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holy land package
8 days / 7 nights
US$3,878 per person
minimum of 2 persons
departure every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday
valid until February 28, 2012
ITINERARY:
Thursday - Tel Aviv Beginning of your journey in the Holy Land. Upon arrival you will meet our representative and be transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.
Friday - Tel Aviv / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias The tour guide will pick you up from your hotel, we'll drive for a short visit of the city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a short walking tour in picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. We we'll pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hill top. Than we drive up north along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar..From there we go on to visit Megiddo where the book of Revelation mentions a great battle at the place called "Armageddon". It is an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6000-500 B.C.). After exploring the ancient ruins we'll drive toward the Sea of Galilee, Arrive at Tiberias and check-in to your hotel.
Saturday - Sea of Galilee Start the day from historic Tiberias, where Jesus lived, sojourned, and preached on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Our next destination will be Capernaum, the center of Jesus ministry. Tabgha, just north of Tiberias, is the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000 and at the Church of Multiplication the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes. We drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and it is believed that Jesus picked his 12 apostles. We'll ascend to the Golan Heights to view the panoramic view of the peaks of Mt. Hermon and the rugged plateau of the Golan Heights, and beneath it the green pastoral Huleh valley. Return to Tiberias for another lovely night in town.
Sunday - Sea of Galilee / Jordan River / Jerusalem This morning we travel to Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. We proceed to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood, and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You’ll also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Continue through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean with its recently excavated amphitheater Visit the excavations of this beautiful preserved Roman City which was destroyed in an earthquake and then onward to Jerusalem, where you check-in to your choice of hotel.
Monday - Dead Sea & Masada Through remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea we'll continue to Masada which is situated right on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. En route to the Dead Sea, you’ll see the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit as if weather permits it’s possible to “float” on the salty , mineral rich, water . Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.
Tuesday - Jerusalem Start the day at Mt’ Scopus. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem. The holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – Jerusalem occupies a unique place in the world. Your tour includes the Mount of Olives, a stop at the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the Old City you’ll see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Return to hotel.
Wednesday - Jerusalem Today’s tour includes Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust established in 1953, located on the foot of Mt. Hertzel. Enjoy Ein Karem; a picturesque village on the south western outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where according to the tradition John the Baptist was born. Visit the Israel Museum with a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Drive by the Knesset (House of Parliament) and the campus of Hebrew University. If situation permitting, we might visit Bethlehem to see Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity. Back to your hotel for overnight.
Thursday - Jerusalem We have reached our final day on this tour. we will take you back to the airport for your flight back home or extend your tour to the kingdom of Jordan and/or Egypt
JORDAN, holy land & EGYPT package
11 days / 10 nights
US$4,505 per person
any day departure, minimum of 2 persons
valid until March 2012
ITINERARY:
Day 1, Amman, Jordan
Arrival in Amman. Meet and assist at the airport. Drive to Madaba to visit the Monastery of Saint George which hosts the unique Mosaic Map of Egypt, Jordan and the Holy Land. The map is believed to be the first one for this area, built in the 6th century A.D. Continue your journey to Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land before he died. Check-in at the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2, Amman-Petra-Amman
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Petra. Get a glimpse of what was once the biblical land. Travel along the King’s Highway through the ever-changing scenery of the Transjordan plateau. In Petra, visit the fabled rose City of Petra, the 2,000 year old Nabatean capital accidentally rediscovered in 1812. Ride by horse or walk to the Siq, a half mile long unforgettable gorge. Experience the “Indiana Jones” film. At last, you stand in awe in front of the Treasury, a wonder of the world a rose colored monumental building artfully carved out of sheer rock. Continue to see the other temples and tombs carved into the mountainside. Travel back to Amman for dinner and overnight.
