8 days cultural/hiking tour

A 7-night/8-day cultural walking tour of the Masar Ibrahim al Khalil/Abraham’s Path where you will meet and engage with local communities, traditional lifestyles and the beautiful Palestinian lands.

• Accommodation: a combination of homestays with local families, guesthouses, Bedouin camps and 3* hotel
  • 2 overnight stays in Jerusalem and Nablus hotels.
  • 2 overnight stays in Jericho and Beit Sahour guesthouses.
  • 2 overnight stays in Reshaydeh and Auja Bedouin encampments.
  • 1 overnight family homestay in Duma.
• Local English-speaking guide and driver accompanying the group each day of the tour.
• Food: 3 meals per day during the tour except day 1 (dinner only) and Day 8 (breakfast & lunch only).
• All entrance fees and transfers included.

Day One:  Arrival and Nablus 

Transfer from Tel Aviv international airport to Nablus – approximately 2 hours.   Depending on arrival time, explore the Sufi shrines and the Old City of Nablus.  Visit Mt. Gerizim, the holy mountain of the ancient Samaritan community, which has lived there since Biblical times. 

Length: 3 km
Duration:
Terrain: City walking only
Dinner and overnight in Nablus

Day Two: Awarta to Duma 

Bus transfer from Nablus to the village of Awarta.  Begin our walk in Awarta, along the Masar Ibrahim al Khalil - the Abraham Path. Head south through Palestine’s northern highlands, a cultivated Mediterranean landscape of olive groves, wheat fields and limestone villages. Take note of various herbs and traditional plant medicines along the way.  Traditional Palestinian lunch served by a local family in Aqraba.

Length: 18.6KM
Duration: 6 - 7 Hours
Terrain: Dirt tracks, goat paths and paved roads.
Dinner and overnight in Duma.

Day Three:  Duma to Auja 

Head south towards Ain Samia, walking most of the day towards the Auja Valley to the Jordan River Valley north of Jericho.  Spend the night in the black goat hair tents of the Bedouin and learn about their culture and learn about their use of herbal and medicinal plants.

Length: 10.5 KM
Duration: 7 Hours
Terrain: Dirt roads and desert tracks, mainly down hill
Dinner and overnight with Bedouin family in Auja.

Day Four: Wadi Qelt and Jericho

Transfer to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George and hike toward the city of Jericho through Wadi Qelt, also known as the Valley of the Shadow of Death, until we reach the archaeological site of Heord’s Palace.  Shuttle transfer to the Jericho cable car to visit Mount of Temptation and for a lunch.  Transfer to the Dead Sea for an afternoon of swimming and rest. Return to Jericho for a traditional dinner and evening in the “Mud-House” of Aqbet Jaber in Jericho.

Length: 8 KM
Duration: 2 Hours
Terrain: Dirt roads, desert tracks and some asphalt into Jericho
Dinner and overnight in the ”Mud-House” of Aqbet Jaber in Jericho.

Day Five: From near the shrine of Nebi Musa to the Monastery of Mar Saba

Begin hike near near the shrine of Nebi Musa to begin our walk through the desert landscape to Wadi al-Joz, also known as the Kidron Valley. Hike through the Kidron Valley towards the Greek Orthodox desert monastery of Mar Saba and view the cliff-side monastery from the outside.  Transfer to Bethlehem to visit the Nativity Church.

Length: 3.5 KM
Duration: 8 Hours
Terrain: Rocky desert tracks and trails, mainly uphill.
Dinner and overnight at Guest House in Beit Sahour

Day Six: Down the Wadi Jihar to the desert of Reshaydeh

Transfer to Tequa’ village and descend into Wadi Jihar.  Emerge from the valley to the Reshaydeh. Spend the night with a Bedouin family in a Bedouin tent.  Time permitting, experience the sunset while overlooking the Dead Sea.

Length: 4-5 KM
Duration: 16 Hours
Terrain: Rocky desert tracks
Dinner and overnight in Bedouin tent in Reshaydeh

Day Seven: Reshaydeh, Beni Naim and Jerusalem 

Hike from Reshaydeh towards Beni Naim.  View remnants of cliff-side monastic dwellings from the time of Saint Savvas the Sanctified while towards the cultivated zone around Beni Naim, with spectacular views across the Rift Valley.  Traditional lunch prepared by a local family.  Transfer to Hebron for a walk through the Old City and to the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Length: 22 KM
Duration: 4-7 Hours
Terrain: Rocky desert tracks, some asphalt, mostly uphill.
Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem

Day Eight: Jerusalem

Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the souq (traditional Oriental market), Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and (if possible), the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Western Wall.  Final program lunch, farewells and departure to airport. 

Length: 3 KM
Duration: ..
Terrain: City walking only