Day by Day Travel Itinerary

• DAY 01 Mon . Jan . 13

  DEPART THE USA / OVERNIGHT FLIGHT

  Depart Nasville for an overnight international flight to Tel Aviv, with a connection in Newark.

• DAY 02 Tue . Jan . 14

  ARRIVAL TEL AVIV / TIBERIAS

  Arrive in the morning and after clearing customs, we will be met by our guide who will take us on a drive north through the Sharon Valley and head to Muhraka (“burnt offering”) on Mt. Carmel, with a panorama of the Plain of Jezreel (Esdraelon). After surveying the Plain of Jezreel, we proceed to Nazareth. Our first stop will be at Nazareth Village, a living history farm and village that gives you the opportunity to experience what Nazareth was like at the time of Jesus and Mary. Next we drive towards the Sea of Galilee and end the day at the Arbel cliff, which affords a view over the Lake of Galilee and the main sites of Jesus’ ministry. We have dinner and overnight at our hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

• DAY 03 Wed . Jan . 15

  AROUND THE SEA OF GALILEE

  Drive up to the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7) and hike down the hill to the lake and go to Tabgha where Christians have long remembered the first feeding of the multitude (Mark 6) and nearby, the breakfast of John 21. Continue walking to nearby Capernaum where Franciscan archaeologists believe they have uncovered the house of Peter (Mark 1 and 2). Then drive to the northern end of the Sea of Galilee heading east and stop at Beth Saida, which is the fishing village of the Gospels.  Here, as well as Capernaum and Chorazin, Jesus performed most of his miracles, healed a blind man, and cursed all three towns for their failure to repent. In Luke’s account, the feeding of the 5000 occurred in the area of Beth Saida. Continue driving around the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee heading south to Ein Gev where you can stop for a St. Peter’s Fish lunch. After lunch drive further south to Kursi in the “Gergesa” of Matthew’s Gospel where the evangelist locates the miracle of the swine. Then drive full circle around the lake and stop at a location where the Jordan River exits south from the Sea of Galilee and heads down the Jordan Valley at Yardenit. Here you have the possibility to be baptized or reaffirm your faith again by baptism, plan to join this ceremony. 

• DAY 04 Thu . Jan . 16

  THE SOURCES OF THE JORDAN

  Ascend the Golan Heights today, the biblical Bashan and ancestral home of the half-tribe of Manassah and in Jesus’ day, part of the territory of Herod Philip. Stop for an overview of Gamla, also known as “Masada of the north” where you’ll hear a heroic story of the few against the many, as the raptors that are protected here soar overhead in these magnificent natural surroundings. Continue to Katsrin and visit its ancient Talmudic Village to understand aspects of daily life at the time of Jesus as they are reflected in Gospel stories. Drive along Israel’s border with Syria and stop at the Kuneitra overlook. Visit Tel Dan, one of the most important biblical mounds in the country. Here archaeologists discovered an inscription with the words “House of David,” and you can see a gateway from the time of Abraham, as well as the High Place of Jeroboam and the Israelite gate. Continue to Caesarea Philippi, now known as Banias. As at Dan, you’ll also enjoy the natural beauty of Banias nestled on the flourishing banks of one the Jordan’s main tributaries. We end our day on the lake in a wooden boat modeled on one from Jesus’ time.  

• DAY 05 Fri . Jan . 17

  JORDAN VALLEY / MEGIDDO / SEBASTIA

  After an early breakfast we drive down into the Jordan Valley down to the strategic crossing point between the Jordan Valley and the Jezreel which is located in the city of Beth Shean (aka Scythopolis). Here, we will view the setting of Saul’s death. We drive through the Jezreel Valley west to Ein Harod (Judges 7), which describes Gideon’s actions in thinning out his army.  We continue west down to the mound of Megiddo, har megiddo in Hebrew, which gave its name to Armageddon. Afterwards, we drive back east and then south passing through the Valley of Dothan where Joseph’s brothers left him in a cistern, we drive to Samaria, the capital city of Ahab and Jezebel. Here we can bring many First Testament stories to life. Herod later rebuilt Samaria and called it Sebastia. Thus, we have a mixture of Israelite and Roman ruins. Here we will have the opportunity to have a very traditional lunch before we continue eastward through the narrow pass between the mountains Ebal and Gerizim to the tel of ancient Shechem, first destination in the land both for Abram (Genesis 12:6). We then visit Jacob’s Well nearby. From here we head toward Jerusalem, we visit Shiloh, and later pass by Bethel, Mitzpeh, Rama and Gibeon to Mount Scopus, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem at sunset, for a brief introduction and welcome. The next four overnights in Jerusalem!

