Program is tentative and subject to change. Connect with our Customer Care Team by calling: (888) 230-6008 Mon.-Thur. from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
YOUR journey
J² crafts journeys of inspiration, education, and Jewish connections to Israel and worldwide. We are guided by a simple but powerful concept: No two trips are the same; each experience should be personal, meaningful, and backed by superb service. Travel is not just about the places you visit, but the connections you make along the way.
Food & Wine 
Heritage 
Home Hospitality - Street Food
Archaeology 
Art & Culture 
Nature Walks
Program Itinerary
DAY 1
DEPARTURE
Wed. Mar 6, 2024
- Depart the USA.
Overnight: Flight
DAY 2
STARTING A SPECIAL JOURNEY
Thu. Mar 7, 2024
- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport.
- Meet your tour educator who will accompany you on this journey of education and inspiration.
- Stop at the Haas Promenade for an overlook of the Old and New City of Jerusalem, in the same spot where our ancestors stood in ancient times, and to recite the traditional "shehechiyanu” blessing.
- Check into the hotel.
- Welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Opening conversation about the journey, expectations, and itinerary.
- Israel 101 – learn about the basics of Israel, its people, history, and geography, followed by an orientation to your trip with your tour educator.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 3
LAYERS OF A HOLY CITY
Fri. Mar 8, 2024
- Take a walking tour through Jerusalem’s Old City and the Jewish Quarter and experience the center of Jewish life, history, and holiness. Among the highlights will be:
- A climb to the rooftops to see and discuss the ties and tensions between the different faith groups and communities of the Old City. From this one spot, we’ll look out over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, venerated by Christian groups as the burial place of Jesus; the golden Dome of the Rock, which is sacred to Islam; and the Jewish Quarter’s famous Hurva Synagogue.
- The Cardo, the main street of Roman-controlled Jerusalem and its spectacular Byzantine-era columns.
- King Hezekiah's “Broad Wall,” a massive wall built to protect Jerusalem from invasion 2,700 years ago.
- Hurva Square, the center of modern-day life in the Jewish Quarter.
- The Jerusalem Archaeological Park is a large-scale excavation that has uncovered vital parts of ancient Jerusalem. A particular highlight is to walk on the Southern Wall steps used by Jewish pilgrims to enter the Temple, 2,000 years ago. But there is much else to see, including Robinson’s Arch, the remains of a major Second Temple-period street, and drainage tunnels used by Jewish fighters hiding from the Roman invaders.
- No visit to Israel is complete without experiencing the Kotel (Western Wall), widely considered Judaism’s holiest site.
- Going Under, Going Deeper: Explore the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Kotel, and examine important archaeological discoveries that are revising our understanding of daily life in ancient Jerusalem.
- Return to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.
- Kabbalat Shabbat services at Kehillat Mevasseret in Mevasseret Zion, led by Rabbi Alona Nir - Keren. To learn more about Kamatz- Mevasseret Zion Community please click here.
- Mifgash - meet Israelis. Enjoy Home Hospitality Shabbat dinner/communal Shabbat dinner at Kehillat Mevasseret Zion.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 4
SHABBAT ALONG THE DEAD SEA
Sat. Mar 9, 2024
- As Low as It Goes: We'll drive to the Dead Sea Basin, 1412 feet below sea level and the lowest place on earth.
- The Last Stand: Take the cable car to the top of Masada with its extraordinary views and fascinating archaeological remains. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is where Jewish rebels are believed to have made their final attempt to resist Roman invaders (c 74 CE). We'll learn about Masada's importance as a symbol of Jewish defense and discuss its influence on modern Israel.
- The Sea of Salt: Float into happiness at the Dead Sea. Not much can live or swim in what is the saltiest piece of water in the world, nine times saltier than the ocean, but the weightless feeling of floating is great fun.
- Muddy Good Fun: Coat yourself in the famous Dead Sea mud, a time-honored tradition enjoyed by all ages. For thousands of years, it has been believed that the mud and minerals of the Dead Sea have special healing and beauty qualities. See and feel for yourself.
- Return to Jerusalem.
- Mark the end of Shabbat with a communal Havdalah ceremony overlooking the Old City.
- Exploring Jerusalem night life on your own including:
- The Mamilla Mall
- The First Station
- The Ben Yehuda and Nahalat Shiva Pedestrian Malls.
- Free time for friends, family and shabbat relaxation.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5
THE COMPLEXITY OF SHARED REALITIES
Sun. Mar 10, 2024
- Depart the hotel for a day in the West Bank.
