Roundtrip airfare from JFK to Tel Aviv ($1,350 estimate but is subject to change when actual group booking becomes available), 9 nights lodging at 4-star hotels, Breakfast and dinner buffet daily, Full time professional English-speaking tour escort, Services of air-conditioned deluxe motor coach, All guides, entrances, touring and transportation as listed on itinerary, Baggage handling at hotels (one piece), Tips to driver, guides, and hotel staff, Pilgrim payment processing (check, Visa, Master Card, or Discover), Whisper Headphone Systems (distributed upon arrival)
All lunches, Drinks with meals, Optional Travel Insurance, Israel VAT (value-add tax) - $160 fee if passport information not provided, Israel ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) – approximate cost $7 USD
Today we embark on our Journey to Israel. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience. Get some rest on the flight…tomorrow we will land in the place that God chose to bring redemption to us.
Arrive in Israel and travel northward to our hotel for one night in Natanya. By the end of the day, we will have dinner at the hotel, and you can walk along the beach of the Mediterranean Sea for the sunset. A good night’s rest will be important as we will start moving at a fast pace in the morning.
Traveling north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea, we'll start the day off with the extravagant city built by Herod the Great. You'll get to see the Roman Amphitheater, hippodrome, and remains of this famous port city and aqueduct. Next up is Megiddo, where we will walk through the first (but not the last) ancient water tunnel we will see on this trip. From the top of Megiddo, you will look out over the Valley of Armageddon. After lunch (yes, we will do all that before lunch), we will drive across the Valley of Armageddon to visit Sepphoris, a town close to where Jesus grew up. Our final stop of the day Is our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Drive or climb? That will be the toughest choice of the day. Either way, we will all end up at the top of Mt. Arbel, taking in beautiful views of the Sea of Galilee. This lookout provides a great visual overview of the region where Jesus spent most of his three years of ministry. The rest of the day will be spent in Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazim. The Bible tells us Jesus performed more miracles in these three villages than anywhere else. Your first day at the Sea of Galilee will be unforgettable!
Hitting the ground running, we'll visit two northern cities where significant events happened in the Bible. In the Old Testament city of Dan, we will see where God's people fell into pagan worship. Next, we'll visit Caesarea Philippi, the site of Peter's great confession ("You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."). A short bus ride away, we'll stop at the Golan Heights and see the area often referred to as "the other side of the lake" in the Gospels. Our busy day slows down as we cruise the Sea of Galilee and observe a fishing boat from the first century.
Our day kicks off with a visit to the largest archeological site in Israel, Beth Shean. A city deserted after an earthquake; the Roman remains are in better condition here than almost anywhere in Israel. It's also where Saul’s and Jonathan's bodies were placed on the walls of the city as mentioned in 1 Samuel 31. Passing the ancient city of Jericho, we'll head south along the Jordan River. We'll stop at the traditional location where the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River to conquer the land, as well as the location of Jesus' baptism. You'll also get a glimpse of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Qumran. These scrolls are arguably the most significant archeological discovery in biblical history. From there, we'll hike up to Ein Gedi, a waterfall in the middle of the desert. You'll quickly discover why David chose this place to hide from Saul. We'll end the day by taking a dip (or more accurately, a float) in the Dead Sea before driving into Jerusalem.
Up and at 'em to the mountain top fortress of Masada! This impressive place was the famous last stand for the Jewish rebels during the 1st century revolt. You'll have the option of a hike or cablecar ride. Next up is a road trip back to Jerusalem, where you'll see the ancient Jericho Road and gain context for the Good Samaritan story. Once we arrive in Jerusalem, we will stand atop the Mount of Olives. And at the place where Jesus ended his earthly ministry (by ascending into heaven), we will begin touring the city God chose as the one in which He would dwell. Walking down the Mt. of Olives, we'll end our daytime travels in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane. If you're up for it, more adventure awaits after dinner. Those interested will head into the Old City of Jerusalem to see the beautiful city at night.
Political conditions permitting, we will visit the Temple Mount (at times, because of conflicts between Jews and Palestinians, this visit isn't possible). Commentary on the Temple Periods, and the variety of belief systems past and present, will help you see why this area is so valuable and contentious. Just outside the Dung Gate on the southeastern hill below the Temple Mount is the City of David. It was during the time of Solomon that the city limits extended past this part of Jerusalem. We’ll visit Gihon Springs, the original water source for Jerusalem, and view the new excavations of King David's palace. A highlight of the day is a walk through the incredible Hezekiah's Tunnel to the pool of Siloam, the place of Jesus's miracle in John 9. We then will see some of the fallen stones from the first century when the Temple was destroyed. We will spend some time on the steps that Jesus would have use to enter the Temple. We will end our day at the Israeli Museum. You’ll walk through collections of centuries old Israeli artifacts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a large model of the biblical city of Jerusalem.
Our morning begins with a westward drive to the Old Testament territory of the Philistines, known as the Shephelah region. In the morning, we’ll tour the Valley of Elah, where David famously fought Goliath. After lunch, we’ll drive to Lachish, a significant military city protecting the route to Jerusalem. There we will see the remains of a siege ramp when the Assyrians captured and killed the Jewish people before attacking Jerusalem. Our day concludes back in Jerusalem, below the Old City, in a quarry used to build the walls of the city of Jerusalem.
With an early start, we’ll walk to the location where Jesus died and rose again, which is now inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. From there we’ll head to the Western Wall (the Wailing Wall) and go below ground level to see the base of the Temple Mount and the first century street. We will then go to the Garden Tomb, a second common location where people believe Jesus died and rose again. After lunch in the Old City, we’ll take in Herod the Great's favorite fortress where he was buried, the Herodium. The afternoon winds down with some free time to shop in the Old City before walking back to the hotel.
Transfer to Tel Aviv airport for the flight home.
Itinerary subject to change while touring for the best interest of the group.
