HOLY LAND

Day 1: Sunday. Ben Gurion Airport • Tel Aviv

Arrival at the airport, assistance, and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 2: Tel Aviv

Breakfast. Free day in Tel Aviv. Optional: Masada and Dead Sea: Departure to Masada, the last Jewish stronghold in the revolt against the Romans. Ascent by cable car to the impressive fortress of Masada, where we will find ruins of the Zealots and excavations of Herod’s palace. Later, descend to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea, 400 meters below sea level. Free time to bathe in its famous mineral waters. Return to Tel Aviv. Accommodation.

Day 3: Tel Aviv • Jaffa • Caesarea • Haifa • Acre

Breakfast. Departure from Tel Aviv city along the Mediterranean Sea to Jaffa, an ancient port of Israel, now an artist’s neighborhood. Visit to the Church of St. Peter. Continue along the coast to Caesarea Maritima, the ancient Roman capital, where we will visit its Theater, the Crusader Fortress Wall, and the Roman Aqueduct. Then, proceed to the city of Haifa, ascend Mount Carmel, where the Cave of the Prophet Elijah is located, and contemplate the Bahá’í Temple and its Persian Gardens. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the port. Continue to Acre, the capital of the Crusaders, visiting the medieval fortresses. Arrival in Nazareth. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 4: Boat Ride • Magdala • Mt. Beatitudes • Tabgha • Capernaum

Breakfast. Start the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Visit Magdala, where we will see remains of the village and its Synagogue, and visit the modern Church. Later, visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where “The Sermon on the Mount” took place, Tabgha, the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and Capernaum, where the House of St. Peter and the ruins of the ancient Synagogue are located. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 5: Nazareth • Mt. Precipice • Cana of Galilee • Jordan River • Jerusalem

Breakfast. In the morning, visit the city of Nazareth, including the Church of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s Carpentry, and the Virgin’s Spring. Continue to Mount Precipice, from where we can admire a beautiful panoramic view of Nazareth and its surroundings. Next, visit Cana of Galilee, where the first Miracle of Jesus took place. In the afternoon, visit the Jordan River, recalling the baptism of Jesus. Departure to Jerusalem via the Jordan River Valley, along the oasis of Jericho, where we will enjoy a panoramic view of the Mount of Temptation and the Dead Sea. Ascend through the Judean desert and enter Jerusalem, the city of peace, the cradle of the three great monotheistic religions. Accommodation.

Day 6: Jerusalem: Israel Museum • Ein Karem • Yad Vashem • Bethlehem

Breakfast. Visit the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited, and where the Model of Jerusalem in the times of Jesus is located. Visit the Ein Karem neighborhood where the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is located, and visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. In the afternoon, visit Bethlehem, where, entering through the Gate of Humility to the Church of the Nativity, we will see the Grotto of the Nativity, the 14-point Star (Place of Jesus’ birth), the Basilica of St. Catherine, and the Grotto of St. Jerome. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 7: Western Wall • Via Dolorosa • Holy Sepulchre • Mt. Olives • Mt. Zion

Breakfast. Departure to the Old City, visit the Western Wall. Then, walk along the Via Dolorosa to reach Golgotha, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, and the Holy Sepulchre. Visit Mount Zion where we find the Tomb of King David, the Cenacle (place of the Last Supper “The Eucharist” and “Pentecost”) and the Abbey of the Dormition – Assumption of Mary. Continue to the Mount of Olives for a magnificent view of the city. Finally, visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of the Agony. Accommodation.

Day 8: Jerusalem • Ben Gurion Airport

Breakfast. At the appropriate time, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for the return flight.