priest Caiaphas (Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu). This Church commemorates where Jesus was examined and eventually imprisoned before the Council in Jerusalem. It also commemorates Peter’s Denial of Christ (John 18:15-18), Peters’ repentance, and Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter. Return to the Hotel in time to freshen up before we make our way to dinner at the popular restaurant – Satya – fronted by famous Chef Ilan Grossi (of the popular Chakra Restaurant). The menu has Mediterranean influences, with a variety of meat, fish, and seafood dishes. Return to the Hotel for a restful night’s sleep.

Day 6: Jerusalem – Tiberias: Sea of Galilee – Tabgha – Mount of Beatitudes – Capernaum - Jerusalem

Your group will begin this day with breakfast at the hotel, and then board your bus and make your way towards Tiberias. Upon arrival, you will enjoy a boat ride on the beautiful and scenic, Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). During this ride, your group will also view the remains of a boat that dates back to the time of Jesus. Following the Sea of Galilee, we Near the Mount, is Tabgha, one of Jesus’ miracle sites. At Tabgha, Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish (Luke 9:10-17). Also, in Tabgha is St. Peter’s Primacy where Jesus bestowed church leadership upon Peter (John 21:9). From there we will stop for lunch and then continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus proclaimed His great Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-49). Then we will visit the birthplace of Mary Magdalene in Magdala. During the time of Jesus, this village was a prosperous fishing village that exported fish and garum (a fish sauce reduction; popular in Roman cooking). Your day concludes at Capernaum, the launching place of Jesus’ ministry. In Capernaum, see the Synagogue where Jesus taught (Mark 1:21-29) and gave His sermon on the Bread of Life. Return to the Hotel where your group will enjoy dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Jerusalem: Via Dolorosa – Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Old City Tour of Christian Quarters – Church of St. Anne – Pool of Bethesda

Your group will have a very early morning wake-up, which will begin the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) at the Antonia Fortress. This is the spot where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28-19:16). Following His condemnation, He was taken (on the Road to Calvary) to His place of Crucifixion. Your group will reflect upon the Stations of the Cross as you travel through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Luke 23:26-33). This Sacred destination is the site of Calvary (Jesus’ crucifixion place) and, His tomb (Luke 23: 50-55). Your group will celebrate Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Following Mass, your group will return to the Hotel to enjoy a late breakfast. The tour continues through the Christian Quarters, and then a visit to the Church of St. Anne’s, the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents (Anne and Joachim); and the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man (John 5:1-9). Return to the Hotel where we will have some free time before dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Western Wall and Jewish Quarters - Jericho – Jordan River - Qumran - Dead Sea

Gather for breakfast, and then board your bus to visit the Western Wall, which is the last remnant of the Jewish Temple after it was destroyed in 70 C.E. From there, we will tour the Jewish Quarters, before we break for lunch. After, we will board our bus and begin our journey south towards the Jordan Valley, to the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho (Joshua 6:12-25). In Jericho, you view the exact location, the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during his forty-day fast (Luke 4:1). Following the visit to this mountain, continue to Jesus’ baptismal site on the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17). After some time at the Jordan River, you will travel down the Jordan Valley to Qumran. Qumran is made up of 2,000-year-old ruins from the days of the Second Temple and also the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written and discovered (Ezekial 47:8-10). These writings have helped further the understanding of Jewish background in Christianity. Time and weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to take a float in the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest spot on Earth. Continue as you travel through the Judean wilderness, the site where Jesus spent His 40 days of fasting. Return to your Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Jerusalem – Caesarea – Emmaus - Jerusalem

This morning, you will have breakfast, and head to Caesarea, the former capital of Judea. You will have the opportunity to visit the archaeological remains of this ancient port, which aided as a base for the Herodian navy. Shortly after the time of Jesus Christ, it was revealed to Peter, in Caesarea, that the Good News (to repent) is not only intended for Jewish people but also, the entire world. This is also the place that officially ended the tradition of adhering to the Jewish ceremonial laws. As a result, Peter baptized a group of gentiles, the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, and his family. From here, we will see the Roman Theater, Herod’s Palace, view the Hippodrome, and the harbor from where St. Paul sailed on his journeys. From there, we will visit the site of Emmaus, the town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke from the New Testament, where Luke reports that Jesus appeared after his death and resurrection. Return to the Hotel for some time to refresh before we make our way to the famous Rooftop Bar “Wine and Cheese” located on the top of Notre Dame. Is it here, at this Vatican owned property – we will celebrate our Farewell Dinner before returning to our hotel for overnight.

Day 10: Return Flights Home

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for return flights home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer: Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.

Why buy “With Airfare” from 206 Tours

• In case your flight is cancelled 206 Tours will assist to get you to your destination.
• Your transfer will be waiting.
• In the rare event your tour is not operating we will refund you.
• Your seats will be assigned.
• If you need to travel a few days prior, stay a few more days or make a stop-over, we will arrange it for you.

If you do not buy Airfare from 206 Tours

• If your flight is cancelled, delayed or overbooked, 206 Tours is unable to rebook your flights
• To guarantee your arrival and departure transfer, we need your detailed flight arrival / departure by 45 days prior. Any changes within 45 – 3 days prior, additional transfer cost may apply.
• Any changes to your arrival / departure within 3 days of departure, we may not be able to rebook your transfer, you may need to make your own arrangements.
• If you book your own airfare, travel insurance provided by 206 Tours may not reimburse expenses caused by your trip interruption or cover your expenses due to flight changes.

Know Before You Go

Terms & Conditions

Accessibility

Special Clergy Discount

A Clergy Discount is available to all members of “Clergy” within the Catholic Church. This includes Seminarians, Deacons, Brothers and Sisters, Priests, Monsignors, Bishops, Cardinals, and His Holiness.

Click Here to learn more!

Earn a Free Trip

For groups of 20 or more, you may choose your own departure and earn FREE trips.

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Book your trip now

$ 400.00 Deposit is due at the time of Registration "balance 60 days prior" -->

Would you like to arrive earlier or stay later?

Let us know at the time of registration if you would like to arrive earlier, or stay later, than the scheduled tour dates, and pending availability, we will change your airline reservations accordingly, additional fees may apply. Pre- and/or post-stays at the hotel will cost an additional fee. These options should be available to you when registering online, or simply contact us: [email protected]

Wheel Chair Access in the Holy Land

Here at 206 Tours, we are always fully commited to ensure that our pilgrims travel comfortably & in the highest possible manner; and that includes pilgrims with disabilities. For this reason, we created this information page with specific details to our Holy Land Tours Wheel Chair Access

About your trip

About our luxury holy land pilgrimage.

This Luxury Pilgrimage explores the very places where Jesus walked in the Holy Land with a comfortable 8-night stay in a beautiful 5-star hotel in located conveniently in the center of Jerusalem. Celebrate Mass daily in this most sacred land and experience the Scriptures like never before as they come alive in the very places where Jesus performed his works. With 206 Tours arranging every detail for your comfort, you can cast your worries aside and focus solely on deepening your faith and connection to Jesus through the life changing act of Pilgrimage.

About The Holy Land – In the footsteps of Jesus:

If you desire to draw closer to Jesus of Nazareth, come, as we follow in His footsteps. You will have time to renew and affirm your faith each day of your pilgrimage; to pray and reflect. The Scriptures will come alive as you visit Our Lord’s homeland. You will be inspired by the natural beauty of the landscape, in addition to its rich historical heritage. It is an encounter that has changed the lives of many pilgrims, an act of faith and prayer. Pilgrims have been traveling to the Holy Land for hundreds of years, and as part of your pilgrimage, we include many of the rich traditions that have evolved over time. The maxim at the entrance to the Church of the Nativity says: “We are hoping that: If you enter here as a tourist, you would exit as a pilgrim. If you enter here as a pilgrim, you would exit as a holier one.” We pray that same will occur when you join this 206 Tours pilgrimage.

Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre For more information about receiving your Pilgrim Shell, and purchasing the Pope Leo XIII Medal:

Options and upgrades

*special vip service for 206 tours business class clients.

When you purchase business class upgrade we will ensure that you receive VIP service at Tel Aviv Airport. VIP service provides a smooth, pleasant, and expedited process when entering Israel. The VIP staff is there to meet you at the plane, collects your luggage, pass you through special gates / entrances for security screening, baggage inspection and express passport control. A steward / stewardess will accompany you to the reception hall to the waiting guide and, or driver.

know before you go to Israel

We promise to do all within our power to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact us, please note should any problems arise during your trip you should first contact your local emergency contact in your destination country or the 206 Tours.

1-800-206-Tour (8687)   |    [email protected]

4 star hotel accommodations in jerusalem at a discounted rate available, any questions  contact us:.

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Luxury Israel Tours

Introduction to Israel (7 days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Tel Aviv

Highlights of Israel (9 days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Galilee, Tel Aviv

Essence of Israel (11 days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Galilee, Tel Aviv

Family Tour of Israel (10 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Negev Desert, Tel Aviv

Exclusive Israel (11 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Galilee, Tel Aviv, Negev Desert

Jewish Tour of Israel (10 days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Galilee, Tel Aviv

Christian Tour of Israel (9 Days) Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Dead Sea, Galilee, Nazareth, Tel Aviv

Culinary Tour of Israel (7 Days) Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

Journey Through Israel (13 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Galilee, Tel Aviv, Negev Desert, Eilat or Aqaba

Multi-country Tours

Introduction to Israel & Jordan (9 days) Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Eilat or Aqaba, Petra, Negev Desert, Tel Aviv

Highlights of Israel & Jordan (13 days) Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Petra, Amman, Galilee, Tel Aviv

Highlights of Israel & Egypt (16 days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Cairo & the Pyramids, luxury Nile River cruise, Tel Aviv

Journey Through Egypt, Israel & Jordan (18 days) Cairo & the Pyramids, Abu Simbel, luxury Nile River cruise, Amman, Petra & Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

Best of Israel & Jordan (16 days) Jerusalem, Galilee, Amman, Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba or Eilat & the Red Sea, Tel Aviv

Highlights of Israel & Morocco (15 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Casablanca, Fez, Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh

Introduction to Israel & Dubai (11 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Dubai & Arabian Desert

Best of Israel & Greece (14 Days) Jerusalem & Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Athens, Santorini, Porto Heli

Journey Through the Middle East (21 Days) Cairo & the Pyramids, Abu Simbel, luxury Nile River cruise, Amman, Petra & Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Dubai & Arabian Desert

Biblical Lands: Israel & Jordan (13 Days) Jerusalem & Bethlehem, Galilee region, Cities of the Decapolis, Amman & Jerash, King’s Highway, Petra, Jordan River, Masada, Jericho

Our Israel experts have designed our tours to be the most deluxe, sophisticated, educational and enjoyable Israel tours available. Our private tours are highly personalized and tailored to the exact interests of each traveler, including history, religion, art, cuisine, shopping, family vacations, architecture, adventure, and more.

All of our Israel tours include luxury hotels and in-depth private touring of spectacular cultural and natural treasures. Delve into Jerusalem’s incredibly rich history and culture, including important holy and historical sites, interesting neighborhoods, local markets and excellent but lesser-known museums. Visit beautiful, iconic places such as the Dead Sea, Galilee, Golan Heights, and the Negev Desert. Enjoy in-depth touring in Jerusalem. See fascinating archaeological sites such as Beit Shean and Masada, visit a kibbutz, sample Israeli wines, take a private jeep excursion or camel ride in the desert, and see the Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Artisans of Leisure also provides access to experts throughout Israel, including political experts, culinary experts, prominent members of religious communities, and archaeologists.

Touring and special activities throughout Israel can be fully customized around religious requirements, dietary restrictions, family heritage, and other interests and needs.

Our multi-country tours in the Middle East feature Israel in conjunction with the most interesting destinations in Jordan and Egypt, including Petra, the Pyramids, Cairo and the Nile River.

