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Best Israel Itinerary for Teenage Grandchildren for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah

PopPop and I want to take each of our grandchildren on a special trip to celebrate their thirteenth birthday and their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.  Our granddaughter chose Israel.  How we chose our guide and why he was the correct guide to choose is the subject of another post.


We included our granddaughter in the selection of activities.  As she is athletic and wanted to experience as much of the outdoors in Israel as possible, the following itinerary reflects this desire.  Also, her brother had been to Israel for a month and curated the itinerary to leave out what he considered boring on his trip.


It was important for us to have our granddaughter fall in love with Israel and want to return again and again, so we did not intend nor want to include everything and anything.  We were looking for age appropriate activities and experiences and these are the best of the best.


DAY 1 SUNDAY:  LEAVE USA

BEST PRIVATE GUIDE FOR TEENS

Alex’s Contact Details: 00972-545-216-237, alex.stein@talk21.com

See separate post about Alex.

DAY  2 MONDAY: Arrive Tel Aviv in the morning.  Go to Jerusalem one hour from Ben Gurion Airport. Check in King David Jerusalem. Day at Leisure.  Walk to Western Wall and Old Jerusalem.


(5 NIGHTS)(why we chose the King David and how to get the best deal there is the subject of another post.  It is great to have a base for several nights in one place with a teenager who can then spread out.).


Bar Mitzvah celebrations at the Western Wall from 8 am – 3 pm Mondays and Thursdays (one of the reasons we chose to land on a Monday so we could see the celebrations at the wall on the day we were acclimating to the time change.  It was a great experience to find our own way through Old Jerusalem to the Wall and back to the hotel.


King David Jerusalem (5 nights)

23 King David St. Jerusalem, 94101

Reservation Tel. +972-3-7408966 Hotel Tel. +972-2-6208888


 Afternoon alternative: walk to Yad LaKashish (workshop open until noon, call first; gift shop until 4:30 pm).  Rehov Shitvei Israel 14, Jerusalem. Workshops and Crafts gift shop. From within Israel, (02) 628-7829  http://www.lifeline.org.il/storehome_en.php Back to King David.


DAY 3 TUESDAY: UNESCO World Heritage Site: Old Jerusalem: Tour of Western Wall Tunnels

City of David, Western Wall, Jewish Quarter, Cardo and Hurva Synagogue, Markets of Old City.

TUESDAY (OVERNIGHT JERUSALEM)


*Tour of the WESTERN WALL TUNNELS.  Reservation required.

*Visit the CITY OF DAVID, the oldest part of Jerusalem, the remains of the Southern Wall excavations, and the WESTERN WALL.

*Visit the JEWISH QUARTER, including the Cardo and the Hurva Synagogue.

*Enjoy a walk through the markets of the Old City.

OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM

OLD CITY MAP OF QUARTERS OF JERUSALEM

WESTERN WALL TUNNELS

DAY 4 WEDNESDAY:  Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, Supreme Court, Machane Yehuda Market, Rappelling at  Gei Ben Hinom

WEDNESDAY (OVERNIGHT JERUSALEM)

*Start the day with a special Bat Mitzvah tour at YAD VASHEM Holocaust Museum


YAD VASEM: special Bar and Bat Mitzvah tour. Contact Yad Vashem for an amazing personalized tour.


*Enjoy lunch in Jerusalem’s famous MACHANE YEHUDA MARKET

Take a guided tour of the SUPREME COURT at noon.

English Tour: Sun-Thurs at 12:00pm

Address: Sha’arei HaMishpat St., Givat Ram

Jerusalem,Israel

AFTERNOON:

Rapelling at Gei Ben Hinom with Yaacov

Email: snappling@funinjerusalem.com

Website: www.challengetours.org

Parking: Large free parking lot

This was a wonderful introduction to rapelling and easy and close to the center of Jerusalem.  See post on our guide for more details.

