The day has arrived, and we depart from the U.S. on an overnight journey to Israel.

Today, we arrive in Israel at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. We will be met by our guide and driver, who will remain with us throughout our time in Israel. Time permitting, we visit the ancient town of Jaffa, where Peter had his vision on the rooftop of the house of Simon the Tanner. Overnight Tel Aviv area. Daniel Herzliya or similar. D.

Today, after breakfast, we travel towards Caesarea Maritima (entrance included), where we will have a brief visit to this magnificent city with Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. Here we will elaborate on the story of the baptism of Cornelius, the first gentile convert to Christianity, and on the travels of Paul — those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become a springboard of the Gospel’s spread to the West. We continue to Mount Carmel (entrance included) and consider the contest between the Prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal. We visit the archaeological site Tel Megiddo, from where we take in views of the Armageddon Valley. Then it’s on to Nazareth, where we will climb the Mount of Precipice (time permitting), the brow of the hill on which the city was built. There, we will reflect on the rejection of Jesus by his family and friends in Nazareth. Overnight Tiberias. Leonardo Club or similar. B, D.

This morning, we travel to the Yardenit Baptismal site on the Jordan River, where there will be an opportunity to be baptized in the same river as Jesus. We travel to Hazor, one of the most important ancient cities in the north of Israel, and a key archaeological site connected with the conquest period. We then visit Tel Dan (entrance included), which is the site of the headwaters of the Jordan River, as well as of an ancient city with important biblical connections. We proceed to Caesarea Philippi (entrance included), where Peter made his famous confession, recorded in Matthew 16, that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” As we traverse the rugged terrain of the Golan Heights, we’ll be treated to panoramic views of the landscape, including Paul’s legendary route to Damascus. Overnight Tiberias. Leonardo Club or similar. B, D.

After breakfast, we will then sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of a historic boat (included). We continue to Mt. Arbel (included) for a breathtaking view over the Sea of Galilee, and an overview of the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. We will enjoy a lunch of Saint Peter’s fish (non-fish options also available). We visit Capernaum (entrance included), Jesus’ Galilean ministry base, where we reflect on His teaching, miracles, and the daily rhythm of the disciples’ lives. We will also visit the Mount of Beatitudes and discuss the Sermon on the Mount. Overnight Tiberias. Leonardo Club or similar. B, L, D.

Today we leave the Sea of Galilee area and head south. We will stop at Tel Jezreel where Naboth’s Vineyard is believed to be located and enjoy a panoramic view on the Jezreel Valley. We visit Gideon’s Spring (included), where Gideon chose 300 men for battle. We visit Beth Shean (entrance included), or Scythopolis as it was called by the Romans. 1 Samuel 31 tells us that King Saul was defeated by the Philistines and died on nearby Mount Gilboa, and that his body was hung on the walls of Beth Shean. We continue traveling south until we come to Qasr al Yahud on the Jordan River, the area where the Israelites entered the Promised Land and where Jesus was baptized. We visit the Tel of Jericho (entrance included) with its ancient ruins, pointing out what possibly could be the foundations of the ramparts that Joshua and the Israelites brought down. We will see a Sycamore tree similar to the one Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus. We will then take a cable car to the Mount of Temptation (included). Overnight Jerusalem. Prima Kings or similar. B, D.

After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day visiting Masada (entrance & cable car included), the fortress built by King Herod the Great and made famous by the Zealots in 73/74 AD with their standoff against the Romans. We visit the fortress and see the ruins that are considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We continue to Ein Gedi, the oasis in the desert where the meeting between David and King Saul took place and where many of the psalms were written by David. This afternoon we visit Qumran (entrance included), the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a Bedouin boy in 1947. There, we will see the caves and other buildings where the Essenes, the group of Jews who wrote the scrolls, lived. Finally, we will have an opportunity to float on the Dead Sea (conditions permitting), the lowest place on earth. Overnight in Jerusalem. Prima Kings or similar. B, D.

This morning we ascend the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood. On to visit St Anne’s Church (entrance included) and the nearby Pools of Bethesda, where the healing at the pool took place. On to the Jewish Quarter, where we see the Wailing Wall, the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We continue to the Southern Wall Excavations (included), where we walk on the very stones walked upon by Jesus as he made his way to the temple. We visit the Israel Museum, where we see an impressive model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, along with the Shrine of the Book. In the evening, we will enjoy a sound and light show called the “Night Experience” at the Tower of David (entrance included). Overnight Jerusalem. Prima Kings or similar. B, D

We will begin our day with an orientation of the holy city from the Mount of Olives, pointing out important locations within the Old City, connecting them with biblical stories and prophecies about the return of Jesus. We will then walk down the Palm Sunday Procession Road. Then we head to Genesis Land in the desert, where we get to experience a re-creation of life in the time of the patriarchs. We travel to Shiloh, one of the most important worship centers in the Old Testament, where the Tabernacle stood for generations. Overnight Jerusalem. Prima Kings or similar. B, L, D.

This morning we visited the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus agonized on the night before his crucifixion. We visit the Upper Room, the traditional place of the Last Supper, followed by a visit to the nearby location of the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas (entrance included). We walk the Via Dolorosa ending at the outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We then visit the Garden Tomb, where we worship together and celebrate communion. Your flight home may depart either late tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight are required, overnight Jerusalem. Prima Kings or similar. B, D.

Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. We make our way to the airport and arrive back at home later today.

Today we will depart to Jordan, crossing the historic Allenby Bridge (departure fees included). We visit Mt. Nebo (included) and Madaba (included) on the way to Petra. Overnight Petra. Petra Moon or similar. B, D.

This morning we will visit Petra, the Red Rose City, one of the Seven Wonders of the World (included).
Overnight Petra. Petra Moon or similar. B, D.

After breakfast we will drive to Amman. We will enjoy a tour of the city to include the Amman Citadel.
Your flight home may depart either tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Amman. Amman International or similar. B, D.

Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, today we arrive back at BOS.