Day 1 - September 9 - Depart USA to Tel Aviv
Your trip of a lifetime to Israel begins with your international flight from the New York area to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Meals will be served onboard your flight.
Day 2 - September 10 - Arrive in Tel Aviv. Transfer to Jerusalem for Dinner and Overnight
You will arrive at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. You will be escorted from the arrival hall to your motor coach by your English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel for the night. You will have dinner and a night of rest. (D)
Day 3 - September 11 - Mount of Olives / Palm Sunday Road / Gethsemane / Church of All Nations / Drive by U.S. Embassy and Israel Knesset/ Israeli Supreme Court / Mount Herzl
After breakfast, travel to the best known site in the Bible, The Mount of Olives. From this location, you will be able to look across the ancient Jewish cemetery and look at the walled Eastern Gate and the Temple Mount. From the Mount of Olives, you can walk down the Palm Sunday Road, the road that Jesus traveled when He made His triumphal entrance into the city of Jerusalem, before His arrest, crucifixion and burial. At this point, you will go into the Garden of Gethsemane, filled with Olive Trees that date back thousands of years. In this location, Jesus prayed before He was betrayed by Judas. You will then drive by the U.S. Embassy, Israeli Supreme Court and Israeli Knesset and stop for a group picture at the Symbol of the State of Israel, the giant Menorah. Your day ends with a trip to Mount Herzl, The Mount of Remembrance, the site of Israel’s national cemetery. You will return to your hotel for dinner and a night of rest. (B/L/D)
Day 4 - September 12 - Jordan Valley / Mount of Beatitudes / Capernaum / St. Peter’s Fish Lunch / Sea of Galilee Boat Ride / Ancient Boat at Kibbutz Nof Ginosar / Jordan River Baptism at Yardenit
Breakfast starts your day. Following a drive through the Jordan Valley, you will arrive at the Mount of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount. Capernaum, the earthly home of the ministry of Jesus is the next stop. Here, you will stand in the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught. A fun fish lunch, included in your tour price, is the next stop. Following lunch, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee is scheduled. From your boat ride, you will enter an area that houses the ancient Jesus boat. In 1986, an ancient boat was pulled from the mud along the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee and is believed to be from the time of Jesus. The day ends with a baptismal ceremony in the Jordan River at The Yardenit. Here, you will have the opportunity to renew your baptismal vows and for some, it may be the first time to be baptized. You will return to Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley back to your hotel for dinner and a night of rest. (B/L/D)
Day 5 - September 13 - Caesarea Maritima / Megiddo / Mount Carmel / Nazareth (Mount Precipice)
Travel west to the coast of Israel, after breakfast, to Caesarea Maritima located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The Apostle Paul gave his famous defense of the Christian faith as detailed in the Book of Acts here. The next stop on your Israel journey is Tel Megiddo. From the top of this site you will be able to see part of the Plain of Armageddon, located in the Jezreel Valley. Your next stop is Mount Carmel, where Elijah the prophet challenged the 450 prophets of the false god baal. From the rooftop of a Mount Carmel monastery, you will see another view of the Jezreel Valley and get a better understanding of where the final battle to end all wars will be fought. A drive through Nazareth will take you to Mount Precipice, the site where the Bible says the enemies of Jesus sought to throw Him off the top of the Mount. On your way to Jerusalem, you will drive through the ancient town of Cana, the place where the Bible records where the first miracle of Jesus took place when He turned water into wine. You will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight rest. (B/L/D)
Day 6 - September 14 - Haas Promenade Overlook / Davidson Center – Southern Wall Excavations - Teaching Steps / Western Wall /Old City of Jerusalem/ Mahane Yehuda Market / Shopping
After breakfast, you will head to the Haas Promenade Overlook. From this location, there are several amazing views of the Old City. Your visit to the Old City of Jerusalem begins with a stop at the Davidson Center, the site of the excavations of the Southern Wall Steps, the same steps Jesus would have walked going to the Temple. A time of prayer is scheduled during your stop at the Western Wall, the Kotel, the last remaining wall of the second temple, the holiest site in Judaism. You will then go into the Old City of Jerusalem and observe daily life and customs. An exciting visit to the Mahane Yehuda Market will give you an opportunity to shop next to Israelis and experience the culture of the day. You will then return to your hotel for dinner and overnight rest. (B/L/D)
Day 7 - September 15 - Masada / Dead Sea Swim / Qumran / Jericho
Breakfast is first today. Heading into the desert towards the Dead Sea, Masada will be the first stop of the day. You will ride the cable car up to the top of Masada and hear the story of the Jewish zealots who fought the Roman army for years before they decided to kill themselves rather than be taken into Roman captivity. You will then change into your swimsuits and take time to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. After your float in the Dead Sea, your journey will take you to Qumran, the site where a shepherd boy discovered the lost Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave. Portions of those scrolls are now on display at the Israel Museum, in a building called the Shrine of the Book. The day ends with a drive through Jericho, known for the story of the tax collector Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree so he could see and hear Jesus teach. You will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight rest. (B/L/D)
Day 8 - September 16 - Mount Zion / Caiaphas’ House / Upper Room / King David’s Tomb / Jewish Quarter / Golden Menorah / Cardo
After breakfast, a short trip to Mount Zion will afford you an opportunity to visit Caiaphas’ House, where Jesus was brought before the high priest and whipped before being taken to Pilate for final judgement. King David’s tomb and the Upper Room are in the same area. A view of the Golden Menorah, an item prepared for placement in the third temple, is next on your journey, followed by a trip into the Jewish Quarter to observe modern-day Jewish life. You will return to your hotel for dinner and overnight rest. (B/L/D)
Day 9 - September 17 - Yad Vashem / Israel Museum - Model City - Shrine of the Book / Wedding Hall Farewell Lunch / Bethlehem Overlook
Breakfast is at the hotel, followed by a somber trip to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center. Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The Shrine of the Book is the next stop where you can see fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The model city of Jerusalem located on the grounds of the Israel museum shows how Jerusalem would have looked in the late second temple period. The farewell lunch will take place today with Bishop Dale C. Bronner and Dr. Nina Bronner. After the farewell lunch, you will visit an area known as the Bethlehem Overlook. From this site, you will be able to see into Bethlehem. A trip back to the hotel will give you time to freshen up before dinner. (B/L/D)
Day 10 - September 18 - Pool of Bethesda - St. Anne’s Church / Old City / Hezekiah’s Wall / Gordon’s Calvary / Garden Tomb / Depart from Tel Aviv to USA on Late Night Flight or Early Morning Flight
After breakfast, you will go into the Old City of Jerusalem and follow the Via Dolorosa, starting at the Pools of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne. Travel through the streets of the Old City walking the path that Jesus walked. You will see modern-day life in Jerusalem as you walk through the marketplace. Your day will end at the Garden Tomb / Gordon’s Calvary for your communion service, after you have gone inside the empty tomb and have seen for yourself that Jesus is not there. A trip back to your hotel will give you a chance for last minute packing and time to freshen up before dinner at the hotel. You will be taken to Ben Gurion Airport for the late night flight back to the United States. Meals will be served onboard the flight. (B/L/D)
Day 11 - September 19 - Arrive in the USA