Travel to the Judean Desert today past the Inn of the Good Samaritan, viewing Jericho, and stopping at Qumran - ruins of the ancient Essene settlement in whose nearby caves the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
Enjoy a walk through the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a biblical oasis with a spring and waterfalls, where David hid from Saul.
In the afternoon, take the cable-car to the top of Massada scene of the epic stand by Jewish rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. The new museum at the visitor’s center reveals the secrets of the daily life of the rebels, the story of the excavations, and how the site became one of Israel’s most important symbols.
End your day in downtown Jerusalem, walking the pedestrian malls of Ben Yehuda Street and Nahalat Shiva, enjoying this restored quarter of shops, cafes and restaurants that are favorites with Jerusalemites.
Overnight: in Jerusalem