The tour begins at the parking lot adjacent to the Visitors Center.
Before entering, visit the Jezzar Pasha Mosque across the road.

For hundreds of years Safed was the unrivalled capital of the Galilee. This fortified city was built, rebuilt, and restored throughout history by numerous leaders – from Josephus to the Crusaders and the infamous Mamluk Sultan Baibars. In the 16th Century Safed, the place where Kabbalah was formulated, was the spiritual center of the Jewish People. Many works of religious law were written here, including Sefer HaMeggid and Shulchan Aruch. Still regarded as the primary center of Jewish mysticism, Safed’s temperate climate has also made it a central tourist attraction in the region. Kabbalah centers, unique art galleries, impressive synagogues, and picturesque alleys are just some of the elements that make Safed seem like a separate, elevated sphere.

Beit She’an is one of the oldest, most fascinating Israeli cities. It is located along the Via Maris, the Ancient Orient’s most important road, which led from Egypt to Mesopotamia. The city was first mentioned around 1800 B.C. in the Egyptian Execration Texts. Beginning at the Hellenic Period Beit She’am expanded beyond its original location on the Beit She’an mound and renamed Scythopolis. During the Roman age it became a mixed city where different nationals resided. The Byzantine Period marked the zenith of Beit She’an; it became an important Christian city numbering 40,000 residents. An earthquake in 749 reduced the city into a forsaken backwater. Much later, during the late Ottoman Period and early British Mandate, it enjoyed a significant revival.

Nazareth is situated in a beautiful valley in the Nazareth Mountains in the Lower Galilee. It was here that the birth of Christ was announced, and the place where His parents, St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary had their home and raised Him. The ancient quarter, located on the western edge of the valley, is a unique part of the city. This picturesque area of winding alleyways is home to numerous churches and sites of interest. During the Crusades the city (which had been a mere village until the Byzantine occupation) grew in importance, and was embellished with many churches. Today it is a popular pilgrimage destination, and was visited by three Popes. Pope Benedict XVI visited Mount Precipice in 2009. Nazareth is a significant politic, economic, and cultural hub. Approximately 70% of its population is Muslim, the rest being Christian.

Arguably the most well-known Galilean city. For 500 years Tiberias was the focal point of Jewish life in the Holy Land. Jews forbidden to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem even substituted it for the holy city. When the city was built by Herods and named after the Roman emperor Tiberius, the Jews were loath to settle here at first. The Jewish population feared that the presence of a cemetery would render the city impure. However, Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai cleansed the city, and it became a national spiritual center. The Hebrew alphabet was formulated here, as were diacritical marks. The Jewish Presidency convened in Tiberias, and the Jerusalemite Talmud was completed and signed here; it has long been known as one of the four holy cities of Israel. The Crusaders paid much attention to the city and constructed a fortress, the towers of which can still be seen today.  Today Tiberias is a touristic pearl, and is an ideal base for touring the environs of the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights.