Day by Day Travel Itinerary

• DAY 01 Thu . Apr . 03

  DEPART USA FOR TEL AVIV

  After connecting flights from around the U.S., our journey of a lifetime begins with an evening departure on United. After take-off, we will be served dinner and breakfast in route.

• DAY 02 Fri . Apr . 04

  ARRIVE TEL AVIV / CAESAREA BY THE SEA

  Upon arrival at Ben Gurion airport, our agent helps us through customs and security. We head for Caesarea Maritima, the majestic seaport, built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesar Augustus.   We transfer to the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 03 Sat . Apr . 05

  BEERSHEBA / MITZPE RAMON / WILDERNESS TABERNACLE / BORDER CROSSING TO JORDAN

  After breakfast we proceed to Beersheba, the ancient home of Abraham, to see the ruins and archeological site. We move on through the Negev desert and marvel at the Ramon Crater, where we learn about the Wilderness wandering of the ancient Israelites.  After lunch, we head for Timna and the Wilderness Tabernacle before we cross the border in Eilat to Aqaba for our hotel for dinner, relaxation and overnight at the Al Manara Hotel In Aqaba.

• DAY 04 Sun . Apr . 06

  DRIVE & VISIT PETRA

  In the morning, we depart Aqaba and drive to Petra, the ancient Nabatean capital and “Rose Red City half as old as time.” We’ll see the spectacular “city of the dead,” with its famed gorge, ancient streets, temples, dwelling places and tombs carved in solid rock. Our visit includes a two-mile walk through the famous Siq (the natural gorge) to arrive at the Treasury. We can see Roman temple ruins of the Roman city, the Nabatean Judgment Hall, palace tombs, famous Urn Temple and the Roman Amphitheater.  A climb of several hundred steps to the “high places” might appeal to the adventurous.  We leave Petra and head to the Dead Sea.  Dinner and overnight at the Dead Sea Marriott Hotel.

• DAY 05 Mon . Apr . 07

  BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN / MT. NEBO

  After breakfast, we visit the baptismal site where John baptized Jesus at Bethany Beyond the Jordan (John 1:26-28).  We move on to Mt. Nebo, where Moses stood to view the Promised Land.   After lunch we spend the afternoon relaxing at our hotel or floating in the Dead Sea.  Optional spa treatments are available at our hotel where we enjoy dinner and overnight.

• DAY 06 Tue . Apr . 08

  BORDER CROSSING / JERICHO / BEITSHEAN / BAPTISM

  Early in the morning, we cross the King Hussein Bridge into Israel and head for the tel of Jericho – a favorite spot for archaeologists.  We enjoy an excellent view of the Mount of Temptation.  Jericho is an excellent location to buy world-famous Hebron pottery.  Following a stop for shopping and lunch, we depart for Gan Hashlosha, near Gideon’s Spring, which feeds the Jordan for our baptism.  We conclude the day at the incredible ruins of Beit Shan, featuring eighteen layers of civilization where Saul and his sons were nailed to the city wall (1 Samuel 31:10).  Dinner and overnight at the U Boutique Hotel in Tiberias.

• DAY 07 Wed . Apr . 09

  SEA OF GALILEE BOAT RIDE / CAESAREA PHILIPPI / CAPERNAUM / CHORAZIN / MT. OF BEATITUDES / MAGDALA

  We begin the day with a memorable boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Our bus climbs into the Golan Heights where we arrive at the base of Mt. Hermon. Banyas, the Caesarea Philippi of the Bible, is a main water source for the Jordan River. Here Peter made his great declaration about Jesus (Mk. 8:27ff).  After lunch, we follow some of the stories in Mark 4-6 about the ministry of Jesus. Our stops include the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. We move on to Chorzin with its extensive ruins, then Capernaum, our Lord’s hometown for two years (Matt.4:13), and marvel at multitudes that were attracted to the miracles performed by Jesus. We stop at Magdala to see the remnants of a 1st Century synagogue which likely was visited by our Lord.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 08 Thu . Apr . 10

