Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

You will be welcomed at the Tel Aviv airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel to enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Worship as you sail across the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matthew 4:13, 23). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Close by is Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus traveled with His disciples and where Peter made his great confession to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Travel through the Golan Heights and better understand their strategic importance to the security of Israel. Recall Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River.

After our delicious buffet breakfast, travel to Caesarea by the Sea on the Mediterranean coastline. It was here that Cornelius the Centurion and his household were saved and baptized (Acts 10), and it was also where Paul made his defense before Festus and King Agrippa prior to his final journey to Rome (Acts 25 & 26). See the top of Mount Carmel, where Elijah prayed down the fire from Heaven and defeated the 450 prophets of Baal (I Kings 18). View Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus (Matthew 2: 23) from Mount Precipice, where Luke describes how Jesus was rejected by those in the synagogue after He taught them. Filled with anger they “led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong” (Luke 4: 29).

Start the day in Bet Shean, a city that has been continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. The uncovered ruins date back to the Greek / Roman city that was part of the Decapolis of Jesus’ day. See colonnaded streets with marble sidewalks, Roman public baths, and a theater. Drive south through the Jordan Valley, and on the way, we will see Jericho, a city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1, 2, 20) and also known as the oldest city in the world. Recall Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River, also known as Qaser El-Yehud. Stop at Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, to learn about the mysterious community of the Essenes who once lived on the shores of the Dead Sea. Retrace the ancient Roman road as you pass through the Judean Wilderness to view the Valley of the Shadow. Enter the capital city of Jerusalem and view the city before arriving at your hotel for check-in, dinner, and overnight.

See the Temple Mount, once the site of the Temple of Solomon. In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace and see the Church of the Nativity constructed over the site (Matthew 1:18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field. Journey through the Valley of Elah, where David defeated Goliath. View the road to Emmaus, where Jesus, after His resurrection, met two of His disciples who did not recognize Him until He later broke bread with them. Return to your Jerusalem hotel for dinner.

Begin your day with a group picture taken from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). Walk the Palm Sunday Road, pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, and envision the scenes of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 26:36-44). Continue to Mount Zion to visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was questioned the night of His betrayal (Matthew 26:57). Meditate on the events of the Last Supper as you visit the traditional location of the Upper Room (Mark 14:12-26). After lunch, wander through the excavations of the City of David. Explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat that was dug from either end and met in the middle (Note: Those who are claustrophobic may want to meet the group at the other end of the tunnel). Visit the Pool of Siloam, recently uncovered at the foot of the city.

Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress, which became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans. You can still look down on the remains of the Roman camps and the siege ramp below. End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea.

Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Western Wall. View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5:1- 18). Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and experience its rich acoustics. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress, where Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1), and follow in Christ’s steps on the Via Dolorosa (“the Way of the Cross”). At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, take time to reflect on His sacrificial love. Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion.

Arrive in the USA with a lifetime of memories to cherish. Meals served in flight.