Our private luxury Israel tours feature:

• Preferred rooms in the best hotels in each location
• Your own private guides for flexible touring based on your interests
• VIP airport and border-crossing assistance
• Highly personalized itinerary planning
• Expert advice from our Israel travel specialists, all of whom have traveled extensively in the region
• Local contacts at our associate offices in Israel
• Private airport transfers
• Restaurant reservations, shopping recommendations, and exclusive access to activities and experts

All tours are private, depart daily, and can be customized to suit individual interests and schedules. Please contact us at (800) 214-8144 for more information about our private tours of Israel.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

Testimonials

Our trip to Israel was excellent. Our guide was great, and the VIP airport transfers you arranged were incredible! We’ve used other tour companies in the past and you are far better. ~ D.B., Carlingford, NSW, Australia

We had such an incredible time in Israel. Each day was more interesting than the last…because of our wonderful guide, who seemed to know absolutely everything about everything…It was a great trip! ~ R.G., New York, NY

Our Israel and Jordan trip was excellent in every respect. It was so well organized, with beautiful accommodations and so much attention to detail…The expertise and knowledge of the guides was beyond our expectations.  ~ B.L., Toronto, CA   

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North to South – East to West

Experiences & Highlights

Discover ancient archaeological sites

Teachings on the world’s largest religions:  Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Cultural and culinary experiences

Optional excursion to Petra Jordan

Explore Israel from north to south and east to west

14 Days • 13 Nights

Private tour.

Jerusalem Judean Desert Negev Desert Hebron Majiddo/Armageddon

Your Adventure

See what we have planned for you…

Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport and transportation to the Tiberias region.

Your adventure in the Holy Land begins in the Tiberias area with a historically-packed day including a boat ride on the Galilee Sea, giving you a broad view of the New Testament stories.  Additional locations for the day include the Church of the Multiplication, the House of St. Peter, and a baptism opportunity in the Jordan River.

A short drive out of the Tiberias region will take you to Gamla, a beautiful ancient Jewish village significant in Jewish history.  From there you will travel to Hula Valley, the site of the major trade route from Damascus to Egypt.  After a traditional Middle Eastern lunch, the afternoon is casually spent at Caesarea Philippi exploring the natural springs and archeological sites.   The local Golan Heights winery will complete your day.

After a scenic drive to Mt Meron, Israel’s second highest mountain, enjoy the unforgettable view of the Mediterranean and Galilee Seas. Then you enter Miilia Christian village to discover modern and ancient Christian life in Israel. Rosh Hanikra will greet you with its spectacular natural geological formations of sea caves and grottos, best viewed by cable car. Lunch and activities await you in the ancient port city of Akko. The afternoon includes a special treat at Baha’i Gardens in Haifa.

As your last day in the Tiberias region, be ready for a full day of historical and biblical exploration. In addition to visiting the Mt of Transfiguration (also known as Mt Tabor), you will enjoy a special treat at the Nazareth village, a historical re-creation of a traditional Nazareth village. Shopping opportunities are available. Optional tour of the Diamond Factory is available at night with history of the diamond trade in Israel and an opportunity to purchase jewelry and loose diamonds.

After an early departure from the Tiberias region, your tour continues with a stop at one of the world’s oldest cities, Jericho. Additional features of the morning include the site on the Jordan River where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land and the baptism site of Jesus. Lunch is a special treat on top of a mountain accessible only by cable car. The restaurant provides fantastic views of Jericho and the Mt of Temptation. Your afternoon is spent relaxing at the Dead Sea before transferring to your new hotel in Jerusalem. Shopping opportunities are available.

Make sure you have good walking shoes for today’s adventure!  Experience the breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem and the Mt of Olives.  The morning’s tour includes the Ascension place of Christ, and Pater Noster where the Lord’s Prayer was taught, Dominus Flevit where Jesus described the destruction of the temple, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Virgin Mary’s tomb.  A traditional lunch is hosted in Old City Jerusalem.  The afternoon begins walking down the Via Dolorosa and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of Jesus crucifixion, death, and resurrection.   The Light Show at the David Citadel is an optional evening activity.

You will spend your day exploring Old City Jerusalem.  Using the Jaffa Gate entrance, your guide will lead you to the ancient Roman Cardo and Jewish Quarter.  After spending a reflective time at the Western Wall, your morning will conclude with a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels.  Lunch will be provided in traditional Middle Eastern fashion.   Your afternoon will include free time to explore Old City Jerusalem.  Shopping opportunities are available. An optional evening activity includes a short night tour of the Old City and dinner at the Jerusalem Jewel rooftop venue. This dining experience is indeed the Jewel of your trip as a breathtaking, unobstructed 360-degree view of Jerusalem and the surrounding area is paired with a traditionally prepared Arab dinner. Please note, there is an additional fee for this night tour.

Choose your own adventure this morning!  Tour options include the Yad Vashem Museum of Holocaust or the lovely village and site of the Visitation Church in Ein Karem.  After your chosen tour, you will spend the rest of your morning in Bethlehem at the Nativity Church, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth.  A late lunch is provided featuring traditional Middle Eastern food. Early afternoon arrival at the hotel allows for free time or an optional afternoon helicopter tour of Jerusalem for an additional fee.

An excursion to Shilo, the site where the Ark of the Covenant was held for 396 years, begins today’s adventure.  Then a quick drive over to Mt Gerizim for spectacular views of Nablus and a stop at Joseph’s tomb. After a Middle Eastern lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring the iconic old city of Nablus.  Then back to Jerusalem to pack for departure the following day.  Shopping opportunities are available.

Prepare for the final stretch of your Grand Tour of the Holy Land. Today you will be departing Jerusalem and heading south to Beit Jibrin National Park, a World Heritage site with an underground lower city and then into the Negev Desert. From there a visit to Tel Saba, the ancient city of Beer Sheva, will end the morning. A traditional Bedouin lunch is served before touring on to Makhatesh Ramon Crater, the largest erosion crater in the world. A scenic drive through the Negev Desert will bring you to Eilat for hotel check-in, the final destination on your Grand Tour.

Grab your hat and sunscreen for today’s adventure!  After a quick drive to Mt Yaoash Observation Point, from this 360-degree observation point, one can see the Jordanian Ridge, Saudi Arabia, and Mt Sinai in Egypt as well as the colorful rock formations. Then on to a tour of Timna to experience the first copper mine, dated 4000BC, and the unique geological beauty of Southern Israel as well as a replica of the original Israelite tabernacle.  Lunch is served at Timna.  After lunch, it’s back to Eilat for a cool afternoon in Eilat’s Coral World Underwater Observatory Aquarium.  This is the largest aquarium in Israel and hosts over 800 species.  After dinner at your hotel, an optional night tour of Eilat is available.

Optional activities include: Snorkeling or scuba diving in the Red Sea, Hiking in Red or Black Canyon, Jeep Tours of Negev, Glass Bottom boat excursion in Red Sea, Yotvati Hai-bar Animal Reserve, shopping or a relaxing afternoon on the beach.

Additional optional tour: Tour of Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan. This is a full-day tour and requires crossing the Jordanian border.

Additional tours as arranged by your travel agent or depart for Ramon Airport for your flight home.

Video Highlights…

Baháʼí Gardens Daytime

Ancient caesarea city entrance, nativity church, jerusalem spice market, the holy seplechure church lock, acacia tree in timna valley, negev desert, hospitality, flamingos in eilat, jerusalem skyline.

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Old Testament Tour

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CHRISTIAN HOLY LAND TOUR

Private luxury designed for the Christian traveler. Once-in-a-lifetime starts now!

• Israel Tour Packages
• Christian Holy Land Tour Package

Private Tour Package series: Luxury Christian Holy Land Experience The perfect bucket-list experience for parties of 2 – 8 travelers. Tour the Holy Land for 10 days/9 nights in the finest luxury accommodations. Explore the Land of the Bible on an incredible private journey that’s anything but cookie-cutter. Pace: Comfortable Activity level: Moderate (walking) var packageBookingPageId = '3973'; Overview Itinerary Leisure day Upgrades Extensions Formalities Inquiry Overview The Luxury Christian Holy Land Experience

The Christian Holy Land Tour is a journey through the history of the Land of the Bible: from the ancient roots of Christianity to the life and teachings of Jesus, and through the millennia of Church life up to the present day. From the lush Galilean Landscape to the splendor of Jerusalem and all the places in between, you’ll be amazed at how much you can do and see while still maintaining a comfortable pace.

This non-denominational Christian tour is designed to provide travelers an in-depth exploration of the historical, cultural, and religious landmarks that make the Holy Land one of the world’s great treasures. This package is designed for travelers who would like to experience both must-sees and unique encounters all while traveling in the comfort of a private tour in high-end accommodations.

This tour package is available throughout the calendar year except for select blackout dates. You can book this package at one of three different levels: Deluxe, Luxury, and Luxury Exclusive.

Christian Holy Land Tour pricing*

*Price per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement will apply for any guests staying in a single occupancy room. Prices subject to change

The Christian Holy Land Experience

Day 1 – arrival day.

VIP arrival Transfer to your hotel Relax and unwind Explore Jaffa (on own) Dinner at leisure

Overnight : Tel Aviv

Day 2 – North to Galilee

Caesarea National Park Tel Megiddo Lunch on own Nazareth Mt. Precipice Dinner included

Overnight : North

Day 3 – Golan & Galilee

Caesarea Philippi Lunch on own Mt. of Beatitudes Capernaum & Tabgha Galilee Boat Ride Dinner included

Day 4 – Lower Galilee

Mount Tabor Sindyanna of Galilee Lunch on own Benedictine Abbey Dinner at leisure

Overnight : Jerusalem

Day 5 – Jerusalem Old City

Mount of Olives Gethsemane Via Dolorosa Holy Sepulchre Davidson Center Dinner at leisure

Day 6 – Jerusalem & Bethlehem

Yad Vashem Memorial Lunch on own Bethlehem Dinner at leisure

Day 7 – Judean Desert

The fortress at Masada Dead Sea experience Lunch included Return to Jerusalem Dinner at leisure

Day 8 – Jerusalem

City of David Lunch on own Israel Museum Dinner at leisure

Day 9 – Leisure Day

Enjoy a day on your own in Jerusalem or choose from one of the other options in the Leisure day tab.

Dinner at leisure

Day 10 – Departure Day

Spend your last morning exploring on your own, relaxing at the hotel, or shopping for souvenirs.

Transfer to Airport VIP Departure Assistance

Have a safe flight!

Leisure day

Spend your leisure day on your own or choose one of these options

• Latrun Armored Corps Memorial
• Burma Road Jeep Tour
• Lunch on your own
• Ammunition Hill
• Dinner on your own

• Artisan Goat Cheese Farm
• Boutique Winery Tour
• Machne Yehuda Market Culinary Experience
• Dinner is included

• Mt. Herzl Nat’l Cemetery
• Theodor Herzl Museum
• Knesset & Supreme Court
• M. Begin Heritage Center

This full-day tour of some of the Jerusalem area’s finest wineries will satisfy every oenophile’s thirst. Explore the history of wine-making in the region, learn about the fascinating technologies that enable the production of top-quality wines in harsh climates, and enjoy a taste of some of the best wines being sold anywhere in the world today.

Engage your fighting spirit with an exciting military experience with some of the IDF’s best former counter-terrorism experts. Train in Krav Maga hand-to-hand combat, practice counter-terrorism maneuvers, compete in shooting exercises, and more. See if you have what it takes to join the elite combat forces of the IDF.

Enjoy a private helicopter flight to Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev Desert for an incredible day in and around the Ramon Crater, one of Israel’s most amazing natural attractions. Enjoy a wine tasting at a local winery, tour the crater and desert surroundings by Jeep, and even rappel down into the crater before returning to Jerusalem by helicopter.

Cross the border into Jordan and take off on a helicopter flight to Petra, one of UNESCO’s amazing World Heritage Sites. Enjoy an expertly guided private tour of the stunning Rose Red City and its famous landmarks: the Treasury, the Siq, and more. Cross Petra off your bucket list, then fly back to Jerusalem.

Take off on an amazing once-in-a-lifetime private helicopter flight over some of Israel’s most beautiful landscapes.

Half-day experience. Please note that this is a Leisure Day add-on and can only be added when you choose to spend the day on your own.

Set out on a special private tour and expert wine tasting at a local boutique winery.

