Day by Day Travel Itinerary

• DAY 01 Sun . Oct . 22

  DEPART USA

  Today we will meet at Houston International airport for our flight to Tel Aviv via wide-body aircraft arriving the next day, connection in Istanbul. Meals served on board.

• DAY 02 Mon . Oct . 23

  ARRIVE TEL AVIV

  Upon arrival in Tel Aviv we are met by our guide who will be with us for the time we are in the Holy Land. Board our bus and travel through Tel Aviv, the largest city in Israel. We proceed to the Mediterranean to our hotel where we will check in overnight.

• DAY 03 Tue . Oct . 24

  CAESAREA / MEGIDDO / NAZARETH / TIBERIAS

  Today we begin where the baptism of Gentiles began at Caesarea, capital of the Roman procurators of Judea. Visit the Roman port, Crusader's Moat, Roman theater and aqueduct. We proceed to Megiddo to visit the excavations that unearthed 20 different civilizations. This is Michener’s “The Source”.  Next we drive up to Mt. Precipice to view the Jezreel valley and continue down the road to Nazareth, boyhood home of Jesus, where we’ll have lunch.  Visit the Grotto of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s workshop, and explore the magnificent Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary’s Well, and the Church of the Old Synagogue, which marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Continue on to the newly discovered and exciting archeological site of the fishing Village of Magdala where we can see a first century synagogue typical of the various synagogues that dotted the Galilee region and where Christ would have first preached the gospel. Then it’s on to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight at our hotel.

• DAY 04 Wed . Oct . 25

  HAZOR/ DAN / CAESAREA PHILIPPI / JORDAN RIVER

  "The Head of all those Kingdoms" (Joshua 11:10) The Sources of the Jordan. This morning our drive takes us through the Hula Valley past Hazor to the northern limits of Jesus' travel as we cross the River Hatzbani to Dan. Here we combine a nature walk beside the Upper Jordan with views of the ancient ruins, topped by the Israelite high place that supported a golden calf (I Kings 12). Next, on to Capernaum, where Franciscan archaeologists believe they have uncovered the house of Peter (Mark 1 and 2). We cross over to the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7). We visit Tabgha where Christians have long remembered the first feeding of the multitude (Mark 6). We will have a special baptismal service at the Jordan River. If you wish to be baptized or reaffirm your faith again by baptism, plan to join this ceremony.

• DAY 05 Thu . Oct . 26

  TIBERIAS / SEA OF GALILEE CRUISE / BET SHEAN / DEAD SEA

  This morning we enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, returning to Nof Ginosar where we will see the New Testament fisherman’s boat found below the sea. We continue via the Crusader fortress of Belvoir along the Rift Valley to Bet Shean, where King Saul and his sons were pinned to the walls. It became the Decapolis capital and was traveled by Jesus and known as Scythopolis. We will see the ancient theater, Circus Maximus and Cardo Maximo.  We head to Sebastia and Jacob's Well, the place Jesus met the lady to draw water. She said the well was deep. Drop a pebble and wait!!! We head down the Jordan River road and enter the Judean wilderness, on our way to the Dead Sea. We will travel along the Dead Sea as we go to our hotel. After we arrive take a swim as travelers 2,000 years ago would have done. Dinner and overnight are at the hotel.

• DAY 06 Fri . Oct . 27

  DEAD SEA / MASADA / JERICHO / JERUSALEM

  This morning drive to Masada and ascend by cable car to the magnificent ruins of the fortress where, from 70 to 73 AD, Jewish defenders made their last stand in the Judean revolt against Rome. We see the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth-century Byzantine church. Continuing alongside the Dead Sea, 1300 ft. below sea level -- the lowest spot-on earth -- we stop at Ein Gedi. Here we will have time to walk to the water falls that David would have used while he was fleeing from Saul.  This afternoon we pass by Qumran and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We travel to Jericho, the world's oldest city. Ascending the old Roman road along Wadi Qilt, we stop at an overlook to view St. George’s Monastery. At the end of the day, we make our way to the top of Mt. Scopus and behold majestic Jerusalem Continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 07 Sat . Oct . 28

