Haifa Shore Excursions

Private Caesarea Maritime - Herod’s Dream (HA 4)

Tour details:

After meeting your guide on the pier in Haifa, they will drive you to Mount Carmel, approximately 60 minutes away, for a breathtaking view of Haifa Bay, the golden dome of Haifa's Baha'i Shrine and Acre in the distance.

Drive along the ancient Via Maris to Caesarea and visit the ancient port city built by Herod the Great on the ruins of an ancient anchorage known as Stratton's tower. He named it Caesarea in honor of his Roman patron, Augustus Caesar. In 66 C.E., in Caesarea, which was the capital of the country during the Roman period, the Jews of the city raised the revolt against Rome, touching off the Jewish war. Caesarea became an important Christian center that was alternatively conquered by Moslems and Crusaders until it was destroyed at the end of the thirteenth century. Among the magnificent array of archaeological finds you will see during your two hour visit are restored Crusaders fortifications, a Byzantine street and a Roman Theater.

A walk among the ruins cannot be complete without observing the splendor displayed in the Travel Through Time displays that combine to recreate a city being reawakened in front of your eyes. Then continue to the Tower of Time, where you can take a virtual tour of the city, enter buildings and visit the streets, even participate in various activities such as horse racing in the hippodrome, performances in the theater, roaming around the market booths, and receiving ships arriving at the port, all of which tangibly and powerfully indicate Caesarea's importance throughout the ages. After your tour, begin the 45 minute drive back to Haifa.