Israel

[no fuss travel]

For a first time visitor, what are the absolute do not miss going there? We have one day at Haifa and two days at Ashdod. I am busy searching trying to find out as much as I can about each stop to determine what is an absolute must see and what is not.

[MDZ]

From Ashdod

 

1 Day Jerusalem

1 Day Dead Sea / Metzada or 1 Day Tel Aviv or 2nd Day Jerusalem (Consider overnight)

 

 

From Haifa

 

Sea of Galilee / Nazareth / Golan Heights

 

The exact sites to be visited depend on Religeous affiliation (if any) , General interests, time of year etc etc

[3418ahl]

We are doing two days in Israel in Oct. (with Azamara) and have hired Alon tours. To give you an idea of what to see, this is our itinerary:

 

October 14 .' rom Haifa -Itinerary Highlights:

We will pick you up as soon as you exit the ship at the port of Haifa (please look for the sign with your name on it). We wiU start by visiting the Crusader's city of Acre (Akko in Hebrew). We will explore the old town and hllJ"bor and walk through the underground city before making our way to Safed ([sfat in Hebrew). In Safed we will discover the world center for Kabbalah and a lewish mystic town with cobblestone streets and ancient synagogues. Next, we will descend from the top of the mountain towards the Sea of Galilee via a slop a\ the Mount of Beatitudes and a visit to thc Church ofthe Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish at Tabgha. We will also visit thc ruins ofthc ancient synagogue at Capernaum before heading back to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mount Cannel on the bay ofl-laifa and thc famous Baha'i Gardens,

October 15 from Ashdod -Itinerary Highlights:

We will pick you up as soon as you exit the ship at the port of Ashdod to make our way to the

holy city of Jerusalem. We will start with a panoramic overview from the Mount of Olive!!,

overlooking Jerusalem-new city and the Temple Mount Esplanade ofthe old city. 1ben we will

travel along the Kidron Valley to view the Garden ofGethsemane and the walls of the city. We

will ascend mount Zion to visit the Hall ofthe last supper & David's tomb. We will enter the old city via the Annenian Quarter to discover The Western (Wailing) Wall square and continue via the local Bazaar to the Christian Quarter, the Stations ofthe Cross (Via Dolorosa) and the Church ofthe Holy Sepulcher -the site ofthe crucifixion. We will walk along the 1700 year old

Byzantine main street, the Cardo and the renovated lewish Quarter. We will stop for an overview of Bethlehem and the ludcan Desert, We will also include a drive through the new-city highlights, including the Knesset, Menorah sile, and government buildings. In the afternoon we will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Musewn before heading back to the ship in time for departure.

Tours ofthe Western Wall Tunnel and the Anncnian Quarter market have also been added 10 our tour.

[Bruin Steve]

For a first time visitor, what are the absolute do not miss going there? We have one day at Haifa and two days at Ashdod. I am busy searching trying to find out as much as I can about each stop to determine what is an absolute must see and what is not.

 

There is way more to see than just three days worth...and it all really depends on your personal interests, religious beliefs, and other factors...

 

If it were me, here is what I would do with three days (We were there for only two on Nautica last year, so missed Masada this time, but we've been before)...

 

Haifa: There is a LOT to see from here...

A lot of Christians tend to want to visit Nazareth or the Jordan River Batismal site and the Sea of Galilee...Personally, I would skip all that...

Nazareth is no longer the biblical Nazareth of Jesus...it's a pretty depressing urban center populated largely by Arabs...Tiberias, on the Galilee, is a nice little town...but not particularly of interest ...

Sefad is a very special little town known for Jewish mysticism, the Kaballah, etc...worth a visit if you find this of interest...

For our visit last summer, we opted to concentrate on archaeological sites...and the north of Israel has some fascinating ones...we had time for two on our tour...and opted to visit Caesarea--the Roman Era port city built in the Roman style by Herod...really a beautiful and fascinating site on the Mediterranean...The other one we did not want to miss was Megido...If you'd ever read Michener's epic "The Source", it was based on Megido--a site where they found 20-something civilizations built in layers one on top of the other, going back thousands of years...The site, known also as "Har Megido"--Mount Megido in Hebrew--has been loosely corrupted in english transliteration to "Armageddon"--the site of the supposed "final battle"--stemming from the long history of the site--which stood at a major crossroads of the ancient world and therefore of paramount strategic importance to every conquering army that came through--thus the site of countless ancient battles and why the city was destroyed and rebuilt 20-something times!

 

Ashdod: With two days, one of them really must be spent with a comprehensive tour of Jerusalem...There is so much to see here that even one day doesn't do it justice, but a good tour guide can steer you through the major sites--especially the Old City--The Western Wall, Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, David's Tomb, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Via Dolorosa, etc. We also spent a couple of hours at Yad Vashem--the Holocaust Museum and Monument--very moving...

 

With that extra day, make the trip down to Masada--the ancient mountaintop fortress overlooking the Dead Sea where a small group held off the Roman Army Siege for an incredible long time before commiting mass suicide--the site is SPECTACULAR...and you can combine this with a visit to Ein Gedi on the Dead Sea and the Caves at Qumran where the Dead Seas Scrolls were found...

 

Try to put together a small group, as we did, and hire a good local guide with a van...Our guide was able to come meet us at the ship each morning in both Haifa and in Ashdod (The distances really aren't all that far)

 

Good luck...

[dwelsh]

Great itinerary for first time visitor's to Israel. Thanks Steve.