• Full-day tour to the colorful Druze communities of the Carmel Mountain.
• Visit the Druze Cultural Center to learn about this secretive and mystical faith tradition.
• Interact with locals while preparing a traditional Druze meal in a local home.
• Visit the spectacular “House of Colors” art installation by Druze artist Sam Halaby.

This day tour takes us to the top of the Carmel Mountain, located along Israel’s northern coast, to meet members of the unique Druze community. Originating as a mystical religion in 12th century Egypt, the Druze are known throughout the entire Middle East as mountain dwellers with a reputation for being ferocious fighters. 

We begin our tour at the Druze cultural heritage center in the town of Usfiya where we will meet some local elders who will share with us some of the main tenets of this secretive religion. In addition, we will have the opportunity to learn about traditional Druze handicrafts over a cup of tea made from local mountain herbs. 

Following our visit to the cultural center, we will be hosted by a local family for a cooking workshop where we will learn to prepare a typical Druze meal including kebab, hummus, and a Levantine “mezze” meal of salads. During our visit, we will have the opportunity to break bread and to discuss topics such as the status of women in Druze society, growing up as an Arab non-Muslim minority in Israel, Druze beliefs on reincarnation, the importance of military service, and anything else you want to know. 

Lastly, we will drive to the neighboring Druze village of Dalyat al Karmel where we will visit a “Makam,” or holy site, to learn about Druze devotional practices. After that we will cross the street to visit the home of Sir Laurence Oliphant, a 19th century British mystic and parliamentarian who built his home on this beautiful spot. We end our tour with a visit to the dazzling “House of Colors,” an art installation by local artist Sam Halaby who splattered his family home from top to bottom with a spectacular array of vibrant colors.