Agriculture Tour in Israel

Welcome to Israel!
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
Welcome by a representative of WeRIsrael.
Transfer to Jerusalem.
Check-in to your hotel and freshen up.
Opening dinner – 'Agriculture in Israel and its unique characteristics'

Overnight: Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem

Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem - today, you will discover the variety of cultures, customs, tastes, and smells of the Old City in Jerusalem, one of the most interesting places in the world!
Drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Walk down the Mount and see the old Jewish cemetery, then continue to the Garden of Gethsemane. Walk through the Old City. Visit the Pool of Bethesda at the St. Anna Church. Continue through the Via Dolorosa, Lithostrotos, and Ecce Homo Arc, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Visit Mount Zion, including the Tomb of David and the Room of the Last Supper. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to see the Western Wall and the "Cardo Maximus", a Roman street. Walk through the Oriental bazaar and buy your family a nice souvenir from the Holy Land!

Dinner at the Ofaimme Farm cafe in Jerusalem - Meet with Chef Hedai Ofaimme
The Ofaimme Farm was founded by two brothers, Yinon and Hedai Offaim. The farm grows livestock, fruit, and vegetables with a diversity of species that promote the ecological tapestry in which we live.

Overnight: Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem

Open your day with a typical Israeli breakfast at the hotel – enjoy fresh salad and fruit, taste the unique cheeses, and take a big bite of warm bread!
Drive to Bethlehem and visit the Church of Nativity and the Shepherds Fields.
At noon, arrive at Machane Yehuda, the famous market of Jerusalem for a culinary tour. Visit the different stands and discover the unique and fascinating stories behind the people there. Experience the market through the smells, the atmosphere and the amazing feeling of the fresh vegetables and fruits.
Take some time to shop in the market. Ask your guide which is the best shop to buy spices to take home!

Finish the day with a beautiful audio-visual show at the Tower of David.

Overnight: Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem

Drive to the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth! Experience floating on the Dead Sea and cover yourself with healthy mud!
From here, continue on to the Masada Fortress: Ascend and descend by cable car and join a guided walking tour around the fortress.
Drive south.
Check in to the Desert Iris hotel – a unique social enterprise, run by the local community and for the local community.

At dinner, meet with representatives of The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research and have a chat about the water reservoir and the use of saline water for agriculture.

Overnight: Desert Iris Hotel, Yerucham

Drive north to the Springs Valley.
Visit the Eden Farm R&D station, Springs Valley and learn how the farmers in the area deal, on the one hand, with a warm dry climate and very little rain but with plenty of springs on the other hand.
Lunch in Kibbutz Nir David dining room and meet 'kibbutznikim' that live on it.
Finish your day with a boat ride on the beautiful Sea of Galilee, on a boat resembling that of ancient times up to the fisherman village of Ein Gev and, if time permits, meet a few fishermen for a talk and coffee.

Overnight: Degania Bet Country Lodging, Kibbutz Degania

Drive to Sindyanna of Galilee in Cana to participate in an olive oil workshop and understand why Israel is famous for its olive oil. Hopefully, we will have a chance to experience the olive harvest - if it's the right season!
Drive to Haifa, the capital city of the north of Israel.
Visit Muhraka on Mount Carmel. From the top of the mountain, you will see the site where Elijah challenged the prophets of Ba'al and enjoy the magnificent view of the Jezreel Valley.
Eat lunch in the German Colony in front of the beautiful Bahai Gardens - World Center of the Bahai denomination.

In the afternoon, visit Netafim, Israel's pioneering drip- and micro-irrigation company in Kibbutz Magal and learn how to "grow higher and better yields with less water" every season.
Drive to Tel Aviv for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Prima Hotel, Tel Aviv

Start the day by driving along the shoreline to Caesarea. See the remains of the once magnificent port built by Herod the Great as well as the ancient theater and the hippodrome. See the site where Paul appeared before Festus and King Agrippa before he was sent to Rome, and simply enjoy the air and the view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Eat lunch at the port of Caesarea.

Drive to SCR Dairy in Natanya, to see how they manage their dairy cows.
Drive back to Tel Aviv.
Free evening.

Overnight: Prima Hotel, Tel Aviv

Start the day with a visit to Sorek Desalination Plant, Israel's largest desalination plant and one of the largest plants in the world.
Continue on to The Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center where you will hear a short presentation on research disciplines in the center: irrigation, fertilization, crop pollination, functional citrus, deciduous fruit crops, the role of plant hormones in flower and fruit development, nematodes, plant pathology with a focus on soilborne pathogens, sweet potatoes, and developing advanced molecules for agriculture.
Dinner at a restaurant in the beautiful neighborhood of Neve Tsedek, which is full of galleries and local artists.

Overnight: Prima Hotel, Tel Aviv

Start your last day in Israel by visiting Yarok Bair, a unique hydroponic urban garden on the roof of the Dizengoff mall.
Closing lunch in Jaffa in one of the best fish restaurants in Israel!
If time permits before the flight - visit Old Jaffa with its ancient port. Walk through the streets and check out the small artists' shops and studios.

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for the return flight.