Upon arrival to the Ben Gurion International Airport you will be met by your guide and driver and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Tel Aviv.
Day 02: On Mary’s Footsteps
In the morning you will be driven to visit Cana. In Cana you will visit the Church where Jesus transformed water into wine. There you will be given the option of renewing matrimonial vows. Upon finishing your visit to Cana, you will be taken to Nazareth, where you will be visiting the Basilica of Annunciation. Following your visit, you will be taken to Mary’s well and the Synagogue.
In the afternoon you will be taken to visit Mt. Tabor and the Church of Transfiguration. You will also be presented with the opportunity to view the Valley of Jezreel.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Tiberias.
Day 03: On Jesus’ and the Disciples’ Footsteps
After breakfast you will be driven to Capernaum, the location of the house of St. Peter and its nearby synagogue. From there you will proceed to Mt. of Beatitudes, the sight of the Sermon on the Mountain, before continuing to Tabgha, the site of the multiplication of fish and loaves. Onwards you will visit the Church of Primacy, where our Lord made Peter the first Pope.
In the afternoon you will enjoy a ride on a boat replica of those made at the times of our Lord. Before returning to your hotel you will visit the Jordan River.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Tiberias.
Day 04: Over to Jordan
Arrival to Sheik Hussien – our representative will meet you with a sign and will assist them through visa procedures – drive to the south visiting the ancient Madaba - the capital of the Byzantine flourished originally as one of the Moabites cities and many tribes like Tanoukh and Soleih originally Arabs who became Christians and the famous pavers of mosaics like Salmanos who paved the map of Palestine in St. George Church in Madaba during the 6th century A.D. The map itself which talked about 150 biblical sites flourished during the Byzantine period in the whole region (West & East banks of River Jordan ) the center of the map is the city of Jerusalem with all the biblical sites around the city of Jerusalem by the four directions ( north, south, east & west ) and it is a unique map dated back to the year 565 AD and it was a biblical & pilgrims map more than a geographical map.
Madaba during the Nabatean Roman time was a good station on the Kings’ Highway connecting between the Forts located south of Madaba, like Kerak as well as Philadelphia (Amman) as good locations to protect the Caravan Series coming originally from Petra loaded with frankincense and other goods heading to Asia Minor.
On then to Mt. Nebo, The ancient biblical Pisgah, the memorial of Moses located 9 km drive from Madaba in a village called Syagha and it is a Franciscan custody the Terra Santa protectors.
The memorial of Moses was the last station in Moses trip after he left Egypt with the Israelites using the Kings’ Highway passing by Wadi Musa (Petra) where he stroke the rock and the natural spring of Moses flew down and Mt. Nebo is the second place where Moses struck the rock for the second time though he was told by God he can only use his stick once. Moses viewed the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo and was unable to cross into. It is also believed that Moses is buried in this area. The Roman Catholic Church was constructed during the 6th century AD as a commemoration of Moses and you still see the verse of John No. 17 which relate the church as a Christianity place as a memorial to Moses.
The church was reconstructed by the Franciscans who restored the mosaics inside, and a very famous mosaic floor by the left side of the church still intact and in a good condition even after the destructive earthquake of the year 747 AD and was not icon casted.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Petra.
Day 05: Petra the Rose City
Full day visit of Wadi Musa, the modern name of the village surrounding the archaeological site of Petra, Wadi Musa itself was a name given to the village to commemorate Moses when he passed by the Edomite kingdom from the East as far as the Edomite king refused to let Moses using his lands, and the natural spring by the entrance of the village were you still see the water flowing down to the stream of the valley since the time of Moses.
The Arab Nabateans who inhabited the Canyon during the 4th century BC when the place during that time was mentioned as Sella which means the Rock and Petra after it was inhabited by them was mentioned in the bible as Sella Edom which means the red Rock Petra is a Greek word, which means the rock. The Arabic name of Petra is “Rekam” which means the carved out mountain.
Jesephos Phlaphios the historian who mentioned the Nabateans in his book during different times as originally Arab Beduoins who came from the Arabian peninsula and lived in Petra and they controlled the Kings’ Highway and the trading routes between the Arabian Peninsula and Asia Minor. Whom their city still talks about them till nowadays
Onwards at the end of the day the group will transfer to the Allenby Border and cross over into the Holy Land.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Jericho.
Day 06: The Wilderness - Bethany - Qumran – Dead Sea
In the morning you will head to the Dead Sea Basin to visit Jericho, the Ancient City where you will see Elijah’s spring, Mt. Temptation and the famous Sycamore Tree. Onwards you will head on over to Qasr Al Yahud to visit the Baptismal Site on the Jordan River, and from there you will head south towards the caves of Qumran. At Qumran you will discover the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered circa 1947.
After lunch you will be given ample time to take a swim in the mineral rich Dead Sea muds and waters. En route to Jerusalem you will head over to visit Bethany, where our Lord resurrected Lazarus.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 07: Mt. Zion and Mt. Olives
You will start the day by visiting Mt. Olives starting with a panoramic view of city to understand the geographical importance of the religious sites to religion, politics and history alike. At the Mt. of Olives, you will visit Ascension, Pater Noster, Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, and the Church of Nations.
In the early afternoon you will be taken to visit Mt. Zion starting with St. Peter in Gallicantu, the Cenacle and the Dormition Abbey. In the late afternoon you will be taken to Ein Karem to visit the Church of Visitation, where Elizabeth had proclaimed the Virgin Mary as the “Magnificent” and the Church of St. John the Baptist.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 08: Jerusalem, the Passion of Christ
Early in the morning you will be taken to celebrate mass. Upon returning to the hotel this morning you will be taken to your hotel to have breakfast. After breakfast you will be taking a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. Through your tour you will visit the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque, St. Anne Church, the pool of Bethesda, and then while taking the Via Dolorosa road you will arrive to the Holy Sepulcher. You will also pass by the Church of Flagellation and Ecce Homo.
In the afternoon you will be taken to Bethlehem, there you will have the opportunity to visit St. Jerome, the Nativity Church, the Milk Grotto and lastly the Shepherds Field.
Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Jerusalem.
