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HOLY LAND DISCOVERY – FAITH-BASED TRAVEL
8 DAY TOUR FROM TEL AVIV TO JERUSALEM
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.
DAY 1 Arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel
Welcome to Israel! Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. This evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.
DAY 2 Tel Aviv–Jaffa–Caesarea–Megiddo–Muhraqa–Haifa-Nazareth
Enjoy a full day exploring some of the Holy Land’s ancient biblical and modern sights. Begin by driving to the old port of Jaffa, an atmospheric town where Jonah set sail before he was swallowed by the whale. Continue to CAESAREA, an ancient port turned incredible ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE. Built by Herod the Great in the 1st century BC, the city was one of the most splendid in ancient Palestine and its capital for more than 600 years. Admire what remains of Herod’s grandiose building works, including the restored 3,500-seat Roman theater, the aqueduct, harbor, and the crumbled moat and towers from the 12th-century CRUSADER FORTRESS. From here, travel to the archaeological site of MEGIDDO, an age-old FORTIFIED TOWN and one of the world’s most important biblical sites. According to the New Testament, this is where the Battle of Armageddon will take place, the final struggle between good and evil, which will prompt the return of Jesus to defeat the Antichrist and cast Satan into the abyss. Next, visit MUHRAQA on Mount Carmel. Here, a 17th-century MONASTERY marks where the prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. Then, visit Haifa, a city dating back to biblical times, before reaching Nazareth, where you will spend the next three nights.
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DAY 3 Nazareth. Excursion To Mount Of Beatitudes–Capernaum–Sea Of Galilee–Tabgha–Jordan River
Today, travel to the Sea of Galilee, stopping en route to visit the MOUNT OF BEATITUDES, where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount, and attend Mass, if you like. Next, Capernaum, home to the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and Matthew the tax collector. While here, see its ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE and the HOUSE OF ST. PETER, then head for Tabgha, where Jesus fed the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves. View the church commemorating the miracle, and stop at the BAPTISMAL SITE at Qasr el Yahud on the Jordan River.
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DAY 4 Nazareth. Excursion to Cana of Galilee & Bet She'an
This morning, visit the CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, where the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Attend Mass Mass at St. Joseph’s Church or the Church of the Annunciation. Then, head for CANA OF GALILEE, where Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast. Stop at GIDEON’S SPRING, where Gideon tested his army so he could decide who would join him in battle against the Midianites. Then, visit BET SHE’AN, one of the world’s best-preserved Roman cities. Ongoing excavations at this UNESCO World Heritage Site have revealed time-worn colonnaded streets, bathhouses, and theaters. Later, participate in a satisfying hands-on afternoon of volunteer work at the NAZARETH TRUST.
Breakfast Breakfast
DAY 5 Nazareth–Jericho–Bethlehem–Jerusalem
Drive through the Jordan Valley and visit Jericho, where the shouts and trumpet blasts of Joshua and his army caused the city fortifications to crumble. Continue to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and King David. Visit one of Christianity’s holiest places, the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY, built over the cave thought to be the spot where Jesus was born. Here, you will have time to pray and attend Mass, if you like. Reach the holy city of Jerusalem in the late afternoon.
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DAY 6 Jerusalem
An intense day of reflection awaits as you set off on a walking tour of Jerusalem’s Old Town. From the MOUNT OF OLIVES, take in memorable views over the city’s domes, walls, and rooftops before strolling in the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, where Jesus prayed on the night before his arrest. Your guide will then lead you into the JEWISH QUARTER, pointing out the WESTERN WALL with its prayer notes tucked between the stones, and the Dome of the Rock, the gold-topped mosque on Temple Mount. Next, walk the famous Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross), following in Jesus’ footsteps as he bore the cross to Calvary for his crucifixion and burial, where the BASILICA OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE now stands. Later this afternoon, attend Mass, if you like.
Breakfast Breakfast
DAY 7 Jerusalem. Optional Excursion to Masada & The Dead Sea
Today is free to relax, explore Jerusalem at leisure, revisit some of the most significant places of worship, or join an exciting optional excursion to the Dead Sea, the planet’s lowest point on dry land. Travel through the mountainous Judean Desert; pass the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered; then, ride the cable car up to the magnificent Fortress of Masada. The fortification, perched high on a clifftop plateau above the Dead Sea, was where 960 Jewish rebels made their last stand against Roman forces in 73 AD. Later, head for the shores of the Dead Sea, where you’ll have plenty of time to experience the incredible buoyancy in the saltwater. Toward the end of the afternoon, return to Jerusalem.
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 8 Jerusalem
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (nearest airport is Tel Aviv).
Breakfast Breakfast
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.
DAY 1 Arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel
Welcome to Israel! Check into your hotel, then this evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.
