Itinerary - Puzzle Israel

 Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Family Tour
Set Departure 2015
Traveling in a group of 4-25 pp
Celebrating at the Davidson Center in the
Old City Day 1 Welcome To Israel ● Land at Ben Gurion International Airport ● Pick up from the airport by a Puzzle Representative and drive to Tel Aviv ● Welcome dinner at a recommended restaurant in Neve Tzedek (possibly) with Meirav Barzilay. Meirav is one of Israel first CSA entrepreneurs. She is the owner of the new Tel Aviv​
Meshek Barzilay​
from field­to­plate restaurant located in the trendy Neve Tzedek neighborhood (included) ● Accommodations at the ​
Melody​
, ​
Carlton​
, or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 2 Tel Aviv ­ a Day to Settle Down (this day is unguided but we could provide a guide if you want)
● After a good night’s sleep have your breakfast at the hotel ● Meet with the Puzzle Israel Team and Tour Guide ● Find your way around TLV : ● Choose one of the following : 1. Visit the ​
Rabin Museum 2. Visit the ​
Palmach Museum 3. Visit ​
Independence Hall ● Tour Nachalat Binyamin artist's market (depending on day of week) ● Lunch in Kerem HaTeimanim ­ the Old Yemenite Quarter ● Visit the Carmel Market and Neve Tzedek neighborhood (Tel Aviv’s first Jewish neighborhood) ● Tour of Old Jaffa and the new ​
visitor center ● Optional dinner at ​
Nalaga’at Black Out restaurant​
(Blind, Deaf and Mute Center not included ­ $50 per person) ­ highly recommended (other dinner options are available) ● Accommodations at the ​
Melody​
, ​
Carlton​
, or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 3 The First Settlements of the State of Israel (guided + van/bus) ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Drive to Beit Yehoshua located in Jezreel Valley and start your journey into the wild!! ● ATV/Ranger trip through Jezreel Valley and visit a local Kibbutz, family activity through the Kibbutz ● A Tabun oven lunch at the biggest herb farm in Israel (included) ● Optional​
: Sunset Hot Air balloon flight viable only if weather permits (an added cost of $250 PP​
) ● Visit Kibbutz Harduf and feed the cows and chickens, pick your own organic veggies and cook an Israeli family meal together with the Puzzle Chefs (this will be dinner for the day ­ included) ● Accommodation at ​
Vered Hagalil Ranch​
, Villas in Rosh Pina,​
Ramot Resort​
, or similar Day 4 The Northern Borders and the Life in the Periphery ­ Meet the Local Farmers and Help Them with Their Day to Day Work (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Horseback ride out to the green terrain of the Golan Heights (optional ­ from 10 year olds and older) ● Art activities on a local farm ­ make leather bracelets, work with an olive press and help fill the olive oil in bottles, and learn how to make a Mezuzah from local stone ● Lunch by Margolis Catering​
​
(included) ● Drive north to the Golan Heights, see and learn about the difficult issues of the northern borders ● Visit one of the Golan Heights most known wineries; use your senses to help choose next years’ grapes ● Dinner at a local restaurant (not included ­$30­ $40 PP) ● Evening discussion about the life in the periphery and entrepreneurship in the Jewish world and Israel (optional) ● Accommodation at ​
Vered Hagalil Ranch​
, Villas in Rosh Pina,​
Ramot Resort​
, or Rimonim​
in Tzfat Day 5 Lower Galilee and the Mixed Cultures Living Side by Side (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast at the Accommodations ● Drive up to Tzfat and tour the old city and the local art galleries ● Optional​
: Hike around Mt. Meron for the active family (instead of Tzfat) ● Continue down to the lower Galilee and enjoy lunch at a Local Hummus restaurant like the Israelis do every weekend (included) ● Optional​
: Cook lunch with a local Bedouin family ● Visit Misgav municipality ­ A community of 32 diverse villages living side by side with Druze, Bedouin and Muslim Arabs ● Stop for an amazing viewpoint, coffee and a local story at a community garden built in memory of the soldiers who fought and died for the land of Israel. ● Optional​
: Group activity ­ “Profiling your Dreams” (a 2 hour special program) ● Drive to Jerusalem and settle down at the hotel ● Accommodation at the​
​
Arthur Hotel​
or ​
Harmony Hotel​
, ​
Dan Boutique​
