BEST OF THE HOLY LAND 2016 THE YEAR OF MERCY
04 Sep 2016 To 13 Sep 2016
1 : Depart (Direct Flight El Al Airlines)
(Meals :Breafast, Dinner in Flight)
Jerusalem
2 : ARRIVE TEL AVIV NAZARETH
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel-Aviv. Local guide for our stay in the Holy Land will meet us. Drive to Nazareth. Check into Hotel and Dinner.
Nazareth Tel-Aviv
3 : TIBERIAS CANA TABGHA
Breakfast in Hotel.
Drive to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle at the Wedding Feast.
Holy Mass at Wedding Chapel– Renewal of Marriage Vows.
Drive to Tiberias and take a boat on the Sea of Galilee to Kibbutz Ginossar. See perfectly intact 2000 years old boat recently uncovered on its shores.
Lunch ( Not included)
Drive to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. Visit Synagogue and town.
Drive on to Tabgha, site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
Visit Church of St. Peter’s Primacy. Here he said to Peter, “Feed my lambs, feed my sheep”. Drive to Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon of the Mount occurred.
Return to Hotel for Dinner.
TIBERIAS CANA TABGHA
4 : NAZARETH MOUNT TABOR
Breakfast in Hotel
Drive to Nazareth, boyhood home of Jesus.
Holy Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation. Visit Joseph’s workshop, the cave of the Annunciation and Mary’s Well. Walk about Nazarteth. Visit the Poor Clare Monastery.
Lunch ( Not included)
Take excursion to the summit of Mount Tabor. Visit Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus. View the beautiful scenery of Valley of Jezreel. Return to Hotel for Dinner.
Nazareth MOUNT TABOR
5 : NAZARETH HAIFA CAESAREA BETHLEHEM
Breakfast in Hotel and Check-out!
Drive to Haifa, Mt. Carmel home of the Prophets Elijah and Elisha; scenic view of the city and the port.
Holy Mass at Mount Carmel Drive along the coastal site to Caesarea, a center of the early Christians. Here the Centurion, Cornelius, became the first Gentile convert Christianity. Paul was imprisoned here before being taken to Rome for trial. Visit the Roman amphitheater, Crusader’s Moat, the Byzantine Churches, and the Aqueduct then drive to Bethlehem.
Check-in to our hotel for dinner.
Nazareth HAIFA CAESAREA BETHLEHEM
6 : JERUSALEM BETHLEHEM
Breakfast in Hotel.
Stand atop the Mountt. of Olives as Jesus did and enjoy the spectacular view of the “Golden City” of Jerusalem, significant to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Visit the Church of Pater Noster (commemorating the Our Father) and celebrate Holy Mass.
Visit Chapel of Ascension and then walk the “Palm Sunday Road” visiting on the way Dominus Flevit, “Jesus Wept”, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Walk into the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done. Visit Church of All Nations and the Rock of Agony.
Lunch ( Not included)
Drive to Bethlehem visit the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of Nativity in Manger Square. See the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Jerome and the Shepherds’ Fields. Drive to Herodian. Return to Hotel for Dinner.
Jerusalem
BETHLEHEM
7 : JERUSALEM
Breakfast in Hotel.
Holy Mass – Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Visit this Holiest of Shrines in Christendom and see within, the Chapel of Golgotha and the Sepulchre of Christ itself. Drive to Temple Area and view the Dome of the Rock, El Aqsa Mosque. Visit the Wailing Wall.. Drive to visit sites at Mount Zion; Dormition Abbey; the Upper Room - the site of the Last Supper, St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Jesus, and see Shrine of King David’s Tomb.
Lunch ( Not included)
Enter Old City of Jerusalem and step back in time. Visit Church of St. Anne. See Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle. Visit Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos and the arch of “Ecce Homo”. Walk & Pray the “Via Dolorosa” as it winds its way through the narrow alleys and bazaars back to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Return to Hotel for Dinner.
Jerusalem
8 : DEAD SEA QUMRAN AND JERICHO
Breakfast in Hotel
Drive to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Continue to the Dead Sea to swim in the salty and mineral laden waters. Drive to ancient Jericho. Celebrate Holy Mass.
Lunch ( Not included)
Visit the ruins of the ancient city conquered by Joshua. From the top of the ancient “tel”, view Elisha’s Fountain and the Mount of Temptation. Enjoy a stunning cable car ride to Quarantal. Depart for Jerusalem driving the winding mountain roads. Stop at Bethany to visit the site of the House of Mary, Martha and Lazarus; and see the Tomb of Lazarus. Return to Hotel for Dinner.
QUMRAN JERICHO
9 : JERUSALEM
Breakfast in Hotel
Drive to the New City, by way of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), to see the scale model of this ancient city as it was during the time of Jesus. Drive to the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed.
Visit with the Latin Patriarch – One of the 4 Patriarchs of the Church and Grand Prior of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
Lunch ( Not included)
Drive to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist, and visit the Visitation Church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat.” Drive to Abu Gosh.
Holy Mass in the Crusader Chapel of the resident monastic Community. Return to Hotel for Dinner.
Jerusalem
10 : JERUSALEM TEL AVIV AIRPORT
Breakfast in Hotel
Today we bid farewell to the Holy Land as we drive to the airport to board our departure flight back home.
Jerusalem
