Christmas 2019 In The Holy Land

Shalom and welcome to Israel!

Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport, you will be greeted by an OUTstanding Travel Representative. From the airport, enjoy the comfort of a private transfer to your hotel in Jerusalem. After checking in to your hotel, you’ll join your other group members and your tour guide for the next 10 days for a superb evening cocktail reception as we welcome you to The Holy Land.

At night, feel free to go on an adventure! We suggest exploring the wonderful Jaffa Street and Machane Yehuda Market, or going for a stroll around the Old City. 

Overnight in Jerusalem

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Afterward, we’ll head to Mount Zion to see King David's Tomb, Dormition Abbey, and the Room of the Last Supper (yes that Last Supper) before entering the walled Old City of Jerusalem.

Nothing truly compares to the magic you feel when entering the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time. Pilgrims have been flocking to this small walled city for thousands of years to take in the magic. You’ll not only get to experience the magic of Jerusalem, but you’ll be lucky enough to experience it on Christmas Eve, surely one of the most tangibly electric days of the year in the Old City.

Via the city’s narrow biblical alleyways we will arrive at the Western Wall - Judaism’s holiest site. After this we’ll walk the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus took on his way to be crucified, ending in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jesus’ last stop and place of Crucifixion. 

That evening, you’ll enjoy a festive Christmas Eve dinner at one of the most unique and historic hotels in Jerusalem. The halls will be decked, and yes, the yuletiude will be gay.

Overnight in Jerusalem (Mistletoe not included)

Merry Christmas! After breakfast, we’ll be taking a tour of Jerusalem’s new city including a drive past the Knesset (Israel’s parliament building), the Supreme Court of Israel, and Mount Herzl. This will be followed by a visit to the Israel Museum, ranked among the world’s top artistic and archeological collections. Take a look at the world’s largest scale model of Jerusalem as it was 2,000 years ago, the same Jerusalem that Jesus would have experienced, or get an up-close look at the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest known manuscript containing excerpts of the modern Bible.

In the afternoon we’ll follow the star to Bethlehem where we’ll be visiting the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The church is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus. The structure is actually a combination of two churches, with a crypt beneath—the Grotto of the Nativity—where Jesus was born. We’ll conclude our Christmas trip to Bethlehem with a break for shopping so you can pick up some truly one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts to bring home (or keep for yourself). We’ll conclude our Christmas Day back in Jerusalem where we’ll enjoy the famous Night Spectacular Show at the Tower of David Museum in the Old City, which displays the history of the city of Jerusalem along with the ancient stones (subject to weather).

Whether you’re in the mood for a silent night or a holly jolly Christmas, we can guarantee that spending Christmas in Jerusalem’s Old City is an experience like no other.

Overnight in Jerusalem 

After having breakfast at the hotel, descend south to the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea region, and visit the famous mountain fortress of Masada.

We’ll ascend by cable-car to the mountaintop where the ancient fortress sits. Rising out of the desert and overlooking the biblical Moab Mountains, Masada was built in year 30 BCE by King Herod and remains one of the greatest symbols of Jewish hope and pride.

Continue to the lowest point on earth for some swimming & floating at Mother Nature's largest spa - The Dead Sea!

Spend the afternoon enjoying the buoyant, therapeutic waters and world famous rejuvenating mud of this mineral-rich sea, before having an open lunch at one of the area's hotels. 

In the late afternoon return to Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem

In the morning visit Yad Vashem, the world’s premier Holocaust museum, memorial, and education center, located on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem.

Then explore the remote, garden-rich southwestern Jerusalem village of Ein Kerem. An eclectic mix of religious history and lush greenery, Ein Kerem is a great place to be if you’re looking for something serene and unique.

Continue to Tel Aviv – a world hub of gay vibrancy and pride! 

Titled the “Mediterranean Capital of Cool” by the New York Times, and known the globe over as one of the planet’s most LGBTQ friendly cities, Tel Aviv is a 24/7 city with a unique pulse, combining soft-sand Mediterranean beaches with world-class nightlife, a buzzing cultural scene, incredible food, UNESCO recognized architecture and an international and cosmopolitan outlook.

Following dinner, a memorable night full of fun and music awaits as you go clubbing and experience Tel Aviv’s colorful gay nightlife up close and personal (entrance fee included). 

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Kick off your morning with an OUTstanding Travel representative. Feel free to enquire about our superb Gay community and experience Rothschild Boulevard, one of Tel Aviv’s most central and iconic streets. Located in the heart of the White City of Tel Aviv, the Magnolia-lined, pedestrian-friendly Rothschild Boulevard is located in Tel Aviv’s commercial center, with major financial institutions lining the street.

Visit the picturesque Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built-in 1887, before making your way to the Old City of Jaffa, one of the oldest port cities in the world, where you can bask in the ancient ruins and walk through the Artist's Quarter.

As Tel Avivians, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the nightlife and exquisite culture with our unique Gay perspective. This is an amazing opportunity to get to know the city for yourself! 

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Spend a day enjoying all that Tel Aviv has to offer in leisure and relaxation. Following breakfast, take a stroll to Tel Aviv’s port area and stop by one of its trendy restaurants or coffee shops to relax and have lunch and peruse the many stores in the area. 

Also worth visiting is the newly renovated Sarona Market, a complex of unique restaurants, food stands, and shops, located in the old German Colony of Tel Aviv.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

After breakfast, depart from Tel Aviv via the coastal highway and through Israel’s Lower Galilee region to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood. Visit the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. Continue, via Kfar Kana, to Tiberias, the resort town and main city on the Sea of Galilee. Drive along the Kineret (the Sea of Galilee) to visit Capernaum and view the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught. Continue down the Gospel Trail to Tabgha, the site of the Miracle of Fish and Loaves located at the foot of the Golan Heights. Proceed to Yardenit, the famous Baptismal Site where the Jordan River flows out of the Sea Of Galilee towards the Dead Sea. Return to Tel Aviv.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Our final full day in the Holy Land, you’ll have all of New Year’s Eve to yourself to explore Tel Aviv at your own leisure.

Following breakfast, take a stroll to Tel Aviv’s port area, with an array of trendy restaurants and coffee shops to relax in and stores to peruse, or visit the wonderful Tel Aviv Art Museum, one of Tel Aviv’s cultural centers. 

In the evening, we’ll rejoin together as a group to bid farewell to Israel and enjoy a festive dinner to celebrate the amazing nine days we shared before heading off to a New Year’s Eve Party in one of Tel Aviv’s famous Gay clubs.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Following breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for your flight back home with everlasting memories of Christmas in Israel.

Goodbye and Shalom :)