Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrival’s Hall, where you will be greeted by a rep holding a “206 Tours – GEM” sign. Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv to check-in. Enjoy dinner at the hotel before retiring for the evening.

Theme: The Annunciation
Leave Tel Aviv to Caesarea Maritima, located on the shores of the Mediterranean. Built by Herod the Great, Caesarea was where St. Peter baptized the first gentile convert, Cornelius (Acts 10). We will see the Roman theatre Herod’s Palace, view the Hippodrome, and the harbor from which St. Paul sailed on his journeys to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the ancient world. Continue to Nazareth to visit the museum and archaeological garden which contain remains of Nazareth at time of Christ. We also see St. Joseph’s workshop. Within the Church of the Annunciation, we make our way down to the Grotto to see the remains of the house of the Blessed Mother, where the Angel of the Lord announced the good news to Mary. From here we drive to Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle, changing water into wine at the request of His mother. We celebrate Mass here at the Wedding Church, and married couples will have the chance to renew their wedding vows to each other. From there, we continue our hotel by the Sea of Galilee, for dinner and overnight.

Theme: The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee
This morning we take a boat ride on the beautiful Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). Then we visit Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus lived and launched His ministry that was to change our lives and the world. In Capernaum we see the Synagogue where Jesus taught (Mark 1:21-29) and gave the sermon on the Bread of Life We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-49). Then to Tabgha, where Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Luke 9:10-17). Nearby is St. Peter’s Primacy, where Peter confirmed his Love of Jesus (John 21) and it was in this place that Jesus anointed Peter to lead His Church and was to become the first Pope. (John 21:9). Continue to visit the birthplace of Mary Magdalene in Magdala. During the time of Jesus, this village was a pros parous fishing village that exported fish and garum, a fish sauce reduction popular in Roman cooking. Return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight.

Theme: The Transfiguration
After breakfast, drive to the site of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1-50). At this site, you will have some time to reflect on Christ’s Divinity. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Transfiguration and then continue south towards the Jordan Valley, to the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho (Joshua 6:12-25). In Jericho, you view the exact location, the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during his forty-day fast (Luke 4:1). Drive up to Jerusalem to check-in to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Theme: The Visitation and Nativity
This morning drive to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. In Bethlehem, you will have the opportunity to view the Shepherd’s Fields (Luke 2:8). In the caves of these fields, you can still see the soot marks of fires that shepherds lit to keep warm. We drive to the Church of the Nativity. As you enter the Church, you will proceed down to the Grotto of the Nativity which marks the spot of Our Saviour’s birth (Matthew 2:1-18).
Beneath the altar, there is a silver star and a Latin inscription that states: HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. End the day at the village of Ein Karem to visit the Church of St John the Baptist, which marks his birthplace (Luke 1.5). Nearby is Church of Visitation that commemorates the visit of our Blessed Mother to her cousin, Elizabeth, staying with her for 3 months (Luke1.39). Many people pray the Mystery of the Rosary as they walk up the hill to the Church.

Theme: Early Years in Jerusalem & the Wilderness
Drive through the Judean wilderness, the site where Jesus spent His 40 days of fasting. We head to the Jordan River for some time to reflect on the Baptism of Christ Matthew 3:13-17). In the afternoon we visit Qumran, the Essene site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. (Ezekiel 47:8-10). These writings have helped further the understanding of the Jewish background to Christianity. There is also time to swim or float on the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest place on Earth before return to Jerusalem.

Theme: Palm Sunday and the Agony in the Garden
After breakfast, you will make your way to the Mount of Olives, where you will be able to take in the beautiful, panoramic view of Jerusalem. Visit the Pater Noster Shrine where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster) (Luke 11:1-4). Then we walk down the hill to Dominus Flevit which commemorates where Jesus wept for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Continue down to Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It was here that Jesus brought His disciples to pray the night before He was crucified (Luke 22:29-53). The Garden still contains trees with roots that date back to the time of Jesus. Your next stop, the Church of All Nations, is built over the “Rock of Agony”, where Jesus prayed alone on the night of Hisarrest. Throughout this time, you are invited to remain in prayer and to reflect on Christ’s agony that He experienced. Continue with a visit to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, now called the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, which marks the place where Jesus was examined and imprisoned before the Council in Jerusalem. It also commemorates Peter’s Denial of Christ (John 18:15- 18), his repentance, and Jesus’ forgiveness of him. Further up Mt Zion we visit The Upper Room is where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30) and where Jesus appeared to His disciples after His Death and Resurrection (Mark 16:14). Nearby is the Benedictine Church of the Dormition where Mary, the Mother of Jesus, fell into eternal asleep. At the end of this prayerful day, return to your hotel for dinner and to meet together.

Theme: The Way of the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection
This morning you will have a very early wake-up to begin the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) at the Antonia Fortress. This is the spot where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28- 19:16). Following His condemnation, He was taken to the place of Crucifixion. We pray the Stations of the Cross as we walk through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Luke 23:26-33). This is the sacred site of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (Luke 23: 50-55). We celebrate Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Later we will have the opportunity to visit the Western Wall, which is the last remains of the Jewish Temple after it was destroyed in 70 A.D. Continue with a visit to the Church of St. Anne’s, the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents (Anne and Joachim); and the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man (John 5:1-9). Following this visit return to the hotel to enjoy dinner and an overnight at your hotel.

Our Pilgrimage ends today as we head to the airport for our flight home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.