Make your way to your airport where you will board your overnight flight. Your meals are served on board.

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, you will exit our plane and make your way to Passport Control, then to the Baggage Claim to collect your luggage(s), and then enter into the Arrival’s Hall. There, you will be met by the 206 Tours representative. Once everyone has arrived in your group, you will board your bus that will then transfer to your hotel in Tiberias. You will have some free time to spend at your own leisure. In the evening, you will make your way for the “Welcome Drink Reception”, followed by dinner. Return to your room for a restful night sleep.

This morning, after breakfast, you will start the day with a visit to Cana where you will visit the Franciscan Wedding Church. Couples will have the opportunity participate in the ceremony of renewing their Wedding Vows, led by your Spiritual Director. Your next visit will be to Nazareth, where you will visit the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph and Mary’s Well. From there, you will walk the pilgrimage train into the Church of the Annunciation to celebrate the Liturgy, and then a quick tour, including the Archaeological Garden where you will see 1st century remains of houses from the time of Christ. You will also visit the Museum where we see inscriptions left by pilgrims venerating the Virgin Mary, including the 2nd century A.D. inscription showing Xeria Maria ‘Ave Maria’, considered to be the oldest venerating signs of the Blessed Virgin. We will stop for lunch. After lunch, we drive to Caesarea, which was once the ancient capital of the Roman province. The tour will start by viewing the impressive archaeological remains of the Roman and Byzantine city that once dominated the region. It was at Caesarea that Peter came to understand that the Good News was not for Jews only, but for the whole world. Here he baptized the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, and his family. It was from Caesarea that Paul set sail for Rome, an event that eventually brought Christianity to the World. Return to the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, enjoy a boat ride on the beautiful and scenic Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). Upon docking, you will have the opportunity to view the remains of the boat dating back to the time of Jesus. Following the Sea of Galilee, continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus proclaimed His great Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-49). Near the Mount is Tabgha, one of Jesus’ miracle sites. At Tabgha, Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish (Luke 9:10-17). In Tabgha is St. Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus bestowed church leadership upon Peter (John 21:9). Continue to visit the birthplace of Mary Magdalene in Magdala. During the time of Jesus, this village was a prosperous fishing village that exported fish and garum (a fish sauce reduction popular in Roman cooking). Your day concludes at Capernaum, the launching place of  Jesus’ ministry. In Capernaum, see the Synagogue where Jesus taught (Mark 1:21-29) and gave His sermon on the Bread of Life. We will end the day with a stop at the “Valley of the Doves”. This is located at the foot of the steep cliffs of Mt Arbel and was part of the ancient Via Maris trade route linking Mesopotamia and Egypt. This route also linked Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee and would have been the path that Jesus walked when travelling between the two places. Today the valley is still undeveloped and we can imagine Jesus walking along this ancient way and resting by the stream. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, after breakfast, drive to Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, with time to reflect on Christ’s Humanity and Divinity. Celebrating Mass here will be a good preparation for the journey to Jerusalem where Jesus was to suffer the crucifixion and resurrection. Drive down the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, where we view Mt Temptation and an example of a Sycamore Tree. Visit the Baptismal site on the Jordan River, and have the opportunity to renew your own baptism (pending weather conditions). We will continue on our way to Jerusalem, where you will check-in to your hotel in time for dinner and overnight.

We will start the day with visit to the Holy Child Program – a school for children that the Order has directly funded. After meeting with the Franciscan Sisters who run the school, we will take a tour, followed by a meeting with students. From there, we will depart to the Manger Square, which stands in front of one of the oldest of Christian churches, the Church of the Nativity. Enter the Church and down to the Grotto of the Nativity which marks the spot of Jesus’ birth. 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 celebrate the Liturgy in the Church of Nativity, and then continue our final stop of the day, the Shepherds Fields. The caves have soot marks of the fires that shepherd’s lit to keep warm while watching over their flocks. Return to your Hotel for dinner and overnight.

We will start the day Drive through the Judean wilderness, the site where Jesus spent His 40 days of fasting. We head to the Jordan River for some time to reflect on the Baptism of Christ Matthew 3:13-17). In the afternoon, we visit the Essene site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in Qumran. (Ezekiel 47:8-10). These writings have helped further the understanding of the Jewish background of Christianity. Before returning to Jerusalem, there is also time to swim or float on the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest place on Earth.

We start the day on the Mount of Olives with a breath-taking panoramic view of Jerusalem. Visit the Pater Noster Shrine where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster) (Luke 11:1-4). Then we walk down the Palm Sunday Road, which reminds us of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Along this route there stands Dominus Flevit which marks the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Continue down to Gethsemane; it was here that Jesus brought His disciples to pray the night before He was crucified (Luke 22:29-53). The Garden still contains trees with roots that date back to the time of Jesus. Next to the garden is the Church of All Nations, built over the “Rock of Agony”, where Jesus prayed alone before His arrest. From Gethsemane Jesus was taken to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas on Mt Zion, where we see the dungeons in which He was imprisoned. Also at this place, marked by the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, is where Peter denied Christ three times and wept bitterly (John 18:15-18), repented and was forgiven. On the upper part of Mt Zion, we visit the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, (Matthew 26:17-30).

Today will be an early morning, as we will depart the hotel before breakfast and make our way to begin the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) at the Antonia Fortress. This is the spot where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28-19:16). Following His condemnation, He was taken (on the Road to Calvary) to His place of Crucifixion. Your group will reflect upon the Stations of the Cross as you travel through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Luke 23: 26-33). This Sacred destination is the site of Calvary (Jesus’ crucifixion place) and, His tomb (Luke 23: 50-55). The Liturgy your group will be celebrating this morning is High Mass at the Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

After breakfast visit the Church of St Anne, said to be built over the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Adjacent see the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralysed man (Jn 5:2-9). Continue to the Western Wall, the holiest site to Jews. Return to hotel for breakfast, and then you will have some free time to relax.

Quick lunch Included and then travel along the Valley of Elah, where the famous encounter between David and Goliath has taken place, reaching Deir Rafat Monastery. This Monastery is dedicated to Our Lady of Palestine. The Latin Patriarchate, Luigi Barlassina, established this Monastery in 1927. The facade in the Convent Church bears the Latin inscription “Reginae Palaestinae”, meaning “to the Queen of Palestine”. It carries a six (6) meter statue of the Virgin Mary. The Church ceiling is decorated with a painting showing angels carrying banners with the first words of the “Hail Mary” prayer in 280 languages. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for return flights home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of places to be visited. Occasionally local religious holidays, national days, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of visits or the missing of certain visits.