Wonders of Israel

average review

Dear smarTravelers – due to the conflict in Israel and the Gaza strip, we have suspended all remaining tours to Israel in 2024. We hope that peace will be restored quickly, but we will continue to evaluate the safety of travel in this area as the situation unfolds. If you are booked on a tour to Israel in 2023, we will be in touch with you by email or phone.

TEL AVIV, NAZARETH, GALILEE, JERUSALEM, MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA

From dazzling Tel Aviv to the inspiring sights of 3,000-year-old Jerusalem, our enriching Israel tour with airfare included, reveals incredible beauty, history, and spirit—and our guides are passionate about telling its stories! Our Holy Land tour takes you from uplifting places of faith to the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea. We also feature a tour of a traditional kibbutz, which includes a lunch and interesting lecture about their unique way of life.

Extend Your Trip! Enjoy our Wonders of Israel with Eilat tour which includes 3 nights in Eilat and an extra night in Jerusalem.

Itinerary at a Glance

Tour Itinerary:

  • 2 nights in Tel Aviv
  • 2 nights in Galilee
  • 5 nights in Jerusalem

Tour Highlights

  • Tel Aviv
  • Caeserea, Mt Carmel, Haifa, Akko, Rosh Hanikra
  • Sea of Galilee
  • Golan Heights – Winery Visit & Lunch
  • Basilica of the Annunciation (Nazareth)
  • Non-profit local olive oil producer
  • Kibbutz experience with lunch
  • The Western Wall (Jerusalem)
  • Church of Holy Sepulcher (Jerusalem)
  • Mount of Olives (Jerusalem)
  • Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)
  • Masada
  • Float in the Dead Sea

Your Tour Includes

  • Optional round-trip airfare from the New York area (varies by departure) including taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
  • All intra-Israel ground transportation and transfers
  • Accommodations at first-class hotels
  • 15 meals: 9 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
  • Comprehensive sightseeing tours and entry fees
  • English-speaking Tour Director throughout

Is this tour right for you? Find out What to Expect

Tour Itinerary

Map

A map highlighting major cities in Israel, marked with red pins: Haifa, Caesarea, Nazareth, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and Jerusalem. Eilat and Petra are shown to the south. The Mediterranean Sea, Jordan River, and Dead Sea are also labeled for those considering contrast with Rhine River cruises from Amsterdam.
Click the Day by Day itinerary above (or swipe on mobile devices) to see the experiences that await on each day of your tour.

Flights

A white commercial airplane in flight above the clouds with the sun shining brightly in the clear blue sky.

Note: Flights may not be available on all departures.

You may have to book your own flights to the tour destination. If so, you are responsible for making your own way to the tour starting point, where you will meet your Tour Director. This is normally the first hotel in your itinerary.

You can find more details on the Before You Depart page.

Day 1: Arrive in Tel Aviv

Day 2: Tel Aviv – Jaffa

Day 3: Caesarea – Haifa – Akko – Rosh Hanikra – Galilee

Day 4: Sea of Galilee & Golan Heights

Day 5: Capernaum – Tabgha – Beth Shean – Jerusalem

Day 6: Jerusalem

Day 7: Masada – Dead Sea Excursion

Day 8: Jerusalem

Day 9: Jerusalem

Day 10: Depart Jerusalem

Guided Tour Pricing

We are working diligently to secure future tour dates and pricing for this itinerary. Please fill out the "Request a Future Date" form linked below, and we will notify you once dates are available.

Optional Tours

Enhance your trip with these optional tours. Indicated optional tours are available to pre-book when you reserve your trip and can be added to your reservation up to final payment. This is the best option to guarantee your spot on your preferred optional tour! Optional tours require a minimum number of participants. Optional tours are non-refundable unless they do not operate.

Some optional tours can be purchased in-destination and may cost extra. The payment methods and currency information to purchase tours in-destination will be provided on final documentation.

Bethlehem/Church of Nativity Tour

What to Expect

Max Group Size: 30 travelers

Activity Level: Level 1

Expect most included touring to require walking and standing periods up to 3 hours at a time (up to 2 times per day) on easy terrain with some light stairs. Learn More

Pacing Level: Balanced

Expect either half-day or full-day tours most days with a free day or free half-day to explore independently in most cities. There may be a few early mornings or long travel days by bus (don’t worry—there are always comfort stops!), and you may expect to stay in most accommodations for 3+ nights. Learn More

No Additional Entry Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders

A valid passport is required for international tours. Currently, there are no additional entry requirements for U.S. passport holders, but this can change at any time. Before travel, both U.S. and non-U.S. passport holders should visit our Passports & Visas page to reconfirm entry requirements.