See if you have what it takes to be part of the IDF’s elite counter-terrorism forces.

Finishing touches to make your tour singularly yours

Flexible start day

This itinerary is designed to begin on a Sunday. If you wish, you may shift your tour dates to start on a different day of the week (note: this may result in minor changes to the itinerary that will not affect the overall travel experience or trip value) .

Cost: $500 total

Room upgrades

Crank up the luxury by upgrading from a deluxe-level room to a premium-level room or a suite for your whole trip.

Premium starting from $1,560 per room Suite starting from $4,960 per room

You’re coming all this way, why not cross a few more items off your bucket list?

Choose from one of these amazing trip extensions to add either before or after (or both!) your Tour Package. All extensions offer comprehensive private touring packages in high-end luxury accommodations.

Private 10 day / 9 night tour in luxury accommodations, including a spectacular 4-night Nile Cruise through iconic archaeological sites. Tour highlights: the Pyramids at Giza, the Mighty Sphinx, Old Cairo, Luxor, The Valley of Kings, and much more!

Private 7 day / 6 night tour in luxury accommodations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tour highlights include: Old and New Dubai, including a visit to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa; incredible Desert Safari and traditional hospitality, and much more!

Private 6 day / 5 night tour in luxury accommodations, including all the best of Jordan. Tour highlights include: traditional desert hospitality in Wadi Rum, a mind-blowing tour of the Lost City of Petra, a Dead Sea retreat, and tour of capital city Amman.

Private 6 day / 5 night tour of Egypt in luxury accommodations. Tour highlights: The Pyramids at Giza, the Mighty Sphinx, Karnak, the Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Old Cairo, and much more!

Private 5 day / 4 night tour in luxury accommodations in the economic heart of the UAE. Tour highlights include: modern and classical Dubai, desert hospitality, a day trip to Abu Dhabi, and plenty of down-time and shopping opportunities for all.

Private 5 day / 4 night tour in luxury accommodations with the stunning red desert landscape all around. Tour highlights include: a relaxing day of water sports or beach time in Aqaba, desert hospitality in Wadi Rum, and fabulous tour of Petra.

Formalities

The Christian Holy Land Tour: package details

Package inclusions: • Expertly crafted private itinerary that’s perfect for your party of 2-8 guests. • VIP Meet-and-Greet service upon arrival and private car service to and from the airport. • Nine nights’ accommodation in luxury hotels (according to package level chosen). • Breakfast at the hotel every morning and select lunches and dinners. • Luxury touring vehicle with English-speaking driver; all entrance and activities fees (per itinerary). • Expert services of a private, English-speaking tour guide for your whole trip. • Full backing of Dekel Tours and 24/7 support to ensure smooth running of the trip and real-time response to any unforeseen disturbances.

Package exclusions: • All international airfare. • Travel insurance that includes coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, medical, etc. • Meals listed as “on own” in itinerary. • Activities not listed in itinerary. • All gratuities and other out-of-pocket and personal expenses.

Help with insurance and flights

We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance in the event that you need to cancel your trip unexpectedly. We suggest arranging insurance through an agent in your home country; in the event that you need to file a claim, it is far easier to do so locally. Note: the best time to purchase travel insurance is within 2 weeks of confirming your trip and paying a deposit.

We partner with Travel Insured International to bring our valued US-based guests the kind of travel insurance that can stand up to our Uncompromising Quality, Uncomplicated Travel promise. Click here for information or to get a quote!

To inquire about flights for your travel package, we recommend that you contact Karen Berger at Preferred Naples Travel, located in Florida. Just be sure to let her know you are traveling with Dekel Tours.

Take the first step toward an unforgettable Israel experience

If you have questions or you want to book this tour, click below to contact one of our friendly tour specialists.

Schedule your free consultation

Travel professionals who have already received an agent login can book this package from their agent dashboard. (If you’ve never partnered with Dekel Tours and you’d like to get started, click here to set up a consultation .)

Your first step toward unforgettable Israel experience

Travel with friends or during off-peak travel seasons for amazing savings (off-peak months: January, February, May, July, August, September, November and December)

Egypt tours which include Nile Cruise can only start on specific days of the week. Please read carefully when booking Egypt tour.

If adding multiple destinations, we recommend pairing Jordan u0026 Israel together (order not important).

Tours in Israel are scheduled to begin on Sunday and end ten days later on Tuesday. It is possible to start Israel tours on a different day of the week. An addition fee will apply and changes to the itinerary might be made to accommodate flexible start date.

Step 1 – Select travel destinations

Choose all destinations for this trip and the order they will be visited in.

Step 2 – Select leisure day option in Israel

Day 9 in Israel itinerary is a leisure day. Choose one of the free or upgraded leisure day options below.

Israel & the IDF

Included in the price

Theme Day: Israel & the IDF

This is a full-day activity.

– Laturn Armored Corps Memorial – Burma Road Jeep Tour – Lunch on your onw – Ammunition Hill – Dinner on your onw

Overnight: Jerusalem

Spend the day on your own

Half-day upgrade options available – click “Select”

Choose to spend the day on your own shopping or relaxing on the beach or choose from the half-day activity options. Please note, you can choose a maximum of two half-day activities.

Culinary & Wine

Included in price

Artisan Goat Cheese Farm Boutique Winery Tour Lunch on your own Machne Yehuda Market Culinary Experience Dinner is included

Modern Israel

Mt.Herzl Nat’l Cemetery Theodor Herzl Museum Lunch on your own Knesset & Supreme Court M. Begin Heritage Center Dinner on your own

Wine for Aficionados

$300 per person

Warrior Adventure

$3,650 total

Mitzpe Ramon

$250 per person

Petra, Jordan

$500 per person

Select your leisure day adventure(s)

Choose up to 2 half-day extras to spice up your leisure day

Aerial Tour by Helicopter

Wine tasting

Army Outing

See if you have what it takes to be part of the IDF’s elite counter-terrorism forces.

Step 3 – Select package level

Package level applies to all destinations in this trip.

Package level – Deluxe Comfortable accommodations at 4+ star hotels such as Beach Hotel Tel Aviv (Israel), Made up Hotel (Egypt), Desert Hotel (Jordan) and similar.

Package level – Luxury Luxury accommodations at 5 star hotels such as Beach Hotel Tel Aviv (Israel), Made up Hotel (Egypt), Desert Hotel (Jordan) and similar.

Package level – Luxury Exclusive Luxury accommodations at 5+ star hotels such as Beach Hotel Tel Aviv (Israel), Made up Hotel (Egypt), Desert Hotel (Jordan) and similar.

Step 4 – Select the number of travelers and accommodation preferences

Select the type of room in all hotels for this trip. Deluxe is the default and is included in price. Premium and Suite are upgrades and are charged extra.

Select the number of people staying in each room. Please note, Single Supplement Fee will apply for single occupancy rooms

Step 5 – Select travel dates

Select preferred travel year and month, step 6 – travel calendar.

Here you will find all the information about the flights, border crossings and visas for this trip

Step 7 – Review & book

Please review carefully before placing your order

Name this trip

Trip name successfully saved.

Israel Highlights Tour

Select Egypt experience

Egyptian Wonders – Cairo, Pyramids & Nile Cruise

Private 10 day / 9 night tour in luxury accommodations, including a spectacular 4 night Nile Cruise through iconic archaeological sites. Tour highlights: the Pyramids at Giza, Old Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili suq, the Mighty Sphinx, Luxor, and much more!

The Highlights of Egypt

Private 8 day / 7 night tour in luxury accommodations, including a spectacular 4 night Nile Cruise through iconic archaeological sites. Tour highlights: the Pyramids at Giza, Old Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili suq, the Mighty Sphinx, Luxor, and much more!

Pyramids & Beyond – Mini-Egypt: Giza, Cairo & Luxor

Private 6 day / 5 night tour in luxury accommodations. Tour highlights: the Pyramids at Giza, Old Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili suq, the Mighty Sphinx, Luxor, and much more!

Select Jordan experience

Incredible Jordan – The Ultimate Jordan Tour

Red Desert Adventure – Mini-Jordan: Wadi Rum & Petra

Select UAE experience

Enjoy the Emirates – Dubai, Abu Dhabi & more!

Dazzling Dubai – Mini-UAE: Dubai Getaway

Request this trip

Request this trip Trip start date is less than 3 months from now. Request this trip now and you tour specialist will check availability and be in touch shortly.

Guest details

For booking purposes, please provide the following information about at least one person participating in this trip.

In case of combining 3+ destinations (including Jordan), we recommend pairing Israel and Jordan (in whatever order) together.

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Discover more of our amazing private Israel tour packages

Best of Israel: The Culinary & Wine Tour

10 Days/9 Nights in luxury hotels.

The Culinary and Wine Tour brings you the best of Israel’s incredible food and wine scene on your journey through the country’s historical, cultural, and natural landmarks. Through local open-air markets, traditional cooking workshops, boutique wineries, scrumptious street food stands, and all the fascinating places in between, you’ll be amazed at how much you can do and see (and eat and drink) while still maintaining a comfortable pace.

This is Israel: The Highlights Tour

The Israel Highlights Tour brings you all of Israel’s heavy hitters in one amazing journey. Embark on a private luxury tour of Israel, from the glitter of modern Tel Aviv to the ancient splendor of Jerusalem and all the incredible places in between. You’ll be amazed at how much you can do and see while still maintaining a comfortable pace. This is Israel: Uncomplicated!

Best of Israel: The Outdoor Adventure Tour

11 Days/10 Nights in luxury hotels.

The Outdoor Adventure Tour is the perfect tour of Israel for people who love to get outside and play. Discover all the wonders of Israel on this luxury tour that’s built to keep your heart-rate elevated. Smash your step counter and join us for an incredible journey over the hills, through the deserts, into the craters, and all over this beautiful land.

Want to see Israel your way?

No problem! We love custom designing Israel tours. Your dedicated tour specialist will spend the time to get to know you so we can build you an Israel trip from the bottom up. You can be sure your Israel experience is perfectly suited to you and your specific needs and preferences. Discover the Dekel Tours promise of Uncompromising Quality and Unparalleled Service. It’s how we do Israel: Uncomplicated .

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Mazada Tours is one of Israel’s leading tour operators and has amassed over four decades of exceptional, first-hand travel experiences in the Holy Land.

We offer an array of VIP experiences in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt and create tailor-made journeys for discerning travelers. We are a one-stop-shop solution for all your travel needs in the region, organizing visas and private luxury transport, as well as booking guided tours and anything else you may need during your journey.

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We Offer A Seamless Solution To Booking Your Tours And Activities With Mazada Tours.

Your Initial Contact

Your message will be promptly answered by one of our representatives, who will become your Personal Travel Assistant throughout the entire booking process and during the duration of your trip.

Customizing Your Itinerary

With your detailed guidance, your Personal Travel Assistant will ensure your itinerary is customized to include all the services you specifically request.

Finalize Your Booking

We offer multiple payment options, including with Visa, AMEX, Mastercard, and Diner’s Club credit cards. Secure payment transaction via private SSL Link, the highest in cybersecurity standard.

Confirmation and Arrival

One week before the start of your tour, You will receive a complete list of all the relevant contact information for your private drivers and guides, as well as the hotels we have booked for you.

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The Holy Land

• Current Pilgrimages

The Holy Land Pilgrimage

Experience the ultimate Catholic pilgrimage to the Holy Land with our expertly crafted holy land tours. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus and visit the holiest sites of the Catholic faith. Our pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a journey of faith, prayer, and self-discovery that will leave you with memories that last a lifetime. Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of the region, and deepen your spiritual connection to God.

Plan your Holy Land Pilgrimage today!

Day 1 |  Depart U.S. via local airport for an overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2 |  Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, our professional escort will greet us and take us by deluxe motorcoach to our hotel on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. We will have an afternoon of leisure followed by dinner at our hotel.

Day 3 |  Following breakfast, we travel by motorcoach to Mount Tabor to visit the beautiful basilica and the rock under the altar where the Transfiguration took place. We proceed to Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed the first of His miracles: changing water to wine. Spouses may have the opportunity to renew their wedding vows here. We then move on to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation for Mass at the Grotto. We finish our day with a visit to the house of the Holy Family underneath the Church of St. Joseph. Dinner.

