Land of the Prophets

from $23662

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Duration: 26 Days

Adventure awaits on this 26-day guided tour. Travel to the vibrant city of Tel-Aviv and see its Habima National Theater, Rabin Square and Carmel Market, then head to Jaffa to walk the narrow lanes of its artists’ quarters — and buy a souvenir, if you choose. In Amman, see a cooperative that teaches local women craftmanship and skills. Picturesque Petra awaits with its rose-red gorges that lead the way to temples carved into the towering cliffsides. Sail the Nile on a felucca — a wooden boat with billowing canvas sails — with a local sailor. Indulge in traditional high tea at the historic Old Cataract Hotel. In Luxor, meet a local family who will share the secrets of authentic Egyptian breadmaking. And take in sweeping views of Cairo from the city’s Citadel, a medieval Islamic-era fortress.

You will be met at Ben Gurion Airport and driven to your hotel in Tel Aviv.At 19:30 meet your travel companions for a Welcome Reception and a short introduction to your Israeli adventures.

Morning sightseeing showcases the highlights of this vibrant city including the Habimah National Theater, Rabin Square and Carmel Market. Venture along the seashore to the ancient city of Jaffa to see the famous clock tower and the old harbor. Visit the artists' quarter with its galleries, boutiques and picturesque narrow lanes. Walk along the seaside promenade at sunset for spectacular views, as local musicians and street artists take to the stage. Meet a local artist at their gallery for an insight into their work and inspiration.

Travel from Tel Aviv, along the coastal road to Caesarea, to visit the archeological park. The ancient city built by king Herod was once a major port and hub of activity in the Judea province. Explore the ancient Roman and Crusader ruins, including the huge amphitheater. Travel via Haifa to Acre, fought over for centuries and captured in turn by Saracens and Crusaders, including Richard the Lionheart. See the fortress, the old harbor area and Crusader crypt. Enjoy a delicious falafel lunch at Acre market. In Nazareth, visit one of Christianity’s most sacred places, the Church of the Annunciation, built on the site where the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary. Soon, ochre villages and seaside towns are replaced by green hills, rich crops and colorful groves, as you approach Tiberias, your home for the night. The day concludes with a brief introduction to life on a Kibbutz. This evening, break traditional challah bread with your travel companions over a cheerful Shabbat dinner.

Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and meet a ranger for a tour of the Agmon Hahula natural reserve. This nature reserve is home to endangered plant species native of the Hula Valley, and also hosts a bird park on one of the most important migration routes in the world.

Explore Galilee with Insight Choice. Choose to cruise the serene waters of lake Kinneret for glorious views of the Golan Heights. Alternatively, find out more about the remains of a first century fishing boat that was found embedded at the bottom of the lake. Visit Capernaum, where Jesus is said to have entered the synagogue to teach, before heading to the Mount of Beatitudes, where he preached the Sermon on the Mount. Journey through ever-changing landscapes along the Jordan Valley, past ancient Jericho, to take a dip in the buoyant salt waters of the Dead Sea.

Take a cable car ride up to the fortress of Masada, where Jewish zealots held out for three years against King Herod's armies. Travel through the Judean Hills to Mount Scopus for breathtaking views of Jerusalem. Visit King David's Tomb on Mount Zion, and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City and follow the winding cobbled alleyways to the magnificent Wailing Wall, the most sacred monument in Judaism.

Today is dedicated to exploring the multiple facets of Jerusalem. Visit Yad Vashem, a memorial for those who perished in the Holocaust. Continue to the Israel Museum and retrace the history of the city. Visit the Shrine of the Book, home to ancient Dead Sea scrolls, and look out for the most ancient one, the Isaiah scroll, dating from the third century B.C.

Enjoy a relaxed morning or alternatively choose to meet your Local Expert at the West Bank border and continue to the holy city of Bethlehem. The Optional Experience includes visiting the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam. In the afternoon, visit the Garden of Gethsemene and walk through the Old City to see the Temple Mount, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Continue along the Via Dolorosa past the Stations of the Cross, Ecce Homo Arch, and the Pool of Bethesda, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At night, toast your adventures over a hearty Highlight Dinner with wine.

Travel through the Judaean Desert to the border of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. You are met on the other side to journey through a landscape that has changed little in the last 2,000 years. Once at your Amman hotel, relax and settle in before meeting your Jordanian Travel Director for drinks and dinner.

