11 Days
Specific Tour
50 people
English
Depart for your overnight flights to the Holy Land. Meals will be served on board.
Day Two: Arrival
Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. Meet and Assist by your Guide, then transfer to your hotel in Tiberius, approximately two and a half hours drive. En route a possible visit to Caesarea Maritima, a harbor city that was built by Herod the Great. Dinner and overnight in Tiberius.
Day Three: Nazareth /Cana of Galilee/ Mount Tabor
† Mass at Annunciation Church
Begin the day with a visit to Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. Visit the Basilica of Annunciation (Mass), marking the annunciation by the Angel Gabriel of the birth of Jesus. See Mary’s well and the grotto, believed to have been the home of the Virgin Mary; the centuries-old Church of St. Gabriel. Continue to Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle of turning water into wine during a wedding feast. See the Wedding Church. End the day by going to Mt. Tabor and visiting the beautiful two-level Basilica of the Transfiguration, marking the Transfiguration of Jesus before Peter and James and talking with Moses and Elias. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the valley below. Dinner and overnight in the hotel in Tiberias.
Day Four: Golan Heights/Sea of Galilee
† Mass at Capernaum
After breakfast, we drive to Golan Height to visit Caesarea Philippi which became an important Christian pilgrimage destination as the place where Jesus asked the disciples “Who do people say I am?”. Drive back to Tiberius to Follow the footsteps of Jesus’ ministry in the villages around the Sea of Galilee, begin with a visit to Capernaum, often called the hometown of Christ. Capernaum is where Jesus healed a centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and many others who were brought to Him. See the church marking St. Peter’s house. Continue to Tabgha and visit the church of Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, commemorating Jesus’ miracle of feeding 5,000 men. See the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy (Mass), where Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection. The next stop is Mt. of Beatitudes, the hill where He preached the Sermon on the Mount to the multitudes that stood below. The journey continues as you are welcome to take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and remember the events which took place in the area. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day Five: Haifa/ Mount Carmel/ Jaffa/Bethlehem
† Mass at Stella Marris
Drive to Mt. Carmel, visit Carmelites’ monastery Stella Maris Church (Mass). It was Mt. Carmel that Prophet Elijah chose for gathering together all the people with the prophets of Baal to prove who the True God is. Proceed to the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, also known as the Terraces of Baha’i Faith. These garden terraces form the Shrine of the Baal on Mount Carmel. Described as the Eighth Wonder of the World, they are one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. Drive to Caesarea Maritima, a city and harbor built by Herod the Great about XXV-XIII BC. Today, its ruins lie on the Mediterranean coast of Israel about halfway between the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. It is here that Apostle Peter baptized Cornelius the Centurion and following it established there a church. Continue to Joppa (Jaffa), an ancient port city, which is believed to be one of the oldest in the world. The Bible says that St. Peters’ resurrection of the widow Tabitha takes place in Joppa. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Six: Shepherd’s Field/ Bethlehem
† Mass at Bethlehem Basilica
After breakfast, we stop in Beth Sahour to visit the Shepherds’ Fields, identified with shepherds who saw the Star of Nativity. Continue to Bethlehem visit the Nativity Church, Chapel of the Innocents, Church of St. Katherine, and the Manger Square. See the Milk Grotto, where, according to tradition, the Holy Family took refuge during the Slaughter of the Innocents, before their flight into Egypt. Tradition has it that while Mary was nursing Jesus here, a drop of her divine milk fell to the ground, turning it white. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Seven: Bethany / Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Jericho
† Mass at Bethany Church
After Breakfast, we make a stop at Bethany to visit the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and the Tomb of Lazarus, proceed to visit Jericho which has been the cradle of civilization as far back as 7,000 to 10,000 B.C. It was the first city taken by the oldest cities in the world. It was the first city taken by the tribes of Israel after they crossed the River Jordan. In Jericho, Christ cured a blind man It was here that the chief tax collector Zacchaeus, who was short of stature, climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus, View Mount of Temptation situated in the northwest of Jericho over-looking the world’s most ancient city. After Lunch in Jericho, we drive to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Visit the remains of the Community Center of the Essences and the Caves of the Scrolls. From there we drive to a private beach on the Dead Sea for a dip in the salt and mineral-laden. Finally, you can renew our baptismal vows, the traditional baptismal site on the river Jordan. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Eight: Mt. Olives/ Mt Zion
† Mass at Dominus Flevit
Begin your visit with one of the most magnificent views in the world: ancient Jerusalem as seen from the top of the Mt. of Olives. Visit the Pater Noster Church, where the Prayer “Our Father” is inscribed in dozens of languages, Church of Ascension, marking the place where Jesus ascended to Heaven. Then down the Mt. of Olives in the footsteps of Jesus take the Palm Sunday Walk. Stop at Dominus Flevit (‘the Lord Wept’). From there we drive to Mt. Zion to visit the church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu the church of the Dormition, King David’s Tomb, and the Room of the Last Supper. Drive back to Bethlehem for Dinner. After Dinner, we will have a special Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the Basilica of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, for prayer and contemplation see the Rock where Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done. overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Nine: Old City of Jerusalem.
† Mass in the Old City
Begin the day with a walk in the Old City of Jerusalem (The way of the cross “Via Dolorosa”). Among others today we shall see the Holy Sepulcher (Mass), the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the temple mount, “Ecce Homo” Arch, Pilate’s Judgment Hall, Chapel of the Flagellation, St. Anne’s Church, and Bethesda. Return to hotel for Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Ten: Ein Karem
† Mass in Ein Karem
In the morning, we head to Ein Karem (spring of the Vineyard), according to tradition, the place of birth of John the Baptist. There are two churches by his name in the place. See the Church of the Visitation, built on the place where the pregnant Mary visited her pregnant cousin Elizabeth and stayed for three months. Enjoy a free afternoon in Bethlehem or Jerusalem and take in the beauty of the country. We will enjoy our fair well dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy a folklore show and dance. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day Eleven: Departure
After breakfast, check out of our hotel and head to the airport for our journey back home.
