Sample Itineraries

The following program is an example of an itinerary for a group visiting Israel during the summer. It is intended as a sample, as each itinerary is unique, customized to the needs and backgrounds of the group and reflecting the overall theme of each trip.

Day 1 – Bruchim Habaim-Welcome!

• Arrive in Israel and kick off your trip with orientation and a welcome ceremony
• Enjoy an evening in Jerusalem

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 2 – In the Footsteps of Patriarchs and Priests

• Explore the Kotel Tunnels and see the sites of the First and Second Temple
• Relax and swim at the hotel
• Visit the Israel Museum

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3 – Roots

• Explore the Jewish Quarter with games
• Experience an archaeological dig in Beit Guvrin
• Enjoy a program and hospitality at a local Masorti/Conservative synagogue.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4 – Foundations, New and Old

• Visit Yad Lakashish – a non-profit that offers creative work opportunities for the elderly
• Explore the Knesset Menorah
• Enjoy a camel ride and Bedouin hospitality in Kfar Hanokdim

Overnight in Ein Bokek on the Dead Sea 

Day 5 – Freedom Fighters or Fanatics?

• Hike up Masada
• Take a dip in the Dead Sea and splash in the fresh waterfalls of Ein Gedi
• Enjoy the melodies of Kabbalat Shabbat services in the Jewish Quarter or at the Kotel

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6 – Shabbat in Jerusalem

• Walk to Shacharit services at a local Jerusalem synagogue
• Experience a walking tour of Jerusalem neighborhoods
• Enjoy a free evening on Ben Yehuda Street

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7 – 1948 to Today

• Visit Latrun, the Ayalon Institute, and Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall
• Swim in the Mediterranean 
• Explore Old Jaffa

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 8 – Living as a Minority

• Begin the day at Beit Hapalmach in Tel Aviv
• Go to Beit Shearim, the home of the Sanhedrin
• Visit a Druze village in Northern Israel

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 9 – Mystics and Realists

• Explore Tzippori, one of Israel’s major archaeological sites, and Tzfat
• Boat or swim in the Kinneret
• Enjoy a celebratory dinner at Decks overlooking the Kinneret

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 10 – The Northern Border

• Hike and walk at Tel Dan, a picturesque trail along one of the sources of the Jordan River 
• Experience the majestic views of the Golan Heights 
• Kayak along the Jordan River
• Finish the day at a chocolate factory

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 11 – Layers of History

• Participate in a Ramah-designed activity in the Kinneret courtyard
• Experience a charming multi-media program at the ancient Bet Alfa
• Enjoy a refreshing dip in the natural spring water at Sachne.  Return to Jerusalem via the Jordan River Valley

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 12 – Those Who Made a Difference

• Visit Yad Vashem and Mount Herzl
• Enjoy a group dinner and Oneg Shabbat

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 13 – This Shabbat, Next Shabbat

• Walk to Shacharit services at a local synagogue 
• Hear a guest speaker discuss current events
• Engage in “This Shabbat, Next Shabbat,” an activity that encourages participants to reflect on their Israel experience and directly relate it to their lives at home
• End the trip with a closing ceremony
• L’hitraot! 

The following is a sample itinerary. Locations and activities are subject to change.

Day 1 – Welcome ברוכים הבאים

• Begin in Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve where you will plant a tree, try your hand at sheep herding, and deepen your understanding of the Land of Israel
• Walk through the winding streets of Old Jaffa
• Learn about the making of Israel as a modern state along the Independence Trail in downtown Tel Aviv

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 2 – The First Hebrew City

• Tie tzitzit in an activity with the Masorti Movement
• Explore the Ayalon Institute underground bullet factory
• Stroll through the Nachalat Binyamin crafts fair and Shuk HaCarmel
• Discover the streets of Tel Aviv through an interactive Graffiti Tour and Workshop

