A brief overview of the tour
We travel up the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea to see the excavated ruins of King Herod's 2000 year old city. In Acre we visit the Crusader buildings including secret tunnels and the Hall of the Crusader Knights. We walk along the Old City's cobble stone lanes through the exotic market. In Haifa we see the Baha'i terraced gardens. At the extreme north of the country we walk though the white grottoes of Rosh HaNikra.
Important and useful notes
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The private tour price is determined by distance, vehicle size, language and duration of the tour.
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The base price includes 10 hours a day , Each additional hour- $40
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Entrance fees, meals, parking fees, toll roads and tips are NOT included.
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Accommodation is not included in the price.
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Guide's overnight is not included in the price.
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On Saturdays and Jewish holidays a supplement of $125 per day will apply.
A detailed description of the tour
Our tour along the Mediterranean coastline will include a number of diverse stops the first of which is Caesarea, the port city built by King Herod in the first century BCE, expanded during the Byzantine period, destroyed during the Arab conquest and rebuilt by the Crusaders.
Sitting in the restored Roman theatre one can visualize the Roman actors on stage. Standing in the nearby arena it is not difficult to imagine the audience cheering as the gladiators wrestled with wild animals. The submerged port, from which Paul sailed to Rome, the excavated buildings and bathhouses reveal the affluence of Caesarea which served as the Roman administrative center.
By comparison Crusader Caesarea, surrounded by its well-preserved walls, gateway and moat is quite small, unlike Acco (Acre), from which the last of the Crusaders were forced to depart in the thirteenth century.
In Acco the vast Crusader complex has been exposed in all its glory after being buried by centuries of sand. The courtyard and stairway to the lost second storey, the massive columns supporting the arched roof covering immense knights’ halls, the public toilets and the secret tunnels are all astonishing.
The visit to Acco ends with a stroll through the Arab market.
Also on the Mediterranean coast, we stop briefly in Haifa and from Mount Carmel we enjoy the view of the bay and look down on the golden domed Baha’i shrine and terraced gardens.
Rosh HaNikra is the northernmost stop on the Mediterranean coast, on the border with Lebanon. Here we will see the UN controlled crossing point between Israel and Lebanon. Here too we will descend by cable car to explore the breathtaking grottoes.
