Agricultural Tour

Agricultural Tour (Upon Request)

Day 1: Arrival

Upon arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, our representative will meet the group and assist us through customs.

We will then step back in history as we tour Old Jaffa (Joppa) on the Mediterranean coast. From Joppa, we will transfer to our seaside hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Kibbutz Shefayim

In the morning, we will drive to Kibbutz Shefayim, where we will meet with the Center for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CINADCO) staff, who will explain how Israelis promote their agricultural achievements across the globe. We will be given a demonstration of assorted Israeli-manufactured irrigation and fertigation equipment.

Following the demonstration, we will visit Hasharon Dairy, the dairy farm at Kibbutz Shefayim. We will continue our tour to learn about greenhouses, shade houses, and high and low tunnels in central Israel.

In the afternoon, we will tour the ancient Roman town of Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast.

We will explore the ruins of the Roman and Crusader city. We will see the reconstructed Roman city and theater, the walls from the time of the Crusaders, and the prison where St. Paul was held in captivity before being sent to Rome.

This was also the place where the first Gentile was converted to Christianity. As we leave the beautiful walls and moat, we will pass the remains of the Roman horse-racing stadium, the Hippodrome. We will stop at the amazing remains of the Roman aqueduct, which has been beautifully preserved beneath the sand dunes for 2,000 years.

We will continue to Mount Carmel and Haifa for a magnificent view of Haifa Bay.

Dinner and overnight in the Galilee.

Day 3: Sea of Galilee – Capernaum – Mount of the Beatitudes

After breakfast, we will explore the surroundings of the Sea of Galilee, including Capernaum, the Mount of the Beatitudes, and Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. A traditional fish lunch will be served at Yardenit, on the banks of the Jordan River. For those who wish to participate in a baptismal ritual in the Jordan River, there will be an opportunity to do so at Yardenit.

In the afternoon, we will visit Kfar Yehezkel and meet with a family that transformed their robotic dairy farm into an agritourism site with an attractive visitor center. We will end our day at Mount Gilboa, where Katcha, a cattleman and former Israeli general, will take us on a tour of his farm.

Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 4: Old City Tour

After breakfast, we will dedicate the day to exploring the Holy City. We will visit the Mount of Olives, which offers breathtaking views over the Old City of Jerusalem. We will then visit the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church, and the Carmelite Convent of Pater Noster. We will walk down Palm Sunday Road and visit the beautiful Chapel of Dominus Flevit. We will continue to the Kidron Valley to visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of the Agony.

We will enter the Old City through the Lions' Gate and visit St. Anne's Church and the Pools of Bethesda. We will continue along the stations of the Via Dolorosa (carrying a wooden cross, if available) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We will then proceed to the Jewish Quarter and Mount Zion to visit the Upper Room, Dormition Abbey, and King David's Tomb. We will also visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, located on the site of the house of the High Priest Caiaphas.

Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 5: Bethlehem – Departure

After breakfast, we will drive to Bethlehem. We will visit the Church of the Nativity and view the Shepherds' Fields and Rachel's Tomb.

Transfer to the airport for departure.