DAY 1: DEPART THE US TO ISRAEL
Depart USA on your overnight flight to Tel Aviv
Day 2: WELCOME TO ISRAEL- Old Jaffa –Tel Aviv
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. An IGT representative will meet you upon arrival. He/She will facilitate your passage through luggage identification and escort you through customs to your awaiting Tour Guide and Bus Driver. We will begin our journey together in Jaffa, outside the House of Simon the tanner, where Peter had his vision on the rooftop (Acts 10:32). This is also the town where Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36). The Old Jaffa Port is where Jonah set sail to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3) and King Solomon built his port (2 Chron. 2:16).
Transfer you to your hotel in Tel Aviv – Dan Panorama on the Mediterranean (or similar)
Day 3: Caesarea –MT. CARMEL – Megiddo- Nazareth - CANA
After a good night rest and a hearty breakfast, we begin the thrilling journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus. At Caesarea by the Sea, the magnificent ruins of Herod’s showcase port city continue the story of Peter, with the conversion of Cornelius’ household (Acts 10:24). Caesarea is also the scene of Paul’s imprisonment (Acts 23:35), his appearance before King Agrippa and his departure for Rome (Acts 25:13-26:32). It figures centrally in the history of early Christianity as home to the Church father Eusebius. As we continue through the Mediterranean Coastline, we reach to Mt. Carmel, the Biblical site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). We will then visit Megiddo, the regional capital of King Solomon (1 Kings 9:15), and the New Testament’s Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). We continue eastward across Galilee passing Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), a rising dome from the Plain of Jezreel. It is the mountain where Deborah had Barak summon his troops to that mountain (Judges 4:6). Christian tradition places the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–9) at Mt Tabor. We drive through the hills of Galilee to Nazareth the hometown of Jesus, where we visit the Nazareth Village. Nazareth Village is an open-air museum in Nazareth, that reconstructs and re-enacts village life in the Galilee in the time of Jesus. The village features houses, terraced fields, wine and olive presses all built to resemble those that would have been in a Galilee village in the 1st century. Hopefully, we will have lunch at the authentic Nazareth Village. The final stop of our busy day will be at Cana for the renewal of vows and prayers for everyone in our group. Cana is the place of Jesus first miracle recorded in the book of John—turning the water into wine.
Dinner & Overnight: Two nights in same hotel – Leonardo Plaza, Tiberias (or similar)
Day 4: Around the Sea of Galilee
After a delicious breakfast, we will spend an exciting day in the Galilee area. Our Day Starts with a Boat Ride across the Sea of Galilee the place where Jesus walked on the water (John 6:19-21), calmed a storm (Matt. 8:23-26), and showed the disciples miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5:1-8; John 21:1-6). We depart the city of Tiberias to Capernaum (John 6:24) to walk among the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matthew 4:13-17). Then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7) and to Tabgha - the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes - (Mark 6:34-44), Primacy of Peter –where Jesus restored Peter. (Jesus’ reinstitution of Peter with “Do you love Me more than these…”) Hopefully, lunch will be a stop for a St. Peter’s Fish lunch. We then proceed to The Ancient Galilee Boat – a wooden vessel dating back to the days of Jesus in a fascinating display. Our last stop for the day is "Yardenit "where we have the opportunity to be baptized on the banks of the River Jordan. (Please note: the order of the itinerary may change, but baptism is the last event of the day.)
Dinner & Overnight: Return to our hotel in Tiberias.
Day 5: Gideon Springs-beit ‘She’an - Mt. of Olives - Mt. Zion
On our drive towards Jerusalem, we will stop at Magdala Center, a recent archeological dig, with a synagogue from the time of Christ. Magdala is the story of God’s amazing grace is the life of Mary from Magdala, from whom Christ cast out seven demons. The next stop will be Gideon Spring (Judges 7), then a short visit to the ruins of Beit She’an – the pagan city who hung the bodies of King Saul and his sons on their walls. We arrive at the Mt. of Olives (Matthew 24:3) for a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem. We will walk along Hosanna Road (Palm Sunday Route) to the Garden of Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations that stands on the Rock of Agony where Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matthew 26:36-57).
Dinner & Overnight: for the next 4 nights in same hotel--Dan Panorama, Jerusalem (or similar)
Day 6: JERUSALEM DAY -Old City –Upper Room – Garden Tomb
Today we will continue our journey to Mt. Zion where we visit the Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20) – and the same sight of the “Upper Room” and the day of Pentecost. We will share Peter’s Sermon from Acts 2 together. We will visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on the site of Caiaphas' House. A transforming stop of the day will be at the Garden Tomb & Golgotha, where we will have time for communion after visiting the empty tomb. We will also tour around the archaeological finds from the palace of David at the City of David. (Based upon scheduling and conditions a walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel OR a walk to Robinson Arch will be arranged.) There are several highlights of Jerusalem's Old City we will be touring including the Sacred Western Wall where we pray together before spending time alone in prayer at the Wall, followed by a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels. In the Old City, these may be some of the sites we will see - Stephen’s Gate, also known as Lion’s Gate or Sheep Gate, and visit the Pool of Bethesda - site of the miraculous healing of a paralyzed man by Jesus (John 5:2-9), and the Church of St. Anne where groups love to sing hymns as they visit. We will walk along to Pilate's Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation, where Jesus was tried before Pilate (Mark 15:6). We may have lunch in continue through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (The exact order of the itinerary on this day—or any day—may change based upon scheduling of the sites).
Dinner & Overnight
Day 7: Yad Vashem, Shrine of the Book, Bethlehem
Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust commemoration project began in 1953 with the task of perpetuating the memory of Holocaust victims and documenting the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust so they will be remembered by future generations. Continue to the Israel Museum. We will visit the detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Jesus, Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Drive to Bethlehem the birthplace of Jesus. Visit Manger Square where the Church of the Nativity stands. It’s one of the oldest churches in the world and was built above the cave where, according to the Bible, Jesus was born. Continue to Shepherds' Fields. Imagine watching over flocks of sheep by night in the traditional location of an angelic announcement of Jesus's birth. If time allows, a drive by and brief stop by the American Embassy in Jerusalem for pictures and a prayer.
Dinner & Overnight
Day 8: Excursion to Qumran, AHAVA factorY, Masada, and a float in the Dead Sea.
This early start to the morning, we drive via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. A beautiful new road takes us south along the shores of the Dead Sea passing the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). On to Masada, a truly remarkable piece of history. We ascend Masada by cable car to walk among the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 A.D., the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean Revolt against Rome and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. On our way back, we will pass through Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Floating in the Dead Sea is a must do!! Just lay back, relax and enjoy this natural phenomenon. Dinner & Overnight
Day 9: Flex day headed to Tel Aviv
Today we will pack up and spend our last night in Israel back in Tel Aviv. We will keep the itinerary for today flexible. Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 10: Travel to USA
Transfer to Ben -Gurion airport for your flight back home—NOTE ABOVE—depending upon flight arrangements.
Our tour is different than most, as the spiritual aspects of the journey are the most important – “capturing the moment.” It is also participatory, as there are times for sharing and reflecting on a special touch or moment you personally learned from an event or experience.
Prayer is paramount to the experience and lives are changed during this trip. The Bible comes alive and can be seen in 3-D.
A Hebrew guide is used to help explain the site, but the spiritual touchstones are the most important part of our Holy Land tours.
