A Day Tour to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee
We drive from Haifa Port to Nazareth where we visit the Catholic Church of Annunciation, a very impressive modern church, built over the Grotto, where the angel announced to Mary she will give birth to a son "who shall be called the Highest".
Here we can see the ruins and whereabouts of the ancient small town called Nazareth. Time permitting, we walk for a few minutes through the narrow allies of Nazareth to visit the ancient Greek Orthodox Church built over the spring of the city, known as "Mary's well".
We leave Nazareth and drive through Kana where (?) Jesus made his first miracle, turning water to wine at a wedding. Continue driving downwards to the Sea of Galilee and make our first stop at Mount of the Beatitudes, a Catholic church that commemorates the famous "Sermon on the Mount" (Mat. 5-6). Downhill, we drive shortly to Tabgha and visit 2 churches there, one commemorates the "Miracle of the Multiplication of the Fishes and Loafs" and the other one is Peter's Primacy also known as Menza Christi (Christ's Table).
After lunch break (St. Peter fish and some Pita bread…) we visit Capernaum, the ruins of Kfar Nahum, home base of Jesus by the lake, presenting the reconstructed remains of the largest ancient synagogue in the Middle East and Peter's House.
We end up our day by driving southward, along the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kineret in Hebrew) through Tiberias, the capital city of the region, and arrive to Yardenit, the Baptism site. We may see pilgrim groups practicing their beliefs and traditions, baptizing in the waters of the Jordan River, just where they come out of the Sea of Galilee.
We drive back to Haifa port to meet your Cruise ship.
A Day Tour along the Mediterranean Coastline
Drive from Haifa Port to our first stop – Caesarea, the remains of the amazing harbor and city built by King Herod "the Great" from scratch, to become one of the largest ports in the ancient world. We walk by the seaside through the monumental structures which represent the ancient Roman culture and way of life for about 700 years – the Theater, Hippodrome, Amphitheater, a public Bath House and the port. On the way out we pay a short visit to the famous and picturesque Aqueduct that led water to the big city Caesarea Maritime (by the sea).
We drive northward to Haifa and climb up to a breathtaking panoramic viewpoint on Mount Carmel's top, looking over to Haifa's bay and port, the magnificent Baha'i gardens and the western coastline of Galilee, all the way to the border with Lebanon.
We leave Haifa and continue driving northward to Akko (Acre), an Israeli-Arabic city. We park our car and walk through the Crusader's town, built mostly underground and its amazing, newly discovered, mysterious tunnels, as well as the alleys of the above ground Muslim town, the marketplace and the old port
We drive back to Haifa Port to meet your Cruise ship.
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Drive further north from Akko to Rosh Hanikra, the northern tip of Israel by the border with Lebanon. We explore the natural marine caverns shaped along millions years by the powerful waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Apollonia – an impressively located Crusader fortress, 20 minutes drive north from Tel Aviv
Zichron Yaakov, half way between Haifa and Tel Aviv, the first Jewish colony after almost 2,000 years of exile. We stroll along the reconstructed "Founders Avenue" with old and new houses as well as modern shops and restaurants. We can visit the famous Carmel Winery, established by the Baron Rothschild back in 1890 and the old synagogue from that time. Another attraction here may be the small museum at Aaronson's house, the leaders of an Israeli underground collaborating with British intelligence against the Ottomans.
Atlit Detention Camp – a British camp where "illegal" immigrants who managed to survive the horrors of the holocaust seeking a refuge place in the forthcoming old and new homeland, were imprisoned and even shipped back to Europe.
A Day Tour to Jerusalem
We leave Haifa Port and drive for about 2.5 hours to Jerusalem.
We start at the desert viewpoint on Mount Scopus, looking over the Judean desert, Jordan Valley, West Bank and the northern tip of the Dead Sea, understanding how the unique topography of Israel has shaped its history, as well as the current political situation.
We drive shortly to Mount of Olives panoramic lookout over the Old City of Jerusalem, listening to my famous presentation – 2,600 years of history in 26 minutes (!).
After taking some breathtaking pictures at the lookout, we drive or walk down the slopes of Mount of Olives to "the Garden of Gethsemane", where Jesus was betrayed and captured on the last night of his life. Here, overlooking Judgment Valley, we discuss the historical background of Jesus and the roots of the Messianic idea in early Judaism that later evolved into Christianity as a separate religion.
We drive shortly around the walls of the Old City to Jaffa Gate and walk into the Old City.
We walk through the Christian Quarter and may take a break coffee & cake in a traditional local coffee shop. Then, we visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus is thought to have been executed buried and resurrected. Then we walk through the Marketplace (Souq, Bazaar) and part of the Via Dolorosa (Pathway of Agony, the 14 Stations of the Cross), the Muslim Quarter and then to the Western (Wailing) Wall.
We walk back and cross the Jewish Quarter to meet our car and drive back to Haifa port, to meet your Cruise Ship.