  MT. ARBEL / NAZARETH / MEGIDDO/ ISRAEL MUSEUM / HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

  An early walk along the shore provides a spectacular memory of sunrise over the Sea of Galilee.  We begin the day by climbing the path to Mt. Arbel for a farewell and majestic view of the lake.  We turn to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus to visit the Church of the Annunciation and see archeological ruins from the 1st Century.   We move on to the tel of Megiddo, one of Joshua’s victories, which dates to 4,000 B.C.   We look down on the Valley of Armageddon, when this period of world history concludes with the final battle (Revelation 16:16).  In the afternoon we head for Jerusalem with a brief visit to the Israel Museum where we find a model of 1st Century Jerusalem and then move to Holocaust Museum for reminders of the atrocities of the Nazis against the Jews in World War 2.  We conclude the day with dinner and overnight at the historic American Colony Hotel. 

• DAY 09 Fri . Apr . 11

  MT. ZION/TEMPLE TREASURES INSTITUTE/ ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK /SOUTHERN STEPS/ PILGRIM’S PATH

  After breakfast, we head to Mt. Zion for a visit to the House of Caiaphas, The Tomb of King David, and the Upper Room. We enter the Jewish Quarter to visit the Temple Treasures Institute that reminds us of preparations that are being made for the construction of the 3rd Temple.  Following lunch, we visit the Pilgrim’s Path before we conclude at the Jerusalem Archeological Park by walking among Herodian stones and the Southern Steps from the 2nd Temple period.  We rest our feet at the hotel where we enjoy dinner and overnight.

• DAY 10 Sat . Apr . 12

  BETHLEHEM /SHEPHERD’S FIELDS / HERODIAN / MT. OF OLIVES / GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

  We begin our day at the Church of the Nativity to focus on the birth of our Lord. We enjoy some shopping for olive wood and other local products in Bethlehem before we visit the Shepherd’s Fields and reflect on the appearance of the angels to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-18. The Herodian is our next stop, the majestic man-made mountain outside of Bethlehem, where King Herod’s grave was recently discovered.  This afternoon, we head to the Mt. of Olives for a panoramic view of the city of the Old City of Jerusalem, then we walk down the hillside to visit the Garden of Gethsemane.  We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. 

• DAY 11 Sun . Apr . 13

  TEMPLE MOUNT / POOLS OF BETHESDA / MASADA / EIN GEDI / QUMRAN

  Today, we catch an early bus to the Temple Mount, home to the temples of Solomon and Herod and the current location for the Dome of the Rock, the Mosque of Omar, originally built in the 6th Century and the Al Aqsa Mosque, used by Muslims for prayer.   After the Temple Mount, we visit the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the lame man (John 5.  We spend the rest of the day in the desert and enjoy a stop at Masada, where Jewish zealots met their fate at the hands of the Roman army. We move on to Ein Gedi, the desert oasis, where we recall the worship of David in Psalm 46.  We conclude the day at Qumran, the home of the Essenes and the location for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls before we return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

• DAY 12 Mon . Apr . 14

  GORDON’S CALVARY / GARDEN TOMB / VIA DOLOROSA / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER / FAREWELL DINNER

  We begin our last day in Jerusalem with a moving visit to Gordon’s Calvary and the Garden Tomb, where we celebrate communion and remember the death and resurrection of our Lord.  We retrace the steps of Jesus on the way to the cross as we make our way along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We enjoy a farewell lunch at the Ambassador Hotel before our journey continues with a late-night flight from Ben Gurion airport to the USA.

• DAY 13 Tue . Apr . 15

  ARRIVE U.S.A.

  We arrive early this morning and transfer to our domestic flights home filled with life-changing memories of what it was like to walk in the footsteps of Moses and Jesus during our visit to the Holy Land.