11 Days The Holy Land with Dead Sea and Cairo

Day 1:  USA.  Tour members gather at the ticket counter at the airport two 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 – a suburb of Tel Aviv – situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  Dinner will be served at our hotel.  Weather permitting, we suggest a walk on the beach.

Day 3:  TEL AVIV – GALILEE.  After breakfast, we drive through the citrus groves and farms of the rich land of Sharon, northward to Caesarea, the Roman city of Herod where sights include Crusader fortifications and the Roman aqueducts and amphitheater.  Drive through the Jezreel Valley to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and Megiddo.  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).  We travel westward across Galilee to view Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), Deboriya – the hometown of the prophetess Deborah – at the foothill of Mt. Tabor (Judges 4 and 5).  Dinner and overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.   Dinner and overnight.

Day 4:  TIBERIAS – CAPERNAUM – CAESAREA PHILIPPI – MT. HERMON – GOLAN HEIGHTS.  This 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 visit 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).  Next, we go 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 17:18) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together.  We 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 then stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River for a renewal of faith Baptismal service.  Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5:  NAZARETH – JERICHO – JERUSALEM.  Early morning departure to Cana and then on to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, where we visit the Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1:5-42) and Mary’s Fountain (Luke 4:16-22).  We continue past Bethshean and then south through the Jordan Valley to ancient Jericho where the walls came tumbling down and a commanding view of the Mt. of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11) and Elisha’s Fountain.  Then, up to Jerusalem through the Judean wilderness.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Day 6 : 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 a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem.  Next, we visit the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church of Pater Noster and the Dominus Flevit.  We walk along Hosanna Road to the Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations which stands on the Rock of Agony where Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matthew 26:3657).  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 Caiaphas’ 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, 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 7:  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.  Continue to the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah.  Visit the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock which is 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). Then, continue through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Visit the Garden Tomb and Golgotha – Place of the Skull – for a worship service.  This afternoon continue our tour to Bethlehem.  We will 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 to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: BETHANY – QUMRAN – MASADA – DEAD SEA.  This morning we visit Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1-46). We continue on the Jericho Road viewing the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). 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.  Then 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.  Ascend to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where, from 70-73 A.D., the Jewish defenders made their 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.  On to our Dead Sea hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9:  DEAD SEA – CAIRO.  Leave the Dead Sea this morning and travel to Taba, on the border of Israel and Egypt. Continue north through the Sinai and cross the Suez Canal by tunnel and travel along the mighty Nile River to Cairo and our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 10:  CAIRO – GIZA.  Morning visit to the Egyptian Museum to view many specimens of finest antiquities, including precious collections from the Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amon.  Then, drive through the city past Cairo University to Giza.  Visit Cheops Pyramid and the Sphinx.  Camels or horses will be available to ride to the Pyramid Plateau.  Afternoon sightseeing drive along the Nile Corniche, past East El Ainin Hospital to “Old Cairo” to visit the Coptic Churches of Abu Sarga associated with the Flight of the Christ Child to Egypt; Ben Ezra Synagogue and Mar Mosque.  Drive via Republic Square, past Abdin Palace to Sultan Ahassan Mosque, the Citadel, El Azhas University to the native bazaars of Khan El Kahalili where time is allowed for browsing and shopping.

Day 11 : CAIRO – USA.  Early morning departure from Cairo to North America – the close of our unforgettable tour of the Bible Lands.