11 Days The Holy Land with Rome

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 a suburb of Tel Aviv – 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:  TEL AVIV – GALILEE.  After breakfast, we drive northward through the citrus groves and farms of the rich land of Sharon to Caesarea, the Roman city of Herod, where sights include the Crusader fortifications and the Roman aqueducts and amphitheater.  We drive through the Jezreel Valley toMt. Carmel – the biblical site of Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18).  Continue to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and visit Megiddo.  Here, we see Solomon’s Stables, the famous tower and secret passages.  On to visit Nazareth.  We visit the Church of the Annunciation, carpentry shop and Mary’s Well.  Continue via Mt. Tabor, the traditional site of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), to Tiberias for dinner and overnight by the Sea of Galilee.

Day 4:  GALILEE – CAPERNAUM – JERUSALEM.  After breakfast, we board our boat for a morning devotional service on the Sea of Galilee.  After our cruise, we continue to the ruins of Capernaum (John 6:24) to walk among the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matthew 4:13-17).  View the Mt. of Beatitudes – site of the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7).  Visit Tabgha – the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:34-44).  After lunch, we travel to Bethshean and continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Day 5:  JERUSALEM.  After a night of rest and a hearty breakfast, this exciting day begins with a drive to the top of the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:3) for a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem.  Visit the chapel of the Ascension, the Church of Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit.  Walk along Hosanna Road to the Garden of Gethsemane to visit the Church of the Nations which stands on the Rock of the 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.  Continue to the Gihon Spring and the Pool of Siloam.  After lunch, we drive to Mt. Zion where we visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on the site of Caiaphas’ House, the Upper Room (Luke 22:14-20), the Tomb of King David and the Dormition.  Continue to tour New Jerusalem—the Hebrew University, the Shrineof the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ein Karem (birthplace of John the Baptist) and the Model City of Jerusalem depicting, in miniature, the Holy City as it appeared in the first century.  Afterwards, we visit Yad Vashem – the immensely moving memorial to the six million martyrs of the Holocaust.  Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6:  MASADA – QUMRAN – JERICHO – JERUSALEM.  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, truly a remarkable piece of history.  On the way, we view Ein Fescha, a green oasis in the middle of the desert.  Arriving at Masada, we ascend 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 store houses, cisterns and a 6th century Byzantine church are still on view.  After lunch at Ein Gedi, we 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.  Then, we proceed to Ancient Jericho, where the walls came tumbling down and a commanding view of the Mt. of Temptation and Elisha’s Fountain.  Here, we see the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  Continue to Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1-46).  Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Jerusalem.

Day 7:  JERUSALEM – BETHLEHEM.  View the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives from the Eastern Gate as we start a walking tour to the Old City of Jerusalem.  We enter through St. Stephen’s Gate to the Pool of Bethesda, Saint Anne’s Church and the Ecce Homo Arch (Behold the Man—John 19:13) where Jesus was tried before Pilate (Mark 15:6).  We also see the Lithostrotos and the Via Dolorosa.  Continue to the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah.  Visit the El Aksa Mosque, the Wailing Wall 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.  Walk through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.   View the Tower of David and the Citadel as we leave the Old City through the Jaffa Gate.  After lunch, we visit the Garden Tomb and Golgotha -Place of the Skull.  Then, onward to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity and the birth place of Jesus, and Shepherds Fields (Luke 2:1-20).  Then, we see the Fields of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1:16-17 & 4:13).  We observe Rachel’s Tomb (if viewable) on our way back to our hotel.

Day 8:  JERUSALEM – TEL AVIV – ROME.  This morning, we travel to Tel Aviv for some sightseeing.  After lunch, continue to the Tel Aviv airport for our departure to Rome, Italy.  Dinner served aboard aircraft.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Rome.

Day 9:  ROME.  A morning visit to the Vatican City includes the Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square, Church of St. Peter, Basilica of St. Paul, the ancient Appian Way and the catacombs of St. Caliztus.  Some time this afternoon at leisure for shopping or other pursuits on our own.

Day 10:  ROME.   This morning’s sightseeing includes Moses’ Fountain, Quirinale Palace, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the Coliseum – site of early Christian martyrdom – and Mamertine Prison, possibly the final place of confinement of the Apostle Paul before his execution.  Time this afternoon for activities to walk around the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.  Return to our hotel fordinner and overnight.

Day 11:  ROME – USA.  Transfer to the airport for our return flight home – the end of a most enjoyable journey.