Day 4 |  Today, we enjoy a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where our Lord gave the Sermon on the Mount. We then proceed to Capernaum to visit the house of St. Peter, the synagogue where our Lord preached, and the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy where our spiritual director will have the opportunity to celebrate HolyvMass. We finish our day with a visit to the Jordan River. Dinner.

Day 5 |  After breakfast, we visit the Old City of Acre, then proceed to Haifa to visit Stella Maris Monastery and Elijah’s Cave where our spiritual director will have the opportunity to celebrate Mass. We then continue along the coast to Caesarea to visit a Roman amphitheater and aqueduct. Dinner.

Day 6 |  This morning, we visit the Old City of Jerusalem, starting with St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda. Following our lunch break, we will walk the Via Dolorosa through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross. We end our day at the Church of Holy Sepulcher. Dinner.

Day 7 |  Following breakfast at the hotel, we travel to Bethany to visit the Church and the Tomb of St. Lazarus where our spiritual director will have the opportunity to celebrate Mass. Next, we go to the Mount of Temptation and the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed to view Jesus. We then move on to the Dead Sea area to see the caves at Qumran. We finish our day with a visit to Masada, the fortress palace of “Herod the Great” and the last strong hold of the Jewish zealots. Dinner.

Day 8 |  Today we visit Bethlehem and the Basilica of the Nativity where our spiritual director will celebrate Mass. We also visit the Grotto of Nativity and the Church of St. Catherine as well as the Caves of St. Joseph and St. Jerome underneath the church. We then proceed to the Shepherd’s Fields, and to the village of Ein-Karem to visit the birth place of St. John the Baptist and the Church of the Visitation. Farewell dinner.

Day 9 |  Following breakfast, we start our day with a visit to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We will then proceed to the Church of Pater Noster, where Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. We continue to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Rock of Agony. Mass in the Garden of Gethsemane before visiting the Church of the Dormition Abbey, the Cenacle, the place of the Last Supper and Pentecost. This evening we will head to the airport for our return overnight flight home.

Day 10 |  Arrival back into the U.S.

Tour Package Includes

These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group

• 4-star hotel accommodations
• Private motorcoach transportation
• Breakfast & dinner served daily
• Wine served with some dinners
• Dedicated tour manager
• Licensed guiding & admission fees
• Porterage service at hotels
• Whisper headsets when touring
• Tips for hotel & restaurant staff
• 9 - 5 PM (EST) reservation support
• 24/7 travel emergency support

Holy Land Tour Extensions

These pre or post trip extension packages can be fully customized.

Journey to Jordan and immerse yourself in the mystery of Ancient Petra, delving into its buildings and tombs, carved straight into soaring cliffs.

Embark on a spiritual journey and explore Italy’s breathtaking beauty, from the iconic St. Peter’s Basilica to the tranquil town of Assisi, where history, art, and faith converge.

Delve into the sacred wonders of Greece’s Holy sites. From the majesty of the Acropolis to the mystique of Delphi, each destination offers a window into ancient mythology, culture, and spirituality that will leave you in awe.

Best Christian Holy Land Tours 2023

• Apr 14, 2023
• Israel, Travel

Geoff Kullman

Book your guide for the best Christian Holy Land tours

Whether you’re a pastor beginning to organize a group tour to the Holy Land or you’re a church small group leader researching ideas for your congregation, this travel guide is for you. We’ll show you the best Christian Holy Land tours, answer some important FAQs, and much more.

After you’ve read this travel guide, you’ll be ready to narrow down your destination options and confirm important decisions. Whether you want to follow the mission trips of the Apostle Paul, visit the seven churches of Revelation, or experience the Holy Land and Middle East, you’ll learn about some of our most popular tours and destinations.

You’ll also learn about passport and visa requirements for US citizens, which languages are spoken during the tour, and answer questions about which currency to use on the tour.

With each popular tour, we’ll give you the link to the daily itinerary and the phone number to call if you want to get the planning process started.

Christian Holy Land Foundations

Experience the passion and feel the power of the Bible as you embark on a remarkable and unforgettable adventure through the life and history of Jesus.

This 10-day Christian Foundations tour will transport you back to the days of Jesus and allow you to feel the power of his life and spirit. Your journey begins when you arrive in Israel. You will immediately feel the ancient, mystical powers surrounding the land’s architecture and design.

Your tour will start in Tel Aviv, where cobbled streets and old-world charm mix with modern-day skyscrapers and cutting-edge architecture. As soon as you step foot in Israel, travelers tell us they experience an incredible sensation of feeling “home.” Your spiritual home.

After a day in Tel Aviv, you’ll explore the ancient cities of Caesarea and Tiberias. You’ll visit the places where many of Jesus’ miracles happened, as well as numerous ancient ruins, archeological digs, and religious sites.

You’ll see Nazareth, Cana, and Capernaum, as well as Jericho, on your way to Jerusalem.

When you’re in the Old City, you’ll walk along the 2000-year-old main street known as The Cardo and head to The Western/Wailing Wall and The Temple Mount. No stop to the Old City is complete without a walk down the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus carried his cross. You can also stop for a visit at the Church of The Holy Sepulcher.

When you’re on Mount Zion, you can visit The Room of The Last Supper. In Jerusalem, the stories you’ve read for decades and the faith you’ve lived from childhood will come to life in a brand new way.

With a few days left on your trip, you’ll go to the New City of Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and Qumran. You’ll take a cable car up a mountain and walk around an ancient fortress built by King Herod.

Tour Details: Christian Foundations daily itinerary Call Now: [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877)

Traditions of Apostle Paul in Greece

Be immersed in Christian history, culture, and Greek cuisine, while you travel in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul and follow his journey through ancient Greece visiting the sites of Corinth, Veria, and so much more.

You’ll start your tour in historic Athens . There’s so much to see that we’ll plan a few days there. Your Athens highlights include the Parthenon, the Athenian Temple of the goddess of wisdom, and the Temple of Zeus.

A few days into your Athens adventure, you’ll take a trip to Corinth, where Paul met Aquilla and Pricilla and spent 18 months working and preaching. You’ll see where Paul preached the gospel and then return to Athens for dinnertime.

Your tour will also include trips to Thessaloniki as well as Philippi, where you’ll see the Baptistery of Lydia (Paul’s first convert).

Tour Details: Traditions of Paul in Greece daily itinerary Call Now: [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877)

Apostle Paul Missions Tour

On this Tradition Tour, you will be immersed in Christian history, culture, and Greek cuisine, while you travel in the footsteps of Apostle Paul and follow his journey through ancient Greece visiting the sites of Corinth, Veria, and so much more.

Your tour will start in Athens, where you’ll experience the Acropolis and Parthenon. Consider Athens your home base for the next few days as you take daily excursions to Corinth and Thessaloniki, among other historical sites.

Also, travel to Delphi, an ancient city once called the “hub” or “naval” of the world. You’ll visit the Delphi Archeological Museum to experience its splendid collection of ancient works of art. More than that, you’ll visit the Temple of Apollo (built in the 7th century BC).

Finally, return to Athens before your departure home, where you’ll reflect on all of the new insights you’ve gained into Paul and John’s prosperous teachings.

Tour details: Apostle Paul Mission Tour daily itinerary Call Now:[1-855-958-6577](te: 1-855-958-6577)

The Seven Churches of Revelation Tour

Begin your tour in Istanbul, Turkey, a city of timeless charm.

You’ll spend a couple of days exploring Istanbul, including the Spice Bazaar, one of the oldest (and largest) shopping complexes in the world. Be stunned by Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

On your final day in the city, you’ll hop on a boat along the waterway separating Asia and Europe. Along the way, you’ll see ancient Ottoman palaces, old architectural villas, and more.

After Istanbul, you’ll begin your journey to the seven churches, starting with Pergamum.

You’ll see the Altar of Zeus, also known as the “Throne of Satan” in Revelation. Continue to Thyatira (church two) and Smyrna (church three). The next day, you’ll visit Philadelphia, Sardis, Hierapolis, and Laodicea. Your tour will also visit Ephesus and Kusadasi before returning to Istanbul.

Tour details: The Seven Churches of Revelation Tour Call Now: [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877)

Holy Land, Jordan, and Egypt Tour

Very few people are privileged enough to experience Israel, Egypt, and Jordan all in one vacation. Tradition Tours makes that possible with this life-changing tour of the most prominent sites of the Bible.

During your 12-night adventure, you’ll always have an experienced travel consultant ready to handle all your tour needs. As you make your way around the sacred lands, the stories of the Bible will come to life.

The tour starts in Tel Aviv, a city that combines the ancient world (cobblestone streets) with the modern day (skyscrapers) before heading to the Judean capital of Caesarea and heading to Mount Carmel as well as numerous other biblical sites in Israel.

One of the many highlights of the tour is a boat ride on the Sea of Gaililee where you’ll stop to see an ancient fishing boat from the tme of Jesus.

Explore Cana and the Wedding Church, where Jesus turned water into wine. Then travel to Nazareth, where Jesus spent most of his life on earth.

Of course, you’ll spend a couple of days in Jerusalem, both the Old City and New, as well as Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus. We include the Dead Sea and Qumran (location of the Dead Sea Scrolls).

Expereince Petra, an unbelievable ancient city carved into the mountains. Marvel as we explore the treasury, a Nabatean king’s tomb, obelisks and so much more! You’ll see many amazing sights on this tour, but Petra may well be your favorite.

From Mount Nebo, you’ll see the vantage point from which Moses viewed the promised land.

You’ll head to Cairo where you’ll see the Egyptian Museum, home to the treasures of Tutankhamen’s tomb, including his marvelous gold mask as well as thousands of other ancient Egyptian relics.

You’ll see the Nile River and experience enough adventures and have enough stories to last a lifetime.

Tour details: Holy Land, Jordan, Egypt Tour itinerary Call Now: [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877)

Holy Land Tour FAQ

Passport and visa requirements for us citizens.

General Requirements: According to the State Department, US citizens traveling internationally must have passports that are valid for at least 6 months past the date you return to the USA.

Country-Specific Requirements: Some of our tour destinations that do not require a visa or border fees for US Passport holders include: ✓ Greece ✓ Israel ✓ Italy

Some of our tour destinations that do require a visa include: ✓ Greece ✓ Jordan

Countires not listed above may have additional visa or border fee requirements. Give us a call if you need any help sorting through the passport requirements. [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877).

What languages are spoken during the tour?

Lanuages spoken in Israel.

While Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel, English is spoken (or understood) by much, if not most, of the population. \

Languages spoken in Egypt.

Many Egyptians are fluent in both Arabic and English, especially if they are educated. Many also speak French.

Languages spoken in Jordan.

While Arabic is the official language of the country, English is spoken by many people, especially in the cities. Many Jordanians have travelled or were educated abroad, so they may also speak French, German, Italian, or Spanish.

Languages spoken in Greece.

While the official language of Greece is Greek, much of the population also speaks English.

Languages spoken in Turkey.

Turkish is the native language of most of the population of Turkey, while much of the population also speaks various dialects. Many people will also speak or understand English, but perhaps not as much as the other countries you may visit.

Of course, if you have any questions or concerns about the languages spoken in the countries you plan to visit, please call Tradition Tours. [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877).

What currency to use on the tour?

Currencies used in Israel.

The official currency of Israel is the NIS (New Israel Shekel). Most local businesses will not accept US Dollars in Israel, so it’s best to bring the local currency along with you. Ask your local bank if they’re able to order NIS a few weeks before your journey.

Currencies used in Egypt.

The Egyptian Pound is the official currency of Egypt. In many cases, locals may accept US Dollars, but you will tend to overpay if you use non-local currency.

Currencies used in Jordan.

The Jordanian Dinar has long been one of the world’s strongest currencies. Foreign currencies are generally not accepted in Jordan and it is primarily a cash society. Again, ask your local bank numerous weeks before you travel if they’re able to order Dinar.

Currencies used in Greece.