- Tour the streets of Ramallah, meet local residents, and get an authentic account of Palestinian life, politics, and aspirations. Ramallah is located on the West Bank in the controversial and complex area split between Israeli control and limited Palestinian self-government. It is the political center of the Palestinian Authority and is sometimes called the “de facto capital of the state of Palestine.” The tour will be led by Rami Nazzal, an internationally published Palestinian journalist.
- Lunch will be at a Ramallah restaurant or café.
- Beyond the Green Line: Experience life on a Jewish settlement in the disputed area known by some as the West Bank and by others as Judea and Samaria. We’ll learn about the establishment of these communities during a tour of the Binyamin Region before talking with local residents about why they live in settlements that many consider dangerous and disruptive to peace.
- Our visit will include:
- A lookout that will provide a broader view of the situation in the region.
- Examine the patchwork of Palestinian towns and villages and Jewish settlements in the area, discuss demographic and security issues, and come to grips with the complex issues of who governs these territories.
- Return to Jerusalem.
- Our Thoughts, Our Journey: Come together to share experiences and feelings from your journey so far.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 6
MEMORY & RENEWAL
Mon. Mar 11, 2024
- Depart the hotel.
- Join the Women of the Wall on Rosh Chodesh with a prayer service at the Kotel (Western Wall).
- Visit Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Your guided tour will include:
-
The Historical Museum.
OR - The Museum of Holocaust Art.
- The Valley of the Communities and a group memorial service.
-
The Historical Museum.
- Share feelings and thoughts and discuss what we have experienced and learned.
- Visit the Yad VaShem Art Museum and Gardens. Explore the use of art in preserving and interpreting memory.
- Take a multi-cultural tasting journey through the area where Jerusalemites shop and enjoy lunch.
- Israeli Culture Through Film: Meet with students and teachers from the Ma’aleh Film School, where we will learn about Israeli society through the prism of film. Through the medium of film explore the realities of contemporary Israel.
- Free evening in Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7
BOUND FOR THE NORTH
Tue. Mar 12, 2024
- Checkout from Jerusalem and departure to the Galilee region.
- Explore the Zippori National Park, known for its extraordinary ancient mosaics and its central role in Jewish life after the destruction of the Temple.
- Visit Sindyanna of Galilee: a non-profit organization that is creating economic opportunities for Arab women, one of Israel’s most underemployed sectors - and sample some of their award-winning olive oil.
- Enjoy a short walk to the Arbel Cliffs with its magnificent panorama of Northern Israel.
- Check into the hotel.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 8
THE GALILEE AND GOLAN
Wed. Mar 13, 2024
- Depart from the hotel.
- Take a nature hike to the Hanging Trail at the Banias Nature Reserve, the second largest source of the Jordan River.
- Behind the headlines, a security briefing with a research expert from the Alma Research and Education Center at an overlook on the Israeli-Syrian Border.
- Enjoy a two-hour Jeep tour while learning about the majestic Golan Heights.
- Explore Rosh Pina, one of the earliest Zionist agricultural settlements, now a village and artists’ colony.
- Enjoy a wine tasting at a boutique Winery.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Upper Galilee
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 9
COMMUNITY AND DIVERSITY
Thu. Mar 14, 2024
- Check out of the hotel.
- Explore Tsfat, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years and a contemporary artists' colony, including:
- Guided visit to the Ari, Caro or Abuhav Synagogues, each with its great stories and mystical messages.
- A stroll through the quaint Artists' Colony and shop in the galleries and crafts shops.
- Meet with David Friedman, a Tsfat artist inspired by Kabbalah.
- Depart from Tsfat to Tel Aviv.
- Enter the Gan Meir Gay Center of Tel Aviv for tour and possible panel discussion regarding the progress and challenges of the LGBTQ rights movement, with activists and members of various LGBTQ organizations.
- Check into the hotel.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 10
FACES, VOICES AND ENCOUNTERS
Fri. Mar 15, 2024
- Join Niro Taub, an expert on Tel Aviv’s alternative scene for an urban adventure and graffiti tour.
- Explore Tel Aviv's multi-cultural history and tour Kerem HaTeimanim, a neighborhood established by Yeminite Jews.
- Enjoy Nachalat Binyamin, Tel Aviv’s arts and crafts market before we move on to the Carmel Market.
- Kabbalat Shabbat together on the beach led by Rabbi Chabon.
- Dinner on own in vibrant Tel Aviv - the foodie city.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 11
FINAL TASTES AND CLOSING THOUGHTS
Sat. Mar 16, 2024
- Join BINA for a tour of the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood to see what life is like for refugees and migrant workers in Israel.
- Visit Neve Sha’anan’s New Central Bus Station.
