A Private Tour of Athens and Jerusalem
All in 8 days

This locally escorted eight-day tour takes in Athens, the gateway to the East, as well as the major sites of the Holy Land. Daily departure year round.

For an even more extraordinary vacation, combine it with one of our itineraries to Turkey, Jordan, or Egypt.

DAY 1 - ATHENS

We arrive the next morning in the Greek capital, bustling gateway to the ancient world. Our staff meets you at the airport, and arranges transportation to your accommodations in the city. You're free to stroll, browse for curios and treasures, and perhaps dine at a cafe in the old Plaka district.
Transfer always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur.

DAY 2 - ATHENS (BL)

This morning you'll tour Athens in your own private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur and private guide, and get to know the high points of the city, especially the towering Acropolis. You'll visit Syntagma Square, at the very heart of the city, and see the Parliament, and guards in colorful traditional outfits. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant.
Your afternoon is free for further exploring or shopping, or you could well be drawn back by the charm of the Plaka. If you wish, take advantage of one of our optional tours (at extra cost), among them a nighttime view of the Acropolis, followed by dinner with traditional Greek music and dancing.

DAY 3 - ATHENS, TEL AVIV and JERUSALEM (cB)

We escort you to Athens Airport for your flight to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. Air fare is included with tax . In the company of our Israel-based local reps , you ascend the historic route to your base for the next four days: the timeless city of Jerusalem. The rest of the day is free to mix with crowds along throbbing Ben Yehuda Street, gaze at the illuminated walls of the Old City, and wander the byways of the old quarters. Transfer always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur.

DAY 5 - Private Tour : THE OLD CITY & BETHLEHEM (BL)

We spend a full morning in the Old City, starting with a walk through the reconstructed Jewish Quarter. Next we look at the newly excavated Cardo, a Roman promenade, then proceed to the sacred Western Wall, the last remaining part of the Second Temple. We'll also be able to see the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam's holiest sites. Next, we'll follow the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus once walked, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, passing bazaars full of exotic wares. Our visit continues with an afternoon excursion for Bethlehem, birthplace of King David and Jesus. We'll visit the Church of the Nativity, and stop at Rachel's Tomb before returning to Jerusalem, touring always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur and private guide, lunch is included at a charming local restaurant

Day 6 - Private Tour : MASADA, EIN GEDI, THE DEAD SEA & QUMRAN (BL)

From the heights of Jerusalem, we wind down through rolling hills to the shores of the Dead Sea, lowest spot on earth. A cable car will take us up to the fortress of Masada, where the Zealots held out against the Romans. We'll wander through Herod's Palace, the synagogue, and see the cisterns that supplied water through the siege. If there's time, we'll also have a float on the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea, then return to Jerusalem via the oasis of Ein Gedi, with a chance to view the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered , touring always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur and private guide, lunch is included enroute.

Day 7 - Private Tour: MEGIDDO, NAZARETH & TIBERIAS (BL)

Today we head north to Nazareth, where we'll see the Church of the Annunciation, then cruise the sea of Galilee to Tabgha, and continue to Cana and busy Tiberias, where we'll have a chance to walk the winding streets and browse the fascinating shops. Onward, in Capernaum, we'll visit the ruins of the synagogue and the Church of St. Peter. Our return to Jerusalem takes us by the renewed baptismal site on the Jordan River. Touring always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur and private guide, Lunch is included at a local restaurant

Day 8 - RETURN HOME (B)

You'll take advantage of your last morning for purchases and another look at Jerusalem, before our staff calls on you to accompany you to Ben Gurion for your flight home. Transfer always in a private air-conditioned vehicle , with your private chauffeur and private guide,

RATES per person:

Triple US$ 2390.00                   

Double US$ 2515.00                    

Single US$ 3210.00  

Please add a 15% holiday/high-season supplement for departures from March 31 to April 10, in June and July, and from December 20 through January 5.

Your tour includes:

• Air fare from between Tel Aviv and Athens , in economy class, tax included .

• All transfers, are always on a private basis in Athens and Jerusalem, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur

• Hotel accommodations with tax and service charges.
  Hotel Divani Acropolis or similar in Athens, Olive Tree Hotel ( deluxe room ) , the Regency Hotel , or similar in Jerusalem (subject to confirmation).

• Continental breakfast in Athens, full Israeli breakfast daily in Jerusalem. Lunch on full day touring

• Sightseeing with professional guide, boat ride, and entrance fees as indicated

Rates do not include:

• Any sort of insurance, flyer is available upon request, insurance is strongly recommended .
• Tips
• Personal expenses.
• Beverages
• Optional tours

Sample Charming Boutique Hotels in Syria :

Talisman Hotel: Damascus
Talisman is more than an hotel: it is more like a home. We will provide you all the services and luxury of a five stars residence. Two wide opened courtyards with outdoor swimming
pool. Private and exclusive Turkish Hammam.
The Talisman is a luxury «charm» hotel situated in the old town of Damascus, twenty minutes from the airport, a hundred yards from the old Roman straight way (Medhat Pacha) and the historical Bab Sharqi, famous now for its souks and street markets. This old Jewish palace, built in a quiet side street and easily accessible by car, has been restored in the most authentic tradition of an Arab house.