The official currency of Greece is the Euro. Do not bring US Dollars as most businesses will only accept the local currency (Euros).

Currencies used in Turkey.

The official currency of Turkey is the Lira. You can use Euros in Turkey, however many vendors may quote a higher price is not in Lira. Many ATMs are available in Turkey that can dispense Liras at a responsible exchange rate.

As always, if you have any questions about best practices or how to plan for currencies across multiple countries, please give us a call. [1-855-958-6877](tel: 1-855-958-6877).

Call us at Tradition Tours to talk about your Holy Land tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Geoff Kullman is a freelance copywriter and former pastor. Geoff traveled to the Middle East (and Holy Land) in 2007 and has been an avid researcher and writer of history and archeology since. He has traveled to 5 continents and loves learning about the world's cultures.

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Christian Tours of the Holy Land

Israel - an experience you will never forget, small groups or solo travelers, +1-718-785-4113, solo travelers or small groups, what’s included in this trip.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Holy Land and experience the sacred sites. Your Christian trip to Israel will be an experience you will never forget. You will follow in the footsteps of Christians from around the world who have been coming on pilgrimage to this land for 2,000 years.

On your Holy Land tour you will explore ancient archeological sites and experience the natural wonders of the land. You will see the beginning of the Christian faith and understand how inter-religious tensions have shaped this land for generations.

Our Holy Land tour experience will take you to Christianity’s holiest sites like Bethlehem, the Garden Tomb, the Sea of Galilee, the banks of the Jordan River, the walls of the original Temple in Jerusalem, the Room of the Last Supper, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Garden of Gethsemane, and much more. You will have time for communal and personal prayer over the course of the tour.

Also, during your visit you will experience a taste of the modern state of Israel and explore its magic.

A free itinerary consultation

A personal itinerary for you, your family, or your group

in the footsteps of Christians

Prayer at Christianity’s holiest sites. Explore ancient archeological Israel

A taste of the modern state of Israel

Explore its magic, experience the natural wonders of the land

Licensed, experienced, seasoned guides

See the Bible come alive right before your eyes

WE SPECIALIZE IN EXCEPTIONAL TRAVELS IN ISRAEL

Contact us today for a free itinerary consultation.

We will get back to you via email, telephone, or an online conference to determine your anticipated needs, wishes, and dreams.

We will create a personal Holy Land tour itinerary for you or your group or family according to your interests.

You will be granted entry into all sites according to your needs.

You can choose from a range of hotels with varying prices to fit your budget, from luxury or boutique hotels to youth hostels.

Tour with licensed, experienced, seasoned guides whose love of Israel is contagious. See the Bible come alive right before your eyes.

Our drivers will care for your every need, make stops as you wish, and get you where you need to be on time.

From the minute you step off the plane, your trip will be smooth, hassle-free, fun, educational, spiritual, and memorable.

Itinerary Example for Religious Travelers

We will work with you to create a comprehensive, spiritual, and uplifting Christian tour and customize your Holy Land Tour to fit your interests, budget, and length of stay.

We offer a 7-14 day itinerary for a Christian Tour to Israel. See a sample itinerary for seven days for a Christian trip to Israel.

• Printer friendly itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Israel and travel to Jezreel Valley

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv in the morning. Our representative will meet you after luggage collection. They will direct you to your guide and bus. See the highlights of Tel Aviv before departing north to Tiberius, capital of the Galilee. Drive to Megiddo, where excavations have unearthed 20 layers of civilization, most likely the site of Armageddon as described in the book of Revelations, where the final battle between the forces of good and evil will take place. Drive along the Jezreel Valley and arrive in Nazareth, home of Joseph and Mary. Enter the Church of the Annunciation built over the traditional site of Joseph and Mary’s home. Nearby is Mary’s well. Continue to the Village of Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle of converting water into wine at a wedding. Check into the hotel.

Dinner and overnight: 4 Star Hotel in the Galilee

Day 2: Galilee and Golan Heights

Visit the Baptismal site on the Jordan River. Drive to Capernaum, hometown of St. Peter. Stop in Tabgha at the Church of the Multiplication and visit the Church of the Primacy of Peter, where Jesus prepared bread and fish for his disciples. Continue to the Church of the Beatitudes. Drive North to the Golan Heights, where Israel shares a border with Lebanon. Enter the Banias Springs’ crystal-clear water, one of the three sources of the Jordan River.  Enjoy a boat-ride on the Sea of Galilee.

Breakfast, Dinner and overnight: 4 star hotel in the Galilee

Day 3: Jordan Valley

Check out of the hotel. Stop at Beit She’an, newly excavated and one of the largest archaeological sites in Israel. Continue to the Jordan Valley for a magnificent view. Stop for a panoramic perspective of the holy city of Jerusalem from The Mount of Olives. Check into the hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner and overnight: 4 star hotel in Jerusalem

Day 4: Old City of Jerusalem

Enter the Old City through the Dung Gate. View the Dome of the Rock, where King Solomon’s Temple was located and the rock where Abraham stood to sacrifice Isaac. Stop at the Western Wall. Visit the Ecce Homo Arch and walk along Via Dolorosa to the Pool of Bethesda, house of Pontius Pilate. Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Walk through the Jewish Quarter. Walk through the Garden of Gethsemane and enter the Church of All Nations, also called the Church of Agony. Visit the Chapel of the Ascension and the Pater Noster Church, where Jesus taught his disciples the “Our Father”. Cross the Kidron Valley, pass the Tombs of Absalom and Zechariah. Arrive at Mount Zion to visit the Room of the Last Supper. Time will be available for a prayer service.

Day 5: Bethlehem and Yad Vashem

Drive to Bethlehem, viewing Rachel’s Tomb. Enter the Basilica of the Nativity, built on the site of Jesus’ birth. Visit the Model of the City of Jerusalem as it appeared at the time of the Second Temple. Depart to Mount Herzl to visit the Holocaust Museum “Yad Vashem“, a museum in memory of the six million Jews who suffered and died during the Second World War. End the day with communion service in the Garden Tomb.

Day 6: Masada, Dead Sea, Jericho

Drive south to the Arava Valley to reach Masada. Ascend by cable car and see the impressive historical site, the last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Travel along the water’s edge below sea level to reach the shores of the Dead Sea. Enjoy the treasures of the Dead Sea in natural thermal springs, sculpture pools, mud baths and a “swim” in the Dead Sea. Drive via the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest known city in the Western world. Observe the Monastery of Saint George in Wadi Qelt. See the Mount of Temptation from a distance.

Day 7: Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa

Check out of the hotel. Drive to Tel Aviv and walk through Jaffa, which is the biblical town of Joppa. In the late afternoon, enjoy a farewell dinner at a Tel Aviv restaurant.

Depart for the airport.

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We can’t wait to help you put together your ultimate Israel. Experience according to your budget, your preferences or your family/group preferences, and the length of your stay!

Contact us today for a free trip consultation, and one of our friendly and talented tour specialists will start building your dream trip to Israel! Your customized, all-inclusive tour package includes up-to-date, expert advice, providing 24/6 local support from our staff when you are here.

We will take care of everything, so all you need to do is relax and enjoy your trip to Israel!

The price for the trip includes accommodations, two meals a day (breakfast and dinner), transportation, trip staff, and entry into sites according to the itinerary, which is your entire cost for the trip apart from:

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Budgeting and Packing: Most of your expenses are included in your group trip; however, there are a few items you should know about:

Food in Israel: Expect to spend $20 per day on lunch. Street food costs $10-$20, and cafes & restaurants can vary from $25 to $50. Almost all eateries accept credit cards. Debit cards are not always accepted.

Transportation: Taxis are best found by the GETT TAXI app. All buses and trains require a Rav-Kav card, which can be easily purchased at any store. No tipping is necessary on taxi rides. Souvenirs: There are many places to buy gifts. We recommend the Machane Yehuda market (Shuk Machane Yehuda), Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, and the Carmel market (Shuk Ha-Carmel) in Tel Aviv for the best prices. Be prepared to haggle, as this is part of the culture.

TIPS: restaurant service 12%-15%, hotel cleaning staff $2.00 a day, tour guide $10.00 a day per person in a group tour, driver $5.00 a day per person in a group tour.

Currency Exchange Places: There are many located nationwide; ask your guide for their recommendation. We are always here to help as well. Click here to learn more about Israel’s currency.

Special rates if you would like to arrive before or stay after your group tour. Ask for more details at [email protected]

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• Cancellation by the Customer . The Customer may cancel the Services or any part thereof by and subject to the cancellation policy terms and conditions outlined in the applicable Order Form. Israeli Consumer Protection Law . Under the Israeli Consumer Protection Law, a consumer is entitled to cancel a transaction within 14 days from the later of (i) the transaction date or (ii) the day the consumer received the disclosure document regarding the transaction (as required under the Israeli Consumer Protection Law), provided however, that such cancellation will not be possible if there are less than seven (7) Business Days (in Israel) until the time set for the services to be provided.

Despite anything to the contrary herein, any cancellation compliant with the Israeli Consumer Protection Law terms will incur a cancellation fee lower than (i) 5% of the total consideration or (ii) NIS 100 per participant.

To avoid doubt, it is clarified that the above-mentioned is for informational purposes only and that the binding and complete wording of the provisions for cancellation under the Israeli Consumer Protection Law is specified in the Israeli Consumer Protection Law. In any case, the terms mentioned above do not derogate from the provisions of the Israeli Consumer Protection Law.

• Changes and Cancellation by ICT . ICT reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a tour participant, to expel any tour participant from the tour, to make changes in the itinerary whenever ICT deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour participants, and to cancel any tour at any time, in each case, without incurring any liability to the Customer except refunds if and to the extent stipulated in the cancellation policy.

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Lands of the Bible – Holy Land

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (Jn. 1:14).” Guidepost Tours invite all Christians to visit the lands of the Bible. For many experiencing pilgrimage in the Holy Land, the voyage is life-changing. The authenticity of the spiritual journey that follows in the footsteps of Jesus is a unique opportunity to discover the roots of Christian faith and immerse oneself in the wealth of religious history and significance throughout the Holy Land. The pilgrim experience in itself is an opportunity for believers to unite as one as they explore the lands of the Bible and the diversity of Christian heritage throughout the land of Israel.

Christian pilgrims from all over the world have been journeying to the Lands of the Bible, especially Israel, Jordan and Egypt, the source of their spiritual heritage, for nearly 2000 years. Bible in hand, they’ve walked in the places where Jesus walked and prayed where He preached and prayed, and many experience a feeling of divine grace, or salvation, along with inner peace and a strengthened belief in their faith. There is no better place on earth than the Holy Land for Christians to feel the events of Jesus’ life coming alive before their eyes and in their hearts. Nowhere is His life better documented than in the Holy Bible and now, more than ever, the call to follow in Jesus’ Holyland footsteps is reverberating around the Christian world.

Guidepost Tours can tailor or advise the most appropriate tour for you, whether you want to join a group lead by a Christian Pastor or Biblical scholar or take a leisurely discovery tour. Feel free to discuss with us at any time.

