Israel & Jordan Expedition

1. Day01

   Monday, March 8

   Depart the U.S.

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

   Meals in flight. Overnight in flight.

   

2. Day02

   Tuesday, March 9

   Arrive in Israel

   Today we arrive in Israel at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Time permitting, we visit the ancient town of Jaffa where Peter had his vision on the rooftop of the house of Simon the Tanner.

   Dinner included. Overnight Tel Aviv area. Daniel Herzliya or similar.

   

3. Day03

   Wednesday, March 10

   Caesarea Maritima, Mount Carmel, Megiddo, Nazareth

   Today 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 the springboard of Christianity to the West. We continue to Mount Carmel (entrance included) and consider the contest between the Prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal, discussing the reasons why the Prophet chose that place for the contest, and the lessons we learn from the story. We visit Tel Megiddo (entrance included) before moving on to Nazareth Village (entrance included), a re-creation of life in Nazareth during the time of Jesus. We depart for the Sea of Galilee passing Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Ron Beach or similar.

   

4. Day04

   Thursday, March 11

   Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Magdala, Yardenit

   We begin our day with a visit to Tel Dan (included), the northern extremity of biblical Israel. We continue to Caesarea Philippi (included), where we will visit the ruins of the pagan altars and consider Peter’s confession of Christ here. We will visit Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene, which boasts the remains of a 1st Century synagogue. We will finish the day on the Jordan River, where you will have the opportunity to be baptized in the same river as was Jesus.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Ron Beach or similar.

   

5. Day05

   Friday, March 12

   Boat Ride and Museum, Capernaum, Primacy of Peter, Dead Sea

   Today we will visit the ancient boat museum containing a recently-discovered 2000-year-old fishing boat (entrance included). We will sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of that boat (included). We visit Capernaum, Jesus’ Galilean ministry base, where we will see among other things the remains of the ancient synagogue and of the house where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. We drive to Tabgha and see the Primacy of Peter, where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after his resurrection. We will enjoy a lunch of “St. Peter’s Fish” (included), before departing the Sea of Galilee area for the Dead Sea. Upon arrival at our hotel, whatever remains of the day will be spent at leisure.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Dead Sea area. Enjoy Dead Sea or similar.

   

6. Day06

   Saturday, March 13

   Masada, Ein Gedi, Jerusalem

   This morning before breakfast there will be an optional hike up Masada. Those who participate will be brought back to the hotel for breakfast. Those who do not participate will visit Masada after breakfast by cable car. Masada is a 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.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar.

   

7. Day07

   Sunday, March 14

   Temple Mount, Temple Institute, Western Wall, Southern Wall Excavations, City of David

   We begin the day by ascending the Temple Mount, discussing its connection to both the Old and New Testaments. We visit the Temple Institute (included) and learn about the Temple’s past and future. We will then walk to the Western Wall, a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We visit the Southern Wall Excavations and Davidson Center (entrance included) where ruins of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount are still visible. We will gather at the teaching steps, the main entrance to the Temple where Rabbis met and taught their disciples. We will come to the City of David (included), the original location of the city of Jerusalem. We explore the origins of the city. You will have the option to walk in water through Hezekiah’s Tunnel on to the Pool of Siloam (flashlights and water shoes needed). From there, we follow the recently-opened Pilgrimage Road toward the Temple Mount excavations.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar.

   

8. Day08

   Monday, March 15

   Mount of Olives, St. Anne’s, Pools of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Israel Museum

   We begin our day with an orientation over 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 walk down the Palm Sunday Procession Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus agonized on the night before his crucifixion. On to visit St. Anne’s Church (entrance included) and the nearby Pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place. We walk the Via Dolorosa, the traditional path that Jesus walked from the Antonia Fortress (entrance included) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This afternoon we travel to the Israel Museum (entrance included), where we will visit the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem, a 1:50 scaled model of the city from the 1st century AD, followed by a visit to the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on exhibit, in addition to the archaeological section where many artifacts are displayed. We will pay special attention to those items that relate to Bible history.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar.

