from $5,945* per person	11 Days	October
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 4
Operator: Geographic Expeditions		18 people max

“Israel,” the Bible tells us (1 Kings 9:7), “shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.” And indeed it seems that Israel has been a fulcrum of Western history almost as long as there has been such a thing as Western history. And as we know, its history has long, long been complex, glorious, troubled, and fascinating.

We carefully designed this well-rounded, expertly guided visit to Israel to include its classic and hallowed sites, with three active days in Jerusalem (“Jerusalem is not just for living, Jerusalem is being,” wrote Nurit Shiloh), a nice walk in Jericho, the Mediterranean port of Haifa, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Akko, etc. But, breaking away from the normal tourist trails, we’ve included enlightening and personal looks at the neighboring Palestinian Territories, which figure so prominently in Israel’s--and the world’s--history and in its current reality. We’ll have lunch with a Palestinian family, confer with NGOs, and visit the West Bank cities of Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah, vibrant cultural capital of the Territories. We think this measured and calm look at the entire region gives us a fresh and full look at its past and present, and perhaps, its future.