CROSSROADS OF CULTURES:
ISRAEL AND TÜRKIYE

We begin our journey at check in at NAIA for our flight to Tel Aviv, Israel.

• Arrive in Tel Aviv at Ben Gurion airport in the morning; meet our Israeli guide
• Lunch stop
• Caesarea Maritima built by King Herod the Great; explore the theater, the hippodrome and the ruins of Herod the Great’s Palace as well as the ancient aqueduct
• Megiddo, the narrow pass on the most important trade route of the ancient Fertile Crescent linking Egypt with Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. It is known today as Via Maris.
• Arrive in the Lower Galilee, along the Sea and check into our Kibbutz hotel for dinner and overnight

• Safed, one of Israel’s holiest cities, and highest city in the Holy Land. It is set in the dense pine forests of the Upper Galilee, overlooking Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.
• Overnight in Kibbutz hotel

• Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Explore the ruins of a community known as the Essenes.
• Leisure time and floating at the Dead Sea
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Mount of Olives with a panoramic view of the old and new city of Jerusalem.
• Jewish Cemetery
• Temple Mount Sifting Project; sift through artifacts from excavations done in the Temple Mount
• Enter the Jewish Quarter and walk through the Cardo, the Hurva Synagogue, and the Western Wall.
• Continue to Hebron and visit the Cave of the Patriarchs, including the Al- Jawali Mosque, the Uthman ibn Affan Mosque and the Ibrahim Hospice.
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Early queuing at Temple Mount, the elevated plaza above the Western Wall in Jerusalem that was the site of both of Judaism’s ancient temples. The site is also the third holiest in Islam (after Mecca and Medina) and has been a focal point of inter-religious tension for decades.
• Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, explores the history of the Holocaust the matically and chronologically. Also worth a visit is the Children’s Memorial.
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Check out early for flight to Istanbul
• Lunch en route
• Bosphorus Strait cruise where we will marvel at scenic views of both the European and the Asian sides of Istanbul. On the European side: historical monuments and buildings such as; Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortakoy Mosque, and Rumeli Fortress. On the Asian side: Kucuksu Palace, a hunting lodge by the Ottoman Empire.
• Spice Bazaar, one of the oldest covered bazaars in Istanbul. Shop for spices, dried fruits, cheeses, sausages, jams, nuts and seeds, Turkish Delight, and other souvenirs.
• Dinner at a typical Turkish restaurant.
• Overnight in Istanbul

• Flight from Istanbul to Izmir
• Travel to Ephesus, one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the eastern Mediterranean. There we will get a glimpse of the city’s original splendor. The names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life.
• Leather factory visit
• Overnight in Kusadasi

• Driving from Kusadasi-Pamukkale (3 hours)
• Pamukkale; Visit the ancient city of Hierapolis, the famous white travertine thermal pools, and Cleopatra’s Pool, also known as the Antique Pool
• Overnight in Pamukkale

• Drive from Pamukkale to Konya (5 hours)
• Mevlana Lodge Museum
• Watch the Whirling Dervishes, a Sufi prayer ritual expressed through dance
• Overnight in Konya

Konya — Catalhoyuk — Sultanhani Caravansarai — Cappadocia
• Çatalhöyük, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Since the 1960s, excavations have uncovered a densely packed Neolithic (New Stone Age) settlement which dates back 9,000 years.
• Sultanhani Caravansarai, a historical caravansarai dating back to 1229.
• Cappadoccia; visit to Kaymakli Underground City
• Photo stops: Hunting Valley; Pigeon Valley, which is named after pigeon nests carved into rocks; Devrent Valley, which is famous for its Camel Rock; and Uchisar Castle, which is the biggest fairy chimney seen from all over Cappadocia.
• Jewelry Shop visit
• Overnight in Cappadoccia

• Optional: Early morning Hot Air Balloon Tour
• Goreme Open Air Museum
• Carpet Workshop and Pottery Workshop
• Flight from Kayseri to Istanbul
• Overnight in Istanbul

• Visit to the Old City (Sultanahmet): Topkapi Palace, the Ottoman Palace, Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet) Mosque, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar
• Dinner and head to airport for flight back to Manila

• Flight Back to Manila via Turkish Airlines at 2:15 am
• Arrival in Manila

****Planned activities may be affected by the pace of the group, weather, and certain unforeseen events resulting in some visit to sites to be delayed. If need be, sites and activities may be replaced or switched to another day as appropriate without compromising the pilgrimage experience.