Kerak - Maeleba - Mt. Nebo - Dead Sea - Jerash - Mediterranean Coast - Galilee - Caesarea - Mt Carmel - Stella Maris - Carmelites - Cana - Nazareth - Basilica of the Annunciation - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee - Tiberias - Boat ride - Sea of Galilee - Capernaum - Mt. Beatitudes - Caesarea Philippi - Jordan River - Mt Tabor - Jerusalem - Bethlehem - Mt Olives - Church of Visitation - Shepherd’s Fields - Church of the Nativity - Jerusalem, The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours - Palm Sunday - Dominus Flevit - Gethsemane - Cave of Betrayal - Cave of Assumption - Pater Noster - Stations of the Cross - The Wilderness - Bethany - Jericho - Mt Temptation - Dead Sea - Jerusalem - Taba - St. Catherine - Wadj Feiran - Memphis - Sakkara - Great Pyramids of Giza - Sphinx - Egyptian Museum - Coptic Cairo - the Holy Family
**US Citizens are required to obtain visas prior to arrival in Egypt.
(Visa’s for US Citizens to enter Egypt will be obtained on the border prior to entering Egypt. Pilgrims holding a non US Passport please contact your local Egyptian Embassy to obtain a Egyptian Visa)
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York to Amman, Jordan (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) ALL AIRPORT TAXES & FUEL SURCHARGES! 15 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar)
~ 1 nights: Cham Palace, Amman, Jordan
Breakfast, LUNCH, and Dinner daily in The Holy Land Breakfast and Dinner daily in Jordan and Egypt Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach
Free Wi-Fi on motor coach in The Holy Land 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) Exit tax out of Israel at Taba: $17.00 per person Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Not Included: 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) Lunches in Jordan and Egypt. Travel Insurance optional (www.206tours.com/insurance), Extended Cancellation Protection Plan @ $199 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection), Tips to Guides and Drivers ($11-$12 per person per day). Items of a personal nature.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart USA
Make your way to your hometown airport where you will board your overnight flight(s) to Amman. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Arrive Amman
Upon arrival at Amman you will be greeted by your driver and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Amman.
Day 3 - Petra
After breakfast, we depart for Petra. Upon arrival we enjoy a walking tour that begins with a visit to the Siq to the Treasury. Continue through the main street with magnificent structures on each side carved into the mountains, to the colonnaded street, ending at the Petra Museum. Lose yourself in the history of the Nabateans who meticulously carved Massive structures out of the rose colored sandstone. See the influence of the people that followed, including the architecture of the mighty Romans and a beautiful Byzantine chapel decorated with ancient, stunning mosaics that have been carefully preserved. Enjoy a free afternoon for shopping, exploration, or rest.
Day 4 - Petra - Kerak - Madeba - Mt. Nebo - Amman
After breakfast, we depart for the "King's Highway." We will first visit Kerak including the Castle of Kerak, the largest of mountain-top crusader castles. Next we are off to Madeba, "The City of Mosaics," to visit St. George Church where there is a clear map of the Holy Land (including Israel, Palestine & Lower Egypt). We will visit Mt. Nebo, where Moses was laid to rest, and where the late Pope John Paul II tread on his first pilgrimage of the millennium. Visit the Sanctuary at Nebo: the memorial of Moses, the presumed site of his death and burial place, and a center for pilgrimages since early Christian times. You will be inspired by the biblical feel from start to finish as you experience this divine tour. Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan, for this is where Moses was buried. The site's association with the last days of Moses is described in moving words in Deuteromony. The episode of Balak and Balam (2:13-26) also took place here. The site's other name is Pisgah: "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah which is opposite Jericho." Dinner in Amman.
Day 5 - Amman - Jerash - Tel Aviv
After breakfast, we depart to Jerash, nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead, is the grandeur of Imperial Rome being one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. To this day, its paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates remain in exceptional condition. We continue on to our hotel on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. We enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at our hotel before retiring for the evening.
Day 6 - Galilee
After a filling breakfast we travel up the coast to Caesarea. We will visit the Roman and Crusader ruins, where Paul was held prisoner by the Romans. We continue our journey into the Carmel Mountains, heading for Galilee. We stop in Haifa where we will visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery which houses the Madonna of Mt. Carmel. After time for prayer we continue on to Mukhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order began. Our next stop is Cana, the village where Jesus performed his first miracle changing water into wine. Our pilgrim couples will have a special opportunity to renew their wedding vows during our Mass. We drive to nearby Nazareth, where we will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary's Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. We arrive in Tiberias in time for our dinner and a restful overnight.
