Day 1 |
WELCOME TO ISRAEL May 6 After arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, transfer to the beautiful, new Orient Jerusalem Hotel in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem. Relax and stroll this lovely, rapidly developing area, a blend of residential and retail/professional. Be sure to check out the beautiful rooftop at the hotel. If you must nap, limit yourself to two hours. You don't want to miss any time in this remarkable land, and you want to sleep tonight! View
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Day 2 |
DIVERSE, DELICIOUS JERUSALEMMay 7 Breakfast at the Hotel Enjoy the first of the renowned Israeli hotel breakfasts. Temptations Begin our culinary adventure by meeting with Avihai Tsabari, author of Is There an Israeli Cuisine? An experienced tour guide with vast culinary knowledge, he will tempt us with hints of tastes and experiences to come. Nachlaot Take a walking tour of Nachlaot, on the outskirts of Machane Yehuda. Nachlaot is an old neighborhood known for its narrow, winding lanes, old-style housing, hidden courtyards and many small synagogues. Undergoing gentrification, Nachlaot is a typical representation of the contrasts of modern Jerusalem: the old and the new, the secular and the religious. ViewMachane Yehuda Market Tasting Tour Enter Machane Yehuda Market for our tasting tour. Notice the difference between the scene last night and this morning. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the shuk (market), with all the rich fragrances, colors and sounds this iconic Jerusalem market offers. View
We will have a late lunch at Azura, a family-run institution in the Iraqi section of the market, famous for its Turkish-inspired delicacies that are slow-cooked to perfection atop kerosene burners. View
Next we visit Herzl Brewery, one of the smallest commercial breweries in Israel. The founders, Jerusalem natives, seek to avoid making boring, everyday beers. They create interesting flavors by using the highest quality ingredients. View
In the evening, take an Eastern European Jewish tasting tour with Chef Shmil Holland, one of Jerusalem's most well-known chefs, whose inspiration comes from his grandmother's stories and Eastern European recipes. The tour is a dialogue between the practice of real food preparation and tracing the history and folklore of the foods. |
Day 3 |
JERUSALEM PREPARES FOR SHABBATMay 8 Breakfast at the hotel Tastes of Jerusalem Experience Jerusalem's Old City in a unique way through our Tastes of Jerusalem tour. While touring off-the-beaten-track sites and winding alleyways in the Old City, stop for tastes of Jerusalem delicacies such as the famous Jerusalem beigele, hummus at Lina's, baklava, knafae, or a piece of Jerusalem kugel. View
Head to The First Station, a place for food and culture, for Israeli Dancing. View
Rest, relax and prepare for Shabbat. Optional visit to the Kotel for Kabbalat Shabbat. Shabbat Dinner Enjoy an authentic and intimate dining experience in the home of a Jerusalemite to savor what an Israeli Friday night dinner is all about. |
Day 4 |
TO THE JERUSALEM HILLS WE GO!May 9 Breakfast at the hotel World of Dough Tour the beautiful Ein Karem neighborhood, a predominantly Christian area that is also the location of Hadassah Hospital. We will participate in a bread baking workshop there. Dive into the world of dough with Atalya whose magical hands will guide us through the entire baking process. View
Visit Kamel Hashlamon's tehina and halva factory, Al Yasmin, in Abu Gosh, for some of the best tehina in Israel. Kamel imported millstones crafted by a Syrian stonemason to create authentic, traditional tehina and halva. View
We will have a late lunch at Majda in pastoral Ein Rafa, an Israeli Arab village. This restaurant offers traditional Middle Eastern food, cooked from very fresh ingredients, and includes the help of family members who are sincere and genuine about offering superb, top quality food. ViewReturn to Jerusalem Return to Jerusalem, fully satisfied and sleepy. Evening on your own. |
Day 5 |
THE COASTAL PLAINMay 10 Breakfast at the Hotel We will be heading north to the Galilee today. Check out of Orient Hotel Jerusalem Wine Tasting Visit the very special Tulip Winery in Kfar Tikva, Village of Hope. The winery employs the developmentally disabled adults who live in Kfar Tikva and produces excellent wines. Baha'i Gardens The Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa comprise a staircase of nineteen terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. The geometry of the complex is built around the axis connecting it with the City of ‘Akko, which also has great historical and sacred significance for Bahá’ís. At its heart stands the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith. While different parts of the gardens offer a variety of experiences, they speak in a common language of graveled paths, hedges and flower beds groomed and nurtured by dedicated gardeners. The gardens frame panoramic views of the city, the Galilee Hills and the Mediterranean Sea. Wadi Nisnas Visit the “coexistence road” in Wadi Nisnas, an Arab neighborhood in Haifa. The Art Work route includes displays by dozens of Jewish and Arab artists and the Poetry Path includes excerpts by Arab and Jewish poets and explains how their words connect to the neighborhoods. This small, yet colorful market in the heart of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood has been a sensory celebration for decades. It’s flooded with bakeries, delis, coffee shops, fresh seafood, falafel stands, restaurants, fruits and vegetables. Lunch on own at Wadi Nisnas North along the coast After a break, we head north along the coast. On a peninsula that pokes out into the Mediterranean, Akko seduces visitors with towering ramparts, deep moats, green domes, timeless synagogues, slender minarets, church towers, secret passageways and subterranean vaults. Learn about the city's ancient history as well as its important role in Israel's modern history. View
