Perfect overview of Jerusalem and its religious sites for first time visitors with transportation included, as well visits to Tel Aviv, Herzliya or Netanya ideal for newcomers.
Our journey begins with the Panoramic overview of the Old City and new city of Jerusalem. Drive along the Kidron Valley, view the Garden of Gethsemane, the walls of the Old City and Mt. Entering the Old City via the Zion Gate we pass through the Armenian Quarter on route to the Jewish Quarter and the 1500 year old Byzantine Cardo. Partially destroyed and unused during the Moslem conquest it had a brief new lease of life during the Crusader period. The excavated Crusader shops are now modern stores.
We stop at the Kotel; the Western Wall where Jews have prayed since the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. The Via Dolorosa, also known as the Way of the Cross, is the route many pilgrims follow on their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church built on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and his burial tomb.
We exit the Old City via the market and the Jaffa Gate for a short tour of the new city. A visit to Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum, reveals artifacts and photographs documenting the discrimination, persecution and finally the annihilation of Jewish communities across Europe. It also honors those righteous among the nations who risked their lives while trying to save Jews.