After breakfast depart for Iraq Al-Amir. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and visit a women's cooperative, working with women and girls from the nearby Wadi Al Seer villages. The association is supported by Insight Vacations through The TreadRight Foundation and provides training and work opportunities for women in the region.Then, the journey to Jerash reveals the most beautifully preserved example of a Greco-Roman city still in existence. Enter through Hadrian's Arch, to explore the grand ruins of the Temples of Artemis and Zeus, where you can listen to the Whispering Column. Overlook the vast Oval Plaza and Cardo Maximus, the key Roman road. Enjoy an al fresco lunch of natural produce and family recipes at Beit Khairat Souf, during a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This women-owned café is combatting female unemployment and aims to build a strong community of women leaders. Return to Amman where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Continue to Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan, where Moses stood and saw before him the Promised Land. At Madaba, visit the famous Greek Orthodox Church of St. George with its amazing 6th century mosaic map depicting the entire Holy Land, stretching from Jordan and Palestine in the north, to Egypt in the south. Follow the King's Highway to visit Shobak, an authentic 12th century crusader fortress, perched on the side of a rocky mountain, standing guard over a barren and desolate land. Admire the towers and Arabic calligraphy on the external walls before discovering the original Crusader chapel, palace complex, and even a set of secret passages!Then head south for one of the highlights of your journey: the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra, voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

This day is devoted to the beautiful ‘rose-red city, half as old as time'. You enter this lost city through a narrow gorge, the Siq, with walls that rise up to 200 meters. Emerge from the path to see the magnificent Treasury, carved out of solid rock and standing over 40 meters high. Wind your way through the canyon to explore the ancient tombs and the Roman Amphitheater, which once seated 3,000 spectators. Dine with locals at the Ammarin desert camp with a stunning backdrop.

Head to Wadi Rum. Enjoy beautiful vistas as you make your way on a jeep safari deep into the heart of Wadi Rum's majestic desert. Enjoy the spectacular Bedouin hospitality tonight as you dine with locals under the stars, and stay in elegant simplicity in a desert camp for the night. After dinner join an astronomer for a private stargazing session and sweeping views of the night sky on your magical Insight Experience.

If you wish, start the day with sunrise yoga at the Bedouin camp, before returning to Amman. Explore Amman with Insight Choice. Choose to join a guided sightseeing experience, highlighting the city’s history, architecture and culture. Alternatively, explore Amman's street art scene on a guided graffiti walking tour. Later, check in at your hotel where the rest of your day is at leisure. Join in a lively dinner to celebrate the end of your Jordanian adventures.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Take some time to relax before joining your Travel Director, a professionally trained Egyptologist.

In the morning, fly to Luxor and visit the huge temple complex of Karnak. Walk through the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes to stand among the columns of the Hypostyle Hall. Later, transfer to your cruise ship, your home for the next seven nights. After lunch on board, take a walk through the Luxor museum and witness ancient artefacts. In the evening, get to know your Travel Director, a professionally trained Egyptologist, as well as fellow guests over a welcome drink at the hotel. The rest of the evening is yours at leisure, enjoy dinner on the ship before relaxing in its lounge or in the comfort of your room.

A day of legend and history awaits you today as you begin with a morning visit to the Temple of Hathor in Dendera. One of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, it contains a rare depiction of Cleopatra and her son Caesarian, whose father was Julius Caesar. Later, visit Luxor Temple. Located on the east bank of the Nile, it was built by the New Kingdom Pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. It is known as ipet resyt “the southern sanctuary. In the evening return to your ship and enjoy a scenic journey via the Esna Lock to Edfu.

You will start the day with breakfast as you cruise along the Nile to Kom Ombo and continue on to the city of Aswan. Famous for its archaeological sites such as the Philae Temple Complex and the Temple of Isis, Aswan is a vibrant destination that portray an agreeable mix of ancient and contemporary Egypt. In the evening, enjoy a fun-filled Egyptian dinner and galabeya party.

Sightseeing includes a visit to Aswan's High Dam and granite quarries to see the enormous unfinished obelisk. Travel by motorboat to the Temple of Isis, rising from the waters of the Nile on the Island of Philae. Later, meet the wonderful ladies of a local Women owned co-operative on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® Experience. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the facilities on your cruise boat.

Throughout your journey you’ll have seen many feluccas sailing along the Nile. Now it’s your time to explore one for yourself. On this traditional vessel, you’ll meet a local sailor who will teach you about the ancient art of sailing. As the sun starts to fade, enjoy high tea at the historic Old Cataract Hotel, just like Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie once did before you. The hotel is rumoured to be where Christie wrote her bestselling novel, “Death on the Nile.”

With the morning free, perhaps join the optional experience of traveling to the temples of Abu Simbel by air? These temples overlook Lake Nasser and are made up of the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Hathor. Later, sail to Kom Ombo to visit the only double temple of Egypt, dedicated to two gods, the crocodile-headed Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus the Elder.

Your cruise continues along the life-giving waters of the Nile. In the evening, arrive back in Luxor where there is time for shopping and sightseeing.

