DAY 1 – Travel to Israel

Pack your bags and bring your sense of wonder—your life-changing journey to the Holy Land begins!

DAY 2 – Arrival in Jerusalem

Accommodation: In Jerusalem

Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, your tour guide will meet you and direct you to your luxury bus. From here, you will travel to Jerusalem, the ancient biblical capital of Israel. Settle into your accommodations and enjoy your first dinner, followed by a restful evening in this historic city.

DAY 3 – Exploring Jerusalem

Accommodation: In Jerusalem

After a traditional Israeli breakfast, begin your day at the Mount of Olives, where you will take in a breathtaking view of the Temple Mount and the Eastern Gate. This is the very place where Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9). Walk the Palm Sunday Road, retracing Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Visit Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city, and then spend time in prayer beneath the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:36). Continue through the Kidron Valley, passing the tombs of Absalom and the high priest Zechariah. From Jerusalem, you will then travel north to the region of ancient Samaria of the Bible. You will then visit ancient Shiloh, the place the Tabernacle resided for 369 years and where Hannah prayed for a son. (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Then it’s on to ancient Bethel (time permitting), the place Jacob saw a ladder to heaven. It was this sacred place that God made a land covenant to Jacob (Gen. 28:13-14). It was here where the tabernacle resided as well, and where Jeroboam erected an altar and golden calf, as he did in Dan (1 Kings 12:28-31). On your journey back to Jerusalem, you will drive by the site of ancient Ai, the second city Joshua and the Israelites destroyed.

DAY 4 – Jerusalem

Accommodation: In Jerusalem

Start your day with a visit to the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood before its destruction in 70 A.D. Here, you will see the Dome of the Rock, built over the rock where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, and the site of Ornan’s threshing floor, purchased by King David (1 Chronicles 21:18-26).

Due to the volatile relationship between Jewish and Muslim world, the Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount area have been the source of much controversy over the years.

From the Temple Mount, gaze at the Eastern Gate, where Jesus will one day make His triumphal entry (Ezekiel 43:1-4). Walk through St. Stephen’s Gate, now known as the Lions Gate, traditionally believed to be near the site of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7). This is the only gate in the eastern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. Visit the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-31), where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle healing of the lame man, and experience the incredible acoustics of St. Anne’s Church which dates back to the time of the Crusades. Walk the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Suffering) to the Antonia Fortress (Ecce Homo), where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1-11).  Entering via the Ethiopian Orthodox path, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Afterward, spend some free time enjoying shopping in the Old City. Continue to the Jewish Quarter, see the Cardo, a well-preserved Roman street, and the Broad Wall built by King Hezekiah. After lunch, walk to the plaza and stand before the revered Western Wall, a sacred site where Jewish worshippers have prayed for centuries. As one of Israel’s most significant landmarks, it serves as a place of deep spiritual connection, where visitors tuck handwritten prayers into the crevices between the ancient stones. For Orthodox Jews, this is the closest they can approach the Temple Mount until a new temple is built. As you walk towards the ancient City of David, you will view the famous Southern Steps, where Jesus and His disciples walked and where Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Explore the ruins of the City of David where you will see remnants from the time of King David. Then descend to the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1-11). For the adventurous, you may choose to walk through King Hezekiah's water tunnel!

DAY 5 – Judean Wilderness

Accommodation: In Jerusalem

Ride a cable car to the top of Masada, a hilltop fortress overlooking the Dead Sea and one of King Herod’s grand palaces. Hear the dramatic history of the Jewish zealots who made their final stand against Rome here. Ruins of the walls and massive Roman siege ramp are still visible today. Hike to Ein Gedi, a lush oasis where David and his men once hid from King Saul in the canyon caves (1 Samuel 23:29). Then, visit Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. End the day by floating in the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, where the high salt content allows you to effortlessly float on the surface! The Dead Sea is almost 10 times saltier than the ocean, and consequently there are no fish or visible life forms in the sea. This high concentration of salt makes it impossible  to sink in the water!

DAY 6 – Garden Tomb & Sites

Accommodation: In Jerusalem

On Mount Zion, visit the Upper Room, the site of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12), and explore St. Peter in Gallicantu, built over the ruins believed to be the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where Jesus was held in the morning hours before His crucifixion. Continue to the Garden Tomb, a possible site of Jesus' burial and resurrection. From here you will view what some believe to be the place Jesus was crucified. The word Golgotha means “Place of a Skull”.  This hill stands just outside the walls at the intersection of two ancient roads. Participate in a special worship service and step inside the empty tomb, reflecting on the words, “He is not here, for He is risen!” Then, travel to the Bethlehem area to visit the Shepherds' Fields, where angels announced Jesus’ birth. On your way back to Jerusalem, stop at the Elah Valley, where David defeated Goliath in the epic battle, and walk up to Tel Azekah for a panoramic view looking over the Elah Valley.

Continue through the Sorek Valley, visiting Tel Beit Shemesh and Timnah, sites connected to the recovery of Ark of the Covenant and the life of Samson as a judge.