Best of Israel 9 day Christian Tour

8 Nights - Many dates every month year round. This is one of our most popular tours or the Holy Land

Overview: Our Israel & Holy Land tours for the Evangelical Protestant Bible believer are what we do best. Prepare yourself for a life changing journey to walk where Jesus…

Egypt & Jordan - 9 day First Class Tour

8 Nights - Regular monthly departures year round

Overview: Are you ready to travel to the Biblical land of the Pharaohs, Jacob, Joseph, and Israel during the famine? Look no further. Each of our Egypt tours is led by a local…

Egypt Adventure - 11 day Tour & Cruise

10 Nights - Regular monthly departures year round

Overview: Travel to the Biblical land of the Pharaohs, Jacob, Joseph, and Israel during the famine. Each of our Christian Egypt tours is led by a local guide who is an expert…

Best of Jordan & Israel 12 day Tour

11 Nights - Multiple departures every month year round.

Overview: One of our complete Holy Land tours covering the Lands of the Bible in Jordan and Israel. Each of our Holy Land tours are led by a local guide who is an experienced…

Israel & Egypt 13 day First Class Tour

12 Nights - Tours in March & October. Check our office for dates.

Overview: Following a comprehensive tour of the Christian sites of Israel, this tour continues to the Red Sea, the Sinai and Cairo, exploring the beginnings of the Israelites…

Egypt & Jordan 14 day First Class Tour with Nile Cruise

13 Nights - Regular monthly departures throughout the year

Overview: This tour expands our popular Egypt and Jordan Christian tour by including a comprehensive Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan with an optional extension to Abu…

Best of Jordan and Israel Superior 15 day Tour

14 Nights - Monthly Tours April to November

Overview: This exclusive tour of Israel and Jordan includes many sites not on our standard shorter tours. We also include superior first class accommodation and those little…

"The Exodus" - Egypt, Jordan & Israel 16 day Tour

15 Nights - Regular departures most months throughout the year

Overview: One of our shorter Exodus Journeys from Egypt through the Sinai to Jordan and on to the Holy Land.…

"The Exodus" Egypt, Jordan & Israel 20 day Tour with Nile Cruise

19 Nights - Regular departures most months throughout the year.

Overview: This popular Exodus tour includes through Egypt, Jordan and Israel includes a comprehensive Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan…

"The Exodus" Egypt, Jordan & Israel 23 day First Class Tour with Nile Cruise

22 Nights - Regular departures April to October

Overview: This is our ultimate Exodus Tour through Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Superior first class accommodation is combined with a comprehensive luxury Nile River Cruise.…

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Immersive Tour of the Holy Land: 10 Days in Israel for Seniors

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• Trip Overview

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

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Countries Visited

Places visited, suggested duration, customizable itinerary, tel aviv – arrive in israel and explore the trendy neve tzedek neighborhood.

Though small in size, the treasures of Israel are abundant, spanning many of the world’s most prominent cultures and religions. As you arrive at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, you will meet your private tour guide at baggage claim and prepare for a quick transfer to your luxurious, five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Once you have had time to freshen up, you will meet your guide in the lobby for your first introduction to this eclectic city.

To begin your journey, you will a led on a city tour that will have you strolling around the trendy Neve Tzedek neighborhood, which is famous for its avant-garde art boutiques, shops, bars, and restaurants. Then, you will be provided with dinner at one of your expert guide’s excellent recommendation before delighting in a beverage at one of the many live music bars or cocktail lounges in this metropolitan area. You can let a rush of excitement surge through you as the warm sea breeze brushes against your cheek and the sounds of live jazz music drift around you. After much anticipation, you have finally arrived in Israel and are ready to embark on your trip of a lifetime. Following dinner, your guide will return you to your extravagant hotel so you can prepare for tomorrow’s grand explorations.

What's Included:

Tel Aviv – Visit Israel's Independence Hall and Discover Tel Aviv's Lively Shuk

This morning, you can enjoy a traditional, Israeli breakfast at your hotel, which will consist of regional fruits, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and Israeli salad. Then, you will meet your private guide in the lobby for your transfer to the Tel Aviv Shuk, which is also known as the Carmel Market. Here, you can expect all of your senses to be heightened as you walk through the bustling aisles of the Shuk, taking in the sights, sounds, and aromas of this unique, Middle Eastern market. Here, you can view the booths that are full of colorful spices and taste the savory flavors of delicious falafel as you shuffle through the crowds of tourists and locals.

Once you have had your fill of the Shuk, your expert guide will transfer you to Tel Aviv’s highly acclaimed Independence Hall, where you will hear the inspirational story of Jewish triumph in the fight for independence in 1948. Sitting in the very hall in which Israel’s independence was declared, the Hatikvah, Israel’s melodic national anthem will begin to surge powerfully throughout the room, running a shiver up your spine. As the music swells, you will be unable to resist the overwhelming sense of pride for the defiance and strength of the Israeli people in establishing themselves as an independent nation against all odds so many years ago.

Tel Aviv – Tour the Famed Jaffa Neighborhood and Enjoy the Tel Aviv Beach

After breakfast, you will meet your guide in the hotel lobby to begin today’s adventures. You will be transferred to Tel Aviv’s famed Jaffa neighborhood, where you will discover how the ancient world meets the new. The city moves from narrow streets to trendy upscale restaurants and cafes, and you will be led on a tour of the Jaffa Flea Market, stopping to haggle alongside locals for new and vintage treasures that may be buried deep within market booths. Then, you will learn of the neighborhood’s rich history as you walk past the striking Jaffa clock tower before culminating your tour at the Jaffa Port for lunch at one of the many picturesque restaurants or cafes that will be recommended by your guide.

After lunch, your guide will transfer you back to Tel Aviv’s illustrious beach, where you will have the rest of the afternoon to explore on your own. You can enjoy a refreshing beverage at one of the charming beach bars, play a round of paddle ball with the locals, or stroll along the sunny promenade, luxuriating in an afternoon all to yourself. You will be able to feel the sun on your face and listen to the waves as they gently lap against the shimmering beach. The steady murmur of foreign languages as they are being spoken all around you will be a delightful change from your everyday, and you can soak in the breathtaking views of an endless stretch of white sand beach against the vibrant metropolitan backdrop of Tel Aviv before retiring to your luxurious accommodation for the evening.

Safed – Journey to Kabbalah's Birthplace and Privately Tour a Boutique Winery

This morning, you will enjoy breakfast at your hotel before meeting your private driver in the lobby for your transfer to the mystical city of Safed. Also known as Tzfat or the Blue City, Safed is the birthplace of the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah in the Jewish faith. You will arrive at your boutique hotel in the heart of Safed’s famed Artist Colony and take in glorious mountaintop views from beautiful blue buildings that overlook a majority of this immaculate city. You will meet your guide in the lobby for a private city tour of Safed, stopping into the city’s most notable art galleries and meeting many local artists. Afterward, you will delight in a Kabbalistic ritual that will be led by one of Safed’s most distinguished rabbis.

Leaving the city, you will be transferred by private coach through the luscious landscapes of the Golan Heights, where you can bask in the beauty of the region’s rivers, streams, vineyards, and fields. You will arrive at Mount Bental, which is a remarkable overlook of Syria across the Israeli border. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn a bit about the politics of the region before moving on to enjoy a specially curated tour of one of the Golan Heights’ renowned boutique wineries. Lastly, you will delight in the opportunity to taste some of the country’s finest wines as you gaze over the gorgeous greenery of the Golan.

Safed – Visit Haifa's Baha'i Gardens and Delight in Traditional Druze Hospitality

Awaken once again in the picturesque city of Safed and prepare for your private transfer to the charming port city of Haifa. Standing at the entrance to the striking Baha’i gardens, you will be amazed at the magnificent, panoramic view over the entire city. As you descend into the gardens, your expert guide will offer insight into the fascinating Baha’i faith. At the base of the gardens, you will have time to explore Haifa’s quaint German Colony, stopping into its many charming shops, restaurants, and cafes at your guide’s suggestion before indulging a classic Israeli snack of pita bread, hummus, and tahini. You can bask in the serenity of the calm Haifa morning while you snack on your Israeli delicacies.

Moving on, your private driver will transfer you to the lovely mountain town of Isfiya, which is home to one of Israel’s thriving Druze communities. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn about the captivating culture and traditions of the Druze people who are known for their warm hospitality and delicious food. You can savor a typical lunch as you dine with a local Druze family in their home. Walking through the winding streets of the Druze village, you can stop to admire the stunning view from the mountaintop on which you stand before returning with your guide to Safed where you can enjoy the evening of exploring at your leisure.

Negev – Explore Masada, the Dead Sea, and Ride a Camel Through the Desert

You will need an early start this morning as you wake before the sun for your private transfer to the remarkable Masada Fortress. You will ascend the world-famous fortress via cable car and arrive just in time to view the stunning sunrise over the extraordinary Dead Sea. Here, you will discover the history of Masada and learn how it has become a symbol of triumph and empowerment for the Israeli people. Afterward, you will descend by cable car and transfer to one of the illustrious beaches of the Dead Sea. Finally, you will be able to float weightlessly in the Sea’s salinized waters and cover yourself in the region’s natural mineral mud, which is famous for its healing properties.

You will continue your day with a transfer to the boundless Negev Desert. Here, you will enjoy a thrilling camel ride, which will be complete with breathtaking views of the vast desert, before returning to the exotic Bedouin village. Here, you will be greeted by members of this nomadic tribe who will offer you delectable sweet tea, which is customary of Bedouin culture. They will also provide you with a traditional meal and show of music and dance. After being immersed in the warmth of Bedouin hospitality, you can retire to your desert “glampsite” where you will spend the night in complete luxury under an endless sky of glittering stars.

Jerusalem – Discover Jerusalem's New City and Privately Tour Yad Vashem

Today, you will enjoy your final breakfast at the Bedouin tents before boarding your private transfer to the wonderful city of Jerusalem. You will arrive at your luxurious hotel that overlooks the majestic Old City to freshen up before you make your way to the world-renowned Yad Vashem museum, which is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Here, you will uncover the somber history of the Holocaust on a private tour that will be led by an expert guide. You will learn how this calamitous event shaped the cultural identity of this resilient country before walking through the eerie Children’s Memorial as you are guided by candlelight with the chilling murmur of names being read aloud. This experience will be sure to evoke an ineffable mood of grief and wonder.

Moving forward on a lighter note, your guide will transfer you to the heart of Jerusalem’s New City, where you will explore the lively Ben Yehuda Street. Strolling along the New City’s main drag, you will be impressed by live music and street performers before taking time to stop into the many shops that sell locally crafted artifacts. You can take in the sights and sounds of this cheerful area, enjoy dinner here at one of the many bustling bars and restaurants, and experience daily life in Jerusalem as it really is.

Jerusalem – Unearth the Treasures of the Old City and Visit the Mount of Olives

This morning, you will be provided with a traditional Israeli breakfast at your opulent hotel before meeting your guide in the lobby to embark on today’s activities. You will begin at the Mount of Olives, where you will delight in a phenomenal panoramic view over the town of Jerusalem. From the thick stone steps of the overlook, you can notice the famous golden Dome of the Rock as it glistens in the distance. A gentle breeze may rustle against your face, which will be a welcoming contrast to the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. As you look out over the vast expanse of the city, you can feel the weight of thousands of years of history as it eagerly waits to unveil its secrets.

You will continue to enter the heart of the Old City. Here, you will delight in a private tour of all four religious quarters, stopping for souvenirs in the Muslim Quarter and strolling through the charming, cobblestoned streets to arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of Christianity’s holiest sites. Here, you will learn of its history and religious relevance from your expert guide, and as you enter the Jewish Quarter, you should prepare to approach the monumental Wailing Wall. You can reach out to stick a note that you have written into the aching cracks of the wall. You will be alongside worshippers, locals, and tourists from every corner of the Earth who have made their way to this very spot. After your tour that is sure to have you marveling at all the history that you have uncovered today, you will be returned to your luxurious accommodation, where you will have the rest of the evening to spend at your leisure.

Jerusalem – Privately Tour the Israel Museum and Explore the Bustling Shuk

After breakfast today, you will begin your excursion with a transfer to the world-renowned Israel Museum. Here, you will be provided with a private tour of the museum to discover some of Israel’s most revered cultural treasures such as the recently uncovered Dead Sea Scrolls and the Second Temple Model, which models a complete version of Jerusalem before the Great Revolt against Roman Rule. You can also enjoy the museum’s Archeological Tel, which details Israel’s many archeological digs throughout history, before marveling at the many other exhibits that are held within this extensive museum.

Leaving the Israel Museum, your private driver will transfer you to Jerusalem’s infamous Shuk, which is also known as the Mahane Yehuda Market. Here, you can discover the excitement of one of the cornerstones of Middle Eastern culture as you traverse the market like a local, haggling for the best prices and stopping to sample traditional delicacies. From the sweet taste of chocolate babka to the rich aroma of Israeli spices, you can fully immerse yourself in the buzz of the bustling Shuk. You can also sample a juicy Israeli date among a plethora of other delicacies, letting the luscious flavor wash over your tongue. You will be amazed at the bright colors of endless fruit and vegetable stands in addition to the exotic array of traditional Jewish baked goods, which can be yours for only a handful of Shekels.

