Optional Tours in Israel

Below you will find a description of tours focusing on the Negev and southern Israel.

In the summer it is also recommended to visit northern Israel with its charming retreats, rivers in the Golan and villages in the Galilee, and to gain a different perspective of the cultural and environmental features of northern Israel.

Although the tours described below are mostly in the south, we will be glad to assist you in planning trips to the north, and will be more than happy to serve as your guides. After all, Israel is a small country…

We specialize in planning and leading tours for visitors interested in experiencing a “different Israel”. We will of course be very glad to provide any assistance you may require, offer advice and plan tours to meet your specific needs.

1. Trade, strategy and ancient routes in the Negev

We will tour the Bedouin marketplace, the last remnant of the desert market in the Land of Israel, visit Bedouin tribes, learn about desert trade and travel along the ancient perfume routes that crossed the Negev as far back as 2000 years ago.

We will learn about the Ottoman ‘King’s Highway’, travel along the Hijazi railroad track and along the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, tour the routes that were first mapped by British espionage missions in the Negev and travel the patrol routes used by the IDF with the establishment of the State of Israel.

We will tell the story of the different routes and understand their origins, destinations and the events that took place along them.

2. The archeology of the Israeli desert – from the Sun cult to the holy wafer

This tour will focus on the past – going back 6000 years in time and proceeding forward up to the beginning of this century.

Many periods are represented in the Israeli desert. We will survey them, visit mystical cult sites that worshipped the sun and the moon, the summer and the winter and continue to the Israeli Mount Sinai to see the unique rock drawings.

We will ask “Where is Mount Sinai?”, learn about the border fortresses and how the border was defended thousands of years ago, examine the significance of a border, “conquer” by foot the Nabatean military camps, visit the first Negev cities as well as the Roman cities that developed in the Negev and learn about life in a desert town during the period of Jesus. Churches in the desert – these was such a thing – what were they made of? We will learn about ancient architecture, visit churches, waterholes and different sites discovered by P.E.F British research delegations, walk the routes traveled by Lawrence and Captain Newcombe and climb Massada that was recently recognized as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

3. T he beginnings of monotheism – wandering from the Faran desert to the Yehuda desert

Embarking from the Egyptian border we will follow the Faran River that crosses the Faran desert, first by jeep and then by foot. We will become acquainted with the story of the Exodus from Egypt, the beginnings of the People of Israel and the belief in one God. We will climb and descend the ravines of the Faran desert rivers and continue to the Arava where we will rest and prepare ourselves for the next leg of the trip to the central Negev where we will learn about the archeology of the different routes and about signs of human life from the past. We will end this part of the trip with a visit to the church at Ovdat to learn about Christianity in the Negev plateau.

After another rest period we will tour the Yehuda desert – the springs, canyons and spectacular observation points. We will experience the nomadic desert today, from the Dead Sea to the top of the cliffs, and from there to the desert plateau, Massada and the Yehuda monasteries. We will learn about the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, pass near the frontier of the “settled country” and meet with the desert frontier inhabitants, learn about the differences between Fellahin (peasants) and nomads, and end our journey in Jerusalem.

4. Challenge and extreme in the desert: rapelling, bicycles, ravines, canyons, and walking trips in the Negev – culminating with diving in Eilat (not only for athletes!)

The rivers - Tamar, Tsafit, Gov, Hatira, Tsin, Barak, Vardit, Tze’elim, Dragot and Ashalim – are all equipped with ropes or ladders and all pose a challenge. We will have an opportunity to learn about ourselves and to help each other. We will continue on to the next activity – bicycling in the desert, on both narrow and wide paths – stop to see the spectacular view from different observation points, ride on ancient and new roads – and end the trip with diving in Eilat.

5. From sea to sea – water in the desert

We will begin our trip at the Red Sea, visit the Eilat Mountains Nature Reserve, continue along the Arava and the settlements of the southern Arava. We will learn about the agriculture of the region, learn how to find water in the desert (“Moses brought forth water from the rock”) and technology in the desert (“Bring forth bread from the earth”). We will travel through the southern Arava, visit agricultural settlements in the region, flow with the rivers to the Dead Sea, visit the springs of the Yehuda desert and end the trip on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv.

6. Geology in the desert

Craters of the Negev, the Syrian-African fault, faults and folds, volcanism, volcano rocks, metamorphic rocks - The Negev is a heaven for geology fans. The trip will acquaint us with the geological processes that shaped the Negev and with unique natural phenomena found only in the Land of Israel.

7. Flora and fauna in the desert – there is such a thing!!

Israel is a very important junction for both plants and animals. It is the place where continents meet and the Mediterranean Sea meets a huge expanse of land starting thousands of kilometers to the east – turning Israel into a tremendously varied plant and animal center with a little bit of everything: Alpine and African plants and animals alongside desert animals and plants with rare survival capabilities. This tour will focus on plants and animals in the desert – how they survive, their food and water sources.

We will visit the Hai Bar Animal Reserve and the Antelope farm, meet with park rangers of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, visit the Desert Animals museum, watch the migration of birds and learn about the unique desert flora and fauna in Israel.

8. Galilee and Golan – water and cuisine in northern Israel

Northern Israel is characterized by a unique combination of Jews, Druzes, Moslems and Christians. The Galilee and the Golan were shaped by the diversity of peoples and religions as evident throughout the tour of northern Israel, an area characterized by a variety of architectural styles, specialty foods and a mixture of languages – a quilt of human and natural landscapes.

In our trips to the north we combine easy walking tours, bicycle trips in diverse landscapes, water routes including rafting in the Jordan river, and ancient synagogues more than 1,500 years old.

In between these adventures we enjoy an abundant and varied culinary experience: a host of restaurants representing the cuisines of cultures throughout the Middle East – Syrian food served by the Druzes alongside Lebanese dishes brought to Israel by the Christians from Lebanon, traditional Jewish Galilean food, goat cheese produced in Jewish goat farms in the Galilee and much more.

We will sleep in charming tzimmers and visit kibbutzim, agricultural settlements and villages.

Comments

• Tours are several days long depending on the visitors’ plans and timetable.
• Tours can be shortened to include only some of the activities, and even reduced to one-day trips.
• Topics and routes can be customized to meet the interests of the visitors, including tours combining northern and southern Israel.All tours combine outdoor sleeping with accommodations in high-class tzimmers. Outdoor sleeping however is not mandatory.
• Walking tours are adapted to summer weather conditions, such that walks take place in the early morning hours and in the evening.We supply all outdoor sleeping equipment. However, we do recommend that each person bring his own sleeping bag.Required equipment for every tour: high walking shoes, comfortable clothes for walking tours, warm clothes for nighttime, light clothes for daytime. A comfortable backpack for walking.
• All tours will be led by professional guides specializing in the Israeli desert.
• All tours can include jeep trips.
• Full board will be supplied on all tours.
• Pickup is coordinated with the visitors for all tours, with the option of airport pickup.

We look forward to seeing you on our special tours.