DinnerDinner
DAY 2 Tel Aviv–Jaffa–Caesarea– Muhraqa–Megiddo–Tiberias
Leave Tel Aviv and drive to the old port of Jaffa. Sightseeing continues at Caesarea, an ancient port turned stunning archaeological zone. Admire the restored 3,500-seat Roman THEATER, the AQUEDUCT, harbor, and the crumbled moat and towers from the 12th-century CRUSADER FORTRESS. Next, visit MUHRAQA on Mount Carmel, site of Elijah’s contest of faith with the priests of Baal. From here, travel to the ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF MEGIDDO, an age-old fortified town and site of the Battle of Armageddon in the End Times, according to the Bible. Overnight in the lakeside city of Tiberias.
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DAY 3 Tiberias. Excursion to Kibbutz Ginosar, Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha & Caesarea Philippi
Today, travel to KIBBUTZ GINOSAR to see the ancient boat at the JESUS BOAT MUSEUM, followed by a CRUISE on the Sea of Galilee. Next, visit Capernaum and see its ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE AND THE HOUSE OF ST. PETER. Travel north to the MOUNT OF BEATITUDES, where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount, and continue to Tabgha to visit the CHURCH OF THE MULTIPLICATION, the site where Jesus fed the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves. On to Caesarea-Philippi (Banias), home to one of the springs of the Jordan River and a place where Jesus taught his disciples.
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DAY 4 Tiberias–Cana–Nazareth–Jericho–Qasr El Yahud–Jerusalem
This morning, stop in CANA, site of Jesus’ first miracle when he turned water into wine at a wedding. Continue to Nazareth and visit the CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, and of the old village. Leave the Galilee area, drive through the Jordan Valley, and visit Jericho, where the shouts and trumpet blasts of Joshua and his army caused the city fortifications to crumble. Then, visit the Qasr el Yahud BAPTISMAL SITE and ascend the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem, with a stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Old Town.
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 5 Jerusalem. Excursion to Bethlehem
Start today by assisting the PANTRY PACKERS in assembling food parcels destined for Jerusalem’s needy. Then, set off on a touching walking tour of Jerusalem’s Old Town. From the MOUNT OF OLIVES, take in memorable views over the city. Descend via the PALM SUNDAY WALK and visit the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, where Jesus prayed on the night before his arrest. Visit the CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS, located next to the garden, then enter through St. Stephen’s Gate and arrive at the POOL OF BETHESDA. Follow in Jesus’ footsteps along the Way of the Cross to the CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. Walk through the JEWISH QUARTER, reconstructed following unification of the city after the Six-Day War in 1967. Stop at Mount Zion to visit KING DAVID’S TOMB and the CENACLE—the Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper. A special point of interest is the Cardo, Jerusalem’s main street 1,500 years ago. View the unearthed colonnaded thoroughfare with its ancient marketplace. Travel to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and King David. Visit one of Christianity’s holiest places, the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY, situated on the site where Jesus was born.
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DAY 6 Jerusalem
Today, head for the Southern Wall excavations and visit the DAVIDSON CENTER, one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country. Continue with a stop at the WESTERN WALL, the holiest place in Judaism today. Next, visit the GARDEN TOMB, where you enjoy the scenery of the beautiful garden, a perfect place for personal reflection and worship. Then, visit the ISRAEL MUSEUM to see the Shrine of the Book and the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as a scale model of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. Later, tour YAD VASHEM, the “World Holocaust Remembrance Center.”
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 7 Jerusalem. Optional Excursion to Qumran, Masada & The Dead Sea
Today is free to relax, revisit some of the Jerusalem sites at your own pace, or join an exciting optional excursion to the Dead Sea, the planet’s lowest point on dry land. Travel through the mountainous Judean Desert to Qumran with an included visit to the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada and ride the cable car up to the magnificent rock fortress. The fortification, perched high on a clifftop plateau above the Dead Sea, was where 960 Jewish rebels made their last stand against Roman forces in 73 AD. Later, head for the shores of the Dead Sea, where you’ll have time to experience the incredible buoyancy in the saltwater. Return to Jerusalem in the late afternoon.
Breakfast Breakfast
DAY 8 Jerusalem
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (nearest airport is Tel Aviv).
Breakfast Breakfast
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.
DAY 1 Arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel
Welcome to Tel Aviv. Enjoy this evening’s welcome dinner with wine, hosted by your Tour Director.