The Dead Sea day has some stairs/climbing at Masada (do not take Snake Path) and Ein Gedi. Old City Jerusalem has uneven walking surfaces.

For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit our Before You Depart section.

Reviews

Robert S

1 year ago
Good.

James T

1 year ago
This tour of Israel was very good value for money. The Problems were not due to the tour but overcrowding of Christian sights in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The Hotel and the tour by the sea of Galilee were very good. The Golden Heights were surprising. I expected a war zone and the place was like Bucks County Pennsylvania with Wine tasting. Everything was done well for us. I wish the Jerusalem Hotel had English signs infrant of the food.. All in all I am very pleased with the tour.

Sandi F

Israel was our sixth and probably one of our best Smartours experiences. Our guide, Dan Ofri, who we hope will be our forever friend, managed to infuse history, spirituality, knowledge, kindness, joy and laughter into our lives on an hourly basis throughout the tour. We felt safely at home in this miraculous country that we’ve grown to love as our own thanks to Dan and the experience that he provided. We also had the pleasure of enjoying 2 weeks with a wonderful group of like minded people which always makes the trip so much better. Many thanks to The Smartours Team and to Dan Ofri for making this trip so unique and very special!

Bruce a

This’s was our first major tour since we generally like to “do our own thing”. Very glad we did it. Tour was extremely well organized, got to meet some great people that we hope remain friends, and learned much more than we would have on our own. Selection of sites covered most major attractions as advertised. Accommodations were fine, including Dan Panorama Hotels in Jerusalem and Eilat and Lavin kibbutz. Dan Olfri, our tour guide was super knowledgeable, personable and helpful. He always went the extra mile to be sure we were comfortable, safe and well informed. He even tolerated our general lack of ability to remember the large amount of information he presented. Tour price was reasonable compared to many others we explored but without any apparent drop off in quality or service. Provided meals were very good and Dan’s recommendations for restaurants were helpful. We would recommend SmarTours to others and will probably use them for other destinations as we go through our travel bucket list.

Patricia

The trip to Israel was very educational. Our tour guide, Jacov Kuchuk, was excellent! I was extremely disappointed that SmarTours would not upgrade our plane tickets to Comort+.

Anonymous

Our guide, Alan Gill, was outstanding. He knew everything about Israel and took us everywhere with skill and enthusiasm. He gave us all the inside information to experience Israel as a native and not a tourist. We had a great bus driver for all our needs and we saw all the highlights of Israel. Our hotels were great and so was the food. An extraordinary experience I will never forget. I recommend this particular trip with Alan.

Beth

The tour was absolutely wonderful. The sights were amazing but even better was our tour guide Adina. She was a walking encyclopedia with a terrific personality. If she didn’t know an answe she immediately checked it out. We can’t wait to return to Israel. Our only complaint was the unavailability of Masada which your company should have been aware of and this information passed on to us. Adina did substitute other sights so she adapted to the situation that your company should have been aware of. Our tour group got along beautifully and we are still in contact with many of them. Again please thank Adina for giving us an exceptional time in israel

Annette

Adina Mayer was packed with knowledge, history, bible. Her smile filled the bus!

Adrienne B

Too bad I cannot give this trip more stars, only 5 just is not enough. I have been thinking about what to write in this review ever since our tour began. I have been searching for just the right words and I have failed. There are no words to explain how much I learned, how many incredible experiences we had, how much we appreciated our free time to make our own plans. Our guide, Dan Ofri, filled our heads to overflowing with the spectacular history of this country. His awe at the sites, his joy and pride, and yes his tears at times, helped us to feel the life that inhabits this land. Thank you for a wonderful trip. Hotel choices placed us in just the right locale for our free time adventures... walkable or right near public transportation.This was our fourth Smartours trip and we are already planning our next adventure.

Carolyn

As always, we had a wonderful Smartours trip. This time we went to Israel. Our guide, Dan, was knowledgeable about the Jewish history and religion and, at the same time, read to is relevant passages from the New Testament. The Dan Panorama hotels were excellent and had amazing breakfasts with a wide selection of available items. I am so glad we went on this trip. I loved the optional Sea of Galilee tour. Swimming in the Dead Sea was an amazing experience. We will be heading to Machu Picchu, Equador, and the Galápagos Islands next. We can’t wait!