Our photo adventure turns into a unique experience when we witness the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday. As thousands of pilgrims descend the Mount of Olives to re-enact Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, you will be inspired by the sights of the faithful who have made this pilgrimage from all over the world. The procession heads down into the city past various churches related to his journey, and then into the Old City and down into Via Dolorosa. The crowds of worshippers in song and giving blessings, with palms and an abundance of color is a slight to behold. The significance of the palms is how followers greeted Jesus on his entrance to Jerusalem, 2000 years ago. 

On entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian pilgrims of six denominations practice their faith together. This is the only church in the world where this occurs. The church is the most important site in the world due to the belief of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Because of the crowds of worshipers following the route, our main subjects today will be environmental portraits and street photography. This is a good opportunity to find good backgrounds and interesting lighting as the faithful pass by. Practicing with different shutter speeds, apertures and other camera settings will help you improve on different techniques in a challenging environment. (B)

After breakfast, we will head to the ultra-orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Mea Shearim for some street photography, before checking out of our hotel. Today we leave Jerusalem and head for Tel Aviv, the nation’s business & cultural capital. We will begin at the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, with its renovated historical buildings, urban decay, fashionable stores and restaurants. Also on our itinerary is a visit to the Nachlat Binyamin area, and the busy Carmel market. Later, we will arrive at Rothschild Boulevard to shoot architecture from the Bauhaus movement and the British Mandate. This part of Tel Aviv holds the largest collection of Bauhaus architecture in the world. Known as the White City, this UNESCO World Heritage site contains a collection of over 4,000 buildings built in a unique form of the Bauhaus style from the 1930s.

From here we will head towards the Florentin neighborhood. This commercial and industrial area has become trendy in the last few years and is perfect for capturing some of Tel Aviv’s fantastic street art, and has photogenic backgrounds for street photography and environmental portraits. Located nearby is the Levinsky market, which is also on the itinerary. Now we will head towards the Shuk Hapishpishim [flea market] which offers wonderful photo opportunities. You will capture the relaxed atmosphere where traders and buyers come to look for anything from coffee pots to Afghan rugs.

The flea market also has one of our favorite humus bars, an ideal stop for a quick snack where we can talk about different aspects of photography, and how to achieve the desired images according to your photographic vision. From the flea market, we will head towards Old Jaffa with its maze of homes, winding alleyways and ancient stones, before arriving to the Ancient Port, the oldest sea port in the world. Walking through Old Jaffa is like walking back to its origins of some 4000 years. The top of the hill in Jaffa offers panoramic views of Tel Aviv’s modern buildings along its shoreline. In the late afternoon, we check in to our hotel in Tel Aviv. (B)

From Tel Aviv we head up the coast for a pleasant day of shooting starting at the ancient town of Caesarea. With a history dating back 2,300 years to the days of King Herod, visiting the national park is like walking through a story. Wandering between the ancient buildings one can both sense how people lived here thousands of years ago and enjoy modern, contemporary experiences, such as the enthralling musical performances held in the beautiful Roman Theatre. We will walk along the city walls and around the towers, wander through the ruins of the castle and the various temples, visit the hippodrome, ancient port and the tiny artists’ square and explore the Roman aqueduct on the coastline before heading off. 

Further north lies Acre, one of our favorite locations in Israel. This ancient crusader city is a UNESCO world heritage site, dating back to the 11th century. A visit to Acre is part of the Israeli experience. The city is a meeting place for East and West, new and old, beauty and ruins, all adding to its uniqueness. The fascinating history that has passed through the streets of Acre, the legacy left behind by its conquerors, the buildings that adorn the city and the places of worship built there are just part of the experience this city offers. Among the high-walled alleys and underground passages is a huge mosque and a Christian monastery, an inn and Turkish baths, halls built by the Knights Templar, with an extraordinary Templar tunnel and fascinating archeological findings. These are joined by intriguing museums and many churches, a row of hotels near the inviting beaches, a marina, restaurants and a picturesque fishing port. Magnificent architecture, set on the coastline appears almost intact. Acre offers an excellent blend of architecture, seascape, people and street photography. In the evening we will head back to our hotel in Tel Aviv. (B)

On day five, we leave our hotel to head south towards the Dead Sea. Located half way towards our destination, lie the spectacular caves at Beit Guvrin. Known locally as the Bell Caves, these series of caves are connected by underground tunnels and number more than 2000 in the area, and are one of Israel’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On a clear day you can witness spectacular shafts of light entering the hole from above that was dug out to extract chalk. Undoubtedly, this location is a favorite for landscape photographers.

