Day 1: Arrival Day

We warmly welcome you to your Art Tour in Israel! Our representative will meet you at the Ben Gurion International Airport and assist you with customs formalities. Your first overnight accommodation will be in Tel Aviv and you will be transferred here in a private, air-conditioned vehicle.

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Day 2: Tel Aviv City Tour

Your Tel Aviv city tour begins with a stroll along Rothschild Boulevard, to admire the iconic Bauhaus architecture for which the city is so renowned. Strolling along the century-old avenue, beautifully lined with trees, you’ll discover a bevy of wonderfully restored Bauhaus buildings. It’s this very unique architecture that afforded Tel Aviv its cherished UNESCO-heritage listing. We’ll make a poignant stop at Independence Hall, where the State of Israel was finally declared in 1948 by David Ben-Gurion. We will then explore Florentine, the authentic cultural hub of Tel Aviv, an artsy neighborhood where street art and music abound. Following, we will explore the beautiful ancient port city of Jaffa, revered for its colorful outdoor markets (shuks), gorgeous galleries, and an array of delightful restaurants. Next on your Art Tour in Israel itinerary will be a visit to Neve Tzedek, a charming neighborhood in the north, where you’ll admire outstanding galleries, street art, and architecture. The area hosts trendy boutiques and handicraft stores. The murals and courtyard of the Susan Dallal Dance Centre should not be missed! After a long and rewarding day of inspiration, you will be returned to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

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Day 3: Caesarea Zikron Yaacov, Ein Hod

After your delicious breakfast, you’ll start your day with a drive north to Caesarea. Just outside the walls of the ancient city rests a Byzantine-era palace, which boasts the stunning Bird Mosaic created in the 6th century and discovered quite by accident, in 1955. This is one of Israel’s most prized ancient works of art. Our next stop will be at First Aliyah Museum in Zikron Yaacov. This museum, first opened in 1999, is dedicated to the first wave of immigrants to Israel who came to the land in the late 18th- and early 19th-centuries. Their stories are beautifully told through a series of artworks that we know you will love. To complete your whirlwind day, we’ll visit the Ein Hod Artist Village near Haifa, right at the foothills of Mt Carmel. The village hosts workshops, museums, galleries and so much more, and is a wonderful place to discover local, up-and-coming artists. Tonight’s overnight accommodation will be in Haifa.

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Day 4: Tiberias, Rosh Pina, Tzfat

Today, we will first tour Tiberias, one of Israel’s Four Holy Cities and a splendid town sprawled along the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. Tiberias carries a 2,000-year-old heritage on its formidable shoulders and today is your chance to unveil its historic secrets. The town flanks the western shores of the Sea of Galilee and offers treasures of antiquities like few other cities in the world. After our tour, we’ll head to Rosh Pina, a charming town renowned for its great restaurants, cafés, and art galleries. Here, you will visit an artisanal wind chime studio, the Jerusalem Chimes, where fantastical creations are made entirely by hand. We’ll also pop in for a visit to Inbar’s Pottery Garden, where you’ll see authentic Middle Eastern and Israeli artwork and pottery. Enjoy your overnight stay in Tiberias.

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Day 5: Tel Hai

This morning, you’ll be guided on a visit to the commemorative Tel Hai Cemetery and see the famous Roaring Lion sculpture created by Avraham Melinkov. We’ll follow with a visit to the remnants of one of Israel’s oldest synagogues at the Bar’am Kibbutz and continue to the Bar-David Museum of Art and Judaica. The museum boasts an incredible array of religious items on displays, as well as an abundance of amazing paintings, photographs, and sculptures, some by the country’s most prized contemporary artists. This is a fascinating place to discover and a visit is always rewarding, especially as it’s not among the country’s most crowded attractions. Enjoy your overnight stay in a local kibbutz hotel.

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Day 6: Jordan Valley and Jerusalem

Our day will begin with a visit to one of Israel’s best-hidden treasures – the Belvoir Fortress. Merely 20km south of Tiberias, this astonishing Crusader castle enjoys a spectacular strategic location. From up here, the overview of the Jordan Valley is out of this world. Dating back to the 12th- century, the restored castle is an incredible place to discover. We shall then enjoy a visit to the Beit Alpha Synagogue, where biblical stories and more are represented in its extraordinary ancient floor mosaic. The Byzantine-era synagogue is an archaeological treasure yet it’s the mosaic, painstakingly preserved, that is the real crown jewel. On our way to Jerusalem, where you will enjoy an overnight stay, we will take in breathtaking views of the Jordan River.

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Day 7: Jerusalem Old City

Your Art Tour in Israel takes an immersive turn, today, as you enjoy a thorough tour of Jerusalem’s most exquisite places of worship. The ancient city’s synagogues, mosques, and churches will offer endless inspiration, no doubt. We’ll take an underground tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, discovering the most extraordinary infrastructure in what is one of the holiest sites on our planet. For breathtaking views, we’ll head to the peak of Mount Scopus near the Hebrew University Campus. You’ll see all of the city’s corridors and your guide will offer insights into the unique fusion of Jewish, Christian, and Arabic theologies, and how they coexist in this incredible place. Enjoy another overnight stay in captivating Jerusalem.

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Day 8: Jerusalem New City

After breakfast, we’ll start our day with a visit to the Israel Museum. This is an art and archaeology treasure that houses the Shrine of the Book, displaying the Dead Sea Scrolls. The museum is expansive and comprises a sculpture garden sprawled across six acres and displays that range from ancient gems to modern art creations. Next on our itinerary is a real treasure: the renowned stained-glass Chagall Windows in the synagogues of the Hadassah Medical Centre. Your guide will offer even more insights into the history of the hospital and the significance of these jaw-dropping windows. Our next stop ticks various boxes! The Mahane Yehuda Market in Nachalot is like an open-air museum for colors, textures, smells, and sights. It’s jam-packed with amazing stands selling fresh produce, bakeries, and spices, as well as a bevy of fantastic restaurants and late-night bars. The narrow laneways and exotic courtyards around the markets are filled with ancient synagogues and enticing art galleries. Your overnight stay will be in your Jerusalem hotel.

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Day 9: Masada Fortress and the Dead Sea

A leisurely drive through the Judean Hills is a wonderful way to start today! You’ll visit one of Israel’s historical highlights and a place that is very close to our hearts. A fortress that inspired our company’s founder! Enjoy a cable-car ride and guide tour of the spellbinding Masada Fortress, a magnificent castle built by King Herod over 2,000 years ago. Nearby, we’ll visit the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where wild ibex roam free and glorious walking trails lead to waterfalls and sensational views across the Dead Sea. We can also visit Qumran where we’ll find the Dead Sea Scrolls caves. Afterward, you will not want to miss your chance for a therapeutic bathing experience in the Dead Sea – cover your whole body in mud, lie back and enjoy the sensation of floating on air, on one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. You’ll be back at your Tel Aviv hotel for another overnight stay.

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Day 10: Departure Day

This morning, after breakfast, we will take you to the airport to catch your flight home. At Mazada Tours, we thank you for planning your unforgettable Art Tour in Israel with us and eagerly await your next visit!