DELUXE TOUR IN ISRAEL
November 4-14, 2007
Tour Host: Andy Kuffer
Cost $2,350
Tour Host: Andy Kuffer has visited and lived in Israel on three different occasions. He went to Israel on a work tour to present Biblical Tamar Park in 1987, and then he returned to work on archaeology and stayed several weeks in 1989. During 2006 Andy went to Israel for five weeks and began planning his 2007 group tour. You will enjoy this exciting and biblical tour to the Holy Land with good fisherman’s humor and stories.
Day 1: USA-ISRAEL
Our trip begins as we meet in the airport for our 6.30 PM departure to Israel. We must be at the airport three hours before the flight departs to check through and board our plane for the Holy Land. Dinner and breakfast are served on the airplane.
Day 2: Arrive in Israel-Jerusalem
We land at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and are taken to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jerusalem. We receive our room keys and prepare for a bountiful Israeli buffet dinner. Our dreams tonight are about the Holy City.
Day 3: The Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Bethany Road, Kidron Valley, Temple Mount, Wailing Wall, the Old City, Tomb of David, and the Garden Tomb.
We leave the hotel after a delicious Israeli breakfast and go to the Mt. of Olives which overlooks the Kedron Valley and the Temple Mount. This is a walking day where we literally walk where Jesus walked through the Old City of Jerusalem and out the Jaffa Gate. We do not take the time to shop today as we have reserved the last full day to shop in the old city and also on Ben Yehuda Street. We continue in the historic Jewish quarter where the ancient Roman Cardo looms in front of us. The quaint shops that line the Cardo tempt us for a short time and then we walk to the upper room and the Tomb of David. We begin the afternoon with communion in the Garden Tomb and then go into the Damascus Gate, into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Jaffa Gate to our waiting bus. We chat about what we saw over dinner and prepare to leave in the morning for the coast and the Galilee.
Day 4: Emmaus, Caesarea, Megiddo, Nazareth, Cana, and Tiberius.
We depart at 8 am, finishing that last cup of Israeli coffee after the great breakfast buffet. Emmaus is near to Jerusalem and we stop and see the ancient Byzentine and Crusader churches built at this historic place. We continue on to Caesarea, driving past the arena and Crusader city and stop at the aqua duct where we have time to wade in the Mediterranean Sea and pick up a few sea shells. We continue on to Megiddo and take pictures of the valley of Armageddon before arriving in Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. We talk about the first miracle of Jesus as we drive through Cana and then move into our rooms at the Tulip Carmel Hotel in Tiberius. After dinner the evening is free to shop or walk by the gentle Sea.
Day 5: Sea of Galilee, Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, the Good Fence (Lebanon), Golan Heights (Syria), and Katzrine.
Today is a bus day where we will visit the North Galilee area. We start with the Beatitudes Mountain and Capernaum, where Peter lived and the synagogue in which Jesus taught. But we go farther and look over into Lebanon at Matulla and then on up to the base of Mt. Herman and the headwaters to the Jordan River. It is a most beautiful area and we return to our hotel with a blessing to see northern Israel. After dinner some will want to see the Galilee experience.
Day 6: Jordan Valley, Qumran, and Biblical Tamar Park.
After breakfast, we sail on the Sea of Galilee in our Jesus Boat and then go to the Jordan River where we have a service for those who want to be baptized. We continue south following the Jordan River down to the Dead Sea where we stop at Qumran, the home of the Essenes zealots who lived in the time of Christ. As the sun begins to set we drive into Biblical Tamar Park and see the ancient city of Solomon. We welcome in the Sabbath with prayers and a good Jewish chicken dinner.
Day 7: Bible Study and Tours
Several of us meet in the dining hall for an early cup of American coffee and study biblical history about Abraham, Moses, and the Arava desert. We eat our breakfast and then take a Sabbath walk to Prayer Mountain, where we can add a stone to the altar. We return from our walk into the nature reserve, relax awhile and then tour Tel Tamar archaeological site. As the sun sets, we prepare for our evening meal and anticipate a lively discussion on biblical issues. Overnight in the Arava.
Day 8: Masada, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Ben Yehuda Street (shopping)
The mountain of Masada looms high above us as we ascend to the desert fortress of Herod the Great. 2000 years have not changed the awesome stonework. We spend two hours here and then go down to Ein Bokek to swim in the lowest spot on the earth, 1,500 feet below sea level. We shower off, change into Jerusalem clothing and find ourselves walking into Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda Street, the famous old central shopping area where the Jewish people sell their goods. We finish our shopping for now and return to the Hyatt Hotel. Some use the health spa, the excellent gym, and others just eat dinner and enjoy the privacy of their rooms.
Day 9: Yad Vashem, the Old City, Roman Cardo, Jewish Quarter, museums of choice or shopping
Our bus is ready for us at 8 am, as usual, and we are taken to the great museum of the holocaust, Yad Vashem. It is a startling experience of learning about many aspects of the treatment of the Jews in the era of Hitler. We spend the morning in the several buildings, the book store and lunch areas. It is now time to return to the Old City and have the time to explore the four quarters: Arab, Christian, Armenian, and Jewish. We are given the time to locate the places that we wish to spend more time in our “free time” slot tomorrow.
Day 10: A Free Day
This is a free day to go to places of special interest such as walking the ramparts on the wall of Jerusalem, visiting the museums, and finish shopping. We meet at our bus and go to Ben Yehuda Street to finish our shopping Jerusalem and go to the airport at 7:00 pm to check through for our trip back to the USA.
Day 11: 12:05 am we leave Israel for our home destinations.
Andrew Kuffer
1423 Mary Grove
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Phone: 586- 247- 7332
Email: afkuffer@hotmail.com