Agriculture

Day 1 - Departure

Depart to Israel. Possible stops on the way.

Transatlantic flights usually arrive the next day.

Day 2 - Arrival in Israel - Intro to agriculture in Israel

Arrival in Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv.

You will be met and assisted by a Lipkin Tours representative responsible for your tour of Israel. We will start our tour at Israel's main agriculture and farming reserarch institute in Beit Dagan; "The Volcani Institute". We will visit the visitors center, hear an introduction to agriculture in Israel and meet with young scientists researching at the institute. We will then continue to our Galilee Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Dinner and overnight at Galilee hotel

Day 3 - Upper Galilee - Cultivation of vegetebles and fruit. Fishery

After breakfast, we will drive to the Matityahu Research Farm. After an introduction about the activities of the farm and a talk with Dr. Ofer Danay about mushroom farming, we will tour the reserach fields and learn about innovations in cultivation of rainfed fruit trees and pest control.

Next we visit the Netafim Irrigation Factory at Kibbutz Yiftach and learn about new methods of irrigation and fertilization of crops. We continue to Kibbutz Tel Dan and learn about their experience in fish farming (Trout). Before returning to the hotel, we will meet with the Ministry of agriculture's  regional director.

Dinner and overnight at Galilee hotel

 Day 4 - Golan Heights's Kibbutzim

We start our day at Kibbutz Shaar Hagolan. After a short movie we will tour the Kibbutz agricultural and farming industry including: tropical fruit trees, dairy products and field crops.

We continue to the Golan Heights stopping at Mt. Bental, a lookout point from where one can see the "Road to Damascus".
Our next stop is Kibbutz Merom Golan. Here we will meet with the local farmers working with cattle for beef.

Our last stop for today is the Hamat Gader Hot springs. After a short tour of the ancient Roman baths and allegator farm, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the modern hot springs and spa.

Dinner and overnight at Galilee hotel

 Day 5 - Sea of Galilee

We will begin this day with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to visit the ruins of Capernaum which was a flourishing border town over 2000 years ago. We will then head to the Jordan Valley and visit Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu and Eden Farm where will hear innovations in bio pest control and field crops.

We continue to Jerusalem while passing by the city of Jericho and the northern tip of the Dead Sea.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 6 - Dead Sea

We start our day with a visit to the cave of Kumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and will then head south to Masada. Ascent by cable car for an extensive tour of the site which was the scene of the Jewish resistance against the Romans in the year 73 AD. After this we continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on the face of the Earth. You will have plenty of time at the shores of the Dead Sea and have an opportunity for a bath in mineral rich waters (Dead Sea Spa). 

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 7 - Free day

Shabbat Shalom: Free day to rest on Shabbat or explore Jerusalem at your own leisure. A chance to rest and pray, connect with individuals or visit sites of personal interest. No bus or guide provided.

After nightfall your tour bus will take you to the Western Wall Tunnels for a special Jerusalem night experience.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 8 - Viticulture (vines and wine) and Olive Oil

In the past 10 years, the Israeli wine industry, in particular Boutique wine, has developed at a rapid rate.

We will start the day with a visit to the Psagot Boutique Winery in the hills of Samaria. We will enjoy a wine tasting session of award winning brands.

We will continue to Ancient Shiloh where we will visit the renowned archeological site and hear about the 3,000 year old wine festivities that took place there. We will then visit the Meshek Achiya olive oil press and learn about their processes.

We will continue on our wine trail to Har Bracha Winery on the top of Mt. Gerizim, the mountain of Blessing, for more wine tasting -this time at a higher altitude!

We will finish the day at the observation point of Mt. Gerizim looking over the mountains of Samaria and the city of Schechem.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 9 - Judea

After Breakfast, we drive to Mesilat Tzion village in the hills of Jerusalem.

Here we will visit local farmers and hear their experiences and the challenges they are now facing; finances, distribution, legacy.

We will continue with a visit the local poultry farm.

We continue to the Hishtil factory, one of the biggest Israeli manufacturers of young plants for industrial and private farming.

We end this day with a visit to the ancient port city of Jaffa near Tel Aviv.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 10 - Jerusalem's Old City
After breakfast we start our tour of Jerusalem with a drive to the top of the Mt. of Olives. From the top of the Mount there is a magnificent view over all of ancient and modern Jerusalem, the center of the biblical world. We will visit the Garden of Gethsamane and the Church of All Nations. Next we visit the City of David archeological museum and the last standing remnant of the ancient Jewish Temple at the Western (Wailing) Wall. We will visit some of the exciting archeological sites in and around the Old City.

We end this memorable day of our tour of Israel with a visit to the Garden Tomb.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 11- Modern Jerusalem

After breakfast we visit the Yad Vashem Museum, a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Afterwards we will go to the Israel Museum where the Dead Sea scrolls are displayed. We will pass by the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Free time for some last minute shopping in the markets of Jerusalem.

A festive dinner will be held in Jerusalem with a representative of the ministry of Agriculture Mr. Itzik Ben David, Vice CEO of international trade.

Dinner and overnight at Jerusalem hotel

 Day 11- Return home

After breakfast we leave Jerusalem and check in at Ben Gurion Airport for our homebound flight.