DAY 7 – Jordan Valley to Galilee

Accommodation: Near the Sea of Galilee

Travel down to the Jordan Valley, stopping to view Wadi Qelt and the historic Jericho Road. Then drive by/through the ancient city of Jericho on your way to Galilee. Enjoy a special baptism service at the Bethabara, the reputed site of Jesus’ own baptism. Explore Beit Shean, located at the intersection of the Jezreel Valley and the Jordan River. It was an ancient Roman city where King Saul and Jonathan’s dead bodies were displayed (1 Samuel 31:8-13). The city contains many well-preserved ruins from different eras and empires including the Egyptians, Byzantines, Greeks, and Romans. Visit Gideon’s Spring (Judges 7) the small mountain stream, where Gideon chose his army of 300 by observing how they drank from the spring. The spring is in the shadow of Mount Gilboa where Saul fought and died. His death made David lament and pray that no dew would be on the mountain. (2 Samuel 1:19-27). Then travel north, passing by the banks of the Jordan River before arriving in Tiberias.

DAY 8 – Galilee Region

Accommodation: Near the Sea of Galilee

After breakfast, visit Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene, and one of the most exciting archaeological sites in Israel today. View an ancient boat found in the Sea of Galilee, then take a memorable boat ride across its waters. Along the boat ride, your guide will point out various places that are mentioned in  the Gospels. Explore Capernaum, the heart of Jesus' ministry, and stand among the ruins of a later synagogue built on the very site of the original 1st-century synagogue where Jesus once taught. Reflect on His teachings and His proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:13, 23). After lunch, enjoy the stunning view from Mount Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee, then walk a portion of the Jesus Trail (Wadi Hammon). As the sun begins to set, ascend the peaceful Mount of Beatitudes which overlooks the Sea of Galilee and see the traditional site where Jesus preached His most famous sermon: the Sermon on the Mount. You will also view the traditional site of Job’s Cave. Finally, visit the Primacy of Peter, where Peter professed his devotion three times to the risen Christ and stand on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus commanded Peter to “Feed my sheep.” (John 21). Here you will see springs of water flowing into the cove. Fishermen have frequented this area for thousands of years.

DAY 9 – Northern Israel

Accommodation: Near the Sea of Galilee

Witness the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee before touring sites in the northernmost region of Israel.  From several vantage points, as you travel north, you will see Mount Hermon in the distance, believed by many to be the site of the Lord's Transfiguration. (Matthew 17:1-9).

You will visit Tel Dan where you will see the altar of Jeroboam, and an ancient city gate, like that mentioned in the story of Ruth. Tour the ruins of this ancient city that dates back thousands of years and also see Abraham's Gate, the place where the Patriarch Abraham would have entered the city roughly 4,000 years ago. Visit Caesarea Philippi, (Banias) where Jesus travelled with His disciples and where, nearby, Peter made his great confession to Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16). Here, inside a grotto, the Greeks built a shrine to the god, Pan. While at the national park, you will also explore the ruins of Herod Agrippa’s Palace. Journey through the strategically significant Golan Heights, historically known as Bashan. This region was captured by the Israeli Army from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967. You will visit Mount Bental, a former military outpost that now serves as a lookout point, offering breathtaking views and insight into the region’s history. Then travel south on “the other side” of the Sea of Galilee and pass through the land of the Gadarenes where Jesus cast out evil spirits from a demon-possessed man and cast them into a group of swine, which ran violently down a steep hill and drowned in the sea (Mark 5: 1-13). You will then view the city of Hippos which many believe Jesus had in mind when He spoke about the city on the hill while giving His sermon on the Mount.

DAY 10 – Southern Galilee

After a final Israeli breakfast, start your day with a visit to Nazareth, boyhood home of Jesus and stop at the Nazareth Village for a taste of what life was like in New Testament times. (Matthew 2:23). Stop at the Mount of Precipice, where Luke describes how Jesus was rejected by those in the synagogue after He taught them. (Luke 4:29). Leaving southern Galilee, you will travel the ancient caravan route through the Jezreel Valley to Tel Megiddo, an exciting archaeological dig with its layers of twenty different cities built on top of each other. From Megiddo you view the future battleground of Armageddon! Time permitting, take a final glimpse of the valley from Mt Carmel, the traditional site where Elijah triumphed over the prophets of Baal. Then a short drive to Caesarea Maritima. This maritime city was built by King Herod, and was once the seat of the Roman rule. Here, Cornelius became the first gentile to convert to Christianity. This is also the location where Paul was imprisoned before his trial in Rome. View the ruins of Herod’s seaside palace and a large hippodrome where chariot races were conducted. This is where the wonderful journey through the land of the Bible comes to a close. From here you will be heading to the airport for your flight home.

DAY 11 – Arrive home

You will bring home with your souvenirs, photographs, memories, new friendships and an unforgettable experience. Shalom!