11 Days Holy Land Journey (3 nights Tiberias)
Day 1: USA – THE HOLY LAND. Tour members gather at the ticket counter at the airport three hours prior to their departure to The Holy Land. Dinner and breakfast are served in-flight.
Day 2: TEL AVIV. Upon our arrival at the Tel Aviv airport, we are met and transferred to our hotel in Nethanya – situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner is served at our hotel. Weather permitting, we suggest a walk on the beach.
Day 3 : NETHANYA – GALILEE. After a good nights rest and a hearty breakfast, we begin the thrilling journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus. At Caesarea by the sea, we visit the Crusader’s Castle, the Roman Amphitheater and aqueduct, and the port from which the Apostle Paul sailed to Rome. Afterwards, we drive through the Jezreel Valley and visit Megiddo and continue to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). We continue northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Haifa and Mt. Carmel – the biblical site of Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18). Dinner and overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.
Day 4: TIBERIAS – CAPERNAUM – CAESAREA PHILIPPI – MT. HERMON – GOLAN HEIGHTS. This day will be an exciting day in the Galilee area after a delicious breakfast. We depart the Roman hot springs resort city of Tiberias via a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (John 6:24) to walk among the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matthew 4:13-17). Then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7) and to Tabgha – the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes – (Mark 6:34-44). We then proceed to upper Galilee and the site of Peter’s confession (Matthew 16:16) at Caesarea Philippi and to Mt. Hermon (Psalm 89:12) the probable site of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together. We then follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea. We stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: MT. TABOR / DEBORIYA / NAIN / BETHSHEAN / TIBERIAS. Traveling westward across Galilee, we will view Mt. Tabor (Psalms 89:12), Deboriya, the hometown of the Prophetess Deborah, at the foothill of Tabor (Judges 4 and 5). Continue to the Village of Nain where Jesus brought life to a dead child (Luke 7:11-18). We then continue to Bethshean, the ancient city that was excavated a long time ago and which forms the best preserved Roman-Byzantine city in the land. Then back to Tiberias for an afternoon of leisure for activities of your own.
Day 6: NAZARETH – JERICHO – JERUSALEM. Early morning departure to Cana and then on to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, where we will visit the Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1:5-42) and Mary’s Fountain (Luke 4:16‑22). Afterwards, we travel south through the Jordan Valley to ancient Jericho where the walls came tumbling down (I Kings 17:1-6 and II Kings 2:19-22) and a commanding view of the Mt. of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and Elisha’s Fountain. We continue up to Jerusalem through the Judean wilderness. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Day 7: JERUSALEM. After a night of rest and a hearty breakfast this exciting day will begin with a drive to Mt. Scopus and the Mt. of Olives(Matthew. 24:3) for apanoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church of Pater Noster and the Dominus Flevit. Walk along Hosanna Road to the Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations that stands on the Rock of Agony where Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matthew. 26:36-57). See the Pillar of Absalom, the Eastern (Golden) Gate and the Pinnacle of the Temple. We then drive to Mt. Zion where we visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on the site of Caiphas’ House, the Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20) and the Tomb of King David. Continue to tour New Jerusalem: Hebrew University, the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, see Yad Vashem – the immensely moving memorial to the six million martyrs of the Holocaust – and the Model City of Jerusalem which depicts in miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first century. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: MASADA – DEAD SEA – QUMRAN – BETHANY. This morning, we drive via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea – the lowest point on earth. A beautiful new road takes us south along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, a truly remarkable piece of history. We ascend Masada by cable car to walk among the magnificent ruins of the fortress where, from 70-73 A.D., the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean Revolt against Rome and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. Return along the Dead Sea to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Visit the remains of the Community Center of the Essenes and the Caves of the Scrolls. We continue on the Jericho Road viewing the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). On the return to Jerusalem, we visit Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1-46). On to our Jerusalem hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: JERUSALEM – BETHLEHEM. Today begins with a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. Starting at the Western (Wailing) Wall where the faithful Jews cry their petitions to God, we continue to the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah. Visit the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock that was built on the ancient site of Solomon’s Temple (Genesis 22:9-14) and over the Rock of Sacrifice where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22) and the ceremonial sacrifice of animals took place. After this, we walk along the Via Dolorosa to Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation, the Ecce Homo Arch (John 19:13) where Jesus was tried before Pilate (Mark 15:6). This afternoon, we continue our tour to Bethlehem. We visit the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus, and Shepherds Fields (Luke 2:1-20) then the Field of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1:16‑17 & 4:13). We return to Jerusalem passing Rachel’s Tomb(if viewable) to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: JERUSALEM / JOPPA / Airport. This morning, we have some free time at leisure before checking out of the hotel. Then we walk through the Old City bazaars. We visit the Garden Tomb and Golgotha – Place of the Skull – for a worship service. Then we visit Ancient Joppa on the Sea where Jonah set sail and where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. Joppa is also the home of Simon the Tanner. Dinner at a local restaurant and check in at airport for our flight home.
Day 11: ARRIVE USA. Early morning arrival in New York and continue home – the end of our spiritual journey.