or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 6 Optional: THE Bar /Bat Mitzvah Celebration Day Uncovering Ancient Layers of History in the City of David (guided+van/bus) ** Puzzle will provide a professional photographer for the whole day (not included­ extra $500) ● Breakfast at the hotel ● For our Mitzvah families​
: meet our Rabbi at the Davidson Center​
and celebrate this special day together (friends and family are welcome to join the whole day) ● Tour the Western Wall Tunnels ● Celebration luncheon together at a local restaurant and free time to explore the muslim market ● The Old City from our kids’ point of view: The kids lead the way ­a very cool program for the kids to navigate the group around and into the Old City ­ through its winding streets and it’s fascinating bazaar; see how the ancient and modern are woven together, see for yourself the lives and histories of both Israelis and Arabs closely intertwined. ● Dinner at the ​
Eucalyptus​
­ restaurant which serves Biblical food and a special atmosphere​
​
(included) ● Open panel about the mixed cultures ­ we will invite an Arab and a Jewish speaker to share their personal life stories (optional) ● Accommodation at the​
​
Arthur Hotel​
or ​
Harmony Hotel​
, ​
Dan Boutique​
or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 7 The Renewal of Jerusalem (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast at the Hotel ● Visit ​
Yad VaShem​
: Full tour in the new wing of the museum (ADULTS + CHILDREN) ­ special kids program ** Children up to 10 will go to visit the biblical zoo ● Crazy family game in Machne Yehuda Shuk ­ Tasting and ●
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sharing everything we can‫ת‬ followed by a lunch all together in the middle of the Suhk​
. (this will be lunch for today­ included) Visit the Old City to see the preparations for Shabbat and listen to the prayers sung at the Western wall Free time to explore the city ­ Jaffa street and more Dinner out on the town in Jerusalem (Puzzle team will provide recommendations, each family on their own ­ not included) Accommodation at the​
​
Arthur Hotel​
or ​
Harmony Hotel​
, ​
Dan Boutique​
or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 8 Heading South to the Judea Desert ­ the Dead Sea, the Lowest Place on Earth! (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast (optional sun rise on top of Masada ­ will be decided on the night before) and early drive to Masada ** If we don’t do the sunrise we will do Massada afternoon (less hot) ● Hike along David’s Stream and enjoy the waterfall in the middle of the desert ● Drive to the Dead Sea beach and relax ­ experience floating in the salt water and play with the mud; lunch by Margolis Catering or local restaurant on the beach (included) ● Climb or cable up to the ancient ruins of Masada (if we didn’t in the morning) ● Guided tour of the site with our amazing Puzzle Actors bringing the stories to life ● Outdoor desert dinner and Bedouin hospitality (included) ● Accommodation at ​
Han Hanokdim​
(adults stay in rooms and kids in a Bedouin tent with the staff) Day 9 Into the Wild Desert (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast at the Han ● Morning hike around the Ramon Crater ● Choose one of the wild desert activities: 1. For our climbers ­ we will have a local guide take you repelling down the highest cliffs of the Ramon Crater (the rest of the group will visit a great geological viewpoint and meet the climbers at the bottom of the crater 2. 4X4 Jeep tour into the wild! ● Lunch at at local restaurant (included) ● Everyone will join together at a local camel farm and enjoy a short camel ride ● Finish the day around a fire with a cooking workshop, together with the Puzzle Chefs (dinner included) ● Accommodation at the ​
Suite Ramon Hotel​
or ​
Ramon Inn​
or similar (optional upgrades to 5* are available) Day 10 How It All Began ­ from Ben Gurion to Golda Meir (guided+van/bus) ● Breakfast at the Hotel ● Visit at Ben Gurion's grave at ​
Sde Boker ​
and learn about Ben Gurion’s vision and dream
(Israel’s first prime minister) ● Enjoy a different view of the amazing desert and navigate your way around on bike to find our secret spots ● Drive north through Lachish Valley and observe how close Gaza is to the Israeli settlements (only 37 km from Jerusalem) ● Lunch at a local restaurant (included) ● Choose one of the optional activities with community service and/or Mixing with the Locals project : 1. Visit to the Ethiopian farm and Heneini project for an explanation of the center, and hear about the Ethiopian Aliyah story by Salashi, an English speaking member of Heneini. Divide into groups for several stations: a. Writing Amharic b. Building the Gojo with straw and mud (weather permitting) c. Planting or clearing in the hot houses or fields d. Baking traditional Ethiopian bread. Gather together for a summary. 2. Leket Israel ­ pick veggies to help feed low income families 3. If possible on this day, participate with the ​