Day 3, Amman-Allenby Border-Jericho-Tiberias
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Depart Amman and continue the journey crossing the Allenby Border towards the Holy Land. Visit the Old City of Jericho where Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting and where he was tempted. Drive north to Nazareth through the Jordan Valley. In Nazareth, visit the Church of the Annunciation where the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary the birth of Jesus Christ. Visit also St. Joseph’s Workshop and Mary’s Well. Proceed to the nearby town of Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle when He turned water into wine at the Wedding in Cana (married couples may wish to renew their wedding vows at the church). Transfer to Tiberias for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 , Tiberias
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning boat ride at the Sea of Galilee. Continue on to Capernaum, the town where Jesus made His home after leaving Nazareth. View the remains of the ancient Synagogue in which He taught. On to Tabgha where the Miracle of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes took place. Then Drive to Mount of Beatitudes - the site of the Sermon on the Mount, and visit St. Peter’s Primacy Church then to Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration of Jesus took place. Proceed to Yardenit or more commonly known as the “River Jordan” (the baptismal site). Drop by a diamond factory before returning to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 5, Tiberias-Haifa-Jaffa-Bethlehem-Jerusalem
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Travel to Haifa visiting the Basilica of Mount Carmel and cave of Prophet Elijah. Then drive through Caesarea which was built by Herod the Great to catch the sight of the Aqueducts and the Roman Theater. Pass through the City of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, the place where Prophet Jona sailed on and see the House of Simon the Tanner and the Old Lighthouse. Proceed to Bethlehem to visit the Nativity Church (birthplace of Jesus) and Shepherds’ Field - the site where the star and angel appeared to the shepherds. Also view the Cave Chapel, a recent Byzantine excavation. Pass through Ruth and Moabite’s Field to the Judean wilderness. Visit a store where you can buy olive wooden rosaries, souvenir items and “pasalubong”. Transfer to Jerusalem, the Holy City. Check in and dinner at the hotel.
Day 6 , Jerusalem-Dead Sea -Qumran-Jerusalem
Breakfast at the hotel. Start a full day tour of Mount of Olives. Visit the Ascension Chapel where Jesus ascended into Heaven. Then proceed to the Church of Pater Noster to witness the “Lord’s Prayer” written in several languages. Walk down the Palm Sunday Road and stop at the Church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Continue by walking down to the Church of All Nations or the Basilica of Agony and the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus prayed before His passion. Visit the Mount Zion area to see the Last Supper Room where Jesus and His disciples had their last supper and where the
descent of the Holy Spirit took place. See also King David’s Tomb and the Dormition Abbey. In the afternoon drive to the Dead Sea and visit the Qumran - the caves of the Essenes where the Dead Sea scrolls where found by a wandering shepherd boy. Also enjoy a dip or swim in the Dead Sea (if weather permits). Visit the Church of
St. Peter in Gallicantu, the House of the High Priest Caiaphas where St. Peter denied Jesus three times. Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 7, Jerusalem-Ein Keren-Jerusalem
Breakfast at the hotel. Enter the Old City of Jerusalem through Herod’s Gate. Visit the Church of St. Anne and the Pools of Bethesda. Walk the Via Dolorosa starting at the Ecce Homo where Pontius Pilate washed his hands. Proceed to the Flagellation and go through all the Stations of the Cross until you reach the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead. You will have a chance to visit the Old City of Jerusalem. Visit the scale model of Jerusalem of the Second Temple period in the days of Jesus. Finally visit the Wailing Wall. In the afternoon, drive to Ein Kerem to see the birthplace and Church of Saint John the Baptist and to the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth and proclaimed the “Magnificat”. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 8 , Jerusalem-Bethany-Eliat-Taba Border crossing-Mt. Sinai
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Then proceed to the Lazarus Tomb of Bethany before crossing to Egypt. Meet and assist. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 9, Mt. Sinai-Cairo
Early morning (1:30) mountain climb at Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. After breakfast and check out, visit the site of the Burning Bush at the St. Claire Monastery. Enjoy the long drive to Cairo passing through Rephidem (Exo. 17:8-13), Elim (Exo.16) and Moses Spring (Exo. 15:22-27 and into Suez Canal. Arrive at the City of Cairo in time for the Nile River Cruise with folkloric show and feel the time of Cleopatra with a sumptuous dinner. Check in at the hotel in Cairo.
Day 10, Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the day by seeing one of the wonders of the world, the Pyramids of Giza and the nearby Sphinx. Visit a perfumery factory and enjoy the natural essences of Egypt. In the afternoon, visit the Egyptian Museum housing the gold treasures of Tutankhamen. This is an exciting first encounter with the splendor of three millennia of Egyptian civilization. This is one of the richest and remarkable museums in the world. Visit the place of apparition of the Virgin Mary (1968). Proceed to shops where you can buy papyrus, the first paper in the world, cotton, linen, silk and other souvenir items. If time permits, visit the famous El Khalili bazaar. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 11, Cairo
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Bed of Cairo and see the Hanging Church and other Christian Churches in the area. See the Citadel or the Mohammed ali Mosque, the most beautiful mosque in the world. Rest of the day is free until your transfer to the airport for the flight back home.