Day 7 - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee
Today we will focus on the ministry of Christ during his time in Galilee. We will enjoy a peaceful boat ride across the Sea of Galilee where Christ walked on water. We also visit the holy site Capernaum to see the synagogue and St. Peter's house, where Jesus would have stayed during while ministering in the area. Visit the breathtaking Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given. There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy of Mt. Beatitudes. We continue on to Tabgha where we will the splendid mosaic commemorating 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." In the afternoon we visit Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus told Peter "You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church." We return to our hotel for dinner and a well earned rest.
Day 8 - Jordan River & Mt. Tabor
We start our day with a stop at the Jordan River where we will renew our Baptismal Vows. We will continue to Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration, where we will have Mass in the beautiful small church atop the mountain. We drive down the Jordan Valley and head towards Jerusalem where we will arrive in time for dinner.
Day 9 - Jerusalem & Bethlehem
We begin our time in Jerusalem with an overview of the past and current geography of the Old City, including 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: Christianity, Judaism, 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 and celebrate Mass. We visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which stands upon the site where Jesus was born. We have time to shop before returning to our hotel for dinner.
Day 10 - The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours
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. Our journey takes us to Gethsemane, where we will visit the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. We continue on to the Cave of Betrayal and the Cave of Assumption of Mary to Heaven. We visit Pater Noster, where the universality of the Catholic Church is evident in the tiled mosaics of the Lord's Prayer in many languages. We finish our day at the Chapel of the Ascension from where Jesus ascended to Heaven. We return to our hotel for dinner and an early lights out.
Day 11 - Stations of the Cross
This morning we wake very early for one of the highlights of our trip. As the sun rises we retrace the last steps of Jesus on Good Friday. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the Old City we will pray the Stations of the Cross as we walk the same path Jesus took. We reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice as we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. We return to our hotel for breakfast before visiting St. Anne's Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We will see the Ecce Home where Pilate proclaimed "Behold the man," the Wailing Wall (the most holy place for Jews). We exit at Mt. Zion to visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper and the Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Christ three times. This afternoon you will have free time to rest or explore Jerusalem. Return to our hotel for dinner.
Day 12 - The Wilderness
We begin our day with a visit to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. As we head east of Jerusalem into the desert, you will begin to understand the rich Christian tradition of this region. As we continue on we will see the Monastery of St. George, just off the Roman road that Jesus 'walked.' As we reach the oasis town of Jericho, we visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and enjoy a splendid view Mt. Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. Before returning to Jerusalem we stop at the Dead Sea where we will have time for a swim (or rather a float) in the mineralrich waters. The Dead Sea is renowned for its healing properties and various skin products. Due to the geographic position it is warm enough to swim year round! As we return to Jerusalem, there will be time for you to revisit some of your favorite sites, finish your last minute shopping, and rest. We gather for our final dinner at our hotel.
Day 13 - Jerusalem - Tel Aviv - Cairo
Early this morning we depart for Tel Aviv Airport, where we will board our short flight(s) to Cairo Airport. Upon arrival we are greeted by our guide and transfer to our hotel. Enjoy free time to refresh before dinner and overnight.
Day 14 - Cairo: Memphis, Sakkara, Great Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx
After breakfast we travel as Abraham did, to Memphis and then 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 also visit a Papyrus institute. We return to Cairo for dinner and a restful overnight.
Day 15 - Excursion to Alexandria
After an early breakfast we depart for Alexandria, famous for its Roman remains. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 312 B.C., and was the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt. We will visit the catacombs of Kom AshShuqqafa, we descend below ground to visit the tomb and Caracalla Hall, Pompey's Pillar, Roman amphitheater, and the famous Alexandria Library. We return to Cairo for dinner.
Day 16 - 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 AD.
Day 17 - Cairo - USA
Early morning departure to Cairo Airport for our return flights to 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.
Any questions? Call 800-206-TOUR (8687) or Email Us
Why travel with 206 Tours? Click here to read letters from our clients
Travel Dates
Land Only (no airfare)
*Air & Land
# of Pilgrims
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Mosaic, Byzantine Church of Petra
Inside Kerak Castle
Basilica of Saint George
The Brazen Serpent
Arch of Adrian
Roman Ruins
333 Marcus Blvd 