Holy Land in 8 days – Standard Itinerary

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, meet your local guide and driver whom will escort you to your hotel in Galilee - Nazareth or Tiberias. Dinner and overnight.

Our pilgrimage we begin with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, from its shores Jesus recruited four of his apostles: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James (Matthew 4:18-22). Our stop will be on the shore of Capernaum where Peter lived and where Jesus began his public ministry (Matthew 4:13), there he began teaching in its Synagogue, He healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil and healed a fever in Simon Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4:31-41) followed by a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes to gain a panoramic vista of the Sea of Galilee and where one of Jesus' famous teaching episodes Sermon on the Mount was given (Matthew 5-7). Then to Tabgha the fruitful garden where Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:30-46), we shall see the magnificent mosaic commemorating the miracle of the multiplication, we head to the nearby Chapel of St. Peter Primacy. At the lunch time we stop at the local restaurant where we can eat the tilapia fish, known by the name "St. Peter's fish", which comes from the story in the Gospel of Matthew about the apostle Peter catching a fish that carried a coin in its mouth.
We come back to the hotel for a dinner and overnight.

This morning we depart off from our hotel, driving into the beautiful landscape of lower Galilee, we stop in Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle at the request of his mother (John 2:1-11). In Cana we will visit the Franciscan chapel for a renewal of wedding vows.
Continue to Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), we shall ascend by a smaller motor vehicle due to its narrow route.
Afternoon we proceed to Nazareth, home town of Jesus. There we will visit the Church of Annunciation, Church of St. Joseph, St Mary's Well, "Mount of Leap of the Lord" this is the traditional site of the brow of the hill which Jesus was led by the angry throng of Nazareth after he preached in the local Synagogue, the hill which they might cast him headlong. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way. (Luke 4:16-30).
We come back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we depart the hotel and head towards the Medditeranean Cost through the Carmel Mountains. We will visit the Carmelite Monastery Stella Maris located on the spot where Elijah confronted the false priests of Ba’al (1 Kings 18:17-40). View the magnificent Golden Domed Bahai Shrine and the Persian Gardens. Continue to Caesarea Maritima, where St. Peter baptized the first Gentile convert (Cornelius) and where he was held Paul prisoner by Romans. It was the center of the Roman governors including Pontius Pilates. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins, the Crusader City, the well preserved Theatre, the Harbour, and the Roman Aquaduct.
After the visit we proceed to the South to Judean city of David, Bethlehem. We start by the Shepherd's Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity where we kneel in the Grotto, the birth place of our redeemer.
We accommodate in the hotel in Bethlehem or Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we shall start our pilgrimage in Jerusalem from Mount of Olives, from which Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection, we shall have an eye on history through a magistic view over Jerusalem, visit the Convent of Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit, we will walk along Hosanna Road to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before His arrest, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:36-39). Visit the cave of betrayal (Luke 22:40-46). Drive along Kidron Valley where you will see the Tombs of Absalom, Zachariah and the Prophets Tombs. On the Mt Zion, at the Cenacle we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper where Jesus spent those last momentous hours with his disciples before His passion. Next we go to Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Him thrice.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

In the morning we pass the St.Stephan Gate (Lion's Gate) to enter the Old City of Jerusalem. We visit the St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We pass the Ecce Homo where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; Than we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Fourteen Stations of the Via Dolorosa, praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice as He bore the burden of our sins on the Cross at Golgotha . Finally we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass.
Afternoon we pass by theJewish Quarter of the Old City, we head to the Wailing Wall, the most holy shrine for the Jews. Nearby is the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

The desert east of Jerusalem is rich in Christian tradition. Further east, just off the Roman road that Jesus 'walked', is Wadi Qelt, site of the Monastery of St George. Drive to the lowest spot on Earth we will pass to the town of Jericho, the most ancient city in the world. We also stop at the Sycamore Tree which believed that Zacchaeus had climbed up a Sycamore Tree as he wanted to catch a glimpse of this wonderful savior then we stop to view Mt. Temptation where Jesus spent forty days and forty nights fasting and meditating during the temptation of Satan. Drive to the Dead Sea to visit Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery. Enjoy a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its minerals and healing properties.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we will head onto the hill country, to the city Ein Karem, the birthplace of St John the Baptist and visit the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited the home of Zachariah and Elizabeth, and proclaimed the 'Magnificat' (Luke 1:39-80).
After we will head to Jaffa, the ancient port city located south of Tel Aviv known as the place where the prophet Jonah embarked for Tarshish (Book of Jonah 1:3) and where Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner and the Church of St. Peter where he raised Tabatha from the dead.
This will be our last stop before we drive to the airport for your return flight home.