THE HOLY LAND
(8 DAYS, CATHOLIC)
With optional extensions to Egypt and Jordan.
(Which means you can either do the 8 day program, or add it to Egypt or
Jordan. If you wish to to do all 3 countries, please see our Exodus
program. If in doubt - we are just an email or call away).
Day 1: Flight to Israel
Departure from USA. Overnight flight including dinner, breakfast and in-flight entertainment.
Day 2:Tel Aviv / Tiberias.
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. We are met, assisted and escorted to the Galilee by aviatours staff. If arrival time permits - we begin our tour on the way to the hotel.
Day 3: Capernaum/ Tabgha / Mt. of Beatitudes / Magdala / Mt. Tabor
After breakfast, we descend and take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. In the middle of the sea we shut the engines and read the moving scriptures: Matthew 14:26-27. We reach Capernaum (Luke 4:31) to visit the ruins of an ancient synagogue and the Byzantine chapel at the site of Peter's House. We then continue to Tabgha (Matt 14:17, 19), the site of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fish, Mount of Beatitudes (Matt 5-7) and Magdala - home of Mary Magdalene. We will ascend to Mt.Tabor– the site of the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt. 17:1-8). Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Jordan River / Nazareth / Cana / Caesarea / Jerusalem
We begin the day at the Bautismal site of the Jordan River where you may renew your Baptismal vow. Continue to Cana (John 21:2) where the first miracle of Jesus took place, and then to Nazareth(Matt 2:23) to visit the place where he lived as a young boy and visit a typical house of his time. Drive to Caesarea(Acts 10:1ff),the port-city built by King Herod. Apostle Paul was put in prison here until he was expelled to Rome. We will continue to Jerusalem to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Jerusalem / Bethlehem
This morning, we spend time getting to know this glorious ancient city: a short drive brings us to Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3) with a panoramic view of both the "old" and "new" Jerusalem. We follow the path down the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:36) and the nearby Church of All Nations. We then take a short drive through the Kidron Valley to reach Absalom and Zachariah's Tomb. Continue to Mount Zion (King David's tomb) and the Upper Room (John 13:1ff), site of the Last Supper. Nearby is the house of Caiaphas. Afternoon travel to the "little town of Bethlehem (Matt 2:1ff) and its' Church of the Nativity and Milk Grotto. Our day ends with dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 6: Jerusalem.
After breakfast we visit the modern city of Jerusalem, the famous Menorah near the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), the Yad Va Shem Museum (the Holocaust Museum). We will visit the Wailing Wall (the Western Wall) - the last remains of the Temple built by King Herod- the Rabbi’s Tunnel exposes to you the unique size of the Wailing Wall. We thenwalk along the Via Dolorosa “The Way of the Cross” with its 14 stations, ending in the Church of The Holy Sepulcher (Matthew 27:11-31). Our day ends with a farewell dinner and overnight in our hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 7: Qumran / Dead Sea/ Masada/ Jerusalem.
We drive south to the Dead Sea through Qumran, to visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We’ll then continue to Masada, the palace-fort built by King Herod. Here, in 73 A.D., 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans. The plateau is reached via a cable car ride with a spectacular view of the plains surrounding it. We’ll also dip in the Dead Sea – rich with minerals, God’s gift to your skin. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (If your flight departs at midnight, you will be transferred to the airport after dinner
Day 8:Flight back home
. Arrival on same day.Welcome back. You have just returned from a lifetime experience.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO EGYPT
Day 7: Qumran/ Dead Sea/ Masada /Jerusalem/
We head south to the Dead Sea and to Qumran, to visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Continue on to Masada, the palace-fort built by King Herod. Here, in 73 A.D., 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans. The plateau is reached via a cable car ride with a spectacular view of the plains surrounding it. We’ll also dip in the Dead Sea – rich with minerals, God’s gift to your skin. We head south crossing the Negev until we reach Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Mt. Sinai
After a reach breakfast we have a few hours to enjoy this Red Sea city. We cross the border into Egypt and travel through the Sinai Desert to reach Mount Sinai, where God spoke to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3:10), and bestowed the tablets with the Ten Commandments to him. Here, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine, dating back to 337 AD – is situated. The Monastery encompasses Moses Well (where Moses met his future wife, Zipporah), and the Chapel of the Burning Bush. We will have dinner and overnight at a local hospice.
Day 9: Mt. Sinai and Cairo.
Early in the morning we climb Mount Sinai to have a service with sunrise. This is a spectacular experience. We descend for breakfast and continue our journey to the ancient city of Cairo crossing the Suez Canal. Dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Day 10: Cairo.
After breakfast we travel to the Guisa Plateau to visit the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Theses are some of the structures that the people of Israel built as slaves in Egypt. We then visit the famous EgyptianMuseum where the treasures of King Tut Ein Khamon are exhibited. Dinner and overnight in our hotel.
Day 11: Flight back home.
Arrival on the same day. Welcome back. You have just returned from a trip of a lifetime.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO JORDAN
Day 8: Jordan; Jerash / Mt. Nebo / Petra.
After breakfast we cross the Jordan River into the Kingdom of Jordan. We head towards Jerash – the most preserved Roman city in the Middle East. This is how it looked in the time of Jesus Christ. We then visit Mt.Nebo, the traditional burial place of Moses. From here he saw the promised land but could not have entered. We proceed south to Petra for dinner and overnight at this unique place.
Day 9: Petra/ Madabah.
After breakfast we explore the Nabatean city of Petra. This is one of the most striking sites upon earth, declared by the U.N. as a world wonder. After a short horse ride in a beautiful canyon we come upon an old temple carved into the sand stone of the canyon, beyond which lies the city of Petra. It was built in the 4thcentury as a shelter city for caravans that crossed the desert between Egypt and Syria. In the afternoon we head back towards Israel. On the way we visit Madabah and view a moziac map of the Holy land. We cross the border and head towards our Jerusalem hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Flight Back Home
Transfer to the airport for our flight back home. Arrival home in the U.S.A. on the same day.
THIS PROGRAM MAY BE ALTERED TO FIT THE NEEDS OF YOUR GROUP
or call us during office hours (weekdays 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST) at 1-800-950-0747