The Times of Israel Tour

Israeli Resilience Post October 7th

December 14-21, 2026

Contents

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Please Note- The Program is Subject to Change and all speakers and guests are - 'To Be Confirmed'

Day 1: Monday December 14, 2026

Welcome to Israel!

3:00 pm Hotel check-in begins; arrival is at your convenience

Meet the ToI and Routes teams in the lobby to receive a welcome package and check in to the hotel. 

5:20 pm Group will convene at the hotel lobby and depart to the opening dinner

6:00 pm Cocktail reception and opening Private Dinner at Cheder Prati with David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel 
David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel. He is the author of “Still Life with Bombers” (2004) and “A Little Too Close to God” (2000), and co-author of “Shalom Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin” (1996). He previously edited The Jerusalem Post (2004-2011) and The Jerusalem Report (1998-2004)

9:30 pm Return to the hotel

Overnight: Crown Plaza Beach Hotel , Tel Aviv

Breakfast at the hotel 

9:00 am Cultural Program with ToI Culture Editor Jessica Steinberg

12:00 pm Drive to Levinsky Market

12:30 pm Tasting Tour Lunch in the Levinsky Market with Harry Rubenstein

Return to the hotel

4:00 pm Meeting with ToI political correspondent Tal Schneider: ‘Inside Israel’s Power 
Game: The Knesset, Coalitions, and Public Opinion’.

5:30 pm Meeting with Miri Eisin (TBC)

6:00 pm Free evening and dinner on your own in Tel Aviv

Overnight: Crown Plaza Beach Hotel , Tel Aviv

Geopolitics and minorities in the north with ToI diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman 

Breakfast at the hotel and Check Out

8:30 am Depart for Northern Israel

10:00 am Opening and meeting with  ToI diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman at The Memorial Monument to the Bedouin Warriors ; The contributions of the bedouin community 

12:00 pm Lunch at Ein Camonim

Drive north

2:00 pm Overview from Misgav Am with Lazar Berman
Israel’s complex ties with Lebanon

3:00 pm Drive to an overview of Syria

4:00 pm Overview from Mt. Bental with Lazar Berman: Bitter foe, potential partner?

4:45 pm Drive to Majdel Shams

5:15 pm Visit Majdel Shams and meet Naela Eldin, who lost her daughter during the Hezbollah attack on the soccer field in July 2024

6:00 pm Drive to Yesod Hama’ala for dinner

8:00 pm Home Hospitality Dinner in Yesod Ha’Maaleh

10:00 pm Drive to the hotel and check in

Overnight: Edmond, Rosh Pina

A day along the Lebanese border with ToI reporter Diana Bletter

Breakfast at the hotel and Check Out 

9:00 am Depart hotel

9:30 am Introduction to community rebuilding of the northern communities from Mt. Adir and with ToI reporter Diana Bletter

11:00 pm Visit the ‘Talking walls’ at Shtula followed by home hospitality lunch hosted by Ora Hatan, torchbearer at the Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl 2026

1:30 pm Meeting at Liman nursery

Drive to Jerusalem

6:30 pm Check in to the Cassia hotel 

Dinner on your own in Jerusalem  

Overnight: Cassia, Jerusalem

Breakfast at the hotel

9:00 am Visit The City of David and walk the Pilgrim road
Walk in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims along the newly opened Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, a remarkable Second Temple-period street uncovered through years of archaeological excavation. Stretching from the Pool of Siloam toward the Temple Mount, this historic route offers a unique opportunity to experience Jerusalem as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. 