• DAY 06 Sat . Jan . 18

  JERUSALEM / MT. OF OLIVES / BETHLEHEM

  Start the day on the Mt. of Olives for an orientation to the city. We continue down to the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane with a visit to the garden and the church and where we have a private garden service. Then drive along the Kidron Valley.  Part of the Kidron that we view below is called the Valley of Jehosafat, where God will judge the nations of the world. Continue up Mt. Zion to the church grounds called Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Christ; three times before the cock crowed - also known as the House of Caiaphas, where Jesus was brought after his arrest.  Driving south to the Bethlehem region passing Rachel’s Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem, we go to Shepherds’ Fields where we will have lunch. It is at the Shepherd’s Fields the angels announced the birth of Christ. We then visit Bethlehem, where we will walk through its alleys and markets to the Church of the Nativity. We’ll have time for shopping and souvenirs here in Bethlehem before we return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. 

• DAY 07 Sun . Jan . 19

  THE RIFT VALLEY / BEERSHEBA / ELAH VALLEY

  This morning, we drive to Bethany, the home of Martha and Lazarus. From there we drive through the Judean desert a barren wilderness in the heart of the Holy Land. En-route, we will pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan on our way to Jericho.  Next, we stop at Ein Gedi and climb a mountain path to the waterfall where David may have hidden when he was running from Saul. Continuing further south along the western shores of the Dead Sea we get to the Rift Valley/ Beersheba juncture and take route 227. We have a short tour of Beersheba, before we drive through the Philistine Country to Bet Shemesh and head to the Valley of Elah. We stop in the Valley of Elah, where David encountered Goliath (I Samuel 17).  We then head up the historic Beth Horon Road (Joshua 10:10) to the Benjamin Plateau, passing ancient Gibeon and continuing on to Jerusalem. Insert Bethabara somewhere this day.

• DAY 08 Mon . Jan . 20

  JERUSALEM – THE OLD CITY

  After breakfast you will begin your day with a walk on the Ramparts from Jaffa Gate to Dung Gate.  Just inside the Gate, we take the time to examine the ruins near the south side of the Temple complex, which includes steps where we may with a visit to a modern tunnel that enables us to examine the length of the outer Herodian Temple wall, mostly preserved in mint condition, including two stone blocks each weighing about 600 tons. Then you will walk to the Ophel and examine the ruins near the south side of the Temple complex, including steps where you may be certain that Jesus and the disciples walked. You then descend the slope of the first Jerusalem (“City of David”) to the Gihon spring and proceed through Hezekiah’s tunnel, which led the water to a pool where city dwellers of old were safe from the Assyrian arrows.  Just to the north we find the Pools of Bethesda where Jesus said to the man “Take up thy bed and walk.” and St. Anne’s Church, which has remarkable acoustics, and which has been perfectly preserved from the Crusader period. We then follow the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) back as far as the Holy Sepulcher. 

• DAY 09 Tue . Jan . 21

  NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV AIRPORT

  Our final day in Jerusalem we’ll follow Christ’s last day including a visit to the Upper Room and King David’s Tomb on the grounds of Mt. Zion.This afternoon, a special service and communion will be held at the Garden Tomb.  This evening we’ll enjoy a Middle Eastern farewell dinner, before we drive to the airport for our late evening check in for our flight home. 

• DAY 10 Wed . Jan . 22

  ARRIVE U.S.A.

  Today we arrive back in the USA on our flight from Tel Aviv.