Israel
From the Ancient to the Cutting Edge: Discover Israel
Program No. 22871RJ
From the ancient city of Jerusalem to modern day Tel Aviv, discover a complex land of kings and empires, natural beauty and modern ingenuity with time to explore on your own.
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11 days
10 nights
19 meals
9B 2L 8D
1
In Flight
2
Welcome to Israel/Orientation
Jerusalem
3
Biblical Jerusalem
Jerusalem
4
Chrstian Quarter/Mt. Zion
Jerusalem
5
Masada and the Dead Sea.
Jerusalem
7
Day at Leisure to Explore Jerusalem
Jerusalem
8
Jordan River Valley and Sea of Galilee
The Galilee Region
9
The Golan Heights
Tel Aviv
10
Contemporary Israel
Tel Aviv
11
Innovation Center/Program Concludes
In Flight
12
In Transit from Program
In Flight
At a Glance
Thousands of years of history are waiting in the journey from the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, to ancient villages along the shores of the Galilee and the vibrancy of Tel Aviv. Join scholars and experts, artists and farmers as they offer you a hearty “baruch haba!” (welcome) and share the best of their country with you. This learning adventure has plenty of independent time to search for the best falafel or shawarma in the Machaneh Yehuda Shuk, explore one of the many museums of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv or walk through one of the unique neighborhoods, each with its own flare and atmosphere.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to two miles per day; some cobblestone streets and stairs. Hot, dry weather in Dead Sea region.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Ascend the ancient fortress of Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by cable car and float in the invigorating waters of the Dead Sea.
- Visit a local kibbutz to learn how Israel has made the arid countryside bloom with fruits, vegetables and flowers.
- "Shuk & Cook" Culinary experience in the Macheneh Yehuda market.
General Notes
Program includes independent time to explore the city and several meals on your own. Group Leaders will provide directions for self-directed excursions. Suggestions for free-time activities provided in preparatory materials.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
From the Ancient to the Cutting Edge: Discover Israel
Program Number: 22871
A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our Time
Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor
Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is one Israeli’s powerful attempt to reach beyond the wall that separates Israelis and Palestinians and into the hearts of "the enemy." In a series of letters, Yossi Klein Halevi explains what motivated him to leave his native New York in his twenties and move to Israel to participate in the drama of the renewal of a Jewish homeland, which he is committed to see succeed as a morally responsible, democratic state in the Middle East.
This is the first attempt by an Israeli author to directly address his Palestinian neighbors and describe how the conflict appears through Israeli eyes. Halevi untangles the ideological and emotional knot that has defined the conflict for nearly a century. In lyrical, evocative language, he unravels the complex strands of faith, pride, anger and anguish he feels as a Jew living in Israel, using history and personal experience as his guide.
Ancient Israel: A Short History from Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple
Islam: A Short History
Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide
Michael B. Oren’s memoir of his time as Israel’s ambassador to the United States—a period of transformative change for America and a time of violent upheaval throughout the Middle East—provides a frank, fascinating look inside the special relationship between America and its closest ally in the region.
The Innocents Abroad
(Especially Chapters 51-56)
Jerusalem: The Biography
Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation
"Like Dreamers" interweaves the stories of a group of 1967 paratroopers who reunited Jerusalem, tracing the history of Israel and the divergent ideologies shaping it from the Six-Day War to the present. This book gives insight into where Israel and Israelis are politically, socially, economically, and religiously.
Walking the Bible: A Journey Through the Five Books of Moses
My Life
A moving autobiography by former Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir.
Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World
Let There Be Water illustrates how Israel can serve as a model for the United States and countries everywhere by showing how to blunt the worst of the coming water calamities. Even with 60 percent of its country made of desert, Israel has not only solved its water problem; it also had an abundance of water. Israel even supplies water to its neighbors-the Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan-every day.
The Prime Ministers
My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel
Israeli journalist Ari Shavit illuminates the issues and threats that Israel is currently facing and uses the defining events of the past to shed new light on the present. The result is a landmark portrait of a small, vibrant country living on the edge, whose identity and presence play a crucial role in today's global political landscape.
Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
The Illustrated Atlas of Jerusalem
Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle
START-UP NATION addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that Israel-- a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources-- produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
Meals
19 Meals
9 Breakfasts
2 Lunches
8 Dinners
The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Kosher
Lodging
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Display
- Nov 09, 2025 - Nov 19, 2025
- Oct 26, 2025 - Nov 05, 2025 (Jerusalem to Tel Aviv)
- Nov 09, 2025 - Nov 19, 2025 (Jerusalem to Tel Aviv)
6 nights
Jerusalem
The VERT Jerusalem Hotel offers a breathtaking view of the city below from the hotel’s location in the Givat Ram neighborhood. The hotel is close to the Jerusalem International Convention center, and within walking distance to the city’s top museums, Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Supreme Court, and Central Station. Vert means “green” in French and the appropriately named VERT Hotels live up to their namesake by demonstrating concern for environmental issues.
1 night
Kibbutz Ginosar
The Hotel is located on Kibbutz Ginosar and situated in an outstanding location hugging the Sea of Galilee shores and nestled at the foot of Mount Arbel, facing the Golan-Heights.
2 nights
Tel Aviv
Tal Hotel Tel Aviv, offers you the best combination of comfort, leisure and location. Our Tel Aviv Hotel is located within walking distance of the nightlife of Tel Aviv city, the beautiful Mediterranean sandy beach and the famous Dizengoff shopping street as well as the new boardwalk along the "Namal" or port. The hotel was recently completely renovated, including the lobby, all guest rooms, dining rooms, and meeting rooms.
6 nights
Jerusalem
The VERT Jerusalem Hotel offers a breathtaking view of the city below from the hotel’s location in the Givat Ram neighborhood. The hotel is close to the Jerusalem International Convention center, and within walking distance to the city’s top museums, Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Supreme Court, and Central Station. Vert means “green” in French and the appropriately named VERT Hotels live up to their namesake by demonstrating concern for environmental issues.
1 night
Kibbutz Ginosar
The Hotel is located on Kibbutz Ginosar and situated in an outstanding location hugging the Sea of Galilee shores and nestled at the foot of Mount Arbel, facing the Golan-Heights.
2 nights
Tel Aviv
Tal Hotel Tel Aviv, offers you the best combination of comfort, leisure and location. Our Tel Aviv Hotel is located within walking distance of the nightlife of Tel Aviv city, the beautiful Mediterranean sandy beach and the famous Dizengoff shopping street as well as the new boardwalk along the "Namal" or port. The hotel was recently completely renovated, including the lobby, all guest rooms, dining rooms, and meeting rooms.