We are guided by Chef Osama Dallal, an Akko native and one of Tel Aviv's most promising young chefs, through all the culinary delights that this city has to offer. Uri Buri Dinner at Uri Buri Fish Restaurant, the renowned culinary destination owned by Chef Uri Jeremias ViewGalilion Hotel Tonight we check into the Galilion Hotel for two nights. |
Day 6 |
BACK TO THE GALILEE BASICSMay 11 Breakfast at the hotel Galileat Spend the day exploring the Galilee with Paul Nirens, chef and founder of Galileat. Highlights of the day including meeting the farmers and touring one of the best goat farms in Israel, tasting the delicious goat cheeses; foraging for fresh greens; and taking part in a Galilean cooking workshop with a local family. We will learn how to cook the gathered greens and much more, ending the day with a delicious dinner that we have cooked together. |
Day 7 |
TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETSMay 12 Breakfast at the Hotel We will be heading to Tel Aviv today after breakfast. Check out of Galilion Hotel An Introduction to Street Food It is time to head back to the coast and the vibrant city of Tel Aviv. The biggest food trend happening in Tel Aviv today is street food. Meet with local food expert Amit Aaronson, a TV host and culinary blogger/writer, and Bentzi Arbel, owner of two of Tel Aviv's hottest restaurants, to learn about the evolution that street food has gone through over the past year. Tasting Street Food Continue the morning by touring Shuk HaCarmel, Tel Aviv's central market. In recent years, Carmel Market has joined the ranks of Tel Aviv's trendy spots for bars, restaurants, coffee shops and chef-owned food stalls. Taste a variety of street food dishes including borik, hummus and malabi. Try Israel's lesser known street food, sabich at Sabich Tchernichovsky. Chef Eyal Shani has elevated the simple pita at Miznon with his fresh gourmet cuisine stuffed in light and fluffy pitas. Try his signature roasted cauliflower as well. View
Taste falafel at HaKosem, which in recent years has developed a serious cult following in Israel. Jerry Seinfeld even made a point to stop here on his last trip. Bring your culinary inspiration from today's tour to an Israeli street food cooking workshop led by cookbook author Adeena Sussman. Learn how to make some of Israel's traditional street food dishes so you can bring the flavors home with you! View
A fabulous beachfront hotel View
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Day 8 |
THE DESERT IN BLOOMMay 13 Breakfast at hotel Desert Agriculture Travel south to the desert and visit the Ramat Negev Desert AgroResearch Center for a hands-on, tasty tour. Learn about the scientific and technological research at the RNDARC that is helping to advance desert agriculture. Farming in the Desert Next, visit Matnat Desert Farm, one of the many havot bodedim (lone farms) built by modern-day pioneers helping to realize David Ben-Gurion's vision of seeing the desert bloom. Hear the story of the family who is running the farm and the herbs and plants they grow. Lunch at Matnat HaMidbar Enjoy lunch at a desert vegetarian restaurant. The owners grown their own herbs and many of the ingredients in the meals they serve. Bedouins Meet with Salima, a Bedouin woman living in an unrecognized village near Yeruham. Hear about the Bedouin lifestyle and the challenges this community is facing in Israel today. Taste traditional Bedouin coffee and tea. Return to Tel Aviv Enjoy the evening on your own. |
Day 9 |
TASTES OF TEL AVIVMay 14 Check out at Royal Beach Tel-Aviv Hotel View
Last day of tour Levinsky Market -- a melting pot Start the morning at Levinsky Market, which is a must-see stop in Israel if you are a foodie. The market, actually a neighborhood of street level shops, specializes in a wide variety of offerings including the finest spices, dried fruits, boutique cheeses, roasted nuts, coffee beans, olives, pickled vegetables, cured fish and more. The melting-pot character of the market reflects its fascinating history, starting with Balkan cuisine catering to Greek Jews in the 1930s, expanding to Persian flavors introduced by Iranian Jews shortly after the establishment of the country, and evolving ever since to the diverse shuk it is today. View
Stop at the Milk and Honey Distillery, the first single malt whiskey distillery in Israel, for a tour and tasting. View
Visit Ika Chocolate Boutique and taste their famous za'atar chocolate. Meet with the founder and learn about her special Israeli flavors. Free Time at Sarona and Sarona Market Free time at Sarona and Sarona Market, a recent restoration and re-use project of the Tel Aviv municipality, transforming an old Templar colony turned military base into a premier shopping and food destination. View
Meet with Roni Saslove, one of the most talented and premier female winemakers in Israel for a "Refining Your Senses" workshop. Closing Dinner Closing dinner at Guetta, a restaurant specializing in North African cuisine, to celebrate and reflect in our culinary journey through the diverse foods of this ancient and modern land. |
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Lynn Fenster
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