Itinerary

As usual, in travelling in much of the world, this itinerary is subject to change until time of event. 

Day 00. Depart from Calgary International Airport

Day 01. Arrival

Arrival at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.  Transfer to Tel Aviv area for dinner and overnight. 

Day 02.  Patriarchs – Joppa*, Ashkelon, Timna*, Bet Shemesh, Lachish, Beersheva.

We start the day in Joppa, an important site of the New Testament. It was once the main port. "The House of Simon the Tanner' is found opposite the Old City: the steps lead down to a marked door. Here St Peter had his dream that showed him there was no unclean food and he could eat with Gentiles. Afterward he was invited to Baptise the Roman Centurion. A little further on is St Peter's Church, the site where Peter raised Tabatha from the dead.We start the day at Jaffa, known as Joppa in the Biblical times. 

Then to the Negev desert where we visit sites from the Old Testament: to Beersheba where Abraham dug a well (the well of the seven lambs). Ashkelon is an important Philistine town still being excavated.  Lachish is an important city in the southern Kingdom of Judah and enters the biblical narrative in the battle accounts of Joshua, Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar.  Overnight in Arad, Beersheva or Dead Sea.

Day 03.  Masada, Dead Sea, Qumran, Jericho

Start the day by a visit to Masada, a truly remarkable piece of history.  Ascent to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 A.D. the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean Revolt and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view.  Driving along the shores of the Dead Sea we stop for a swim (float) in the water before continuing to En Gedi, the retreat of David in the wilderness, continue north to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  Visit the remains of the Community Center of the Essenes and the Caves of the Scrolls.  End the day in ancient Jericho where the walls came tumbling down (1 Kings 17:1-6 & II Kings 2:19-22) and view of the Mt. of Temptation (Matt 4:1-11) and Elisha’s Fountain. 

Day 04.  Beth Shean, Jordan Valley, Cana, Nazareth.

Heading north up the Jordan valley we will stop at Beth Shean, which was one of the Decapolis cities of Jesus’ time. Travelling westward across Galilee we will view Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), Deboriya* - the hometown of the prophetess Deborah - at the foothill of Mt. Tabor. (Judges 4&5).  Then onto Cana and finally to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus.   Here we will visit the Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1:5-42) and Mary's Fountain (Luke 4:16-22) and the Nazareth Village project.  Overnight Nof Ginosar Kibbutz.

 Day 05.  Tiberias, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Mt Hermon, Golan

This will be an exciting day in the Galilee area after a delicious breakfast.  We will depart from the Roman hot springs resort city of Tiberias by boat across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (John 6:24) to visit Peter’s House and the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matt: 4:13-17) and to the Mt of Beatitudes, the sight of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7).  Afterwards, we visit Korazim a town condemned by Jesus (Mt. 11:20-24) for its lack of faith.  Here we will see an excavated synagogue. We will visit Tabgha, the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:34-44).  Continue onto Banias, the site of Peter's confession (Matt. 16:16) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together.  We will follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea.  We will stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River.  Return to our Nof Ginosar Kibbutz for dinner and overnight.

Day 06: Christians of the North

We spend the day with the Christian community of the North.  We will visit with them one of their empty villages that they long to return to.  Overnight Nof Ginosar.

Day 07 Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Megiddo, Tiberias.

After breakfast, we head West through the Jezreel Valley to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and Megiddo.  Then via Haifa and Mt. Carmel - the site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal (IKings: 18); along the coast to Caesarea, the Roman city of Herod where sights include Crusader fortifications and the Roman aqueducts and theatre. Onto to Bethlehem for our overnight.

Day 08: Bethlehem, Shepherds Field.

We begin our day in Bethlehem.  We will visit the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus, and Shepherds Fields (Luke 2:1-20) then the Field of Boaz and Ruth* (Ruth 1:16-17 & 4:13). We spend the rest of the day with Christians of the Bethlehem region; hearing about their lives and visiting their churches and community centers.  Also visit the Herodium – the fortress.  Overnight Bethlehem.

Day 09.  Jerusalem

After a night of rest and a hearty breakfast, this exciting day will begin with a visit to the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church of Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit.  Walk along Hosanna Road to Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations, which stands on the Rock of Agony, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matt. 26:36-57).  See the Pillar of Absalom, the Eastern (Golden) Gate and the Pinnacle of the Temple.  We continue to New Jerusalem, Hebrew University*, Israeli Museum and the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Model City of Jerusalem, which depicts in miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first century.  We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

 Day 10.  Jerusalem, Old City

We then begin a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, starting at the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) and the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa Mosque.  After this, we walk along the Via Dolorosa to Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation, the Ecce Homo Arch (John 19:13) where Jesus was tried before Pilate (Mark 15:6).  Then continue through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As the climax of your tour visit the Garden Tomb and Golgotha – Place of the Skull –  Then to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

 Day 11.  Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Mt Zion, Ein Karem, Church of Visitation, Yad Vashem.

Returning, we then drive to Mt. Zion where we visit the Church of Peter in Gallicantu on the site of Caiaphas' House, the Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20) and the Tomb of King David.  Drive on to Ein Karem where John the Baptist was born and Mary visited Elizabeth.  Finally we visit Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum. Return to the Hotel.

Day 12 : Jordan - Madeba,  Mt. Nebo, Kings Highway, Kerak, Petra

Leave for the Christian village of Madeba in Jordan to see the ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land. Drive on to Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land to enjoy the dramatic view of the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Judean hills beyond. Also see the remains  of Byzantine church with their mosaic floors. Drive south along the historic Kings Highway to Kerak to see the impressive Crusader Castle. Continue to Petra for overnight.

Day 13: Petra.

A full day to explore the Red Rose city of Petra. You have the choice to walk to the site or to take a horse ride through the dramatic "ciq" or canyon. See the Treasury,  carved in the pink stone, and continue past the Roman theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and Palace Tomb to the Roman road. For those who wish to take the 60 minute walk to the Monastery they will be rewarded with one of the best sites in Petra. Then onto Wadi Rum for overnight in our desert camp.

Day 14 : Wadi Rum – Amman:

Here Lawrence camped in the shadow of the stupendous scenery and lived with the Bedouin. A safari by jeep into the desert to enjoy the scenery and to observe the Bedouin way of life with a Bedouin lunch in one of the tents which are their home. In Wadi Rum you will see the Rock bridge, the moving sands , Lawrence's spring,  the Nabatean reservoir and the Thamudic inscriptions. The people of Israel are thought to have possibly wandered through here in their wilderness experience under Moses.  Overnight.

Day 15 : Departure Transfer to Amman airport or Allenby bridge to Ben Gurion airport.

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