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 3 – Israel in Modern Times

• Visit Rabin Square
• Learn about the modern heroes of our nation at the newly remodeled ANU Museum
• Experience the interactive exhibits at the Holon Children’s Museum (Dialogue in the Dark and Invitation to Silence)
• Continue on to Jerusalem to view a panoramic lookout over the city

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4 – Bnei Mitzvah in Jerusalem

• Celebrate Bnei Mitzvahs in the Old City
• Visit the Davidson Center
• Experience a Virtual Reality Tour of the Second Temple
• Explore the Jewish Quarter
• Tour the City of David and walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel
• Enjoy dinner and a Bnei Mitzvah Party

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5 – Yizkor יזכור

• Tour Yad Vashem (Zoo alternative for children)
• Experience the vibrancy of Shuk Machane Yehuda
• Enjoy the melodies of Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Kotel

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6 – Shabbat in Jerusalem

• Walk to Shacharit services at a choice of local synagogues
• Visit local sites on a walking tour
• Enjoy an optional pizza dinner at local legendary eatery Bardak
• Join in an optional tour of the Western Wall Tunnels

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7 – Masada 

• Ride a camel at Eretz Bereshit
• Ascend Masada and learn about the heroes of the era
• Swim and relax at the Dead Sea
• Drive south to Kibbutz Ketura for a BBQ dinner and orientation

Overnight in Kibbutz Ketura

Day 8 – Beauty of the South

• Take a short desert hike in the Eilat Mountains
• Snorkel in the Red Sea at the Coral Beach Nature Reserve
• Slide down the Kasui Sand Dunes at the Desert Solo Experience
• Enjoy a dinner of Middle Eastern fare and a campfire kumsitz

Overnight in Kibbutz Ketura

Day 9 – Ben Gurion’s Vision

• Take a walking tour of Kibbutz Ketura, including its algae factory and solar field
• Bike to Ketura’s experimental orchards for a tour and tree planting
• Explore Makhtesh Ramon in a jeep tour, and walk along the rim of Israel’s largest crater

Overnight in Mitzpe Ramon

Day 10 – Start-Up Nation

• Hike into the canyon of Ein Avdat
• Visit Ben Gurion’s hut and grave at Sde Boker
• Taste your way through the fields and greenhouses of Shvil Hasalat
• Enjoy a Goodbye Dinner at a local restaurant

Departure. L’hitraot! להתראות!

The following is a sample itinerary. Locations and activities are subject to change.

Day 1 – Departure to Poland

Day 2 – Beginnings

• Explore 1000 years of Jewish life and culture in the Warsaw Jewish Cemetery
• Tour the new POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
• Visit the only remains of the Warsaw Ghetto Wall
• Dinner in a local restaurant

Overnight in Warsaw 

Day 3 – The Shtetl: What Was Lost

• Drive to Tykocin and pray Shacharit in the refurbished synagogue, before exploring the shtetl
• Continue to Lopuchowo Forest to honor those murdered and buried in mass graves by the Einsatzgruppen – mobile killing units
• Finish the day at the infamous Treblinka Death Camp and the memorial, and pay our respects to the hundreds of thousands gassed there
• Dinner in a local restaurant

Overnight in Warsaw

Day 4 – Hope is the Last to Die

• Pray Shacharit in the Nożyk Synagogue
• Explore the haunting Majdanek Concentration Camp
• Travel to Krasnik and visit the crumbling double synagogue

Overnight in Lublin

Day 5 – Galicia: There Once Was a World

• Pray Shacharit at Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin, one of the most important Talmudic academies 
• Explore towns and shtetls in Galicia 
• Discover Lancut and Tarnow, cities with rich Jewish history and beautiful architecture
• Visit Zbylitowska Gora, the Children’s Forest, where even babies were murdered for the crime of being Jewish

Overnight in Krakow

Day 6 – The Banality of Evil

• Walk through Auschwitz and nearby Birkenau (referred to as Auschwitz II)
• Return to Krakow and prepare for Shabbat
• Take part in Kabbalat Shabbat services at one of the synagogues in Krakow
• Join in Shabbat dinner with members of the local community at the JCC

Overnight in Krakow

Day 7 – Shabbat in Krakow

• Walk to Shabbat Shacharit services at one of the synagogues in Krakow
• Tour the Old Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz
• Discover the Wawel Castle in an optional walking tour
• Final group dinner in a local restaurant
• Visit more Krakow sites on a night tour – Ghetto Plaza, the remains of the Ghetto Wall, and Schindler’s Factory

Overnight in Krakow

Day 8 – Departure. L’hitraot! להתראות!

