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 by the Lake of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee).
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 3
We start our day with a Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee and spend some time in a prayer service on the same waters Jesus walked (Mark 6:48-50). 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: Mount Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), Capernaum, the headquarters of his ministry and Tabgha, where the multiplication of the loaves and fish took place (Matthew 14:19-21). Continue to Beth Shean, the biggest roman city in the Jordan Valley and the capitol of the Decapolis. 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 4
We will start our day by ascending 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). 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. Continue to visit the village of Cana where Jesus performed his first public miracle of changing water into wine (John 2:1-10); here we will visit the Wedding church. 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).
Overnight: Hotel in Tiberias
Day 5
Check out of our hotel and drive to Jerusalem through the coast. On to the top of Mt. Carmel, where the great prophet Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal and proved to the people that the God of Israel is the true God (1 Kings 18:17-40). 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 6
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).
Continue 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.
If possible, we will end the day with a visit to Bethlehem.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 7
Descend the eastern slopes of the Judean Hills to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. 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.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 8
Full day tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. 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. 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 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. Walk to visit the Jewish Quarters and the Roman Cardo, the main street in the Byzantine period of Jerusalem. From there to the Temple Institute where Jewish scholars study the Jewish Temple and its vessels and see the exhibition of Temple Tools.
Up to Mt. Zion to visit 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).
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 9
Full day tour of the New City of Jerusalem. Pass the Knesset, Israeli Parliament with the famous Menorah, view the Supreme Court and drive to Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial. On to the Israel Museum, the place where the Dead Sea scrolls are on display and the model of 2nd temple Jerusalem.
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 10
Free day for you enjoy the Holy City on your own.
Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem
Day 11
Early morning departure to the airport for your flight home