   

9. Day09

   Tuesday, March 16

   Garden Tomb, Tower of David Museum, Upper Room, Caiaphas’ House, Jewish Quarter

   We begin our day with a visit to the Garden Tomb (entrance included), where we will worship together and celebrate communion. We will then visit the Tower of David Museum, once the fortress defending the city; we will ascend to the observation point on top of Phasael Tower, which provides a 360-degree view over Jerusalem, and experience the courtyard of the Citadel. We visit the Upper Room, the traditional place of the Last Supper, followed by a visit to nearby location of the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas (entrance included). The balance of the day will be spent at leisure in Jerusalem. You may choose to visit Israel’s Holocaust Museum and Memorial Yad Vashem, its famous Machane Yehuda Market, or to do some shopping at Mamilla Mall. Alternatively, you could walk the Old City Walls or take in views of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus. For those not taking the extension to Jordan, your flight may depart either tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Jerusalem.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Jerusalem (if required). Grand Court or similar.

   

10. Day10

    Wednesday, March 17

    Return Home

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

    Breakfast included if flight time permits.

1. Day01

   Wednesday, March 17

   Wadi Rum

   This morning we drive toward Allenby border crossing to Jordan. We drive to Wadi Rum, where we enjoy a sunset 4×4 tour.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Wadi Rum. Mars Land Camp or similar.

2. Day02

   Thursday, March 18

   Wadi Rum, Petra

   This morning in Wadi Rum there will be an opportunity to enjoy an optional camel ride (not included). We will then move on to the red rose city of Petra, one of the wonders of the ancient world built by the Nabateans around the 2nd century BC. Venture into the city by way of the gorge called the Siq reaching the amazing Treasury building, then see the Roman lower city to include the Roman Theater, Nabatean burial caves and the Byzantine Basilica.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Petra. Petra Moon or similar.

3. Day03

   Friday, March 19

   Medaba, Nebo, Amman

   Today we drive to Medaba (entrance included), famous for its 6th century AD Byzantine Mosaic showing a map of the Holy Land. We visit Mount Nebo (entrance included) where Moses stood and viewed the Promised Land. We spend the remainder of the day at leisure in Amman. Your flight home may depart either tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Amman.

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight Amman (if required). Amman International or similar.

4. Day04

   Saturday, March 20

   Return Home

   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 home.

   Breakfast included if flight time permits.

More from our travelers →

• How much walking is there?Expect about 2 to 3 miles of walking on a typical touring day, much of it on uneven stone paths and steps in Jerusalem’s Old City. Two walks are optional: an early hike up Masada (others ride the cable car) and wading through Hezekiah’s Tunnel. On the Jordan extension, Petra means a long walk through the Siq. Arrival, flight and departure days have very little walking, and we travel between cities by motor coach.
• Traveling alone?You can have a room to yourself, with a single supplement of $1,200 ($500 more on the Jordan extension), or share a room. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a traveler of the same gender and a similar age. If no match is found, the single supplement applies.
• What will I spend beyond the price?Tips for your guide, driver and porter, drinks with meals beyond the basics, travel insurance if you choose it, the Israeli entry authorization (ETA, about $8), the optional camel ride in Wadi Rum, and your own shopping. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included daily. Tips are at your discretion: as a guide, $8 to $10 per person per day for your guide and $6 to $8 for your driver. We recommend paying for most things by credit card: cards are accepted almost everywhere you will go, and credit card purchases usually come with protection that cash does not. We suggest bringing a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies and small purchases. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (shekels in Israel, dinars in Jordan), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
• What if I need to cancel?Cancel in writing. Up to December 8, 2026 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
• Who is going?This expedition is organized for River Rocks Church and led by Pastor Jeff Birmingham.

More answers in our Traveler Support Center, or call us at (877) 234-3002.

• Atlanta (ATL)Included
• I plan to book my own flights−$1,000