Day 1
Depart from the US to Tel Aviv, Israel
Day 2
Arrival to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Meeting and assistance. Transfer to our hotel in Tel Aviv for overnight.
Overnight: Hotel in Tel Aviv
Day 3
We start our day with a visit to Jaffa, a Biblical port city and today a magnificent artist’s colony. From here we drive through Tel Aviv to see the Bauhaus district and center of Tel Aviv on our way to the North along the coast. We will continue to view the Bahai Gardens in Haifa and then to Akko to enjoy the port and the Crusaders Hall. End the day at the top of Mt. Arbel, where the beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee will strike us as we stand on the top. Time permitting, we will walk down the trail from the top of the cliff to the bottom.
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 4
We start our day with a visit to the museum in Nof Ginosar where the “Jesus Boat” is displayed. This amazing ancient fishing boat, from the 1st century, was discovered sunk in the mud in the Lake of Galilee. Then we will walk the path of Jesus in the land of Galilee. We will visit the sites where his ministry began; where he preached, performed miracles and gathered the multitude to follow him: Capernaum, the headquarters of his ministry, Mount Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), Tabgha, where the multiplication of the loaves and fish took place (Matthew 14:19-21) and Korazin, the Jewish village close to the Sea of Galilee. If it can be arranged for such a small group, our day will end with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and spending some time in a prayer service on the same waters Jesus walked (Mark 6:48-50).
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 5
Ascend the Golan Heights for a breathtaking view of the Lower Galilee. We will start with the viewpoint towards the Israeli-Lebanese border, from the town of Metula. Through the remains of the Syrian bunkers on the Golan Heights, controlling the Kibbutzim in the valley, we will drive up north, learning about the 6-day war in 1967 and the Yom Kippur war in 1973 and understand Israel’s unique situation in the Golan. Pass and visit Banias Nature Reserve and waterfalls, known as Caesarea Philippi, where Peter confessed Jesus’ Messiahship (Matthew 16:13-17). We will sldo visit Nimrod’s Castle before we head for Lunch. After lunch, we will visit Mt. Bental, an Israeli bunker in the Golan Heights where we can view the border between Israel and Syria and learn about army life in Israel.
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 6
Today we will start with a visit to the village of Cana where Jesus performed his first public miracle of changing water into wine (John 2:1-10). Visit Nazareth, the “City of the Annunciation”, where the angel Gabriel revealed to Mary the imminent birth of Jesus and John the Baptist (Luke 1:26-38). After lunch, we will drive through Gideon’s Spring to visit Beth Shean, one of the oldest cities in the Holy Land and a major crossroads in the Beth Shean valley, which reached its peak in Roman and Byzantine periods. Our day will end in the baptismal site Yardenit, where even today, Christians are being baptized (Luke 3:21-22).
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 7
Check out of our hotel and drive to Jerusalem through the coast. On to Megiddo, the city of King Solomon and King Ahab, where 20 different layers of civilization were excavated also known as the valley where the kings of the earth will gather for the battle commonly referred to as the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). Caesarea, the port city built by King Herod the great 2000 years ago and the place where Simon Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius, the Roman centurion who became the first Gentile convert (Acts 10: 44-48), will be our next site. We then continue to Jerusalem. Depending on arrival, we might stop for a panoramic view of Jerusalem from Mt. Scopus and a traditional entrance for the Holy city.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 8
Full day tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. Starting with a panoramic view from Mt. of Olives, we will then continue to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus “often met with his disciples” (John 18:2) and where he spent his last hours in solitude before being captured by the Romans (Luke 22:47-53). Next is the Upper Room, Cenaculum, the place of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-22) and the place where the gift of the Holy Spirit came upon believers who were gathered there on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Enter the city walls through the Zion gate to visit the Jewish Quarters and The Roman Cardo, the main street in the Byzantine period of Jerusalem. On to the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jews, to pray to God’s presence and put a note in the wall. We will visit Jerusalem’s open market, Machane Yehuda, to enjoy a taste of Jerusalem and its multi-color culture. The day will end in Bethlehem.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 9
We will start our day going up to Mt. Zion to visit the house of Caiaphas the high priest during the 2nd temple period. This church called the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu is where Peter denied Jesus three times before the crowing of the cock (Mark 14: 53-62). Here we will see the underground rooms which may have been used as guard houses and a prison. We will also see the ancient steps, which were cut into the hill and led to the City of David, the Kidron Valley and Gethsemane. This is likely the path Jesus took in his way from the Upper Room to Gethsemane. Later, we will walk the Via Dolorosa, starting at the Pools of Bethsada and the Church of St. Anne and passing the 14 Stations of the Cross to end at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We will continue to visit the Israel Museum, the place where the Dead Sea scrolls are on display and the model of 2nd temple Jerusalem.
In the evening, an optional walking tour to Ben Yehuda Street where lots of Israelis will hang out.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 10
We will start the day with a visit to the Temple Mount to view the mosques, the location of the Jewish Temples and the Eastern Gate. We will then visit the Davidson Center and the Southern Wall excavations. We will then go to visit the City of David, Jerusalem of 3000 years ago, and then continue to tour the Western Wall Tunnels, walking under the Western Wall plaza to the base of this remarkable wall and along it, all the way up north. We will end the day with a visit to the Temple Institute where Jewish scholars study the Jewish Temple and its vessels and see the exhibition of Temple Tools.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 11
Our day will start by passing the Knesset, Israeli Parliament with the famous Menorah, view the Supreme Court and drive to Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial. We will continue to David Citadel, the historical museum for the history of Jerusalem. From there we will walk the Rampart Walk, from the top of the walls of Jerusalem we will enjoy the view of the city. End of our day will be in the Garden Tomb, Golgotha or Calvary. Here, Jesus was crucified, died on the cross, was buried and raised from the dead (Matthew 27:33-61) and here we will have a service.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 12
Descend the eastern slopes of the Judean Hills to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. We will experience the Abraham hospitality in Eretz Bereshit, where we will ride camels, recline around tables and overlook the Judean wilderness. On to visit Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written by the Yahad (Essene) Sect 2200 years ago and where they were discovered in 1947. View of the Ein Gedi waterfalls where King David escaped from his enemies and continue to Massada, the royal fortress built by King Herod and used by the Jewish Zealots as the last stronghold during the great revolt against Rome between 66-73 AD. Rest of the afternoon we will enjoy the Dead Sea, where we can experience ‘floating’ on the water. Farewell dinner at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 13
Today we start the Jordan portion of the trip. We will be transferred to Jordan through the Sheikh Hussein Bridge for a full day trip to Petra via Mt. Nebo and Madaba. Dinner and overnight in Petra, Jordan.
Overnight: Hotel in Petra Jordan
Day 14
Full day tour of Petra. Dinner and overnight in Petra, Jordan.
Overnight: Hotel in Petra Jordan
Day 15
For the Jordan extension, another full day tour of Petra. Departure from Petra and cross back into Israel in Eilat. Dinner and overnight in Eilat.
Overnight: Hotel in Eilat
Day 16
Day at leisure in Eilat.
Overnight: Hotel in Eilat
Day 17
Early morning departure from Eilat to Ben Gurion airport for your flight home