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new year's abroad 2013 - iSRAEL AND JORDAN

DATES: December 26, 2012 - January 7, 2013

HIGHLIGHTs: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias, Amman, and Petra

COST: $3,295 This all-inclusive cost covers roundtrip airfare from Washington, DC to Tel Aviv, deluxe 4-star accommodations for 11 nights, ALL breakfasts and dinners, and site-seeing tours.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to the entire Mason community (students, alumni, faculty, staff) and the general public, so please invite your friends and family!

CONTACT: Sarah Mournighan (703) 993-2106

REGISTER ONLINE and submit the $500 non-refundable deposit at time of application to secure your spot on the program. Remaining program balance is due by November 16, 2012. First come, first serve. The program has a limited number of slots available. The CGE office can take VISA or Mastercard payments for deposits only.

tentative iTINERARY

December 26, 2012
Depart the United States

Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tel Aviv/Tiberias
Touch down at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Drive 90 minutes north to the ancient Roman city of Tiberias. Named after the Roman emperor Tiberius, it was established in 20 CE on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Eat dinner (included) and stay overnight at the Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar, situated on the Sea of Galilee.

View of the Sea of Galilee from Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar, Tiberias.

Friday, December 28, 2012
Today visit the ancient ruins of Korazin and Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of Peter's Primacy in Tabgha and sail on the Sea of Galilee.

Saturday, December 29, 2012
Explore the Golan Heights, the northern-most city in Israel of Tel Dan, the archeological site of Banias at the base Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, the ancient Byzantine Christian monastery and national park of Kursi and Yardenit, the baptismal site on the Jordan River.

Sunday December 30, 2012
Tel Aviv
Leave Tiberias and head for the bustling city Tel Aviv, the second largest city in Israel, and located on the Mediterranean Sea. On the way visit the biblical city of Nazareth, Megiddo and Caesarea. Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.

View of Tel Aviv from Shalom Meir Tower.

Monday, December 31, 2013
Today take a city tour of Tel Aviv, visit the Diaspora Museum and the port market of Jaffa. Enjoy New Year's Eve, and make sure that you try some local Israeli cuisine like falafel, hummus or an eclectic flavor of ice cream at one of the local parlors.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Jordan
Leave Tel Aviv and cross the border into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Stop at the ancient ruins in the town of Jerash. Dinner and overnight in the capital of Amman.


Panorama of Amman. Abu Derwish Mosque in Amman.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Jordan
Take a city tour of Amman, visit Madaba known for its Byzantine mosaics and go to Mount Nebo for a panoramic view of the Holy Land. You will end your tour in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, listed by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die." Spend the rest of the day exploring the ancient city and possibly even take a camel ride with your friends. Overnight in Petra.

Treasury at Petra

Thursday, January 3, 2013
Leave Petra early in the morning to return to Israel. Stop by the Dead Sea, visit Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found in the West Bank and Masada, a desert fortress overlooking the Dead Sea. Spend the night in Jerusalem.

Friday, January 4, 2013
Jerusalem
Next you'll find yourself at the crossroads of culture in Jerusalem, a capitol shared by Israel and Palestine and a holy city to three religions. Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. The City of Gold, as it has come to be known in Hebrew, is a fascinatingly unique place where the first century rubs shoulders with the twenty-first century, and where picturesque "old" neighborhoods nestle against glistening office towers and high-rise apartments.
Today visit the Western Wall and Tunnel, the City of David, trek through Hezekiah's Tunnel spend the afternoon touring the biblical city of Bethlehem.

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem.

Saturday, January 5, 2013
Today explore the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives, the Old City of Jerusalem, the Christian Quarter and Mount Zion.

Sunday, January 6, 2013
Spend your last full day in Israel touring the Dome of the Rock, the al-Aksa Mosque, the Holocaust memorial of Yad Vashem, the Israel Museum and the beautiful Chagall Windows.

Monday, January 7, 2013
Return to the USA
After eating breakfast, arrive at the Tel Aviv Airport in order to fly back to the USA.

REGISTER ONLINE

*CGE reserves the right to modify or cancel a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances.