Diamond Safari – South Africa and Israel

Cape Town | Greater Kruger Park  | Haifa | Jerusalem

Tour Length: 16 days

Land from $7,595  per person

Diamond Safari Cape Town,  Kruger Park, Haifa & Jerusalem: An adventure to the tip of South Africa followed by a thrilling safari in Kruger Park, visiting two different luxury lodges.   Then it is on to Israel to marvel at its ancient sites and thriving metropolises.

Day 1-3 Cape Town (3 nights) Arrive on a Saturday
Two glorious days exploring the city and environs. Ascend by cable car up Table Mountain and tour the Cape Peninsula. A special treat is a Home Host dinner with a Capetonian family!

Day 4-5  North Kruger Park Private Reserve (2 nights)
Wing to Kruger Park with daily game drives that allow for close-up encounters with wildlife.

Day 6-7  South Kruger Park Private Reserve (2 nights)
A new part of Kruger and a new lodge to double your game viewing opportunities. Open safari vehicles plunge into the bush in pursuit of the Big 5. Don’t miss the midday walking safari!

Day 8 Kruger/Johannesburg/Tel Aviv
Wing back to Johannesburg and join your guide for a tour of Pretoria and the Premier Diamond Mine.   Transfer to the airport for your late departure.  Overnight flight Saturday to ISRAEL.

Day 9  Arrive Tel Aviv / Haifa (2 nights)
Welcome to Israel!  Upon arrival Tel Aviv you are transferred to your hotel in the seaport city of Haifa.   Enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Day 10 Haifa 
View the golden-domed Baha’i Shrine and their breathtaking “hanging gardens,” – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drive along the coast to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car to see the magnificent underwater grottoes. Continue through the picturesque seaside town of Nahariya to the timeless Crusader city of Acre; walk through the subterranean city and bazaars that recall the colorful middle Ages. Then, to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities.  Return to your hotel for Dinner.

Day 11  Haifa / Jerusalem (5 nights)
We’ll depart Haifa driving first to Capernaum to see the fantastic ruins of the ancient synagogue dating back to the 5^th-century.  Ascend the strategic Golan Heights and learn about the 20^th century battles that protected Israel’s future. On to Katzrin, capital of the Golan and to the Monument of the 7^th Brigade.  We will enjoy a tour of the wine making process as well as sample some of the Golan’s tastiest wines. Continue for a visit to a former Syrian army bunker at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv, settled by Americans and Israelis together; view of the fertile valleys below as you tour the kibbutz and enjoy a late lunch in the communal dining room.  Then drive south and rise through the mountains to “golden” Jerusalem, stopping first for a blessing and a toast to our arrival in the eternal city.  Overnight in Israel’s capital.

Day 12 Jerusalem
Drive to Hadassah Medical Center to the see the sublime Chagall Windows. On to Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust, with its Children’s Pavilion and Avenue of the Righteous. Then, to Mount Herzl to pay respects to Israel’s founders and heroes. Pass the post-modern Supreme Court and the Knesset (Parliament) en route to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Time to walk through the New Israel Museum and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden; see the Scale Model of ancient Jerusalem. Evening: Night Tour of illuminated Jerusalem followed by a Restaurant Dinner and the “Night Spectacular” Sound & Light Show at the Citadel Museum (weather and schedule permitting).

Day 13 Jerusalem

Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the traditional Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City to the restored Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo, the colonnaded main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Walk to the Western Wall, last remnant of the Second Temple.  View the Dome of the Rock. Proceed through the extraordinary Hasmonean Tunnel (tunnel schedule permitting). Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; stroll through the exotic bazaars with their wondrous aromas. End today with a visit to the fabulous Friends of Zion Heritage Center celebrating the Christian heroes who have contributed to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

Day 14 Jerusalem

Descend through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea, lowest point on Planet Earth. Ascend Masada by cable car and see this last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod the Great’s palace, synagogue and bathhouse. Then, opportunity to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. Drive via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, on your return to Jerusalem.   Tonight, a unique and memorable evening as we join an Israeli family at their home to enjoy the traditional Friday dinner together.

Day 15 Jerusalem

Enjoy a full day at leisure for relaxation and on your own exploration.

Day 16   Jerusalem / Tel Aviv / Departure
Departure transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to return USA.