DinnerDinner
DAY 2 Tel Aviv– Jaffa–Caesarea–Megiddo–Muhraqa–Sea of Galilee
Your tour of the Holy Land begins in Jaffa with a walk through the beautifully restored ancient port, where medieval pilgrims started their strenuous 2-day trek to Jerusalem. Next is Caesarea, the perfect place to learn about the Roman and Crusader presence in the country. Visit the ROMAN AMPHITHEATER and the impressive CRUSADER FORTRESS, and admire Herod’s Stadium and harbor. In the afternoon, travel to the ancient fortified city of Megiddo—one of the world’s most important biblical sites. According to the New Testament, the Battle of Armageddon will be the final struggle between good and evil, prompting the return of Jesus to defeat the Antichrist and cast Satan into the abyss. Continuing north, pass through Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s vineyards and apricot groves to Mount Carmel, considered the most holy of all mountains in ancient times. At Muhraqa, site of Elijah’s contest of faith with the priests of Baal, enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of the fertile Jezreel Valley, where Gideon led the Israelites to victory against the Midianites. Arrive at your hotel in Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 3 Sea of Galilee. Excursion to Cana & Nazareth
Much of Jesus’ ministry occurred on the shores surrounding the Sea of Galilee. It is where he recruited four of his apostles, walked on water, calmed the storm, and fed the 5,000. Today, you will see an ancient fishing boat, said to be from the time of Christ, before arriving in Cana, where Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding. Even now, many couples renew their wedding vows at this sacred place. On to Nazareth, the Virgin Mary’s home village, and where Jesus spent part of his childhood. Visit the CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, and ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, built over Joseph’s carpentry workshop; and pass by Mary’s Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel, where the angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus. Afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 4 Sea of Galilee–Mount of Beatitudes–Tabgha–Capernaum–Bet She’an–Jordan River–Jerusalem
Enjoy a 45-minute CRUISE on the Sea of Galilee, then visit the MOUNT OF BEATITUDES, where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount. Next, visit the CHURCH OF THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES AND FISHES at Tabgha, as well as the CHURCH OF ST. PETER’S PRIMACY, where Jesus instructed Peter “to feed my lambs and tend my sheep.” Warm springs once flowed into the sea here, attracting fish, which is why Peter came here to earn a living. On to CAPERNAUM, where Jesus recruited his first followers among the fishermen. Via the ruins of Kursi, which memorialize two of Jesus’ miracles, arrive at the Jordan River and visit a BAPTISMAL SITE. Then, visit the ancient city of Bet She’an with its fine ROMAN and BYZANTINE RELICS. The city is located at the foot of Mount Gilboa, where King Saul and his son died by their own hands in battle with the Philistines. On the way to Jerusalem, stop for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Holy City, considered one of the oldest places in the world, with a history dating back as far as 4000 BC
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DAY 5 Jerusalem. Excursion To Ein Karem, Bethlehem & The Garden Tomb
This morning, drive to Ein Karem and visit the CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST and the CHURCH OF VISITATION, said to be built over the home of John the Baptist’s parents. Enjoy a beautiful view of the valley and surrounding wooded hills. Continue to Bethlehem and see Shepherd’s Field, where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Next, visit the CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY on the site where Jesus was born. On the way back to Jerusalem, visit the GARDEN TOMB to bask in the splendor of the garden and pause to worship or meditate.
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DAY 6 Jerusalem. Excursion To The Old City
After a stunning view of the city from the revered MOUNT OF OLIVES, start your guided walking tour. Via the Chapel of Dominus Flevit, designed in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ, arrive at the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, where Jesus prayed the night before his arrest. Nearby are the Cave of the Assumption of Mary, believed to be the Virgin Mary’s tomb; and the Cave of Betrayal, where Judas betrayed Jesus. Follow the VIA DOLOROSA with its nine Stations of the Cross, marking the path Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. At Golgotha, visit the CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE, erected on the site of the crucifixion and which houses the remaining five Stations of the Cross. Walk past the Temple Mount to see the Dome of the Rock, which is sacred to both the Jewish and Muslim people. On to the WESTERN WALL, the only remnant of the Second Temple, then stroll through the restored Jewish Quarter to MOUNT ZION and visit the UPPER ROOM, where Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper; the TOMB OF KING DAVID; and the HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS, where Jesus was kept the night after his arrest and where Peter denied knowing him three times.
Breakfast Breakfast
DAY 7 Jerusalem. Excursion To Masada & The Dead Sea
Today, travel through the Judean wilderness to the Dead Sea, the planet’s lowest point on dry land. Enjoy the scenery as you follow the road between the salty water and majestic desert mountains. Catch glimpses of the Caves of Qumran, where the precious Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Ascend by cable car to the spectacular clifftop FORTRESS OF MASADA, and hear how 960 Jewish rebels made their last stand against Roman forces. Around lunchtime, reach a comfortable Dead Sea resort for free time to experience the incredible buoyancy in the heavy saltwater. Later, return to Jerusalem.
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DAY 8 At leisure in Jerusalem
A full day at leisure, with time to attend a worship service at one of Jerusalem’s churches. Later, maybe join an optional excursion that includes a visit to the Israel Museum to see the Shrine of the Book and the Dead Sea Scrolls; the Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem; and the Inn of the Good Samaritan. Join your traveling companions one last time at tonight’s special farewell dinner with wine, and celebrate the blessings you experienced on your Holy Land adventure.
Breakfast BreakfastDinnerDinner
DAY 9 Jerusalem
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (the nearest airport is Tel Aviv).
Breakfast Breakfast
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