Galilee & Golan Heights

hexagon pool golan heights israel north tour

Hexagon Pool

Pickup from the hotel is at 7-7:30, and we hit the road!

Our first stop is Kibbutz Bet Alfa, founded in 1922. We’re going to visit the first archeologist site excavated by Israelis, the Bet Alfa Synagogue’s mosaic floor, which is 1,500 years old. When the first Zionists came to the Jesrael Valley, they found a big malaria-ridden swamp. So on the first land they were able to buy they started to dig a septic tank, which revealed our ancestors’ synagogue. It’s a unique presentation operated by the Nature and Park Authority.

Our next stop is the town of Tiberias, located on the Sea of Galilee, which is 215 meters below sea level on the Syrian African rift Valley.  Tiberias was founded in 20 CE by the son of King Herod the Great, King Herod Antipas. It was named in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberus. It was a the last place were the ancient Sanhedrin sat. Today it is a lively tourist resorts with hotels and lots of attractions.

Along the Sea of Galilee we are going to visit the Boat Museum at Kibbutz Ginosar.

Then we climb the Upper Galilee mountains to Safed,  famous for being the place where Rabbi Isaac Luria founded a new system of the Kabbalah and as a Jewish and modern art center.

Israeli tank practice, golan heights, private tour Israel

Israeli tank practice

On to Rosh Pina, the first Zionist settlement in Israel before the founding of the Zionist movement, today a small peaceful tourist resort with lots of atmosphere.

To get to the Golan Heights we cross the Jordan River to Mount Bental, a former I.D.F military post and today a tourist attraction. We’ll be able to see the Syrian border and the battlefield from the Yom Kippur War.

Before the three-hour drive back to Tel Aviv, if time permits we can stop at Katzerin, the Israeli capital of the Golan Heights today as well as 2,000 years ago.

Optional

  • Jeeping along or Kayaking in the Jordan River
  • Skiing above the Sea of Galilee
  • Visiting the Golan’s famed wineries
  • Beit Shean
  • Dining at the Dag al HaDan fish restaurant
  • Bird watching in the Hula Valley
  • Visiting the Hexagon Pool (only if staying overnight at Mount Hermon)

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