ARRIVAL IN BEN GURION AIRPORT IN TEL AVIV – SEA OF GALILEE

Upon arrival to Ben Gurion Airport. After passport control and once you exit the airport, our English-speaking representative will meet and escort you to board your modern deluxe bus to your hotel at the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias.

CANA – NAZARETH – MOUNT OF PRECIPICE

We will begin this day with a visit to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed His first miracle changing water into wine at the request of His mother [John 2:1-11]. In Cana, we will visit the Franciscan Chapel. Those among us who wish may renew their wedding vows in the Chapel.
From Cana, we will then drive to Nazareth, the hometown of Mary where Jesus lived as a child. We will visit Mary’s well found just below the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. The well was positioned over an underground spring that served for centuries as a local watering hole for the villagers. It is from this well that the Virgin Mary would have gone to fetch water. We will see the Church of the Annunciation that stands atop the house of Mary where Angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced she was going to be with a child and call him Immanuel. Celebrate mass in the Church. Later in the day, we will visit the Mount of Precipice, the brow of the hill on which the ancient city of Nazareth stood (Luke 4). According to Christian tradition, the angry mob took Jesus to the top of the mount to throw him off. There we will enjoy the spectacular view of the Valley of Armageddon and Mount Tabor. Return to hotel on the Sea of Galilee, dinner & overnight.

TIBERIAS: SEA OF GALILEE – TABGHA – CAPERNAUM – CAESAREA PHILIPPI

We will start the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to the Ancient Boat Museum that houses a 2000-year-old fishing boat found buried in mud on the shores of Galilee. The boat provides a good example of how fishing boats looked like during the time of Jesus.
Then we will continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, scene of Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. We will enjoy the view of the enchanting gardens and reflect on Jesus’ sermon. We will also celebrate mass. Our next visit will be to Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000. We will also visit the site known as “Peter’s Primacy” where Jesus appeared to His disciples for the third time after His Resurrection and told Peter to “feed my lambs; feed my sheep” (John 21:9). We will then take a short drive to Capernaum, biblical village and hometown of Jesus. Capernaum is closely associated with Jesus and His ministry as described in the Synoptic Gospels. There we will see the house of the mother-in-law of Peter and an ancient synagogue that dates back to the time of Jesus and where much of His teaching took place. In the afternoon, we will drive to the Land of the Jordan where we will visit Caesarea Philippi, located on the sources of the River Jordan where Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. We will then head back to the Sea of Galilee along the Golan Heights overlooking Damascus. Return to hotel on the Sea of Galilee, dinner & overnight.

MOUNT TABOR – MAGDALA

Immediately after breakfast, we will depart for Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. Here we will have time to reflect on Christ’s human and divine natures. We will also celebrate mass at the Church of the Transfiguration. We will then drive back to the Sea of Galilee along the ancient road that runs through the Valley of Arbel to visit Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene. In Magdala, we will visit the 1st century synagogue and see the archaeological remains of the city from the time of Jesus. Return to hotel on the Sea of Galilee, dinner & overnight.

SEA OF GALILEE – BETHLEHEM – SHEPHERDS’ FIELD

Open buffet breakfast and checkout. Depart for Bethlehem following the Journey route most probably taken by Joseph and Mary from Galilee to Bethlehem. Start our tour of Bethlehem at Manger Square, which stands in front of one of the oldest of Christian churches, the Church of the Nativity. We will enter the Church, celebrate mass and go down to the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the spot where Jesus was born. Beneath the Altar, there is a silver star with the Latin inscription: HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary). We will also visit the Milk Grotto where the Holy Family moved to live after the birth of Jesus until their flight to Egypt. In the late afternoon, we will depart for the cave at the Shepherds’ Field where the angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cave has soot marks of the fires that the shepherds lit to keep warm while watching over their flocks. The field is also the setting of the Book of Ruth. Hotel check-in in Bethlehem, dinner & overnight.

BETHANY – QUMRAN – RIVER JORDAN – JERICHO

We will start the day with a mass at Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, and his sister Mary and Martha. This will be followed by a visit to the empty tomb. Afterwards, we will travel along the shores of the Dead Sea to Qumran and visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were accidentally discovered and understand the importance of the discovery. We will also see the buildings that formed the public centre of the Essenes. After Qumran, we will drive the Baptismal Site in Bet Arabah on the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized. We will have the chance to renew our baptismal vows. We will then drive along the Jordan Valley to the ancient city of Jericho, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The Mount of Temptation will also be in sight. We will make a tour in the city of Jericho and visit the Sycamore Tree Site reminding ourselves of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus. We will also visit Tel Jericho where the ancient city of Jericho stood at the time of Joshua and see a 10,000-year-old tower that granted Jericho the title “the oldest city in the world.” In the late afternoon, you will have some free time to enjoy a dip in the relaxing and healing Dead Sea lukewarm waters. Return to hotel in Bethlehem, dinner & overnight.

JERUSALEM: MOUNT OF OLIVES – GETHSEMANE – MOUNT ZION – JEWISH QUARTER – WAILING (WESTERN) WALL

In the early morning, we will drive to the Mount of Olives and take in the panoramic view of the holy city of Jerusalem. Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) on the Mount of Olives, which is commonly believed to be the spot from where Jesus ascended to heaven. We will walk along Palm Sunday path and stop at the beautiful little church, Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). We will then carry on along the Jewish cemetery that overlooks the Eastern (Golden) Gate – known as the Thrones of Judgment (Psalm 122). We will recall the Passion of Christ at the Garden of Gethsemane, where amid the 2000-year-old olive trees we will visit the Church of All Nations and see the Rock of Agony on which Jesus prayed. We will also visit the nearby Gethsemane cave where Jesus often spent the nights and where He was arrested at the hands of the High Priest guards. We will then proceed along Kidron Valley to Mount Zion for a visit to the House of Caiaphas and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where we will see parts of the streets where our Lord was hauled by His captors. This will be followed by a visit to the Dormition Abbey, the place where Our Lady fell to eternal sleep. Afterwards, we will head to the Cenacle that commemorates the Upper Room in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples. In the afternoon, we will go into the Old City of Jerusalem, pass through the Armenian Quarter into the Jewish Quarter, where we will see the Roman Cardo, King Hezekiah broad wall that leads to the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount and Judaism holiest site. Hotel check-in in Jerusalem, dinner & overnight.

JERUSALEM: VIA DOLOROSA – HOLY SEPULCHER – SAINT ANNE’S CHURCH – POOLS OF BETHESDA – EMMAUS

This day we will walk along Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) in the old city of Jerusalem, starting from Antonia Fortress where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. Jesus was taken from the fortress shouldering the cross through the streets of the city to be crucified. We will pass by and see the Stations of the Cross, and walk through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known by the locals as the Church of Resurrection. Here is the site of Calvary and the Tomb of Christ. We will have mass in the Church. Afterwards, we will visit the Pools of Bethesda, where the healing of the paralyzed took place (John 5). We will also have the opportunity to praise the Lord with hymns in the nearby perfectly intact Crusader Church of Saint Anne. In the afternoon, we will visit the town of Emmaus in Abu Gosh. Jesus appeared to His Disciples in Emmaus after Resurrection. Return to hotel in Jerusalem, farewell dinner & overnight.

DEPARTURE FOR TEL AVIV AIRPORT

Breakfast, hotel check-out, and transfer to airport for flight home.