Tour group will be met at the Tel Aviv airport and assisted with arrival procedures as well as accessing the ground transfer to the group hotel. Welcome dinner and overnight on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

Today we depart for the Galilee enjoying stops at the extensive ruins of Caesarea Maritima, 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 Mt. Carmel, where Elijah prayed, and God defeated 450 prophets of Baal with fire from heaven (1 Kings 18) We end our journey at 'Nazareth Village', a re-created village offering detailed explanation of life during the time of Jesus. On our return to Tiberius, we take a short ride to Mount Precipice, the traditional site believed to be where an angry mob attempted to throw Jesus off the cliff after his bold proclamation in the Nazareth synagogue. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee

Following breakfast, we travel north into the Golan Heights to the ancient site of Caesarea Philippi (Banias) where Jesus asked His disciples, 'Whoy do men say taht 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 remains of the 5000-year old ancient city including the Canaanite Gate, the ritual site which recalls the sacrifice of golden calves during the reign of Jeroboam, and the beautiful Dan Springs fed by the snow from Mt. Hermon. Returning to the Sea of Galilee area, we visit Capernaum (Mark 1: 31-38), the base of Jesus’ early ministry, the home of Peter, and the site of many healings. We will take a short drive to the Mt. of Beatitudes to enjoy a time for spiritual reflection and meditation as we reflect on Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 1-15). In the afternoon, we 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. We end our day at the Yardinet- a baptismal site on the Jordan River for baptisms. (Please note: robes must we worn at this site and a fee of $10 will be charged for those desiring baptism.) Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we check out of the hotel and begin our day with a short hike up Mt. Arbel for a panoramic view of the entire Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area. We depart this area heading south toward Jerusalem. On the way, we enjoy a visit to 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. We continue with our ascent to the majestic city of Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

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 (Matthew 26:36, John 18:1). Entering the Old City of Jerusalem through the Lion’s Gate, we walk to the most holy site 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. Stops will include the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a paralytic (John 5:1-15), the Pavement ,where Jesus stood while being tried by Pilate, and the Ecce Homo Arch ('Behold the man' – John 19:5) reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which commemorates the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ’s burial. We end our day with a visit to Bethlehem visiting the Church of the Nativity-the birthplace of Jesus. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

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. Continuing along the Dead Sea, we pass by the lovely Ein Gedi, the oasis in the desert, where David hid from King Saul (1 Sam. 24: 1-7). We continue to 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 lowerest spon on Earth). **Please be sure to bring a swimsuit, towel (from the hotel), and water shoes as the bottom surface can be rough. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Following breakfast, we travel to the City of David touring excellent archeological remains of David’s period and that of the Kings of Judah (2 Samuel 5: 8-10). During this visit enjoy a walk (potentially wet!) through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the 2,700-year-old water tunnel dug during the reign of King Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:30) and remaining as one of the wonders of early engineering. The tunnel ends at the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man. *A flashlight and good water shoes will be helpful should you choose to walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel. Later, we will visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the site of the house of Caiaphas and where three times Peter denied Christ (Mark 14:26-72). We will see the original steps used by Jesus as he was held at Caiaphas’s house before being tried by Pontius Pilate and ultimately, crucified. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Today we drive to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Additionally, the 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem, as the city would have appeared in Jesus’ time, will fascinate you! Afterwards we visit the Garden Tomb for a time of quiet reflection, worship, and communion. Following the visit to the Garden Tomb, we return to the hotel for a free afternoon. Options include relaxing in the hotel, returning to the Old City for further exploration and/or shopping, or visiting Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Hotel for dinner and overnight.