DAY 1 - Friday                                          download itinerary (pdf.)

We depart from London Heathrow on our British Airways day flight to Tel Aviv.  On arrival we will be transferred to the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

We start this day at the Garden Tomb and share communion in this moving and beautiful setting. Travel south through Judea to the hill top fortress of Herodium site of the recently discovered tomb of King Herod.  From here we drive through the Shepherds Fields to the town of David, Bethlehem - birthplace of Jesus. We finish today in Bethany to see the tomb of Lazarus and where Jesus was anointed in preparation for his death and burial. 

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The morning starts on Mount of Olives with spectacular views across Jerusalem and The Old City. From here we walk down Palm Sunday Road retracing Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem visiting Dominus Flevit (where Jesus wept over Jerusalem). We will spend time overlooking the city before descending into the Garden of Gethsemane to consider His last 24 hours. From there we drive to Yad Vashem the Holocaust Memorial Museum, a must for all visitors to Israel.  Next to the Old City, enter via St Stephen’s Gate a possible location of his stoning. Visit the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the crippled man. From here we follow the Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulchre the traditional site of his death and burial. 

Optional - After dinner we walk to the Western Wall, you can take time to pray, or just absorb the atmosphere of this unique place.  

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After breakfast drive to Ein Gedi, an Oasis on the Dead Sea shore. We will walk through the nature reserve past a 200 metre high waterfall to a cave where David had his famous meeting with King Saul. On to Masada, this fortress city was built by Herod and is one of the most important historical sites in Israel. We take the cable car up to the plateau with its stunning views across to Jordan and the Land of Moab. For those wanting to do something completely different we stop for a swim or float in the Dead Sea the lowest place on earth.  Our final visit will be Jericho the oldest inhabited city in the world with a cable car ride to the Mount of Temptation from here we see the Jordan River and the site of Gilgal where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land. 

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 We start our tour at the Temple Mount (subject to the political situation) site of the 1^st (Solomon’s) & 2^nd (Herod’s) Temples.  Drive to the City of David, to see the excavations, Warren’s shaft, the springhouse. For those wanting a challenge we walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, carved out of solid rock to bring water into the city in 716 B.C. its wet and dark, but great fun. The tunnel comes out at the Pool of Siloam here Jesus told the blind man to wash his eyes and he would see. Passing Gihon Spring where Solomon was anointed as king we walk up the Kidron Valley to the Jewish Quarter for lunch. The afternoon we visit the Davidson Centre for a film presentation of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus before a tour of the Southern Wall Excavations to stand on the steps he took to enter the temple.

 

Optional – After dinner Walk to the Mount of Olives to overlook the Garden of Gethsemane and consider Jesus’ final hours and arrest.

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We leave Jerusalem for Galilee, driving along the Jordan Valley visiting the spring of Harod and the story of Gideon. Past the hills of Samaria and Mount Gilboa where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines. On to Nazareth, the home town of Jesus to visit ‘Nazareth Village’ it offers you exactly what you come to the Holy Land for: to touch the time of Jesus, see its sights, hear its sounds, and even breathe in its aromas. It’s an authentic experience of the land of the Bible. Next an interesting drive to the top of Mount Tabor the traditional site of Jesus' Transfiguration the views are stunning bringing home the importance of what took place here. From here we drive across the Jezreel Valley to Megiddo the site of the final Battle - Armageddon. 

Dinner and overnight – Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias

 

Our hotel is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, ideal location for an after dinner stroll by the lake that Jesus knew so well. 

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We visit the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount, a magnificent setting were we take communion. Then to Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ ministry and see the early Synagogue and Peter’s House. Onto St Peter’s Primacy the traditional site where Jesus appeared to Peter after his resurrection.

 

Free afternoon to relax around the pool, do some shopping or just do your own thing. 

 

After an early dinner we take a 2-hour boat trip across the Sea of Galilee, watch the sunset while listening to some wonderful music. On previous trips this has proved to be one of the highlights of the tour.

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The day will not have a set itinerary we will travel around the Galilee region visiting Kursi, Bethsaida and Chorazin and other places where Jesus performed his miracles.

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After an early breakfast we leave for Joppa, the place where Peter had his vision, also Jonah sailed from here. You can spend your final few hours walking around this picturesque harbour town before the short drive to Tel Aviv for our return flight to London.

 

Please note: the order in which the itinerary is set out may change.

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