Walking tour of the Old City – Four Quarters/Three Religions/One City

1:00 pm Hummus lunch in the Old City 

3:00 pm Return to the hotel and prepare for Shabbat 

Drive to the Old City

(Shabbat begins at 4:02 pm)

Shabbat experience at the Kotel 

7:00 pm Private Shabbat Dinner at the Jerusalem House of Quality

Return to the hotel

Overnight: Cassia, Jerusalem

Breakfast at the hotel 

Option 1: Day at leisure 

Option 2: Morning tour at the Israel Museum visiting The Shrine of the Book and the second temple model

Lunch on own  

4:00 pm Meeting with Author Matti Friedman at the hotel (TBC)
Matti Friedman, a Canadian‑Israeli journalist and award‑winning author known for his New York Times, Times of Israel and Tablet magazine contributions, is a former AP correspondent stationed across the Middle East and beyond. He now lives in Jerusalem and writes deeply nuanced works on Israeli history and conflict.

Havdala 

Evening at leisure 

Overnight: Cassia, Jerusalem

A day in the south with ToI Political Correspondent Tal Schneider and ToI Military Correspondent Mannie (Emanuel) Fabian for a military overview, honoring the Oct. 7 victims, and a look at community rebuilding.

Breakfast at the hotel 

7:45 am Depart to the Gaza Envelope 

9:45 am Meet ToI military reporter Mannie (Emanuel) Fabian for a military overview of the Gaza envelope from Black Arrow viewpoint

11:15 am Visit one of the Gaza envelope communities affected by October 7th

1:30 pm Lunch at a local foodtruck

Travel time

2:45 pm Women’s courage on October 7th: visit the Nachal Oz Observers memorial monument 

3:30 pm Drive to the Nova festival massacre site

4:00 pm Visit the site of the Nova Music Festival Massacre site and meet Shalev BitonNova Festival Massacre survivor, and Younis Algrenawi, who risked his life to save those fleeing from Hamas terrorists

5:15 pm Drive to Jerusalem

Dinner on your own in Jerusalem  

Overnight: Cassia, Jerusalem

Breakfast at the hotel and Check Out (load luggage on the bus)

9:00 am Meeting with Dr. Tal Becker (TBC)
Former Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; senior member of Israeli peace negotiation teams in successive rounds of peace negotiations; represented Israel before the International Court of Justice; Times of Israel op-ed contributor

10:30 pm Meeting and discussion with ToI Deputy Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan

12:00 pm Free time and lunch on own in Jerusalem

4:00 pm Program Summary with ToI Founding Editor David Horovitz at the hotel
David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel. He is the author of “Still Life with Bombers” (2004) and “A Little Too Close to God” (2000), and co-author of “Shalom Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin” (1996). He previously edited The Jerusalem Post (2004-2011) and The Jerusalem Report (1998-2004)

5:15 pm Drive to final dinner 

6:00 pm Private Farewell Dinner at Sea Dolphin restaurant

8:30 pm Group transfer from dinner to the Ben Gurion Airport

9:30 pm Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport for departure flights

!שלום ולהתראות

 Shalom U’lehitraot!

Rates (Land Only)

Please note that the below rates are based on a minimum of 20 Tour participants. In the event the number of registered participants is less than 20 on October 14, 2026, the Operator will consult with the Tour Sponsor with a view to exploring if there is a solution to operate the Tour with less than 20 participants or alternatively at a later date. However, Operator reserves the right and at Operator’s sole discretion to cancel the Tour and refund amounts received from each participant.

$8,185 USD

Price per person in double occupancy room

$ 1,400 USD

Single Supplement for those rooming alone

Accommodation

Crown Plaza Beach Hotel, Tel Aviv

2 nights in Deluxe rooms

630247053

Edmond Hotel, Rosh Pina

1 night in Classic rooms

Edmond

Cassia Hotel, Jerusalem

4 nights in Classic rooms

cassia_hotel_ph_nitzan_rubin_04

Included

Excluded

Guidelines for Payment and Cancellation

Payment policy:

The total cost of the Times of Israel December Program is $8,185 per person sharing a double room. The supplement for a guest rooming on their own is $1,400.