Sahi group​
to help prepare and pack food for distribution to families in need 4. Visit to ​
Hava Ve’Adam farm ● Return to Tel Aviv ● Dinner on your own to enjoy the city life of Tel Aviv (not included ­$30­$40) ● Accommodations at the ​
Melody​
, ​
Carlton​
, or similar (upgrades to 5* hotels can be offered) Day 11 Tel Aviv ­ Final Day (on your own) ● Breakfast at the hotel ● Short tour of Rothschild street and visit the independence hall ● Free time with your family and time for shopping ● Lunch or dinner at a local restaurant on the Tel Aviv Port (included) ● Say goodbye and drive to Ben Gurion International Airport for your flight home Notes Pricing $4,720 per person for ​
single family of 4 to 6 (in 2 rooms being driven by guide/driver) For self driving there is an extra of petrol costs as such may be Being driven by driver in addition to guide at an extra of 2,400$ for family Should you opt to stay in a family apartment there will be a reduction of about 1,000$ (family apartments are offered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem ­ the rest of the tour as on the itinerary) $4,570 per person in​
group of 7­10 participants Per person sharing double room with a guide + a driver Should you opt to stay in a family apartment there will be a reduction of about 1,000$ per family (family apartments are offered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem ­ the rest of the tour as on the itinerary) $4,100 per person in​
group of 11­16 participants Per person sharing double room with a guide + a driver Should you opt to stay in a family apartment there will be a reduction of about 1,000$ per family (family apartments are offered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem ­ the rest of the tour as on the itinerary) $3,950 per person in​
group of 17­25 participants Per person sharing double room with a guide + a driver Should you opt to stay in a family apartment there will be a reduction of about 1,000$ per family (family apartments are offered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem ­ the rest of the tour as on the itinerary) Trip itinerary includes: ● Transportation per itinerary ● Accommodations as per itinerary ● A professional licensed tour guide of the Puzzle Israel team for 9 days including his accommodations and meals as required ● Van rental when traveling out of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. When Traveling within the city transportation via Taxis ● One smartphone per family for you to use during your trip to contact us, the puzzle team, with unlimited local calls and internet access ● All entrances to the attractions, sites and activities as outlined in the itinerary ● Our office will be open 24 hours for any request or needs from you during your time in Israel ● Meals: all breakfasts are included, lunches and dinners as indicated Payment policy: Deposit of $350/person to be paid upon receipt Balance to be paid by April 20, 2015. You can submit payment by check payable to Puzzle Israel and send to: Deb Zaluda Puzzle Israel 1513 W. Montana St Chicago, IL 60614 Should you choose to pay via credit card, please mention and I will provide the Puzzle Paypal link or you can provide your credit card information, note there will be an additional 4.5% commission charge. Payment terms and cancellation policies 1. A $350 per person down payment ­ non refundable 2. Full payment is to be made 60 days prior to arrival 3. Full refund (other than deposit) up to 30 days prior to arrival 4. 80% refund (plus deposit) up to 15 days prior to arrival 5. 50% refund (plus deposit) up to 7 days before arrival 6. If cancellations are made after 7 days prior to arrival, refunds will only be made for bookings that can be cancelled 7. In cases of cancellations due to security reasons in Israel, there will be a full refund (except for the down payment), even if the trip is cancelled after 7 days prior to arrival We look forward to sharing this adventure with you! The Puzzle Israel Team