Continuing south, we arrive to our hotel in the Dead Sea. In the late afternoon, we will drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to photograph the adjacent mountains of Jordan, reflected in beautiful tones of red and pink during Golden Hour. In the early evening we will have a group critique of our best images captured so far, and discuss why they stand out, suggestions on retouching and how they may even be improved further. (B)

On day six we explore more of the natural beauty and biblical heritage sites around the Dead Sea. With its salt formations and changing landscape, the Dead Sea allows for completely new photographic opportunities on each visit. Thanks to its unique elements of nature, the Dead Sea is unlike any other place in the world. It is the lowest land point on earth, giving it unique scenery found nowhere else. The shores of the Dead Sea make for great landscapes with its unusual salt deposits, and the contrast of the turquoise blue sea with the barren rock and desert make for some captivating images.

Masada, a mountaintop fortress is surrounded by barren landscapes of the Judean desert. Hidden springs, caves and mountains give the area a variety of photographic opportunities amidst one of the most beautiful settings Israel has to offer. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, Masada is most famous for its symbolic importance for its determination, heroism and martyrdom. One of the most loved archaeological sites in Israel, visitors can see remnants of how its inhabitants lived here and its final downfall to the Roman army. (B)

We will leave the Dead Sea early in the morning, return to Jerusalem and check in to our hotel. Before arriving, we will stop to capture some beautiful scenic views of the Judean desert while chatting and drinking Arabic coffee with some local Bedouins. Nearby are some great views over the St. George’s Monastery. This site dates back to the 4th century and was built for a group of monks to meditate and immerse themselves in the stories of Jesus and John the Baptist. The spectacle of this monastery perched on the cliffs of a ravine, surrounded by the barren Judean hills make for some stunning images.

Today is Good Friday, and a very special day in Jerusalem and one of the most amazing sights in religion. Witness hundreds of Christian pilgrims stream through the cobblestone alleyways of the Old City. We will capture the faithful as they hoist wooden crosses and chant prayers to mark the crucifixion of Jesus. Known as “The way of the cross”, the procession retraces Jesus’ final steps along the Via Dolorosa (latin for “Way of the suffering”) and follows the 14 stations as they finally arrive at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On this day you will witness some bizarre sights – priests dressed as Jesus wearing a crown of thorns complete with fake blood, men posing as Roman soldiers with full armor, countless worshipers hauling crosses on their backs as the crowd chants hymns – Good Friday in Jerusalem is a melting pot of the weird and wonderful. (B)

The Holy Fire is considered a miracle occurring every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter Sunday. The ceremony marks a miracle – at 2.00pm a sunbeam shines through the ceiling to light a lamp placed in the tomb. Inside the church, all of the lights are extinguished before the entrance of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch who is carrying a handful of candles. When the Patriarch emerges, it is said that the candles are lit by a miraculous flame which is then used to light the candles of the congregation.

After a procession around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, those who arrived early watched as the key-holder to the sacred site arrived to unlock the church doors. Due to the church being divided by different denominations, the keys are held by a Muslim man whose family has been considered neutral by all parties for several generations. The tradition of the Holy Fire has been held at the same time, on the same day and at the same exact place dating back to the fourth century.

