Holy Land Heritage Tour (11 nights)

Upon arrival, you will meet our representative and be transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel. Drive for a visit of the port city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a short walking tour in picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. We will pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hilltop. We drive north along the coastal road—Via Maris, to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar. From here, we go on to visit Megiddo where the Book of Revelation mentions a great battle at the place called “Armageddon,” an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6,000-500 BC). After exploring the ancient ruins, we drive toward the Sea of Galilee, stopping at Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. Arrive at Tiberias and check in to your hotel.

Visit the sites on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the stage for many of the events in Jesus’ life. Drive along the shore of the sea to Capernaum—known as “His Town,” the center of Jesus’ ministry where He spent much time healing the sick and performing miracles. On to Tabgha, the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000, visit the Church of Multiplication, where the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes, and visit the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, commemorating Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter as chief among the Apostles. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and, it is believed, He picked His 12 apostles. Ascend to the Golan Heights to view the panoramic view of the peaks of Mt. Hermon and the rugged Golan plateau. Visit the Banias (Caesarea Philippi), one of the sources of the Jordan River, where Jesus took His disciples, revealing His purpose and His Church before His last trip to Jerusalem and where Simon identified Jesus as the messiah. Drive to the southern part of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site. Return to Tiberias for another night in town.

Sail on a boat on the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery where little has changed during the past 2,000 years. (Boat sailing subject to conditions and fee.) Travel through the Galilee 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 will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Visit the ancient synagogue at Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains, which has one of most preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel. Drive through the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho, before ascending through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem. Overnight at your Jerusalem hotel.

Through remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea, we travel to Masada which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared 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 below. Visit 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, if weather permits, as it’s possible to “float” on the salty, mineral-rich, water. Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.

Start the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Then visit the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Enjoy Ein Karem, a picturesque village in the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where, according to tradition, John the Baptist was born. Visit Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. Visit Bethlehem**—the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.

**Site under the Palestinian Authority jurisdiction. Visit subject to situation.

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will 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. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent His last night and was betrayed by Judas. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem—the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions—Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.

Drive from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the Sheikh Hussein border crossing for procedures to enter Jordan. Proceed to Jerash—city of the Decapolis, located about 45km north of Amman in the fertile heights of the Gilad. Visit the ancient Roman city with colonnaded streets, the baths, and the hill of the top Temple, etc. Drive to Amman for a panoramic city tour of the Jordanian capital. Overnight in Amman.

Drive to Mount Nebo from where Moses viewed the Promised Land. From there, you will see the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea. Continue along the Desert Highway to Wadi Musa, the modern village of Petra. Enter the site of Petra and walk, or ride on horseback, to the “Siq” (Canyon). Walk through the “Siq” to the red rock city, the ancient capital of the Nabateans from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD. Visit the most interesting carved monuments such as the Treasury (El Khazneh—a tomb of a Nabatean king), then the Field of Tombs, obelisks, the altar, etc. From this point, you can view the whole of the rock city. After the visit, return to Wadi Musa. Overnight in Petra.

After breakfast, drive south to the towering mountains and rock formations of Wadi Rum, which mesmerized Lawrence of Arabia. Drive through the stunning desert landscapes on a jeep safari, visiting the Lawrence Spring and Khazali Canyon. Drive north to Madaba to visit the remains of the Byzantine church with its ancient mosaic floor map, the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the mosaic map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. Overnight in Amman.

After breakfast, leave the hotel and drive to the border. Cross the Jordan River and drive back to Tel Aviv. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Departure transfer from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion Airport.

* Program sequence is subject to change without advance notice.
** Visit subject to security conditions.