Amman - Petra - Kerak - Maeleba - Mt. Nebo - Amman - Dead Sea - Jerash - Amman - 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 - Mt Olives - 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
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York to Amman, Jordan (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)
2 nights: Taybet Zaman or Beit Zaman, Petra, Jordan
2 nights: Cham Palace, Amman, Jordan
2 nights: Ron Beach Hotel or Ein Gev Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
2 nights: Golden Crown, Nazareth
5 nights: Moriah Classic or Grand Court Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel 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) 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 - Amman
Begin your spiritual journey as we depart for the overnight flights to Amman.
Day 2 - Arrive Amman - Petra
Upon arrival at Amman Airport we drive to Petra. We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 - Petra
Today you will enjoy a tour of Petra. This tour is a two hour walking tour. It begins with a walk through 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 - Maeleba - Mt. Nebo - Amman
After breakfast we depart for the "King's Highway". We will first visit Kerak including the Castle of Karak, the largest of mountain-top crusader castles. Next we are off to Madaba, "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 earliest Christian times. You'll 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 (34:1-7). 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". We continue on to our hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 - Excursion to Dead Sea & Jerash
After breakfast we depart for the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. We visit the Museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls and will also have free time for bathing in the healing salt waters. We continue on 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. Return to Amman for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Amman - Mediterranean Coast
After breakfast we depart for Israel. Upon arrival at your hotel on the Mediterranean Coast you will have time to shower and relax before. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7- Galilee:Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Stella Maris, Carmelites, 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 8 - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee:
Tiberias, Boat ride, 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 9 - 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 10 - Jerusalem and Bethlehem: Mt Olives, Church of Visitation, Shepherd’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 11 - 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 12 - 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 13 - 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 14 - Jerusalem - USA
Early morning departure from Jerusalem. Traveling ancient caravan routes we make our way to Taba, and arrive in time for dinner and overnight.
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.
Post Tour to Cairo: (4 nights, see Tour #158 )
Includes breakfast & dinner daily, first class accommodations and sightseeing
333 Marcus Blvd 