Jerusalem – Spend the Morning in Jerusalem and Head for Home

Today will be your final morning in Jerusalem, and as you explore the Old City at your leisure, you can stroll through the ancient streets and stop at a charming cafe to soak in your last moments in the Holy Land. As you look around at your travel companions, you cannot help but reminisce on your wonderful trip thus far. As you reminisce through all that you have seen and experienced over the course of these 10-days, you will realize that this has been your trip of a lifetime and an experience that you will never forget. You will return to your hotel to gather your belongings to meet your private driver for your transfer to the airport and your journey home.

Trip Highlights

• Discover the best of Tel Aviv’s vibrant neighborhoods, which are brimming with charming shops, restaurants, cafes, art galleries, and the lively Shuk
• Become inspired by the story of Israel’s establishment at Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall and explore the famed Jaffa neighborhood
• Unearth the treasures of Kabbalah’s birthplace in the Blue City of Safed and interact with the local artists
• Explore the Golan Heights on a boutique winery tour and taste the region’s finest wines
• Marvel at the stunning views of Masada at sunrise, and cover yourself in natural mineral mud as you float weightlessly in the briny Dead Sea
• Discover genuine Bedouin hospitality in the Negev desert and indulge in a glamping experience in complete luxury under the stars
• Indulge in a private tour of Yad Vashem, which is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center
• Delight in the secrets of Jerusalem’s Old City as you visit all four religious quarters and holy sites

Detailed Description

From watching the dazzling sunrise at the top of Masada to floating through the salty waters of the Dead Sea, you should prepare to have each of your senses utterly delighted as you explore the small but bountiful country of Israel. You will experience the hospitality of a nomadic Bedouin tribe in the desert before being astounded by the contrast of the luscious valleys of the Galilee. When you leave this 10-day tour through Israel, you will feel as if you have truly uncovered all of the abundant treasures of the Holy Land.

You will begin your trip in Tel Aviv, where you will experience this cosmopolitan city’s trendiest neighborhood, which is complete with charming shops, restaurants, cafes, and art galleries. You will then explore the bustling Shuk and relax in tranquility at Tel Aviv’s famous beachfront. Then, you will journey to the mystical city of Safed, where you will discover the birthplace of Kabbalah and learn of its teachings from one of its renowned rabbis. You will then delight in a private tour of a boutique winery in the Golan Heights to sample many of the region’s finest wines. Here, you will discover Haifa’s gorgeous Baha’i gardens and indulge in a delicious traditional Druze meal with a local family as they teach you about their customs and culture.

During the final leg of your amazing journey through Israel, you will explore the Negev Desert on camel-back and spend a night in complete luxury, glamping under the stars. As you move on to Jerusalem, you will unearth the secrets of the Old City as you tour all four religious quarters and visit some of their holiest sites, including the Wailing Wall in the Jewish Quarter and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter. Leaving no stone unturned, this luxurious tour of Israel will leave you feeling completely enlightened and may even give you the urge to return much sooner than you think.

Israel is a region unlike any other; learn more by seeing how our partner Israel tour operators can personalize the experience for you.

Starting Price

$5,195  per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

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Moscow Metro 2019

Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !

. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.

RATES AND TICKETS

Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.

On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB

Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.

60 rides - 1900 RUB

1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.

The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.

SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.

One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.

GETTING ORIENTED

At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.

It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.

In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.

To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.

There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case). 

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Santa Monica luxury towers, HOA fees, alleged theft: Where did the millions go?

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“You — you asked me to open a company, and I said ‘yes?”’ … I have no clue what you’re talking about, Omar.”

The man on the phone with Omar Spahi in March 2020 was in a panic. His best friend, Omar, had called to warn that he might start receiving phone calls from lawyers about a construction company named Progressive.

Apparently, the company was in the man’s name. But he had never heard of it.

“You guys were doing construction and just, like, overcharging or something?” the man asked Omar, according to a transcript of the call contained in court records related to a civil lawsuit.

“Yeah, pretty much, was my understanding,” Omar replied. “This is all, like, what my dad is telling me.”

The 25-minute conversation was a decade in the making — and had multimillion-dollar implications. For years, residents of the massive Ocean Towers luxury co-op complex in Santa Monica had worried that Omar’s father, John, was abusing the power he held as a member of the buildings’ homeowners association board.

Several residents filed lawsuits accusing the elder Spahi of a wide array of misconduct, including: manipulating board elections,draining the HOA’s accounts to fund personal legal battles, inside dealing of valuable real estate, and driving the complex further into debt by pushing the HOA to take out bank loans without shareholder approval.

Residents didn’t grasp the scale of the alleged problems until last year — when a Los Angeles County grand jury handed down a 119-count indictment accusing both Spahis, now-former Ocean Towers Housing Corp. President Joseph Orlando and his wife, Dorothy, of grand theft, identity theft and money laundering.

The California attorney general’s office alleges that the four stole approximately $5.7 million from the residents they were supposed to be working for, largely by billing the HOA for construction projects that Progressive never actually carried out. Orlando wielded power over the board as its president for three decades, while John Spahi served on the board for roughly 18 years.

But the indictment only tells the final chapter in a decade-long story. A Times review of thousands of pages of emails and court records, as well as interviews with residents, shows the Spahis and Orlandos allegedly went to great lengths to amass power inside one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the Los Angeles area, with some of the moves driving a wedge between John and his son.

At least once, Orlando ordered the cancellation of an HOA board election as the allegations against him and the Spahis mounted, according to an email obtained by The Times. Those who spoke out against the Spahis and Orlandos say they were sued, threatened with the revocation of their leases or blocked from selling their units, an action that requires the board’s approval.

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According to multiple lawsuits, Spahi, his relatives and partners frequently transferred units among themselves. By the time he was 21, Omar held a multimillion-dollar real-estate portfolio. He then declared bankruptcy.

Dorothy Orlando, 72, died of cancer in November, her attorney said. Outside a downtown L.A. courthouse last year, Joseph Orlando, 74, ignored questions from The Times while an unidentified person shielded him from a camera. A spokeswoman for his attorney, Phillip Cohen, did not respond to a detailed list of questions.

Peter Swarth, an attorney for John Spahi, 71, declined to comment for this article.

Omar, 35, declined to speak to a reporter in February after a hearing in which his attorney was allowed to quit the case due to a lack of payment. Omar is now represented by an attorney appointed by the court. The attorney did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

“They’ve sucked our blood for the past 25 years,” said Adel Salawy, a longtime resident who has sued John multiple times and settled twice.

Homeowners associations are essentially quasi-governments. Funded by residents’ dues, they control the budget for communal repairs, set rules for what people can and can’t do with their own property and manage massive amounts of cash. These associations are run by boards of elected homeowners.

Busy residents may not be interested in keeping tabs on HOA actions, and if they are, may not understand financial statements they have access to, said Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

“You have a stew [of] poor governance even when there’s no intention for malfeasance,” he said.

The fraud that authorities and lawsuits allege occurred at Ocean Towers, however, is on a scale as grand as the buildings themselves.

The pair of 19-story towers sits three miles north of the Santa Monica Pier, offering stellar views of the beaches that stretch along Pacific Coast Highway toward Malibu. Most units are valued at more than $1 million, well above the average condo price of $675,000 in L.A County.

“You just look out the window and it’s a little slice of heaven,” said former resident Alex Lamm.

Attorney Jeffrey Wittenberg can see the buildings from the conference room of his Santa Monica office. It’s a constant reminder of how much of his time the complex has taken up.

Wittenberg first had dealings with Ocean Towers a decade ago when representing a woman who had inherited a unit. She didn’t live in Los Angeles and wanted to sell. But Ocean Towers is not a condominium complex, in which people own their units, but a co-op. Under that structure, the HOA owns the entire complex. Aspiring homeowners purchase a share of the HOA and gain exclusive rights to occupy their unit.

Owners can sell those rights, but the HOA must grant approval. According to a lawsuit, the only potential buyer the woman’s agent brought to the board’s attention was one the agent also represented. That buyer was “connected to” John Spahi, according to the lawsuit, and that buyer’s offer was at a price Wittenberg described as 40% below market value.

Court records show the case was settled in 2017, but the details are not public. Wittenberg declined to comment on the specifics.

A number of lawsuits over the past decade and a half alleged that John Spahi and his partners had used the HOA and eviction court to manipulate sales of units in the building to buyers they had control or influence over. The alleged scheme involved attempts to cancel existing mortgages on units they had an ownership interest in — without paying the bank debt — and then leasing or selling the properties for top dollar and pocketing the money .

This scenario was laid out in at least seven lawsuits filed by U.S. Bank, which owned the mortgages in question:

In the first part of the process, John Spahi and his partners, including his son, defaulted on their HOA fees for the units, according to the suits. Citing the missed payments, the HOA — in which John Spahi and Orlando held leadership roles — then filed eviction lawsuits. The suits were uncontested, according to the U.S. Bank suits and eviction court records. When the HOA won the eviction proceedings by default, it took control of the units and sold them for below market value to a Spahi relative or entities that John had an interest in, claiming its judgments in the eviction cases extinguished U.S. Bank’s rights to the properties.

In one instance, the HOA transferred a unit to a trust whose beneficiaries were John and Omar Spahi, according to a lawsuit from U.S. Bank. The trust, according to a separate lawsuit filed by Wittenberg, had purchased the unit for $11,382.

After the acquisition, Omar listed the property for sale at $3.9 million, according to the U.S. Bank suit. The case was terminated after the court issued a judgment finding the transfer to the trust was void and U.S. Bank retained an interest in the property.

In another case, one of John’s relatives said he was able to gain control of a unit after a conversation with Orlando in 2013, according to documents in a civil case. The unit was never appraised or publicly listed for sale, the documents show.

In its lawsuits, U.S. Bank alleged the Spahis and Joseph Orlando conspired to commit civil fraud because the bank retained a right to the properties despite eviction proceedings and was still owed the outstanding balance on its loans.

A lawyer who represented U.S. Bank in the suits did not respond to requests for comment.

To help fund legal expenses in these and similar cases, Wittenberg said, the HOA took out massive loans without homeowner approval and engaged in financial maneuvering to keep HOA fees steady despite rising debt.

“They didn’t want to do a special assessment. They knew that would be very damaging for them,” Wittenberg said. “People would start saying ‘What’s going on?’”

One conversation between Orlando and the HOA’s attorney suggested Ocean Towers was taking on extra debt to fight legal battles, according to an email reviewed by The Times that was turned over as discovery in a lawsuit against the HOA.

“I get it. You borrowed $10 [million] in 2016, used some of it for existing obligations and then spent the remaining $8 mil or so on attorneys,” wrote William Brunsten, who was working as the complex’s lawyer at the time, in an email to Orlando in 2018.

In a series of replies in the same email thread, Orlando acknowledged the HOA’s financial reserves were “a mess” and shared a list of legal bills that tallied up to $10 million. Brunsten said he had little recollection of his time as the attorney for Ocean Towers and declined to comment on the emails.

Spahi’s attorney did not respond to a question asking whether the HOA borrowed money to fight legal battles resulting from Spahi’s personal conduct.

As the lawsuits dragged on, some residents grew frustrated, but they felt as if they were hostages to the board. The HOA could jam up necessary repairs to a unit, limit a resident’s access to building amenities and decide when, or if, they could sell, according to interviews with residents and Wittenberg.

Lamm moved into Ocean Towers in the late 2000s. She said friends who worked in real estate had expressed concern about her buying a unit there, and once she moved in their advice became much more blunt.

“Don’t cross John,” Lamm said she was told.

In a declaration contained in court records, John Spahi said he bought his first unit in Ocean Towers in the 1980s and steadily built his empire.

In all, he and his family have owned at least partial interest in about 50 of the complex’s 317 units since 1984, according to a declaration in a lawsuit that John Spahi filed against Wittenberg. In the filing, he boasted about spending millions to renovate units that he and his partners would then rent out or sell.

The suit accused Wittenberg of making false and malicious comments when he called Spahi a criminal in a letter to shareholders.

