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

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, you will collect your luggage in the baggage claim area and continue to the Arrival’s Hall where you will be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver. Your group will transfer to your hotel in Tiberias in time to check-in. Enjoy dinner at the hotel before retiring for the evening.

Following breakfast at your hotel, your group will head to Caesarea, the former capital of Judea. You will have the opportunity to visit the archaeological remains of this ancient port, which aided as base for the Herodian navy. Shortly after the time of Jesus Christ, it was revealed to Peter, in Caesarea, that the Good News (to repent) is not only intended for Jewish people but also, the entire world. This is also the place which officially ended the tradition of adhering to the Jewish ceremonial laws. As a result, Peter baptized a group of gentiles, the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, and his family. Your tour continues as you travel North to Haifa. In Haifa, you will find Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery. The monastery is located above the cave where Elijah, the prophet, once lived. A colorful painting of this “wonder-worker” can be found on the ceiling of the Church. Following this visit, your group will depart Stella Maris and enjoy the scenic drive (with view of the bay of Acco) to Nazareth. In Nazareth, you will experience the town where Mary once lived and where Jesus lived as a child (Matthew 2:23). During the visit to Nazareth, your group will visit the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph, to which tradition identifies as the workshop and home of the Holy Family. Also, your group will visit Mary’s Well where the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God (Luke 1:30-34). Continue with the visit of Church of the Annunciation. We will make our way down to the Grotto to see the remains of the house of the Blessed Mother, and where the Angel of the Lord announced the good news to Mary. Celebrate Mass in this Church, and then continue on to Cana. It was here that Jesus performed His first miracle, changing water into wine. During your visit at the Wedding Church, married couples will have the chance to take part in the ceremony and renew their wedding vows. From there, we return to Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Your group will begin this day with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a boat ride on the beautiful and scenic, Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). During this ride, your group will also view the remains of a boat that dates back to the time of Jesus. Following the Sea of Galilee, your group will continue on 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). Also, in Tabgha is St. Peter’s Primacy where Jesus bestowed church leadership upon Peter (John 21:9).Your tour continues as you 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, your group will have the opportunity to see the Synagogue of where Jesus taught (Mark 1:21-29), and gave His sermon on the Bread of Life. Your group will enjoy dinner and overnight at your hotel.

After breakfast we will travel to the site of Caesarea Philippi where springs form a source of the Jordan River. It was near here that Peter made his great confession that Jesus Christ was Lord. We will continue for a scenic drive through the Golan Heights stopping for a magnificent view of the Sea of Galilee from the Peace Vista. We would also stop at Quneitra. The site – at which an ‘audio explanation station’ describes the battles fought here in 1973 – overlooks the ruined town of Quneitra, one-time Syrian ‘capital of the Golan’, just 2km away. We will pass Kursi where the demon possessed pigs flew to their death, as we make our way back to our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. 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. Mass here will be a good preparation for the journey to Jerusalem where Jesus was to suffer the crucifixion and resurrection. We will then continue to Samaria and stop by the Jacob’s Well, where Jesus met the Samaritan woman, calling himself the Living Water. 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 then to Jerusalem, where you check-in to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

In the morning visit Bethlehem to see the cave at the Shepherds’ Field. The caves have soot marks of the fires that shepherd’s lit to keep warm while watching over their flocks. Then we will depart to Bethlehem, beginning at 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.) Celebrate mass. In the afternoon we would drive to the Valey of Elah, place where David defeated Goliath. Back to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, we will start the day with a visit to the Western Wall Tunnels, taking us along the Western Wall of the Temple seeing the amazing architecture of the Temple construction and getting us close to the holy of the Holies. Continue to the Church of St Anne’s, the Pool of Bethesda, where we celebrate Mass. We would then walk towards Southern Wall Excavations. End the day with a visit to the Second Temple scale model for an overview of Jerusalem as it was at the time of Jesus. Dinner and overnight.

This morning drive down the Jordan Valley to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Afterwards there may be time for a dip in the Dead Sea for those who want to. Drive through the Judean Wilderness where Jesus spent 40 days fasting, and it is in this area that John the Baptist lived and baptized Christ. Then to Bethany where He raised Lazarus from the dead (entrance to Lazarus Tomb. Celebrate Mass here before returning to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

From the Mount of Olives take in the panoramic view of Jerusalem. Then to the Pater Noster shrine, where Jesus taught His disciples the Pater Noster — The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). Walking down the Palm Sunday Road stop at the beautiful little church, Dominus Flevit – “The Lord wept.” It was here that Jesus wept over Jerusalem [Luke 19:41]. At Gethsemane reflect on Jesus’ final night. The Garden contains trees, the roots of which go back to the time of Jesus. Visit the Church of All Nations to pray at the “Rock of Agony,” a section of bedrock identified as the place where Jesus prayed alone in the garden on the night of His arrest. Visit the Church of Assumption where the Tomb of Virgin Mary and Joseph is located. From here we will continue to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas where He was interrogated and imprisoned. Now called Peter in Gallicantu (“crowing rooster”), this beautiful Church also commemorates Peter’s Denial of Christ, his repentance and then being forgiven by Jesus. After Mass we will go up to Mt. Zion to visit the Upper Room, which commemorates the Last Supper. Nearby is the Benedictine Church of the Dormition. From there we walk towards Wailing Wall, the holiest place for the Jewish people. End the day visiting the Sisters of Zion. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

This morning we start the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. From there He was taken through the city to be crucified. The Stations of the Cross lead, through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here is the site of Calvary and the Tomb of Christ. Mass will be in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After breakfast visit a short drive takes us to the village of Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist, to visit the church that commemorates his memory. Pray the Mystery of the Rosary on the walk up the hill to the Church of the Visitation. Continue towards Emmaus, where Jesus met His disciples after the Resurrection. Dinner and Overnight.

Today will be a free day in Jerusalem. Spend more time in prayer and reflections or doing some last minute shopping. Later this afternoon group will gather together. Dinner en route to the Airport to board your return flights home with a memories of a lifetime.

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