There are many things to consider when planning your christian holy land tour with Immanuel Tours. Where will you stay when you get there? What time of year should you go? What should you eat when you are there? The most important question to answer though is you Israel tour itinerary and having a unique Israel christian tour.
You may think that you can see everything there is to see easily in one trip, but the truth is, you could go many times and still not include everything there is to see in your itinerary because there is just so much to see and do and more things are added all the time to help create your unique Israel christian tour!
There are of course the standard stops that are included on basically every itinerary we compose for our tour groups. These include places like Mt. Scopus, the Sea of Galilee, and the Western Wall. No one would consider an itinerary without including this items and rightfully so! Could you imagine saying you’ve been to Israel but didn’t go to the Western Wall? No one would believe you went at all!
There are other places you should consider adding to your itinerary though as well that are a bit off the top visited sites but will add depth and excitement to your unique Israel christian tour that others may not experience.
Western Wall Tunnels
The Western Wall Tunnels are fantastic to visit and get an authentic site of Jerusalem as it would have been near the Temple during Jesus’ time. Recently, a new section has been opened for tourists to visit, a second Temple era city hall building that was built around 20 AD. This building would have only been 50 years old when the revolt happened which led to the destruction of the Temple. There’s always something new to visit in Israel and planning your Holy Land tour now is a great time to do so!
“This is, without doubt, one of the most magnificent public buildings from the Second Temple period that has ever been uncovered outside the Temple Mount walls in Jerusalem,” said excavation director Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolach. “Visitors to the site can now envisage the opulence of the place: the two side chambers served as ornate reception rooms and between them was a magnificent fountain with water gushing out from lead pipes incorporated in the midst of the Corinthian capitals protruding from the wall.”
David Waterfall
In Ein Gedi, the nature preserve Oasis in the middle of the desert where King David hid from Saul and where David wrote many of the Psalms, you can visit a wonderful waterfall which is the tallest in the Judean desert. It falls an impressive 120 feet or eight and a half stories. It is believed this is where David would have taken refuge and drank water. You are not allowed to enter the pool the waterfall falls to. It is about a 30 minute hike in to see the waterfall from the parking lot, so wear your comfortable shoes.
Wine Tasting
Wine is spoken of often in the Bible and Israel continues to be a wine region. Different wines are produced depending on the area. You can get wine from southern Israel, Nazareth, near Tel Aviv and one of the areas that our travelers often like to go wine tasting, the Golan Heights. Talk to your tour operator about adding wine tasting to your tour! While the wine is very good, we can’t promise you it will be the same that Jesus created from water.
Olive Oil Tasting
Not only is wine tasting a great and fun addition to your unique Israel christian tour, also consider adding another type of tasting, which is olive oil tasting. Olive oil has played a major role in the history of Israel for thousands of years. It has importance both on agriculture in the area, the economy, and the Jewish faith. Throughout Israel you will see ancient olive presses that testify to its importance.
Many groups enjoy tasting different olive oils in the Golan Heights, the Galilee and the area around Shiloh.
Kibbutz Tour
Kibbutz’s were integral to the re-establishment of the Jewish state. Ben Gurion himself supported the system and lived on a kibbutz. They were set up to be communal living systems, primarily based in agriculture. Not only would it make it easier for Jews to make Aliyah back to Israel having a support system in place, to also helped to keep them safe.
Today, kibbutz’s still exist in Israel though it is not the primary way of living in Israel as it once was. Now kibbutz’s not only still raise crops but also have other pursuits, such as manufactures of products like Cesarstone, an internationally known quartz countertop manufacturer and hotels such as Nof Ginosar where the Jesus Boat is showcased along the shores of the Galilee and Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea.
Want to find out more about kibbutz life? Ein Gev kibbutz offers guided tours of the grounds, showing you the crops, herds and giving you the history of the country. Tell one of our dedicated tour operators you’d like to visit on your unique Israel christian tour!
There is always more to see in Israel! Book your unique Israel christian tour today!
