Day 1 – Tel Aviv
Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport and meet our representative with a welcome drink.
Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv, with time to refresh.
Meet with your guide and receive further information about the days ahead.
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 2 – Tel Aviv/Jaffa
Begin the day in ancient city of Old Jaffa,
visiting the house of Simon the Tanner, before strolling down the streets of Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s first Jewish settlement built outside of Jaffa in 1887.
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 3 – Caesarea/Haifa
Following a delicious Mediterranean breakfast, we will travel to Caesarea to visit the magnificent port built by Herod the Great, where the Roman Amphitheater and hippodrome remain.
Visit the spot were Cornelius was baptized and where Paul appeared before King Agrippa before he was sent to Rome.
From the sea, we will visit Mount Carmel and the Muhraqa Church of Carmelite Sisters, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. Enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley.
After, we will drive to the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, an immaculate succession of garden terraces surrounding the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel.
Overnight in Haifa/Nazareth/Tiberias
Day 4 – Megiddo, Nazareth
Start the day at Megiddo (Armageddon) to talk about Apocalypse in Judaism and Christianity.
See the ruins of the city from the time of King Solomon and King Ahab.
Drive to Nazareth, “the small town in the Galilee” where the Lord spent the “silent years”. View the city from Mt Precipice.
Visit the Church of Annunciation, St. Joseph Church, and the Synagogue Church, in addition to Mary’s Well.
Visit Nazareth Village to experience a special site based on New Testament scholarship, which brings to life a farm and Galilean Village from 2000 years ago.
Overnight Nazareth/Tiberias/Haifa
Day 5 – Sea of Galilee
Begin the day on the Mount of Beatitudes to discuss the Lord’s most profound parables. From here, we will descend by foot (optional).
Visit Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, for an up-close glimpse of the Byzantine mosaic floor.
Stop at Mensa Christi Church, a symbol of Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter.
Overnight Nazareth/Tiberias/Haifa
Day 6 – Golan Heights
We will drive to the north of Israel to experience the beauty of the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, visiting one of the most important water sources of the Jordan River, as well as remains of the Israelite Temple and the Canaanite Gate (known as Abraham’s Gate).
Continuing onto Caesarea Philippi, we will see another beautiful natural reserve and one of the three tributaries of the Jordan River.
Next, we will visit Mount Bentall’s peak, which presents views of Syria, Lebanon and the Golan Heights; followed by a taste of knafeh (a Middle Eastern dessert) in the Druze village of Mas’ade.
Overnight Tiberias/Nazareth/Haifa
Day 7 Beth She’an/Jericho
Drive to Skythopolis to climb the mount where the corpse of King Saul and his sons were hung by the Philistines after being slain on Mount Gilboa. We will read the tragic story and view the surroundings.
Continue south through the Jordan Valley to the baptism site of Qaser al-Yahud near Jericho.
Drive to Jericho to visit the excavation of Tell el-Sultan, biblical Jericho, a UNESCO-nominated archaeological site in the West Band.
After, we will enjoy a panoramic view from Mount of Temptation of Temptation
Overnight Dead Sea
Day 8 Qumran/Masada
Drive to visit the Essenes of Qumran, a community of sectarian Jewish people; and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1948.
Continue to Ein Gedi, a desert oasis where David’s Waterfall rests, to recall the story of David trying to hide from King Saul.
Moving onward to Masada, we will ascend and descend by cable car, with a walking tour of the fortress in between.
Continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, to experience the wonders of floating on the salty, mineral rich water.
Overnight at the Dead Sea
Day 9 – Bethlehem/Jerusalem
Visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s poignant memorial museum for the victims of the Holocaust.
After, we will go to the Israel Museum to view the “Shrine of the Book” and a model of Jerusalem from the time of Herod the Great.
Following lunch, we will drive to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd’s Field.
Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 10– Jerusalem
The day begins with a panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. On the descent, we will see the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery, before continuing onto the Garden of Gethsemane.
After, we will walk through the old city to visit the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of Saint Anne, continuing onto the Via Dolorosa and Church of the
The day begins with a panoramic view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. On the descent, we will see the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery, before continuing onto the Garden of Gethsemane.
After, we will walk through the old city to visit the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of Saint Anne, continuing onto the Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There is also an optional to explore the underground Western Wall tunnels.
In the afternoon, we will stop at Mount Zion, where King David’s tomb is located, followed by a visit to Cenacle (Cenaculum), the Room of the Last Supper.
Continuing onto the Western Wall, we will explore the Jewish Quarter.
Overnight in Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Day 11 – Jerusalem
The day starts at the City of David and the Siloam Tunnel (Hezekiah’s tunnel) beneath. This city is thought to be the original urban core of ancient Jerusalem.
Across the street at the Davidson Center, a museum with an archaeological park, you will find a variety of ruins from the days of the Second Temple.
Following a visit to The Temple Institute, there will be free time to explore the Old City.
In the evening, the group will be presented with a pilgrim certificate.
Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 12 – Ben Gurion Airport
It’s a goodbye from Israel as we say our farewells.
We look forward to meeting you again in Jerusalem!
