Depart the USA.

You will be welcomed by our tour guide and bus driver.  Transfer to our hotel in Nazareth.

This morning, our first stop will be at the Church of the Transfiguration where we visit the Church of the Annunciation, the Church of St. Joseph and from there to Cana, the place where Jesus performed His first public miracle at the wedding by changing water into wine.  Continue to the city of Tiberias and visit the sites around the Sea of Galilee: The Church of St. Peter’s Primacy, Capernaum with Peter’s House and Mount of Beatitudes.    Today, we will also enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

Today, we will take small cars to the top of Mount of Transfiguration to visit the Franciscan Monastery and church.  Down to our bus to drive to Haifa and stop on Mount Carmel for a beautiful view of the coast.  Visit the church of the prophet Elijah and then continue by the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea where we stop for pictures at the Aqueduct.  On our way to Bethlehem, we will stop in Old Jaffa to visit the Church of St. Peter and enjoy a view of modern day Tel Aviv.

We start our day with the Mount of Olives for a magnificent view of the Old City. We visit the Church of the Pater Noster, the Chapel of the Ascension and walk down to the Church of Dominus Flevit, passing by the Russian Church and ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. We continue to Ein Karem, known to be the birthplace of John the Baptist. After visiting the Church of the Visitation, we continue to Bethlehem. We visit the Church of the Nativity, the Holy Manger, the Basilica of St. Catherine and the Milk Grotto. We drive down to the Shepherds’ Field where the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds announcing the Good News.

Visit the Church of Lazarus, built on the traditional house of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. We drive down to Jericho where we see the “tell” of Jericho and view the Mount of Temptation. Continue to the Baptismal site on the River Jordan and the Dead Sea where we can feel the salty water.

Our visit of the Old City includes the Church of St. Anne, the Pools of Bethesda, the Way of the Cross, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We walk through the Cardo to the Wailing Wall known as the Western Wall. Then we visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, Mount Zion, and the Room of the Last Supper.

This morning, we drive to Emmaus to visit the Franciscan Church and Monastery built on the traditional site where Jesus appeared to two of His Disciples on the day of His Resurrection. We continue our drive through the West Bank to Jacob’s Well where Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman. We view Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Return to Bethlehem.

Return to the USA or continue to Jordan.

Begin optional Extension:
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on your way to Jerash. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be heard in the top row. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Begin with a stop in Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint George with its sixth-century, Byzantine, mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land.  On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. End your day at the shore of the Dead Sea and check in to your hotel.

Explore the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliff sides of rose-colored rock. Return to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy a free morning at your hotel. Cross the border back into Israel and enjoy dinner in Jerusalem. Afterwards, you will travel to the airport in Tel Aviv to begin your journey home.

Return to USA.