On arrival in Tel Aviv, you will be met and transferred to your hotel on the Mediterranean coast. Overnight Tel Aviv.

This morning after breakfast leave for 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 Church of the Annunciation and St. Joseph’s workshop, now a church. Within the Church of the Annunciation, we will make our way down to the Grotto to see the remains of the house of the Blessed Mother, and where the Angel of the Lord announced the good news to Mary. Continue to Cana; it was here that Jesus performed His first miracle, changing water into wine (John 2.). During your time at the Wedding Church, you will observe married couples take part in a ceremony to renew their wedding vows to each other. At the end of the day drive to your hotel in the Sea of Galilee region. Overnight Galilee.

Today enjoy a Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Then to the Mount of Beatitudes, scene of Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. Nearby is Tabgha where Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 and onto the site known as “Peter’s Primacy”. Here, after His resurrection, Jesus met with His disciples and told Peter to “feed my lambs; feed my sheep.” [John 21:9]. A short drive away is Capernaum, from where Jesus launched his Ministry; see the synagogue which dates to the time of Jesus and the church built over the site of Peter’s home.

If time permits, this afternoon drive up to Caesarea Philippi in the Golan Heights, where Jesus told St. Peter “You are the Rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” The Golan Heights is the source of the Jordan River, was the home of the Tribe of Dan and has remains dating to the Roman, Hellenistic and Persian periods. The Golan overlooks Syria and a landscape that has been the scene of numerous battles spanning many centuries. Dinner and overnight at your hotel. Overnight Galilee.

This morning ascend Tabor (Matthew 17:1-50). At this site, Christ’s Divinity was revealed. From the top of Mt Tabor, enjoy a dramatic view the Valley of Armageddon. Drive down the Jordan Valley through the Judean wilderness, where Jesus spent 40 days of fasting. We arrive at the Jordan River where He was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17). Nearby is the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho (Joshua 6:12-25). Jericho is located in the shadow of the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during his forty-day fast (Luke 4:1). South of Jericho is the ancient site of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written and discovered (Ezekiel 47:8-10). These writings have helped further the understanding of the Jewish background to Christianity. Time and weather permitting, you will have the opportunity to take a float in the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest place on Earth. Drive up to Jerusalem, check-in to your hotel for overnight. Overnight Jerusalem.

Begin the day with a visit to the Second Temple scale model for an overview of Jerusalem as it was at the time of Jesus. Then to the village of Ein Karem to visit to 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 (Luke 1.39). Many people pray the Mystery of the Rosary as they walk up the hill to the Church. Later drive to Bethlehem to visit the fields where the Angel appeared to the shepherds to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ, (Luke 2:8). Continue to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. We enter the church through the door of humility and proceed down to the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the place 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). Overnight Jerusalem.

We start the day on the Mount of Olives with a breathtaking 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 Palm Sunday Road, which reminds us of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Along this route there stands Dominus Flevit which marks the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Continue down to Gethsemane; 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. Next to the garden is the Church of All Nations, built over the “Rock of Agony”, where Jesus prayed alone before His arrest. From Gethsemane Jesus was taken to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas on Mt. Zion, where we see the dungeons in which He was imprisoned. Also at this place, marked by the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, is where Peter denied Christ three times and wept bitterly (John 18:15-18), On the upper part of Mt. Zion we visit the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, (Matthew 26:17-30). Overnight Jerusalem.

Very early this morning we walk together in prayerful procession along the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross). We start at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28-19:16) and receives His cross. We end the procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which marks the place of the Crucifixion & the Resurrection, (Luke 23:26-33). There is the option to attend the public High Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher before return to the hotel for breakfast. Later return to the Old City to visit to the Church of St. Anne’s, the traditional birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Nearby is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man (John 5:1-9). End the day with a visit the Western Wall, which is the last remnant of the Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 A.D. Overnight Jerusalem.

*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.