- Visit ANU - Museum of the Jewish People, which is dedicated to telling the ongoing story of the Jewish people.
- Return to the hotel for late checkout and departure.
- Closing conversation circle and farewell dinner.
- Group Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport.
Overnight: Flight
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
RATES & LODGING
participants
15+
Cost p/p in double room
$5,390
Cost p/p in single room
$6,640
If over 20 participants register the price will go down. Registration open
Jerusalem: Harmony Hotel
- Nights: 5
- Room Category: Standard
- Hotel Website
Upper Galilee: Hotel HaGoshrim nature
- Nights: 2
- Room Category: Superior
- Hotel Website
Tel Aviv: Tal by The Beach
- Nights: 2+LCO
- Room Category: Standard
- Hotel Website
What to expect
- 9 nights' accommodations. Late check out on the day of departure is included.
- 10 days of touring with a tour educator (guide) in a luxury, air-conditioned bus.
- Daily breakfast, 2 lunches & 5 dinners.
- Water on the bus.
- Porterage at hotels.
- All site entrance fees & program fees as per your final program.
- Credit card fees.
- Flights to & from Israel.
- COVID related expenses, including tests.
- Evening transportation when dinner is not included.
- Amendments to the program: In the event that any sites, programs or meals etc. are added to the program, an additional fee may be required.
- Personal extras: Items of personal nature such as laundry, wines, mineral water, beverages, coffee, tea, food other than the table d’hotel menu, passport and visa fees, insurance, and foreign port taxes, unless otherwise specified.
- US and foreign airport taxes, Q fuel surcharge and border taxes when applicable.
- Value Added Tax is currently not applicable to tourists visiting Israel. Should the law change, you will be notified accordingly, and VAT will be added to your final invoice.
- Gratuities: Recommend guidelines for tipping are provided in the terms section.
- Please review our terms & conditions (T&C’s) or request that we send you our full T&C’s. Until you do that, here is the small print, and other stuff you may want to know:
- Validity | All prices quoted are based on exchange rates as of the proposal date and are subject to change without notice. Rates are per person and are based on shared twin room occupancy.
- How to Make a Reservation | The quickest way to make a reservation is to register online or contact us by email. We accept VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. A non-refundable deposit is required in order to complete the registration process.
- For any assistance with this registration process or other trip-related queries, please email Customer Care: [email protected].
- Payments | The balance of your payment is due 90 days before your trip begins, or as specified in your invoice. You will receive an email reminder 2 weeks before this date. Various payment options are available as follows:
- Credit card | We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Please check with your credit card provider regarding international processing fees. We are unable to process payments of over $1,000 over the phone. Please submit payment online via a credit card or by wiring funds via your bank.
- Domestic bank wire transfer | Payment should be wired in the same currency that is listed on your invoice. Please add the name of your group or invoice number as a reference and forward a copy of the transfer receipt by email. The bank transfer should clearly state the beneficiary’s name on the wire transfer.
- Please use the following information: Citizens Bank: 1 Citizens Drive, Riverside, RI 02915 Routing number: 021313103 (Domestic only) ACH: 036076150 SWIFT Code: CTZIUS33 (International only)
- Beneficiary Instructions: For the benefit of J² Adventures. Account number: 1001858331
- J² Adventures reserves the right to automatically cancel your reservation on that date and it may be subject to reconfirmation should the final payment not be received.
- Cancelation Policy | All cancelations need to be made in writing. The cancelation fee depends on the date when we receive written notification of your request to cancel your booking. Please note that the deposit is non-refundable.
- Cancelation fees | Cancelations made 90 or more days prior to departure incur the loss of the deposit. Cancelations made 89 to 46 days prior to departure incur the loss of 50% of the full trip cost. Cancelations made 45 days or less prior to the departure incur the loss of 100% of the full trip cost.
- Cancelation fees may also include: Hotel or supplier cancelation fees. J² Adventures reserves the right to adjust its terms of payment, including cancelation policies and initial deposits.
- Protect your investment for $495 p/p: Should you cancel your trip up to 5 days before your departure for any reason, our POM program offers you a trip refund. Call 888-230-6008 or e-mail: [email protected].
- Please click here to view our full terms (T&C’s). These T&C’s apply to all reservations created within J2 Adventures.
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JEWISH JOURNEYS.
A family vacation to Israel. An adventure of a lifetime traveling with friends to Morocco. A trip to Poland or Portugal with your community. What do these trips have in common? No matter where you go, you will come back with a fresh perspective and appreciation of the place you visited as well as a heightened awareness of your identity as part of the global Jewish community.
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