Overnight Flight from the US to Tel Aviv, Israel

Arrive in Tel Aviv. Tour group will be met at airport and assisted with arrival procedures. Dinner and overnight beside the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

Dinner

Today we depart for the Galilee enjoying stops at the extensive ruins of Caesarea, an ancient port city, built by King Herod and later becoming the seat of government of the Roman governors, and where Peter proclaimed the Good News to the Roman centurion (Acts 9 & 25).  We continue to Megiddo (the valley of Armageddon) and then to Mt. Carmel, where Elijah prayed and God defeated 450 prophets of Baal with fire from heaven (1 Kings 18).  We end our journey at the “Nazareth Village”– a re-created village offering detailed explanation of what life was like during the time of Jesus.  Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

Following breakfast, travel north into the Golan Heights along the Banias River to the ancient site of Caesarea Philippi (Banias), where Jesus asked His disciples “who do men say that I am?” (Mark 8: 27-30).  We will enjoy a short hike through the beautiful nature reserve of Tel Dan (named for the tribe of Dan) where we will see the gate of Jeroboam .  You head back to the Sea of Galilee area to visit Capernaum (Mark 1: 31-38), the base of Jesus’ early ministry, the home of Peter, and the site of many healings.  In the afternoon, you board a replica “Jesus Boat”, a fishing boat of the kind used by the disciples of Jesus, for our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Our day ends on the Jordan River at the baptismal site called, Yardenit, with an opportunity for baptisms. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast, Dinner 

We start our journey to Jerusalem with a brief stop at the Mt of Beatitudes where you will enjoy time for spiritual reflection and meditation as we reflect on Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 1-15) and enjoy the beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee.    We begin our journey to Jerusalem with a stop at Beit She’an, one of the best-preserved Decapolis Roman cities. In Beit She’an, the bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung from the city walls (1 Samuel 31:10-12) after the Philistines defeated them. Following our visit to Beit She’an we ascend to the majestic city of Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.  

Breakfast, Dinner

We begin our day on the beautiful Mt. of Olives to behold the breathtaking panorama of the Holy City. Our pilgrimage will proceed down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive grove, and the Church of All Nations, where tradition holds that Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal (Matt. 26:36, John 18:1).   Entering the Old City of Jerusalem through the Zion Gate, we walk to the most holy shrine of the Jewish people, the Western (Wailing) Wall of Herod's temple. Beyond the wall lies the 35-acre temple area purchased by King David (2 Samuel. 24:18-25). On this site now stands the golden Dome of the Rock (the third holiest shrine in all Islam) and the El-Aksa Mosque. From the temple area, we make our way along the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) the road which Jesus walked after being sentenced by Pontius Pilate– including St. Anne's Crusader Church, Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a paralytic (John 5:1-15), the Pavement (where Jesus stood while being tried by Pilate), Ecce Homo Arch, and the ancient Cardo-reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We end our day with a visit to Bethlehem seeing the Church of the Nativity-the birthplace of our Lord and Shepherd's Field where the angel of the Lord proclaimed the Good News of the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:8-18).  Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. 

Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Jerusalem this morning, we meander through the Judean desert and along the western shore of the Dead Sea. Our first visit is Masada, the fortress built by King Herod and site of the last Jewish resistance against the Romans in 73 AD. Ascending Masada by cable car, we will be able to survey the ruins of the fortifications, waterworks, synagogue, temples, and palaces. We pass by the lovely Ein Gedi, the area that David hid from King Saul (1 Sam.24: 1-7). We continue onto visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were written over 2000 years ago and discovered in 1947. We conclude the day with a relaxing float in the healing waters of the Dead Sea (the lowest spot-on earth).

Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Following breakfast, we drive to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. Additionally, the 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem, as the city would have appeared in Jesus' time, will fascinate you!   Afterwards we visit Golgotha and the Garden Tomb for a time of quiet reflection, worship, and communion. Following the visit to the Garden Tomb, we will head back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon and for dinner and overnight

Breakfast, Dinner

We check out of the hotel following breakfast by 11:00 AM and transfer to the airport to catch our flight back to the USA.

Breakfast