DAY 5 THURSDAY: Jerusalem and South: archeological dig; Plant a tree in honor of the Bat Mitzvah;  ATV Jerusalem Hills, Sound and Light Show                                                                  Tower of David

THURSDAY  (OVERNIGHT JERUSALEM)

*Take part in DIG FOR A DAY at Beit Guvrin 9:30 am  Fabulous, better than anticipated.  https://www.funinjerusalem.com/dig-4-day/  Email: dig@funinjerusalem.com

Website: www.archesem.com

Email: dig@funinjerusalem.com

Website: www.archesem.com

Email: dig@funinjerusalem.com

Website: www.archesem.com


*PLANT A TREE in honor of the Bat Mitzvah.

2 pm


*Enjoy an ATV TOUR in the Jerusalem Hills. 3 pm

*See the SOUND & LIGHT SHOW at the Tower of David.     8:30 pm

Sound and Light

Tower of David Order online Tickets >>https://www.tod.org.il/en/the-night-spectacular/


DAY 6 FRIDAY:  Day at Leisure

FRIDAY JUNE 7 (NO GUIDING – OVERNIGHT JERUSALEM)

FREE DAY in Jerusalem.  Pool.  Shopping.  Teens like some down time!


DAY 7 SATURDAY: South to North: UNESCO World Heritage Site Masada, Ein Gedi, Dead

Sea float, Jordan Valley and Sea of Galilee


SATURDAY  (OVERNIGHT GALILEE)

*Take the cable-car to the top of MASADA, before delving into its exciting history and place in contemporary Israel mythology.

*Enjoy a short walk to the waterfalls of EIN GEDI.

* Float in the salty waters of the DEAD SEA.

*Head north via the Jordan Valley.

MASADA

DEAD SEA

Head north via the Jordan Valley.

Select a hotel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.


DAY 8 SUNDAY,  Galilee and Golan Heights: Kibbutz Shooting Range, Rope Park at Kibbutz Sasa; Mount Bental view, Ramot Ranch horseback riding at sunset over Golan Heights


SUNDAY  (OVERNIGHT GALILEE)

*Start the day with shooting at Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar.

*Head to Rope Park at Kibbutz Sasa: a superb rope-climbing  challenge in the Upper Galilee!


TOP TIP: After sweating your way around Etgar BeHar, head to the Booza ice-cream factory at the entrance to Kibbutz Sasa!

*Lookout over Syria from MOUNT BENTAL.

*Finish the day with a visit to Ramot Ranch  for horseback riding at 5:30 pm

MOUNT BENTAL

ROPE PARK at Kibbutz Sasa


For more details, call 04-6988626 or see their official website.

Finish the day with a visit to Ramot Ranch  for HORSEBACK RIDING 


DAY 9 MONDAY: North to Tel Aviv: Rosh Hanikra Grotto by cable car, UNESCO World Heritage Site: City of Acre:  Akko fortress and market and Tunisian synagogue, Caesarea 


MONDAY  (OVERNIGHT TEL AVIV)

*Start the day with a visit to the ROSH HANIKRA GROTTO.

*Tour the atmospheric old city of AKKO, including the Hospitaller Fortress, the market, and the Tunisian Synagogue.

*Visit the ancient archaeological site of CAESAREA, the remarkable port city built and initiated by Herod the Great, including the theater, hippodrome, and aqueduct.

AKKO

CAESAREA AMPITHEATRE

Tel Aviv Hotel

(2 nights)

ARRIVE IN THE EVENING AT THE HOTEL


DAY 10 TUESDAY: Tel Aviv: Bullet Factory, Yanit 2000 Water Park, Craft Market, Graffiti Tour

NAHALAT

BINYAMIN

ART &

CRAFT

MARKET

TUESDAY DAY 10 (OVERNIGHT TEL AVIV)

*Visit the incredible underground BULLET FACTORY at the Ayalon Institute.

*If time permits: Shop at the Nahalat Binyamin ART & CRAFT market.

*If can get tickets: Visit the PALMACH MUSEUM

*Graffiti Tour and Workshop


DAY 11 WEDNESDAY                                                                 

FLY TO USA

ARRIVE HOME USA

For more detail:  See post on our private guide.

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