“With the exception of a traffic infraction, I have a clean criminal record,” Spahi wrote in the declaration. “To the best of my knowledge, no court has determined that I stole money from any of Ocean Towers shareholders.”

Wittenberg’s claim of criminal conduct by John Spahi later would be echoed by the California attorney general’s office when it started looking into a company called Progressive.

By 2010, the Spahis allegedly were formulating a new business venture. They just needed a little help from Omar’s then-best friend.

The man, who declined to be interviewed, provided The Times with a seven-page letter he sent to mutual acquaintances in 2021 laying out Omar’s alleged betrayal.

He requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Spahis. Court records identify the man only by his first name, where he is listed as an identity theft victim in the criminal case.

The idea for the construction company that would let the Spahis and Orlandos allegedly drain millions from Ocean Towers first surfaced on a drive home from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, according to the letter.

During a ride along Interstate 10, the man wrote, he and Omar decided to start a concert promotion company, with Omar acting as the financial backer and the friend “doing all the work.”

“Omar said he would setup the business and the bank accounts to make it a legit company and he did all the paperwork,” the letter said.

Weeks later, Omar picked the man up from UCLA and drove him to a bank on the Santa Monica Promenade. A bank employee was waiting with documents to incorporate the company, according to the letter.

“He pulls out the paperwork and I (very stupidly) sign it without reading it and Omar rushes me back to class,” the letter read. “I was in that bank for less than five minutes but I put down my social, my driver’s license.”

In the years that followed, Omar backed off from the idea, saying his family had lost a lot of money, according to the letter. The man didn’t think much of the company until 2020, when he received an ominous call from Omar.

“Omar goes on to tell me that him and his father used my name and information to start a company and that for the last 10 years they have been embezzling money from the Ocean Towers apartment building through this company in my name,” the letter read, echoing allegations in the criminal case.

“How did you even look me in the eye for, like, all these years and never tell me?” the man asked Omar on the 2020 call, according to the transcript from a civil suit obtained by The Times.

“I didn’t know the full extent of what was happening,” Omar said. “I was following instructions, until my dad told me ... you don’t understand how much I hate my family, but it’s because of s— like this.”

In charging documents against the Spahis, prosecutors with the attorney general’s office pointed to the phone call as an admission from Omar that the company, Progressive, was used to “embezzle money.” A spokesperson for the office declined to discuss the case.

The chain of events that spurred Omar’s phone call was put into motion years earlier, when a longtime Ocean Towers resident named Michael Reach finally decided he’d had enough of John Spahi.

The soft-spoken New York doctor had befriended John Spahi when he moved to California in 2001. The pair often smoked marijuana together on their beachfront balconies, where John Spahi would dispense unsolicited advice on life and women, Reach said.

But Reach said he always suspected his friend was a “hustler.” Neighbors told Reach they had invested in the units John Spahi was renovating, hoping to profit off them as future rentals, but they rarely saw a dime.

The comments weighed on Reach.

One afternoon, while researching foreclosed properties in Southern California that he could buy as investments, Reach stumbled across two lawsuits involving Ocean Towers.

One was a U.S. Bank suit and the other involved National Cooperative Bank, which similarly accused the HOA under Orlando and John Spahi of trying to cancel the bank’s interest in individual units.

Reach said he contacted the lawyer representing NCB, who knew of Wittenberg and his legal wrangling with the complex. Not long after, Reach turned to Wittenberg for help.

With Wittenberg’s guidance, Reach filed a “derivative shareholder” suit against the HOA, accusing the Spahis and Orlando of misusing funds to fight personal legal battles and of violating “their duties to act in the best interest of the HOA and its shareholders.”

At first, few people in the buildings would support the suit, fearing retribution from John Spahi and Orlando. Those fears appeared validated when the board banned Reach from all common areas of the building and tried to have him evicted, according to the receivership motion and emails provided to him in discovery.

Orlando told John Spahi he wanted the police called if Reach so much as set foot in the Ocean Towers gym, according to those emails.

With Reach serving as the face of the lawsuit and the focus of much of John and Orlando’s outrage, Wittenberg and another resident, Ziba Soroudi, quietly gathered support within the building to file a motion seeking to place the HOA board in receivership. If a judge signed off on such a motion, it could force the Spahi-controlled board out of power and grant a new set of homeowners access to documents detailing the building’s finances, which they said were being improperly withheld.

At first, Soroudi said, she engaged in a covert campaign. Short phone calls led to secretive in-person meetings to discuss the lawsuit. Emails — easily shareable — were discouraged .

“We didn’t want spies in our midst,” Soroudi said.

Eventually about two dozen residents signed a declaration in support of Reach and Wittenberg’s allegations. As the lawsuit proceeded, e-mails were turned over that raised questions about the validity of HOA board elections.

In 2015, with criticism of the board mounting, Orlando canceled a board election, according to emails reviewed by The Times that were turned over as part of Reach’s lawsuit, alleging “questionable conduct within the election process.”

“Some shareholders complained that they were pressured by phone calls to vote for a particular person based on certain information,” Orlando wrote to board member Peter Alevizos.

Alevizos quickly shot down Orlando’s argument, noting he was describing routine campaigning.

In an interview, Reach said Dorothy Orlando would often go around politely asking homeowners to grant her husband their vote by proxy, and most would comply in order to stay in the Orlandos’ good graces. Reach called her “the face” of the operation.

In a declaration in a civil lawsuit, John Spahi’s former secretary, Judith Casey, said she was ordered to manipulate ballots to his benefit as far back as 2002. Casey, according to the declaration, sat in a unit with John and Dorothy and saw the two alter ballots cast for those “not on the HOA’s Management slate” and replace them with the names of “those of pro-management proxyholders.”

Casey said she ultimately refused to take part. Contacted by phone, Casey confirmed the details in the declaration were accurate but said she knew little else about John Spahi’s dealings in the building.

In a declaration opposing the appointment of the receiver, Spahi called Casey a “former disgruntled employee of mine” and denied rigging elections or tampering with proxies.

Soroudi said that, when election results were announced, non-Spahi affiliated candidates often had fewer votes than they should have, based on her vote and those of fellow supporters.

“It happened over and over and over — same pattern,” she said.

But potentially the most damning documents turned over during the lawsuit may have come from Omar Spahi. In a furious 2012 email exchange, Omar accused his father of things that would be echoed in allegations made by the California Department of Justice and numerous lawsuits against the board alleging malfeasance.

Mocking him as the “Great, Successful and Holy John Spahi,” Omar wrote that his father “embezzled money from a corporation so that he could buy some property. After he bought property he took out a ton of unfavorable loans.”

“He had to have his son go into bankruptcy because he couldn’t have the properties in his name due to all the judgments against him,” Omar wrote, also adding that, despite owning so many units in the building, John still “has to rig the election to win because everyone talks about him behind his back.”

In a later deposition, John said Omar’s allegations that he had embezzled money and rigged elections had no merit and that his son had “recanted those statements that were intended to anger and frustrate me.”

The emails between father and son did not elaborate on the reasons Omar went into bankruptcy, but the U.S. Bank lawsuits alleged the action was taken to delay foreclosure proceedings on properties in his name.

Depositions reviewed by The Times show that, in the late 2000s, the younger Spahi held a real estate portfolio valued in the millions at just 20 years old. At the time, Omar was an aspiring comic book writer who had only held jobs at a fast-food franchise and one summer stint as a bank teller, according to the depositions and emails sent by his father.

In 2016, John called the Santa Monica Police Department to accuse Omar of stealing a computer from him and told responding officers he was moving to have his son “evicted,” according to police reports. No one was arrested or charged with a crime in that incident.

In 2018, years after Reach’s initial lawsuit was filed, even the buildings’ lawyer seemed to agree with the growing chorus that questioned the board’s ability to represent its residents fairly.

“It looks to me that the Board is incapable of managing the [complex] for the benefit of shareholders because Spahi calls all the shots,” wrote attorney Steven Goldberg. “It seems that a receiver is in the best interest of the shareholders. Because of my duty ... I am inclined to say that at the next hearing if I’m still counsel of record.”

Attempts to contact Goldberg were unsuccessful.

In July 2018, a court order was issued appointing a receiver, which forced John Spahi and his allies off the board while terminating Orlando as the building’s president. Orlando had held the job for more than 30 years, raking in a six-figure salary that rose to $200,000 annually in 2016, according to a countersuit he filed against the HOA alleging he was “grossly undercompensated.”

Once in charge, the receiver, Stephen Donell, deemed the HOA “effectively insolvent” and imposed a special assessment on homeowners equal to 5% of the HOA’s expenses. He cited the need to pay for repairs, legal fees and the existing debt on the building — which wasn’t possible with the amount of money the old guard collected. Both Wittenberg and the current board declined to answer questions about the cost of the assessment.

In a progress report filed in court, Donell said he had been advised the assessment could create a financial burden for some homeowners on fixed incomes but that change was “essential and unavoidable” because of the “immediate cash flow crisis.”

Donell, who declined to comment, also hired a third party to oversee new board elections in 2019.

When the votes were counted, John Spahi and the Orlandos lost their influence — and their ability to hide the HOA’s detailed financial records.

According to the indictment, a newly elected board member named Mitchell Levy realized the buildings had reported “approximately $40 million in negative cash flow” in recent years, nearly half of which was marked for “improvements.”

A review of the HOA’s check ledgers showed the complex had paid two main construction vendors in recent years: SPC Building Services and Progressive, according to the indictment. While Levy found records confirming SPC had worked on numerous projects, he was “unable to confirm whether Progressive Builders had ever completed any construction projects at Ocean Towers,” according to the indictment.

Levy went to the listed address for Progressive. Instead of a construction company, he found an apartment building, according to the criminal complaint. Progressive’s “headquarters” were just outside the UCLA campus where Omar had picked up his friend a decade earlier. Levy declined to be interviewed for this article.

Today, Wittenberg said, the HOA is financially sound and run by non-Spahi-affiliated members, including Soroudi.

“Homeowners at Ocean Towers came together as a community to successfully remove prior management, including former directors and officers who are now being prosecuted for embezzling HOA funds,” Wittenberg said. “The current management of Ocean Towers consists of caring homeowners and an independent, experienced management company. Since taking control over the property in 2019, new management has recovered millions of dollars and has a settlement agreement [entitling] it to recover up to $15 million.”

Under the terms of the settlement John Spahi entered into with the board in 2022, the HOA is entitled to $15 million — paid through the lease or eventual sale of his units. John Spahi has several years to dissolve any ownership stake at Ocean Towers and can never buy into the co-op again.

“I think the hard part — the bad nasty stuff is behind us,” Soroudi said.

Still, it may take time for the damage to the building and its residents to be fully undone.

According to documents filed in support of a receiver, the Spahi regime took out $20 million in debt on the buildings without shareholder approval, using loan proceeds to cover losses, including from legal fees.

A recent listing for a $1.75 million, two-bedroom unit at Ocean Towers showed the total HOA fee was $3,189 a month, with $1,774 for things like community upkeep and another $1,415 to pay the building’s loan.

In a 2017 letter that was an exhibit in a lawsuit, Wittenberg told shareholders if John Spahi wasn’t in charge “there would have been no reason to saddle you with $20 million in additional debt to cover up their illegal misappropriation scheme.”

In an email sent on behalf of the HOA, Wittenberg declined to say whether HOA fees are presently higher because of the alleged mismanagement, or when the building’s loan might be paid off.

John Spahi’s criminal trial has yet to be scheduled, but late last year, some of Ocean Towers’ older residents chartered a bus downtown to sit in on a hearing in the case.

Lamm said most residents ignore John Spahi when they see him in the building.

But not always.

Once, she recalled, a friend went up to him and asked a question that’s been on the minds of dozens of Ocean Towers residents for years:

“How is it that you’re not in jail?”

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James Queally writes about crime and policing in Southern California, where he currently covers Los Angeles County’s criminal courts, the district attorney’s office and juvenile justice issues for the Los Angeles Times.

Andrew Khouri covers the housing market for the Los Angeles Times. Before coming to The Times he wrote about commercial real estate for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in history.

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