We arrive in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.  After passing by Rachel’s Tomb we visit the Church of the Nativity and the Grotto, built over Jesus’ birthplace.  Following our visit at the Church and at a local souvenir shop, we proceed to a restaurant in Bethlehem where we can enjoy a tasty lunch.

After lunch we depart from Bethlehem and drive to the Holy City of Jerusalem.  Entering through Jaffa Gate, we begin a walking tour of the old city.  We visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Golgotha, where daily prayers are chanted by many Christian denominations over the place where Jesus was crucified and buried.

Our tour continues through the exotic oriental bazaar to the Wailing Wall.  On the way we stop to admire views of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosques.
We then proceed to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the Garden of Gethsemane and the beautiful Church of All Nations. 

We continue with a drive through modern Jerusalem where we can enjoy views of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), the Museum of Israel and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed.

We then visit the exhibition halls of the famous diamond centre “Caprice” where we can admire a vast selection of diamonds and other jewellery. 
Following our visit at the diamond factory, we begin our return journey back to Haifa.

PLEASE NOTE :

• The above program is subject to change, based on official permission being granted to enter Bethlehem.

From Port Said we drive through the cultivated desert to Cairo home to 18 million people and the largest city on the African continent.  Our first stop is the Giza Plateau where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World,  The Great Pyramids of Giza, are found.  Our coach will park at the base of Chephren’s Pyramid where time will be allocated to explore the site on our own.  We continue down the valley to visit the
Guardian of this mortuary complex, the mighty Sphinx.  Watching the passage of time and men in centuries of silence, its enigmatic expression is a mystery yet to be unraveled.  Our next stop will be at a Papyrus Institute where the science of paper making from reeds, an art first discovered by the ancient Egyptians will be demonstrated and limited time for souvenir shopping will be allocated.  We continue downtown to the banks of the River Nile where a luxurious cruise boat awaits to sail us on the same timeless waterway traversed by Pharaohs, Queens and Nobles thousands of years ago.  Sit back, relax and enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch in elaborate interiors as you glide past Cairo’s waterfront landmarks.  For our entertainment, a folkloric presentation and belly dancing will be performed during lunch.

Our last stop will be at Tahrir (Liberty) Square, the heart of downtown Cairo.  We will visit the National Archaeological Museum and acquaint ourselves with Egypt’s ancient history, spanning a period of over 50 centuries.  The Museum is the repository of the world’s largest and richest collection of Egyptian Antiquities, amongst them the priceless collection of King Tutankhamun.