Each of the 16 rooms and suites at Talisman is unique with its personalized lay-out and decoration. All the rooms are equipped with the latest commodities:king size bed, mini bar, central heating, individual air-conditioning, plasma television set with decoder so that you may choose any channel you please, DVD reader, wi-fi internet connection, telephone. Executive suites are larger and have a desk corner. The bathrooms are spacious and planned for your rest and well-being: finely worked wooden basins with their matching mirrors, old cement tiled or beige marble floors, bath tub or shower cabin, or both, hair-drier and comfortable bathrobes.

Zenobia hotel: Palmyra
built in 1920 … Agatha Christy was one of the welcomed guests , the Zenobia Hotel is ideally located in the middle of Palmyra archeological site; rooms offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations, which you can explore at your ease.

The 26-room hotel offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations, which you can explore at your ease. The hotel is a masterpiece of elegance and warm hospitality that is part of our commitment to tradition particularly amidst this historical surrounding. You are welcome to the world of Zenobia hotel where you relive the past and feel the glorious days of Palmyra.
The hotel rooms; all are air-conditioned, with central heating and a telephone. The Countess suite is a duplex room, with two double beds and a private bathroom on each deck. ( Supplement applies, and you must really book in advance to get this suite)

The Oasis restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious cuisine whether it is indoors or in the open air with a direct view on the ruins.

Palmyra was known as the bride of the desert, where once stood as one of the greatest Roman oasis cities of all times. The extensive roman ruins, only a three-minute walk from the hotel; stand gracefully to remind us of the glory of Palmyra's past

Beit Wakil Hotel: Aleppo
A true example of the distinguished 16th century Aleppine architecture,is a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements of time,ranks among the most elegant and
beautiful palaces in the region.

The Hotel is in " Jadidah" which is a particularly picturesque quarter. Next to the main Maronite church is Sissi Street, which is full of old Arab residences. Most have now been converted into small boutique hotels and restaurants serving the delicious local Arab-Syrian cuisine for which Aleppo is famous. Beit Wakil is one of the loveliest examples. Simple on the outside, but you enter a beautiful courtyard with a fountain, a majestic arch, coloured marble flooring and arabesque glass windows. You can descend past an underground bar into stone-built cellars with a labyrinth of tunnels, said to lead all the way to the Aleppo Citadel.

Beit Wakil,a true example of the distinguished 16th. century Aleppine architecture,is a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements of time,ranks among the most elegant and beautiful palaces in the region. Faithful to the old Aleppine tradition the exterior is castle like,simple and void of any decoration,but as soon one enters inside a magical oriental story like world comes into existence

The beautiful courtyards with breathtaking relief and tracery work of their walls, the marble fountains among the jasmine and lemon trees, the unique iwan with its majestic arch and colors marble flooring,the elegant arabesque woodwork of the wall cupboards,the hand drawn wooden ceilings with corniche, the famous central Qa'a (large room: Lobby ) with its suspended dome and coloured arabesque glass windows,the stone built cellars and the lime stone caves below with a labyrinth of tunnels , one of which , links the palace to the Citadel of Aleppo , are just few of the many elements which distinguishes the Aleppine masonry art and Arabian architectural genius

Today, Beit Wakil welcomes its guests as a four star hotel with all the modern comfort facilities. Beit Wakil rooms and suits are centrally air conditioned, with traditional comfortable Aleppine furniture, minibar, music, T. V and satellite services, phone and private bathrooms. Both our summer and winter restaurants offer a wide verity of delicious Aleppine mezes and specialties together with an oriental entertainment program of classical Arabic music and dancing.

Aleppo includes a virile population, a splendid architecture,and a fine Arab tradition. Aleppo AL-Chahba, 355 Kilometers from Damascus, has been a prosperous city since the 3rd millennium B.C. and has maintained its status through town development and an increasing population. It has played a vital role in the history of the area from the time of the Akkadian and Amorite Kingdoms. Until recently it has always been the center of the junction of the ancient trade routs. The old city was surrounded by a wall incorporating defense towers and fortified gates built during the Islamic period. A large part of the wall still standing, for example Bab Qinisrin, Bab Al-Nasser, Bab Al-Hadid, Bab Antakia. Aleppo is also known for its mosques and churches and is considered the third city in the Islamic world because of the number of its mosques and schools. The Archaeological Museum contains exhibits from the stone age to modern times. It has particularly interesting collection of antiquities from some of the most ancient site in Syria (Mari, Ugarit, Ebla) , objects found in the Euphrates Basin, Hama, Tell Halaf and Ein Dara, in addition to remains from Greek, Roman, Arab and Islamic periods. Most famous of Aleppo's sights is the citadel, from where all of the city can be seen.