The following is a sample itinerary. Locations and activities are subject to change.

Day 1

• Arrive at Casablanca Airport in the morning
• Travel north and tour Meknes – the Agdal Basin, the Royal Stables, and the magnificent Bab Mansour Gate
• Travel to Fes
• Dinner at a local kosher provider

Overnight in Fes

Day 2

• Enjoy a panoramic view of the city from Borj Sud Fortress
• Explore the Mellah (old Jewish Quarter), including the Jewish cemetery, and Ibn Danan and El Fasian Synagogues
• See the grand entrance of the Royal Palace
• Explore the Medina and its winding alleyways
• Visit some of the many artisan guilds of the city – ceramics, tannery, weaving, and carpets
• Dinner at a local kosher provider

Overnight in Fes

Day 3

• Travel south. crossing the mid-Atlas mountain range.
• Stop for a coffee break in the alpine town of Ifrane
• Spot the Barbary Macaques in the Azrou Forest
• After a lunch break in Midelt, drive south
• Dinner at the hotel

Overnight in Erfoud

Day 4

• Take a pre-dawn jeep ride into the Sahara Desert to ride camels up the sand dunes and watch the sunrise
• Return to the hotel for breakfast
• Visit the Jewish cemetery of Erfoud
• Venture into the Todgha Gorge with its majestic cliffs and rock formations
• Travel to Ouarzazate
• Dinner at the hotel

Overnight in Ouarzazate

Day 5

• Explore the picturesque kasbah of Aït Benhaddou
• Cross the Atlas Mountain Range via the Tizi n’Tichka Pass
• Arrive in Marrakesh and prepare for Shabbat
• Join the local Jewish community for Kabbalat Shabbat at the Gueliz Synagogue
• Dinner at a local kosher provider

Overnight in Marrakesh

Day 6

• Join the local Jewish community for Shabbat services at the Gueliz Synagogue
• Lunch at a local kosher provider
• In the afternoon, rest and relax at the hotel or go explore the city on your own
• Dinner at a local kosher provider
• Visit the vibrant Jemaa el Fnaa plaza and its colorful night market 

Overnight in Marrakesh

Day 7

• View the beautiful Majorelle Gardens
• Stroll through the gardens beside the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque
• Visit the Mellah of Marrakesh, including the Al Azama Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery
• Tour the Bahia Palace
• Explore the many alleyways and shops in the Souk
• Dinner at a local kosher provider
• Take part in an optional evening program – Fantasia Folklore Show

Overnight in Marrakesh

Day 8

• Visit an Argan oil cooperative
• Travel to the seaside town of Essaouira
• Tour the Mellah and local synagogues
• Explore the Port and the Medina
• Enjoy sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean
• Dinner at the hotel

Overnight in Essaouira

Day 9

• Drive north along the Atlantic Coast
• Tour the magnificent Hassan II Mosque
• Visit the Beit El Synagogue
• Visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism
• Dinner at a local kosher provider

Overnight in Casablanca

Day 10 

• Travel to Rabat
• See the grand entrance of the King’s Palace and official residence in Rabat
• Visit the mausoleum of the modern Moroccan kings and see the unfinished Hassan Tower
• Explore the Kasbah of the Udayas
• Visit the Mellah of Rabat, including a synagogue
• Return to Casablanca
• Dinner at a local kosher provider

Overnight in Casablanca

Day 11 – Departure. L’hitraot! להתראות!