CATHOLIC HOLY LAND TOURS

Overnight flight from USA to Tel Aviv.

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, and meet with our professional tour guide, who will be with us during our visit to the Holy Land. Then, transfer to our hotel in Galilee for dinner and overnight.

After Breakfast will start the day with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water. Then on to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St. Peter's house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount was given. Next to Tabgha, to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes and to the nearby Church of Peter's Primacy, where Peter was told, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt Beatitudes. In the afternoon, we visit Caesarea Philippi, the location of the testimony of St. Peter and where Jesus answered him, "You are the Rock, and upon this rock, I will build my Church." Dinner and overnight in Galilee.

We start the day at Mount Tabor, the scene of the Transfiguration. Next, drive to Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding feast; here, couples may renew their wedding vows. Continue to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth and visit Mary's Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. Dinner and overnight in Galilee.

This Morning we start our day by visiting Shepherd's Fields, where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we continue to see the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem standing upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds Fields. After Lunch, we drive to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist, and to the Church of Visitation, where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the 'Magnificat.' Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

After Breakfast, we make our way to the Mount of Olives, where we will take in the beautiful panoramic view of Jerusalem. Next, we make our way to the Pater Noster Shrine, where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer. Next is Dominus Flevit, the Church commemorates Jesus' weeping for Jerusalem. We continue the tour in Gethsemane, a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus brought His disciples to pray the night before He was crucified. Beside the garden, we visit the Church of All Nations, built over the Rock of Agony and where Jesus prayed alone on the night of His arrest. We then proceed to the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock, and the Wailing Wall or Western Wall, the holiest site for the Jews. Continue to Mount Zion to visit the house of the High Priest Caiaphas (Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu). This Church commemorates where Jesus was brought to jail after his arrest. It also marks Peter's Denial of Christ. Continue to visit the Upper Room, where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper and where He appeared to them after His Death and Resurrection. Finally, we will continue to visit the nearby Benedictine Church of the Dormition. This Church is where our Blessed Mary "fell asleep." Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Early in the Morning, we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City, praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice. We will start our tour by visiting St. Anne's Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents, Saints Joachim and Anne. Next, we will pass the Ecco Home, where Pilate proclaimed, "Behold the man." Finally, we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchres. Later, we will visit the Israel Museum to view the model city of Jerusalem as it was in Jesus' time. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

We proceed through the Jordan Valley / Judean Wilderness to the traditional baptismal site at the Jordan River. Here we have the opportunity to get baptized. Then, continue to Jericho, the oldest city in the world. In Jericho, we will have the chance to view the exact location, the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during his forty-day fast. We will then continue to visit the excavations of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered. On the way back, there is time for a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its healing properties. Farewell Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Check out from the hotel in Bethlehem – transfer to Tel Aviv airport. Depart from Tel Aviv back to USA.