  MT OF OLIVES / GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE / SHEPHERD'S FIELD / BETHLEHEM

  "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace" (Luke 19:42) This morning we walk the traditional Passion walk. We descend to the church known as Dominus Flevit ("Our Lord weeps"). After viewing the Golden Gate, we walk downhill to Gethsemane, where we take time for devotion and to meditate on the Gospel text and view the Church of All Nations. Next we enter the Zion Gate and proceed to the Steps that entered the temple and the Southern Wall. It was here that Jesus would have taught the disciples. We drive south to the region of Bethlehem passing Rachel's Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem and to one of the possible sites for Shepherds' Fields. We continue into Bethlehem itself, walking through the restored old town to the Church of the Nativity and visiting the manger and see the cave of St. Jerome. We drive back to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 08 Sun . Oct . 29

  TEMPLE MOUNT / WESTERN WALL TUNNEL / HEZEKIAH’S TUNNEL / SHRINE OF THE BOOK / FREE TIME

  Through the streets of the Old City, we arrive at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site. We then ascend to the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, considered the third holiest site of Islam, located on the site of the ancient Temple Mount. Here the first and second Temples once stood.  We then begin our exciting tour of the famous Rabinical Tunnel, also known as the Western Wall Tunnel. Here we will enter the Western Wall Plaza and go down to the foundation of the Second Temple. We will see a model that will demonstrate where we are in location to the Temple in the time of Christ. We continue along the tunnel as we proceed to the Gateway of the Priests, entry to the Holy of Holies.  We will then proceed to the City of David and Hezekiah’s Tunnel and hike 1749 feet from one end to the other. This tunnel was dug by Hezekiah’s men in the 8th century BC. We will also see the Pool of Siloam talked about in the Bible, as part of it has recently been excavated.  Our last site today is the Shrine of the Book Museum. Here some of the incredible Dead Sea Scrolls are on display. The Model City of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple will also be seen there.  Our afternoon will consist of some free time to explore and/or shop in the Old City. The bus will drop us at the Jaffa Gate which is surrounded by the Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, and Armenian Quarters. Later the bus will take us back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 09 Mon . Oct . 30

  OLD CITY / VIA DOLOROSA / GARDEN TOMB / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

  After breakfast we transfer to the Dung Gate. Just to the north we find the Pools of Bethsaida (John 5) and St. Anne’s Church. The church is perfectly preserved from the Crusader period – with remarkable acoustics. Continuing on we see Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, and the Arch of Ecce Homo (Behold the Man). We then follow the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) through the bazaars of the Old City. From there we walk from the Christian Quarter along the Arab Souks, through the Cardo Maximo and past the Armenian Quarter.  “He is risen!” Mark 16:6. Our day begins with a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site inside the Old City where Jesus was crucified and buried. We proceed to the steps that entered the Temple and the Southern Wall. It was here that Jesus would have taught the disciples. We are also near the highest point of the Temple where Jesus was tempted the second time. We visit the Upper Room, similar to the one where Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples. Continuing to Mt Zion and to the grounds of a church called Peter in Gallicantu, which affords the best view of early Jerusalem from the west. We then will visit the house of Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest, where Jesus was interrogated. We will see the dungeon beneath the house where Jesus could have been held. We board our bus to the Garden Tomb outside the city walls where we will enjoy the beautiful setting and have a private communion on the grounds. We return to our hotel for final overnight. 

   

• DAY 10 Tue . Oct . 31

  ARRIVE USA

  We depart early this morning for the Ben Gurion Airport for our flight home, arriving back in the USA with unforgettable memories to cherish always. Knowing we have walked in the footsteps of Jesus and the early Christians on such a memorable tour will bring new meaning to our Bible reading.  We make connections back to our destination.