Disembark from your cruise and travel by air-conditioned coach to the west bank of the Nile. See the Colossi of Memnon and visit both the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings, where many pharaohs were buried. Visit a local family home and witness the making authentic Egyptian bread. Later, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Cairo.

This morning, ascend to the Citadel, for breathtaking views over the city. While here visit the Alabaster Mosque, otherwise known as the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. Continue to Tahrir Square, the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, and the Egyptian Museum. Among the many exhibits found here, are the fabulous artefacts recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Later, see history come to life on the pyramids as you witness the magical Sound & Light Show - an unforgettable introduction to the world of Ancient Egypt.

Today you’ll head to Memphis, the famous capital of the ancient world. See the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Great Alabaster Sphinx. Continue to Sakkara, to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest pyramid in the world, dating back to 2,700 BC. In the afternoon, it's on to Giza with your Egyptologist to explore the magnificent pyramids, where you’ll come face-to-face with the enigmatic Sphinx. During your visit, venture inside one of these ancient wonders to see the chambers where the pharaohs were sent to meet their Gods in the afterlife.

Your wonderful journey ends with transfers to Cairo International airport.

25 Breakfast (B)
5 Dinner with Wine (DW)
10 Dinner (D)
8 Lunch (L)
1 Afternoon Tea (AT)

Choose between two carefully selected activities
Sea of Galilee: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on Lake Kinneret, the very place Jesus is said to have walked on water.
Sea of Galilee: Find out more about the ancient Galilee Boat and hear the story of its excavation.Alternatively, cruise the serene waters of lake Kinneret for glorious views of the Golan Heights.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
Amman: During a city tour of Amman, visit the Citadel, the grand Roman Amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum.
Amman: Explore Amman's street art scene on a guided graffiti walking tour.

: Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
: Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
: We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
: From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
: Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
: If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Tel Aviv: Enjoy a Welcome Drink and mingle with your fellow travel companions to begin your journey.
Tiberias: Participate in a Friday night Shabbat dinner.
Amman: Enjoy lunch at Beit Khairat Souf, a local café hosted in the home of the Bataresh family. This women-owned café aims to create a platform for local women to become financially independent. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, supporting women empowerment in a region suffering drastically from women unemployment
Petra: Taste authentic Jordanian flavors as you experience a traditional desert dinner when you dine at the Ammarin Bedouin camp.
Wadi Rum: Enjoy tea with the Bedouins at sunset and taste authentic Jordanian cuisine dine under the stars for your Zarb dinner.
Amman: Toast to your adventures with your fellow travelers at a lively Celebration Dinner.
Luxor: Get to know your fellow travelers over a delightful Welcome Drink followed by dinner.
Cairo: Join the fun at an Egyptian dinner and galabeya party, dressed in traditional Egyptian attire.
Aswan: Follow in the footsteps of Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie as you enjoy high tea at Aswan's famous Old Cataract Hotel, as the sun begins to set.
Jerusalem: Toast the adventures of your travels with a lively Highlight Dinner.

Sea of Galilee: Find out more about the ancient Galilee Boat and hear the story of its excavation.Alternatively, cruise the serene waters of lake Kinneret for glorious views of the Golan Heights.
Wadi Rum: Join an astronomer in one of the most magical places on earth for a private stargazing session, and sweeping views of the night sky.
Luxor: Enjoy listening to stories of village life from local residents, when you visit a family home for a tasting of authentic Egyptian sun bread.

Amman: Visit the Iraq-Al Amir Women's Cooperative supported by the TreadRight Foundation. Learn some skills behind these traditional handicraft activities from the ladies of the cooperative and admire their work, which helps boost their financial livelihoods. The Cooperative, which is managed and run by local women, has provided training projects for more than 150 women from all villages of Wadi Seer on a variety of handicrafts. Here women are provided with job training skills enable them to gain access to economic opportunities that might not have otherwise been possible. The Women's Cooperative advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality and UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Aswan: In Aswan, meet the women of a local women-owned co-operative whose mission is to support vulnerable women from the local villages to learn new skills and become financially independent. The organization provides a hub of support and comfort for over 300 women who may live in poverty or suffer from loneliness and want to become financially independent. Thanks to their newly learnt skills, the women are now able to provide the main source of income for their family. The co-op also strives to reduce waste with a secondary mission to ensure a garbage free world by using waste and natural material like bamboo or palm trees to create fine handicrafts. This experience advances Global Goal 5: Gender Equality
Hula Valley: Join a ranger for a safari tour of the Agmon Hahula nature reserve. Visit the ecological garden, protecting endangered plant species native to the region.