After we enjoy a Farewell Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants where we’ll discuss the incredible scenes and sites we have shared together. (B) (D)

Day nine marks Easter Sunday and the last day of our photo adventure. We will start early today to visit the sunrise service at the Garden Tomb – an annual service held for Protestant Christians that believe was the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection, as opposed to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our adventure ends in the late morning where we will sadly bid you farewell. (B)

Our second day starts early as we take a sunrise tour by 4×4 vehicle to visit some of the area’s most interesting and photogenic sites. Watching the sun rise between the sandstone rock creating subtle changes of light, textures in the desert floor changing as the sun rises and illuminates the wonderful rock formations. Some of the locations we will visit include the Red Sand Dunes, Little Bridge, Burdah Rock Bridge, Khazali Canyon, and Lawrence’s Spring – named after the British soldier, Lawrence of Arabia that resided here. This is a great way to start our day. The first impression you may have of Wadi Rum during golden hour is the feeling that you are on a different planet. The similarity to Mars is striking. No wonder it has been the backdrop of so many movies. After breakfast, we leave our tent camp and head to our next destination – our beautiful hotel located near to the Red Rose City of Petra. 

A World Heritage Site, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the legacy of Petra seems to have been frozen in time. This amazing city dates back more than 2,000 years, and was built and inhabited by the Nabateans, an ancient Arab civilization. The Nabateans were considered scientists, and admired for their ingenuity in architectural planning, construction and irrigation skills. Petra is located at the crossroads of ancient trading routes, and was of major importance for caravans passing through.

In the afternoon, we will enjoy a guided tour with an expert on the city’s heritage. Passing through the Siq [narrow slot canyon] we arrive to the Treasury, probably Petra’s most iconic structure, and the setting for the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. We will spend a few hours touring the ancient city, as you try to absorb the scope of its size while photographing the fascinating scenes that unfold around each corner. 

In the early evening, before arriving to our hotel, we will take some artistic shots of the wind farm that overlooks Wadi Musa, the municipality of Petra and the surrounding area. Using a combination of tripods and neutral density filters, we will capture movement of the turbines in motion, perfect when the sun starts to go down. After returning to our hotel and enjoying an excellent dinner, we will take a well-deserved rest after experiencing a truly memorable day. (B)

After breakfast, we will head to Little Petra, a far smaller site, though of major importance to Petra. Known locally as Siq Al-Barid, this site includes temples, tombs, cisterns and other methods in channeling and storing water. Various religious ceremonies were held here and festivals were hosted by the king of the Nabateans. Evidence of wine production is represented by a well preserved fresco depicting cherubs with grape vines. After relaxing in our hotel and going over our best images selected to date with a group critique, we will prepare ourselves with tripods and warmer clothing as we head out for our night shoot.

Before arriving to visit “Petra by Night”, probably one of the most beautiful sights that can be captured in photography, we will stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Dana Biosphere reserve to capture beautiful panoramic shots during sunset. A tripod and graduated neutral density filter to balance skies will be useful here. Finally, our day ends in spectacular fashion as we spend 2 hours photographing “Petra by Night”.

Walking down through the Siq with lanterns on the floor directing us and the cliffs of the canyons towering above us, stars emerging through the natural beauty of the rock, and the wonderful silence that beckons us to the Treasury, this event has to be one of the most spectacular and memorable nights you will ever experience. Arriving at the Treasury, with its floor covered in lanterns, the beautiful facade cut out of sheer rock is laid bare in all its glory. Even the best photographer could not create lighting of such beauty. After photographing the light show, we will make our way back to the exit, enjoying the scenes on our own without distractions and at our own pace. Back in the city we will celebrate with a Farewell Dinner fit for a King, or Queen. (B) (D)

On Day 4 we head out early for a sunrise tour of Petra. Arriving to the sites at dawn with just the sound of the call for prayer, watching the locals attending to their rickshaws, and having the whole place to ourselves, we prepare ourselves as the colors of the pink sandstone become more intense. Here we can explore at our own pace. Some may wish to do an uphill hike to visit the High Place of Sacrifice, or to view the Treasury from above. Others may prefer to just wait and watch the scenes that unfold. On returning to our hotel, we will enjoy our breakfast, check-out of our hotel and head back to the border where we will exchange contact information, and sadly bid you farewell. (B)

Due to Petra’s location, guests have several options for returning home. Aqaba airport in Jordan and Eilat airport in Israel serve international flights. Alternatively, you may wish to enjoy some time on your own at the end of our trip by staying at the Red Sea coastal towns of Aqaba or Eilat. Finally, you have the option of returning directly to Tel Aviv by vehicle with your guide. Once you’re registered we’ll be happy to advise you on your best return travel options.