Tel Aviv - Mediterranean Coast - Galilee - Caesarea - Mt Carmel - Stella Maris - Cana - Nazareth - Basilica of the Annunciation - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee - Tiberias - Sea of Galilee - Capernaum - Mt. Beatitudes - Caesarea Philippi - Jordan River - Mt Tabor - Jerusalem - Bethlehem - Mt Olives - Church of Visitation - Shepard's Fields - Church of the Nativity - Jerusalem - The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours - Mt Olives - Palm Sunday - Dominus Flevit - Gethsemane - Cave of Betrayal - Cave of Assumption - Pater Noster - Stations of the Cross - Via della Rosa - St. Anne’s Church - Ecce Homo - Church of the Holy Sepulcher - Wailing Wall - Upper Room - Dormition - The Wilderness - Bethany - Jericho - Mt Temptation - Dead Sea - Jerusalem - Tel Aviv - Taba - St. Catherine - Wadj Feiran - Cairo - Memphis - Sakkara - Great Pyramids of Giza - Sphinx - Egyptian Museum - Coptic Cairo and the Holy Family
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York to Israel (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) Airline FUEL SURCHARGES INCLUDED (up to $280) 12 nights at centrally located three and four-star hotels as follows: (or similar)
1 night: Grand Beach in Tel Aviv, Israel
2 nights: Ron Beach Hotel or Ein Gev Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
5 nights: Moriah Classic or Grand Court Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel
1 night: Hilton or Movenpick, Taba, Egypt
3 nights: Movenpick or Sofitel Sphinx, Cairo, Egypt Transfers as per itinerary Breakfast and Dinner daily Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Assistance of a professional local Catholic guide(s) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction Mass daily & Spiritual activities Luggage handling (1 piece per person) Egypt Visa fee of $15.00 (US Citizens are required to obtain visas prior to arrival, we will obtain them on the
border, other passports are not our responsibility, please contact the Egyptian Embassy) Exit tax out of Israel at Taba: $17.00 per person Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Not Included: Airport taxes (approx. $120-$180, subject to change), Lunches. Travel Insurance optional at $99-$229 (www.206tours.com/insurance), Cancel for Any Reason Protection @ $199 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection), Tips to your guide & driver ($7-9 per day). Items of a personal nature.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary: Day 1 - USA - Tel Aviv
Begin your spiritual journey as we depart for the overnight flights to Tel Aviv.
Day 2 - Tel Aviv - Mediterranean Coast Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. Exit terminal at the sign marked "groups" and meet your local guide who will escort you to our hotel on the coast. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Galilee: Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Stella Maris, Cana, Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation We travel via the coast to Caesarea, where the Romans held Paul prisoner. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins. Drive through the Carmel Mountains heading for the Galilee. In Haifa, visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery with the Madonna of Mt Carmel. Continue to Mukhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order was started. Drive to Cana, the village of Jesus' first miracle of changing water into wine; here couples may renew their wedding vows. Continue to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth where we will celebrate Mass and visit Mary's Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. Dinner and overnight in the Galilee.
Day 4 - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee:
Tiberias, Boat ride on Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitudes, Caesarea Philippi
Some of today's highlights are a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St. Peter's house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given, to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and to the nearby Church of Peter's Primacy where Peter was told " Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt Beatitudes. In the afternoon we visit Caesarea Philippi, location of the testimony of St. Peter and where Jesus answered him “You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Dinner and overnight at your hotel in the Galilee.
Day 5 - Jordan River & Mt Tabor: We start the day by going remembering our Baptism at the Jordan River. Continue to Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration, where we will have Mass. Drive down the Jordan Valley and head towards Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 6 - Jerusalem and Bethlehem: Mt Olives, Church of Visitation, Shepard's Fields, Church of the Nativity
On the first day in Jerusalem we present an overview for a better understanding of its geography and some of the key sites surrounding the area. This includes a dramatic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives, revealing a city with 4000 years of history. From this vantage point see much of what makes Jerusalem such a unique city to the three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We then head to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist and to the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the 'Magnificat'. In the afternoon we drive to the Shepherd's Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds Fields. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 7- Jerusalem, The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours:
Mt Olives, Palm Sunday, Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, Cave of Betrayal, Cave of Assumption, Pater Noster
We begin our day with a visit to the Mt. of Olives to walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. Visit the cave of betrayal then the cave of Assumption of Mary to heaven. Back on the Mt of Olives we visit the Pater Noster with the Lords Prayer in many languages, and the Ascension from where ascended to Heaven. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 8 - Stations of the Cross: Via della Rosa, St. Anne’s Church, Ecce Homo, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Wailing Wall, Upper Room, Dormition
Early in the morning we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice. Finally we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. After breakfast at our hotel we return to the Old City of Jerusalem to visit St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We pass the Ecce Home where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; then the Wailing Wall, the most holy place for Jews. Nearby is the Dome of the Rock and the Haram al Sharif or Temple Mount. We exit at Mt Zion. At the Cenacle we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Next we go to Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Him thrice. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 9 - The Wilderness: Bethany, Jericho, Mt Temptation, Dead Sea
We begin our day with a visit to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The desert east of Jerusalem is rich in Christian tradition. Further east, just off the Roman road that Jesus 'walked', is Wadi Qelt gorge, site of the Monastery of St. George. At the oasis town of Jericho, visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and view Mt. Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. On the way back there is time for a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its healing properties. In the afternoon, there will be time for you to revisit some of your favorite sites and time for last minute buying of gifts for your loved ones. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 10 - Tel Aviv - Taba
Early morning departure from Jerusalem. Traveling ancient caravan routes we make our way to Taba, and arrive in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 - Taba - St. Catherine - Wadj Feiran - Cairo
Visit the Monastery of Saint Catherine at the base of Mount Sinai. Trace the route of the Exodus along the eastern Sinai coast to Wadi Feiran where the Children of Israel withstood the Amalekites. Travel to Elim where the Children of Israel camped by the oasis of 70 palm trees. You final stop of the day will be Marah by the Red Sea where the "waters were bitter". Continue to Cairo for dinner and a three night stay.
Day 12 - Cairo:Memphis, Sakkara, Great Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx
Travel as Abraham did to Memphis (Biblical Noph) and on to Sakkara where you will see the Step Pyramid, the world's oldest stone structure. Next, we visit the Great Pyramids and their inscrutable protector, the Sphinx. If time permits we will visit a Papyrus institute.
Day 13 - Cairo:Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo and the Holy Family
This morning we will go to the center of Cairo by the Nile to admire the ancient treasures of the Egyptian Museum. Afterwards we head towards Old Cairo to follow the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt as you explore the Coptic Hanging Church, Coptic Museum and Ben Ezra Synagogue. We visit the miraculous St. Simoen’s Monastery that is carved in the mountain. If time permits, we visit Virgin Mary’s church that witnessed the apparition of Virgin Mary in 1968 BD.
Day 14 - Cairo - USA
Depart Cairo and arrive in the USA.
Note:
Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication of the tour, rather than a contract of places to be visited. Occasionally local religious holidays, national days, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of visits or the missing of certain visits.
We will have daily mass and strive to be in places as indicated. However, sometimes this is not possible as the site may not be available for Mass or itinerary changes are forced upon us. In this case an alternative site for Mass will be arranged.
Our intention is to operate all Pilgrimages to Israel, as listed below, however, from time to time, due to the state of affairs in the area, departure may be cancelled, in which case, all money would be refunded.
333 Marcus Blvd 