Catholic Tour

Arrival to Ben Gurion Airport you will be met by a  our  representative, assisted through customs, and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv for dinner and overnight. Already we can feel the heart of this land enchanting us, as we visit the sites of the Bible and share the experience of walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Transfer to the Tel Aviv for dinner and overnight.

Drive along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea where Peter baptized Cornelius. Visit the Roman theater, the aqueduct, and Herodion Port. Continue on to Haifa. See the magnificent panoramic view from the top of the mountain at Mukraka, the location of Elijah’s altar. Here Elijah confronted the priests of Baal. Continue to the Sea of Galilee via the Valley of Armageddon. Continue up the mountains to Nazareth. boyhood town of Jesus. Visit the Church of Annunciation where Mass will be celebrated. Visit the Church of Mary’s Well. Then on to Cana, site of Jesus’ first miracle. Here couples can renew their marriage vows. Afterwards drive to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.

Take a boat ride from Tiberias across the Sea of Galilee to the village of Capernaum. Visit the ruins of St. Peter’s House where Jesus stayed while He was preaching in the local synagogue. Visit the second century synagogue and from proceed to Tabgha. Here we will visit the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy where Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection. Next, we visit the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Proceed to the Mt. of Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Mass will be celebrated there. Then travel to Caesarea Phillip where St. Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus replied that Peter was the rock on which the church would be built. As we drive back to our hotel, we pass Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene.

This morning we leave the Sea of Galilee for Yardenit, baptismal site on the Jordan River. Here you can renew your Baptismal Covenant. Proceeding on to Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration, we will ascend the mountain to the Church of the Transfiguration where Mass will be celebrated. Continue to the old Roman city of Beit Shean to visit the impressive ruins. Drive along the Gilboa mountain range to Prophet Gideon’s Spring and onto the Tel of Jezreel, the location of queen Jezebel summer palace where we hear about the site’s intimate connection with Old Testament events.  From here we venture south towards the holy city of Jerusalem. Dinner & overnight in Jerusalem.

Visit the Model of Ancient Jerusalem to see how it was in the Lord’s day, then on to the Old city. We will enter through St. Stephen’s Gate to St. Ann’s Church, birthplace of our Blessed Lady. See the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the lame man. We will continue onto the Via Dolorosa ‘The Way of the Cross”. We will process carrying a wooden cross (starting at Pilate’s Judgment Hall and stopping to pray at each station) all the way “to Calvary and the Tomb” at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  We will stand at the Western Wall, ascend Temple Mount to the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque, winding our way through the ancient cobblestone alleyways amidst the colorful bazaars. In the afternoon, drive to nearby Bethlehem of Judea (The House of Bread), birthplace of Jesus. Visit the Church of the Nativity, on the site of the Manger where Joseph came with Mary and where the Wisemen came to worship the King of Kings. We will see the Milk Grotto and the Cave of St. Jerome, where the 3rd century saint translated the Latin Vulgate. Celebrate Mass. Afterwards we will stand on Shepherds Field, where the Angel proclaimed the Good News ‘Jesus Is Born”. As we depart, we will visit the Tomb of the Matriarch Rachel — mother of Joseph of the Old Testament. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Leave Jerusalem via Bethany to visit Lazarus Tomb where we will celebrate Mass. Continue to the Dead Sea (deepest point on earth), to visit the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and on to Masada. Ascend to the top for a magnificent view of the desert. We will have time for a swim in the Dead Sea, visit Ein Gedi, drive for a visit to Jericho and return to Jerusalem via the Judean Wilderness.

Drive to the Mt. of Olives for an outstanding view of the City and surrounding area. After visiting the place of the Ascension and the Church of Pater Noster, we will walk down the hill to Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations and visit the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. See the Kidron Valley, Tomb of Absalom, Zachariah and James. We continue on to Mt. Zion, to the Church of the Dormition, the Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22: 17) and the King David’s Tomb. Proceed to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, (The Cock Crows). Continue to the Church of the Visitation, the original site of the Magnificat where Mass will be celebrated, Continue to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist. Our final stop will be at Emmaus where Jesus appeared to his followers following his Resurrection (Luke 24:30-31). We will then stop for our farewell dinner before we are transferred to the airport

At the indicated time, transfer to the airport for your flight.

Please note that the sequence of the tour and sites visited may be amended due to circumstances at the company’s or the guide’s discretion.