Tel Aviv: Explore with your Local Expert and see the Habimah National Theater, Rabin Square and browse around the Carmel Market.
Tel Aviv-Yafo: Visit the ancient port and artists' quarter and see the famous clock tower and old harbor.
Caesarea: With your Local Expert, explore the Roman and Crusader ruins of Caesarea, formerly one of the splendid cities in Palestine.
Nazareth: Visit the Church of the Annunciation built on the site where the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary.
Sea of Galilee: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on Lake Kinneret, the very place Jesus is said to have walked on water.
Capernaum: Visit the Synagogue where Jesus taught and the Mount of Beatitudes, where he preached the Sermon on the Mount
Masada National Park: Alongside your Local Expert, ascend to the ancient fortress of Masada by cable car where Jewish Zealots held out for three years against Herod's armies, before sacrificing themselves.
Jerusalem: Visit the Garden of Gethsemene and see the Temple Mount, Room of the Last Supper, the Pool of Bethesda and Ecce Homo Arch.
Jerusalem: Visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
Jerusalem: At the Israel Museum, wander to the Shrine of the Book wing housing the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Jerash: Feel like you have stepped 2,000 years back in time as your Travel Director guides you through this marvelous ancient metropolis - now the finest surviving example of a Greco-Roman city in the world!
Petra: Explore the ancient and hidden 'rose-red' city, as you journey with your Travel Director, through the winding, dark passageway, between rock walls up to 200 meters high. See the Treasury and explore the Roman Amphitheater and ancient tombs.
Shobak: Explore the Crusader fortress and see the Crusader chapel.
Madaba: Guided by your Travel Director, see St George Church and admire the detail of the Madaba Map - a fascinating mosaic that is believed to be the earliest surviving map of the Holy land.
Mount Nebo: Take in the astounding view of Moses' Promised Land, where the ruins are truly a site to behold.
Wadi Rum: Enjoy beautiful desert scenery as you make your way on a jeep safari deep into the heart of Wadi Rum's majestic desert.
Amman: During a city tour of Amman, visit the Citadel, the grand Roman Amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum.
Amman: Explore Amman's street art scene on a guided graffiti walking tour.
Cairo: Take a short scenic flight to Luxor where you will begin your Nile Cruise.
Karnak: Stand amid a vast forest of columns in the largest temple complex known to man, as your Egyptologist explains the significance behind it. Walk the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, see the of Rameses II and the Hypostyle Hall.
Luxor: Visit the Luxor Museum and discover ancient artefacts.
Dendera: At the Temple of Hathor, see a rare depiction of Cleopatra and Caesarian.
Luxor: Visit Luxor Temple, constructed approximately 1400 BC. Look to the top of the remaining Pylon of Ramses II and step into the ancient monument.
Aswan: Visit Aswan's High Dam and Granite Quarries to ponder why the Unfinished Obelisk has been left in mid-creation for thousands of years.
Philae Island: Travel by motorboat to Philae Island and witness the majestic Temple of Isis rising from the waters.
Aswan: On a traditional Nile felucca, meet a sailor and learn the art of sailing this ancient Nile craft. Visit the High Dam and Granite Quarries.
Kom Ombo: Visit the unique temple as it is the only double temple in Egypt.
Colossi of Memnon: See the massive stone statues of the Colossi of Memnon.
Valley of the Kings: Embark on an experience with an Egyptologist to visit the mortuary Temple Hatshepsut.
Valley of the Kings: Explore with an Egyptologist the Valley of the Kings which is home to the magnificent tombs of Egypt's Pharaohs.
Luxor: Enjoy your short flight returning to Cairo.
Memphis: Visit this famous capital of the ancient world to see the statue of Ramses II and the Great Alabaster Sphinx.
Saqqara Necropolis: View the oldest pyramid in the world, the Step Pyramid of Zoser I, existing for over 4,500 years.
Giza: With your Egyptologist, meet the enigmatic Sphinx and venture deep inside one of the pyramids, to the chambers where the pharaohs went to meet their Gods in the afterlife.
Cairo: Admire the remaining Wonders of the Ancient World as you explore through the Pyramids of Giza and the mighty Sphinx. Hear about Egyptian history as you walk through the National Archaeological Museum and learn the art of making papyrus paper out of reeds when you visit a Papyrus Institute.
Cairo: Guided by your Local Expert, gaze upon the most recognisable symbols of ancient Egypt: the full-faced funeral mask, gold coffin, gilded throne and precious jewelery - Tutankhamun's treasures. Sightseeing includes sweeping vies over the city from the Citadel and a visit to the Great Alabaster Mosque.
Cairo: With your Egyptologist, gaze upon Tutankhamun's treasures at the Egyptian Musuem, gaze upon the most recognisable symbols of ancient Egypt: the full-faced funeral mask, gold coffin, gilded throne and precious jewelery - all treasures of Tutankhamun.
Giza: Be mesmerised by the Sound & Light Show at the Great Pyramids.

: Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
: Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

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