  • A deposit of $ 500 USD per registrant is due upon registration and is fully applicable to the Tour Package Price.
  • A second payment of $ 3,000 USD per registrant is due no later than 75 days before commencement of the tour (i.e. October 1, 2026). If you register on or after this date, you will be required to pay the full $3,500 upon application.
  • The balance payment is due in full no later than 30 days before commencement of the tour (i.e. November 14, 2026), at which time payment is due in the amount equivalent to the Full Amount less the total amount actually paid by you prior to this date. For each registrant separately, the Full Amount is comprised of the total of:
    • the Price of the Package plus
    • the Single Supplement if applicable plus
    • the charges for any supplemental services you may have requested.
  • Supplements for additional services are due upon confirmation of the selected services

Please note that the second and third payments will be automatically charged to the same credit card used for the deposit. An email will be sent to you regarding these charges before being processed.

  • Operator accepts Visa, MasterCard or American Express. A 3.7% processing fee is charged to any amount paid by credit card.
  • Payment via Bank Wire Transfer is also accepted

 

Cancellation policy:

All cancellations must be made in writing and addressed to Sapir: orly@routestravel.com.  The cancellation fee depends on the date when Operator receives written notification of Customer’s request to cancel Customer’s booking.

  • Cancellation received no later than September 14, 2026, is not subject to a cancellation fee.
  • Cancellation received later than September 14, 2026 but no later than October  1, 2026 is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to $ 500 USD.
  • Cancellation received later than October 1, 2026 but no later than October 14, 2026 is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to $ 2,500 USD.
  • Cancellation received later than October 14, 2026 but no later than November 14, 2026 is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to $ 3,500 USD.
  • Cancellation received later than November 14, 2026, is subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to 100% of the Tour Package Price.

 

Cancellation in Exceptional Situations:

Notwithstanding the cancellation terms detailed in Section 8 above, in the event that the cancellation of the entire group unavoidably results from Force Majeure or Acts of God, there will be no personal penalty for customers, and all payments will be refunded. 

Travel Protection

More than ever, Travel Insurance is a vitally important feature of any planned travel and safeguards against unexpected developments

Travel protection offers many great benefits and peace of mind when traveling.  One of the many benefits is, to insure the travelers trip cost, in the event a traveler needs to cancel the trip, due to unforeseen medical illness of the insured or of an immediate family member.

The other key benefit included here is medical expense coverage, given that the majority of our health insurance plans, lack coverage for accidents/illness occurring outside of the US.

In addition to trip cancellation and medical expense coverage, other benefits protecting the travelers during their journey are , trip delay , trip interruption, lost or delayed luggage upon arrival in destination, medical evacuation, 24/7 emergency assistance and much more.

To receive a quote and for any travel insurance questions you may have, please reach out to Liana DiCurzio at Traveland. Her email is Liana@traveland.net   please be sure to mention that you are traveling with ToI/Routes Trips

We highly recommend reaching out for an insurance quote, as soon as possible after making the very first initial payment, as some benefits and plans such as the Cancel For Any Reason plan (CFAR),  are time sensitive,  and are only available  for purchase within 13 days of the very first trip payment

VAT (Value Added Tax)

Israeli VAT not applicable to non-Israeli tourists for a variety of services and is therefore not included in our prices. In this connection, please note the following:

  • Should any members of your group be either holders of an Israeli passport or residents of Israel, they are subject by Israeli law to Israeli VAT (Value Added Tax) which is 18%, a tax which is not included in the above prices since non-Israeli tourists are exempt from this tax on key services. If we are informed of the participation of Israeli citizens/residents in advance, we can bill accordingly from the outset. Otherwise, any Israeli passport holders and/or residents regardless of where they reside, will be charged VAT by the hotel reception.
  • With respect to tourists, although current regulations continue to exempt them from VAT on key services, this could change at any time, in which case VAT would have to be added by law to the services provided.

 

Any questions? Contact us at Orly@routestravel.com 

If the trip is oversubscribed at the time of your registration, please fill in your information on the registration form, and you will be added to the program waiting list