Jerusalem and Dead Sea Tour

The dome of the Rock on Temple Mount with its popular and iconic gold colored dome and many other famous rooftops, steeples and towers of the Old City are visible from the top of Mount Olives, our first stop in Jerusalem. We walk past the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Church of All Nations that has a spectacular and colorful mosaic pediment. It is a breathtaking sight, even for people who are not architecture nerds. We drive past several ancient Jewish tombs like those of Zechariah, Absalom and Benei Hazir and through Kidron Valley following the walls of the old city until we arrive at the Zion Gate. This gate opens into the Armenian part of the Old City. We will walk along the restored Cardo, which was once a buzzing Byzantine Street that was once home to crusader shops that are now modern market stores. Although the renovation of the Cardo is still underway, it is interesting to see the several stages of the process to full restoration.

The Wailing Wall (Western Wall or Kotel) is in the Jewish Quarter. This is the last remaining retaining wall of the Jewish Temple that met its destruction in 70AD and it is exciting to visit it. Here, we see the Holiest Jewish location in the world. Jews are here 24/7 to pray. It is a common tradition that people leave prayer notes in the cracks of the large stones of the wall.

We follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) i.e. the route that Jesus took to His crucifixion, carrying a cross. This route meanders through the Old City lanes and Markets and all the Stations of the Cross are marked with explanations of events at each station. The Via Dolorosa takes us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is the holiest Christian location in the Old City. It is built at the location where Jesus was crucified in Golgotha. This iconic church has various beautifully decorated chapels and five of the 14 stations are within the church.

To mark the end of the tour of the Old City, we will visit the Christian and Muslim Quarter markets for souvenir shopping and freshly squeezed fruit juice.

We will then drive south towards the Dead Sea – the lowest point on earth (approximately 400m below sea level), through the Judean desert past the city of Jericho. Once at the Dead Sea, a swim in the rejuvenating to relax in mineral filled saline water, then enjoy the fresh air and treat ourselves to some revitalizing Dead Sea mud to keep the skin glowing.