Israel Uncovered — Self-Launched

Land at Ben Gurion Airport and take the Nesher shared sherut (roughly ₪70–80, ~£15–17) or the direct 485 bus to Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, then hop the light rail into the city. Skip G's included private transfer — the shared sherut runs whenever it fills and drops near most hostels. Check into a hostel in the New City within walking distance of Jaffa Gate (e.g. around Zion Square or the Musrara/Mea Shearim fringe). Spend the evening acclimatising: a slow walk along the ramparts' outside edge, a falafel and hummus dinner for less than £7, and an early night before a big walking day.

🚌Nesher shared sherut or bus 485 from Ben Gurion Airport (~£15)

🛏Hostel dorm in central Jerusalem (~£22/night)

• →Arrival and hostel check-in
• →Evening stroll around Jaffa Gate and Mamilla Mall
• →Budget falafel dinner

Do the Old City independently on foot — everything is within the walls. Start at Jaffa Gate and work clockwise: the Tower of David, then the Jewish Quarter, the Hurva Synagogue and the Western Wall. Non-Muslims can access Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa) via the Mughrabi Bridge in limited morning hours, free but with security checks. Walk the Via Dolorosa through the Muslim and Christian quarters to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Late afternoon, walk up the Mount of Olives via the Palm Sunday road for the classic skyline view. If you want the context a group CEO would give you, a half-day Old City walking tour on GetYourGuide runs about £25–35 — optional. In the evening, a free/low-cost local lecture or a hostel-run discussion is a good stand-in for G's scholar talk; the Jerusalem Press Club and several hostels run informal talks.

🚌On foot all day

🛏Hostel dorm in central Jerusalem (~£22/night)

• →Self-guided Old City loop (Jaffa Gate, Jewish Quarter, Hurva Synagogue, Western Wall)
• →Temple Mount: Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa (free, limited hours)
• →Via Dolorosa walk
• →Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• →Mount of Olives viewpoint

Take the light rail to Mount Herzl and walk to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial — free entry, allow 2–3 hours (closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays, check dates). Then the Israel Museum for the Shrine of the Book and Dead Sea Scrolls (~£12 entry). Late afternoon, ride the light rail to Mahane Yehuda Market as it wakes up for the evening. Instead of G's private chef walk, join a market food tour via GetYourGuide or EatWith (~£35–45) or simply self-cater a tasting crawl: bourekas, halva, rugelach, sabich, and a stop at a small kosher kitchen. Budget ~£20 if you go DIY.

🚌Jerusalem light rail day pass (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm in central Jerusalem (~£22/night)

• →Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial (free)
• →Israel Museum and Dead Sea Scrolls (~£12)
• →Mahane Yehuda Market evening food walk (~£20 DIY or £40 guided)

Take the Arab bus 231 from outside Damascus Gate (about ₪7, ~£1.50) across the checkpoint to Bethlehem — bring your passport. Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity are free to enter (modest dress; expect queues). Aida refugee camp is a short walk or shared taxi away and is visitable independently; the Lajee Center and the Wall Museum give context. For the women's-collective experience G includes, contact the Bethlehem women's cooperatives or the Alternative Tourism Group directly for a cooking lunch (roughly ₪60–100, ~£13–22) — book a day or two ahead. Optional half-day guided Bethlehem tour on GetYourGuide is ~£30. Return to Jerusalem before dark on the same bus.

🚌Arab bus 231 from Damascus Gate, both ways (~£3)

🛏Hostel dorm in central Jerusalem (~£22/night)

• →Church of the Nativity and Manger Square
• →Aida refugee camp walk and Lajee Center
• →Palestinian women's collective cooking lunch (~£15)
• →Return by local bus

Book the public Egged bus 486 from Jerusalem's Central Bus Station to Masada (about ₪38 each way, ~£8; check the earliest departure or take a pre-dawn shared taxi). Climb the Snake Path or take the cable car (£10) for sunrise over the fortress — Masada entry ~₪31 (~£7). Mid-morning, continue south one stop to Ein Bokek public beach for a free Dead Sea float (bring old swimwear and rinse off at the beach showers; mud is cheap at the kiosks). Afternoon: bus back north via Jerusalem or Be'er Sheva to Tiberias (total ~£13–15 and 4–5 hours). Check into a hostel or guesthouse near the Sea of Galilee. Skip the kibbutz tour or, if you're curious, ask at the hostel — several Galilee guesthouses are kibbutz-run and will show you around.

🚌Egged bus 486 Jerusalem–Masada and onward buses to Tiberias (~£22 total)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Tiberias (~£25/night)

• →Masada fortress climb at sunrise (~£7 + cable car optional)
• →Dead Sea float at Ein Bokek public beach (free)
• →Evening arrival in Tiberias

Local buses and shared taxis cover this loop cheaply. Bus to the Mount of Beatitudes for the Sermon on the Mount site and views over the lake (free, small donation), then walk or taxi down to Capernaum's synagogue and church ruins (~₪10 entry) and Tabgha. Continue by bus to Nazareth (~£5) for the Basilica of the Annunciation and the old market lanes. For G's winery tasting, book a small Galilee winery visit independently — several boutique wineries around Kfar Tavor and Zippori run tastings for ₪40–70 (~£9–15), usually by phone or email. Back to Tiberias for the night by bus.

🚌Local buses around the lake and to Nazareth (~£12 total)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Tiberias (~£25/night)

• →Mount of Beatitudes
• →Capernaum ruins and synagogue
• →Nazareth Basilica of the Annunciation and old city
• →Independent Galilee winery tasting (~£12)

Take the train from Tiberias area (or a bus to Afula then train) up to Haifa — the Carmelit funicular and the Bahá'í Gardens terraces are free (terrace tours need booking). Then the coastal train south to Caesarea (about ₪20, ~£4) for the Roman harbour ruins and amphitheatre (~₪40 entry, ~£9). Finish by train into Tel Aviv (~£6) and check into a hostel in the Florentin or Neve Tzedek area. Last-night wander down to the beach promenade and Rothschild Boulevard for dinner — Tel Aviv is pricey, so aim for a hummusiya or shuk stall (~£10–13).

🚌Bus + Israel Railways along the coast (~£13 total)

🛏Hostel dorm in Tel Aviv (~£28/night)

• →Bahá'í Gardens and Haifa German Colony
• →Caesarea Maritima ruins (~£9)
• →Evening on Tel Aviv's beachfront and Rothschild Boulevard

Morning free — walk the Jaffa old town and the beach, or grab a last shakshuka breakfast. Train from Tel Aviv HaHagana direct to Ben Gurion Airport (~₪10, ~£2) whenever your flight leaves. Allow 3 hours for airport security, which in Israel is more thorough than most.

🚌Israel Railways to Ben Gurion Airport (~£2)

🛏None

• →Jaffa old town and beach walk
• →Train to airport