Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley Private Tour

This private tour will take you north along the coastal road and turn inland towards the fertile farmlands of the Lower Galilee. The first stop is at Tel Megiddo, an archaeological mound where 26 layers of successive ancient cities were built one on top of the other. Megiddo was once an important 15th century BC Canaan city and you can see the excavated remains of temples, palaces, gates, stables, and a complex water system.

The tour continues to Beit Alfa, in the Beit She'an Valley where there is an excavated 5th-century synagogue. The synagogue originally had a courtyard, second-story balcony and main hall with an incredible floor mosaic showing the Hebrew months and their corresponding zodiac signs. While in Beit She'an Valley tour an eco-farm and learn about organic agriculture, chemical-free pest control, and communal living on the farm. While here you may want to enjoy a delicious lunch made from locally grown produce. 

The last stop of the day is at the Beit She'an National Park which encompasses the ruins of an incredible Roman and Byzantine city. You can walk through the well-preserved remains and envision what it must have been like almost 2,000 years ago. Stroll down the cardo, or main street, lined with tall columns; see the traditional bathhouse; the remains of temples; palaces and even a magnificent Roman theater.

As a private tour, you can adjust the itinerary to include places you want to see in the area. You could visit Tel Jezreel, once the 9th century BC capital of the Kingdom of Israel; Kochav HaYarden, home to a preserved Crusader Fortress; Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration or Beit She'arim, an ancient Jewish burial necropolis.  You could even go bird watching in the Beit She'an Valley, renowned for its birdlife including the Great Spotted Eagle.

Additional Options:

1. Tel Jezreel – Archaeological site of a major Biblical city and the northern capital of the 9th century BC Kingdom of Israel.

2. Kochav HaYarden – This national park is home to the Crusader-era Belvoir Fortress.

3. Mount Tabor – Site of the transfiguration of Jesus and home to the Church of the Transfiguration designed by Antonio Barluzzi.

4. Beit She'arim – Once an ancient Jewish town and 3rd-4th century burial site where Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi is entombed. 

5. Bird Watching in the Beit She'an Valley – See the incredible birdlife of this stunningly beautiful green valley.