Breakfast at your Hotel. Pick up approximately 08:15 for your Tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Bring your passports with you. Required modest dress code; is recommended to bring a scarf. Our day begins at the Mount of Olives with a breathtaking panoramic view over Jerusalem; overlooking the ancient Jewish cemetery where it is believed that the resurrection will occur when the Messiah comes From this elevated location, we can see across the Old City and down to Temple Mount where the Holy Jewish Temple once stood. We continue towards the Zion Gate by driving passed the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of All Nations and the Kidron Valley where we see the Jewish burial tombs of Absalom, King David's son; Jehoshaphat and the Hezir family (benei Hazir). At the Zion Gate, we enter Jerusalem's Old City and make our way through the Armenian Quarter. Then we follow the 1500 year old excavated Byzantine Cardo which has been restored and is now home to trendy shops which line a section of the ancient road.
We carry on through the Jewish Quarter and on to the Western Wall/ Wailing Wall (Kotel) which was part of the outer walls of the Holy Jewish Temple that stood on Temple Mount almost 2,000 years ago.
We then walk where Jesus once walked the Way of Sorrows along the Via Dolorosa, as thousands of pilgrims do each year. We stop at several of the Stations of the Cross where Jesus stopped as he carried his cross to Golgotha (Calvary). The final station on the Way of Sorrows is at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher marking the site where Christ was crucified and where his burial tomb is located. The Basilica was constructed during the Byzantine Era and underwent renovations and reconstruction over the years. Before we leave the Old City, we meander through the typically Middle Eastern markets and then set off for Bethlehem, the city of Christ's birth. We arrive in the City of Bread, Bethlehem, which was home to Jesse, King David's father as well as being Christ's birthplace. From Manger Square, we enter the 4th century Church of the Nativity which is the oldest church in Israel still in use. Beneath the church is the Grotto of the Nativity where a star indicates the place where Jesus was born. Also in the Orthodox Church is an alter dedicated to the Three Wise Men. On the way out of the church, we see the Armenian Chapel of the Kings or Magi, and we visit the Crusader Church. From the Church of St. Catherine we go down into a two room cave which connects with the Grotto of the Nativity. It was here that Saint Jerome spent 30 years translating the Hebrew Bible into the Latin version called The Vulgate.
We stop to see Shepherds Field and the contemporary Church of the Angels designed by Antonio Berluzzi with panels retelling the story of Jesus' early life.

Breakfast as your Hotel, followed by pick up for your Tour at approximately 08:15. Recommended bringing hats, bathing suits, towels, and water shoes.
Begin your journey by taking the route down from Jerusalem descending below sea level through the Biblical wilderness towards the Dead Sea. Reach the shores of the Dead Sea encrusted with white salt and followed the shoreline towards the famous Masada Fortress. Although it's possible to climb the ancient Snake Path up Masada as the Romans did 2000 years ago, we take the convenient cable car up to the mountain top plateau. It was here that King Herod built a fortified palace complete with every convenience. Herod had built a swimming pool, water cisterns, two palaces, store rooms, and even a synagogue.
Following Herod's death, the mountain top was the last outpost of Jewish zealots when the Romans tried to rid the land of Jews in the First Jewish-Roman War of 66-73AD. The Jewish zealots maintained their position for three years before the Romans finally managed to scale Masada using a ramp built by slaves. The 960 Jews didn't wait for the Romans to reach the summit. Instead, they killed themselves, becoming religious martyrs. Heading back to the Dead Sea we pass the desert oasis of Ein Gedi where there are lush foliage and gorgeous waterfalls and where David hid from angry King Saul. We also pass by Qumran were the 2,000 year old Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in some hillside caves. To end off a perfect day, we stop at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth and a contender for the title of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. People come from across the globe to enjoy the therapeutic mineral rich waters. And don't worry if you don't know how to swim, the high salt content will keep you afloat. Return to Jerusalem for overnight.