WW23-24 Brochure updated for Yumpu

ARTS & CULTURE • ISRAEL & THE OPT
Jerusalem:
The Golden City
NEW TOUR
Duration • 7 days & 6 nights
Category • Superior
Expert-led group tour • From £3,195 (incl. flights)
Art • Architecture • Archaeology • History
Tour overview
Jerusalem is considered one of the
world’s most sacred places by three
major religions: Christianity, Judaism
and Islam. Across the city’s extensive
and tumultuous history, numerous
nationalities, kingdoms and faiths have
settled here, as reflected in the aweinspiring
architecture – much of which
remains in remarkable condition. On
this focused tour, explore Jerusalem’s
bustling network of alleys and its
striking religious and architectural
landmarks, accompanied by expert
archaeologist Dr Politis.
Signature Experiences
Private talk by an Israel Museum
curator
Exclusive access to the Ethiopian
rooftop monastery at the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre
Visit the ancient oasis town of Jericho
Explore the Western Wall tunnel
Expert lecturer
Dr Konstantine Politis
has spent 33 years leading
archaeological projects in
Jordan, including three for
the British Museum. He
has published over 100
articles and five books on
archaeology. Although Dr Politis specialises
in the early Byzantine and Islamic periods,
his expertise extends from prehistory
through to Hellenistic and Roman times in
the eastern Mediterranean.
Church of All Nations and the golden domes of the Church of Mary Magdalene, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Day 1: Fly to Jerusalem
Fly from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv
with British Airways. On arrival, transfer to
Jerusalem and stay 6 nights at the Bat Sheva
Hotel. Evening welcome dinner. (D)
Day 2: Christian Jerusalem • Bethlehem
Begin today in the Christian quarter with
an exploration of the medieval citadel and
Tower of David Museum, a historical and
archaeological landmark of global significance.
Walk along the old city ramparts for
stupendous views of Jerusalem and to see how
the locals live. Continue via Muristan to the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where exclusive
access to the rooftop Ethiopian monastery
(Deir al-Sultan) has been arranged. Walk along
the Roman-Byzantine cardo to Damascus
Gate before touring the Garden Tomb. After
lunch, take a short drive to Bethlehem for an
overview of Shepherd’s Field and a visit to the
Church of the Nativity. Conclude the day with
a visit to a winery and enjoy a selection of local
vintages. (B)
Day 3: East Jerusalem
The rising hill to the east of the city is the
Mount of Olives, where you start the day with
a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Continue
to the Russian Orthodox Church of St Mary
Magdalene and its onion-shaped gilded domes.
Visit the Church of All Nations, famous for
the striking blue, green and gold mosaics that
decorate its 12 domes. Enter the old city walls
from St Stephen’s Gate, today known as the
Lion’s Gate, followed by a walk to Herod’s Gate.
Continue to St Anne monastery, the Monastery
of the Flagellation, and Ecce Homo Arch. Enter
the Temple Mount (subject to the discretion
of local officials). Here, observe the Dome of
the Rock and the Dome of the Chain before
finally visiting the Marwani Musalla and Al-Aqsa
mosque from the outside. (B)
Day 4: Jewish Jerusalem
Start today’s tour on Mount Zion outside King
David’s Tomb – first identified in the 11th
century and later incorporated into a mosque
in the 15th century. In the room above is
the Hall of the Last Supper, or Coenaculum,
said to be the location of Christ’s last supper
with his disciples. Continue to the Jewish
quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem to see the
renovated neo-Byzantine Hurva synagogue.
Walk to the Broad Wall, assumed to be part
of the fortifications that were built by King
Hezekiah in the eighth century BC. It sits
beneath the level of the street and measures
7 metres thick and 65 metres long. Proceed
to the Wohl Archaeological Museum in the
Herodian quarter, via Batei Makhase Square.
This museum is famous for its explicit
evocation of how life was 2,000 years ago.
Visit the Burnt House, named after the time
when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in
the first century. Continue to see the original
12th-century crusader walls of St Mary of the
Germans, followed by a visit to the colossal
Western Wall, Judaism’s most holy site, built by
Herod the Great. From here you will explore
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