Come Tour Israel With Me!
Dear reader,
I would like to invite you on a special, custom-made tour of Israel with me.
The tour was designed to focus on the time period of the Adam Lapid novels—Israel in the 1940s and ‘50s—while still exploring the many other wonderful aspects of Israel, both modern and ancient.
I have teamed up with an Israeli travel company called Vered Hasharon to make sure our trip will be unforgettable.
The tour will be 9 days, 10 nights long, and we shall sleep in 4-star hotels in three different cities—Tel Aviv, Tiberias, and Jerusalem.
I shall be present throughout and, along with a qualified tour guide, will guide you through the various sites and locations we shall visit. I will also share many stories about people and places from the time of the Adam Lapid novels, giving you a picture of fledgling Israel.
Reading the Adam Lapid novels prior to the tour is not a requirement, but it is recommended. I’ll be sure not to give any spoilers.
Note: The tour will only take place if there are at least 20 participants. But I do want to keep it relatively small, so space is limited.
Let me give you a brief overview of the tour.
Day 1
Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion airport, you will make your way to Tal Hotel in Tel Aviv.
Since readers will come from different places and at different times, you will arrive at the hotel independently.
Stay: Tal Hotel
Day 2
We will tour Jaffa and absorb its rich history, then explore some of the old neighborhoods of Tel Aviv (including those visited by Adam Lapid in the books).
We shall visit a museum about the brave Jewish fighters of the Palmach, whose contribution to Israel’s independence cannot be overstated.
Stay: Tal Hotel, breakfast included.
Photo credit: Boris Kuznetsov
Day 3
We will start the day at the Yitzhak Rabin Center, where we will learn about Israel’s fifth prime minister, whose life story reflects that of Israel’s first forty-seven years.
We shall visit the Shalom Tower, Israel’s first skyscraper and once the tallest building in the Middle East.
Shalom Tower stands where once the Gymnasia Herzliya high school was. You may recall Adam Lapid visiting the school in one of the books.
From there we shall go to a secret munitions factory of Haganah that operated in the 1940s, and finish with a tour of the old center of Tel Aviv, including Trumpeldor Cemetery, the murder scene in one of the Adam Lapid novels.
Stay: Tal Hotel, breakfast included.
Day 4
We will travel north to Caesarea National Park where we will explore ancient Roman ruins, and fortifications from the time of the Crusades.
We will enjoy a special lunch of Druze cuisine. The Druze are one of the most prominent minority groups and religions in Israel, and their food is not to be missed.
After lunch, we will visit Atlit Detention Center, where the British imprisoned Jews attempting to make Aliyah in the 1930s and ‘40s.
We will end our tour for the day at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
Stay: Sofia Hotel, Tiberias – half board
Day 5
We will start the day at the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, and then proceed to Capernaum, where there are remains of ancient synagogues and a church.
Then we will go to Mount Bental, a dormant volcano that affords a breathtaking view of Israel and Syria. There we shall learn about one of the largest tank battles in history that took place nearby during the Yom Kippur War.
If time allows, we’ll visit Metzudat Koach, a British fort where heavy fighting took place during Israel’s War of Independence.
And we’ll finish the day at a winery, where we shall sample local wines.
Stay: Sofia Hotel, Tiberias – half board
Day 6
We’ll start the day at a baptismal site on the Jordan river, then visit Degania, the first kibbutz and the site of an important battle during Israel’s War of Independence.
We’ll go to Beit-She’an, where we’ll explore the ruins of a magnificent Roman city.
We'll finish the day Naharayim at Gesher, the site of a 1930s hydroelectric plant and the site of a devastating battle in the War of Independence.
Stay: Sofia Hotel, Tiberias – half board
Photo credit: Yisrael Parker, Pikiwiki
Day 7
We’ll travel to Jerusalem and view the Old City from the Mount of Olives.
Then we’ll tour the Old City itself, visiting the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim quarters, and learn about the magnificent history of Israel’s capital.
Stay: Cassia Hotel, breakfast included
Day 8
We’ll tour the old streets of West Jerusalem, exploring locations from the novel A Death in Jerusalem, and learn about the Jewish capital before it was united in 1967.
We’ll visit Yad Vashem, the world’s foremost Holocaust museum and see some of the wonders exhibited at the Israel Museum.
We'll finish the day at Latrun Fort, site of a series of battles in Israel’s War of Independence.
Stay: Cassia Hotel, breakfast included
Photo credit: 66AVI, Cc-by-sa-3.0
Day 9
We’ll travel to Masada and learn about the doomed battle of Jewish rebels against the Roman Empire.
Then we’ll go to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
We’ll visit the Dead Sea and end the day with a farewell dinner at a Jerusalem restaurant.
Stay: Cassia Hotel, breakfast included
Day 10
Departure day. Either continue your stay or travel to airport independently.