9 Days In Holy Land

Flight departure

We will be met at Tel Aviv airport and transferred to our hotel in Bethlehem which is 50 yards from Manger square. This will be our home for the next 4 nights. 

This morning after breakfast we will drive to the summit of the Mount of Olives to recall the Palm Sunday route and visit places associated with particular events in the gospels as we slowly make our way downhill. We start at Bethphage, the traditional starting point of the procession of palms and during our journey will visit the Churches of Pater Noster, where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer and Dominus Flevit, where he wept over the fate of the city where we will celebrate Mass. Note: Mass to be booked subject to availability. 

After Mass we will carry on reaching the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, where we recall Jesus' agonized prayers prior to his arrest. 

In the afternoon we drive to Mount Zion where we will explore the holy sites where the earliest Christian community lived in the days following the resurrection. We begin by visiting the Room of the Last Supper and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (the church of the Cock crowing), built over the House of Caiphias where we can see the prison cells where Jesus was held. Outside we can see the recently unearthed pathway and steps that lead down to the Old City. We will end the day visiting the striking Abbey in honour of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary before returning to our hotel in Bethlehem.

After breakfast, we will drive to the oasis city of Jericho, the City of Palms where we will celebrate Mass at the Church of the Good Shepherd.  

Note: Mass to be booked subject to availability. 

We will then drive to a spot for a view of the  

Mount of Temptation and Qarantal Monastery which clings 

precariously to the side of the mountain, before we make our way to Qasr al Yahud, the traditional site where John baptised Jesus, and where we will have an opportunity to renew our own Baptism vows. After a break for lunch, we drive down to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface, to visit Qumran the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947. Excavations uncovered the nearby Essene Monastery where the Scrolls may have originated. We will have an opportunity to bathe in the unique mineral laden waters of the Dead Sea before returning to Bethlehem in good time for dinner. 

After dinner, you will have the opportunity to visit local Christians in their homes. 

After an early start we will head to the Old City of Jerusalem. we will proceed to Lions Gate and make our way to the beautiful Crusader Church of St. Anne overlooking the Pools of Bethesda. Then we will follow the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, praying the 14 stations as we go to Calvary enshrined within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Note: Mass will be booked in Jerusalem subject to availability.  

After a break for a lunch, we drive to the village of Ein Karem, venerated as the birthplace of John the Baptist and the visit the 

Church of the Visitation which commemorates Mary’s meeting with her cousin Elizabeth. 

After dinner in our hotel in Bethlehem we will meet some of the volunteer members of the local committee of Friends of the Holy Land. 

We will spend the day in and around Bethlehem where we will explore the places associated with the birth of Jesus and get a sense of the lives of modern-day Christians in Bethlehem. We begin our day with a visit to the Church of the Nativity and the Church of St Catherine’s next door where we will celebrate Mass. Note: Mass to be booked subject to availability. We will continue our walk to the Chapel of St Jerome and Chapel of the Milk Grotto.  

We will then head over to visit the Shepherd’s Fields to visit the Chapel before visiting the School of Joy, a school for children with special needs fully funded by Friends of the Holy Land 

We will then join the Ladies of St Martha’s House for lunch (a donation of £20 is requested). We will the head to the hotel when there will be free time for shopping along Star Street. 

( you can choose if you want it free day or with this program)

We will check out of our hotel.

 Our first stop will be herodion national park  or jabal al – furidis is an ancient jewish fortress and town . located in west bank . and if you want to go and see soloman’s pool are three ancient reseroirs 

And the the office offer for you free lunch and folklore dabke . or you can choose it at dinner .

And then you will go to the north

We begin our visit to the North of the Holy Land with Mass on the shore of the lake of Galilee where Jesus shared breakfast with his disciples after his resurrection. Note: Mass to be booked subject to availability. We will spend the day exploring Our Lord’s ministry around the Sea of Galilee. We will then proceed to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and we drive up to the Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the places where Jesus lived and worked. Finally arriving at the ancient fishing village of Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ Galilean Ministry, to view the house of Peter and a partially rebuilt 4th century synagogue, built over the site where Jesus 

often preached. After spending some time here, we will enjoy a boat ride across the lake. We return via Tiberias where there will be some free time to explore this waterfront city and its famous market. We return to the hotel in Nazareth for our evening meal and overnight accommodation.

After breakfast this morning, we will explore Nazareth where we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the traditional site of the house of Mary. We will then tour Nazareth, visiting the site of Joseph’s workshop and the synagogue where Jesus preached. We will call at Mary’s well, now in a beautiful orthodox church, and then break for lunch. 

After lunch we will drive to Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle for Mass & renewal of wedding vows in the 

Wedding Church. After this service we will travel to Mount 

Tabor, the traditional site of the transfiguration; after a taxi ride to the top of the mountain we will visit the church there and enjoy the spectacular views over the Jezreel Valley (the Biblical plains of Armageddon). We return to our hotel for our evening meal and overnight accommodation.

TODAY IS THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION. 

We will check out of the hotel after breakfast but leave our bags with reception. 

We will then attend Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation. 

We will then have time for a leisurely lunch and a final exploration of Nazareth before heading to the airport (if your flight at night )

 INCLUDED:

  Official licensed English speaking Christian 

8 nights accommodation in selected 

 ****4 nights in Bethlehem ( manger square or st.gabirel hotel)

****4 nights in Nazareth (st.gabriel hotel ) or tiberias )

All airport departure & passenger taxes hotels on a half-board basis (Breakfast and Dinner)         

 All Entrance fees 

  All touring in modern air-conditioned 

 Tips for guide and driver.       

  bookings for Masses in key locations

NOT COVERED:

 Flight ticket 

Does not include travel insurance - We require all travellers to have adequate cover for the trip which includes Covid 19 cover, proof to be provided within 30 days of booking. 

  Does not include lunches, drinks or items of a personal nature.

 Transport to Luton Airport. There could be an option to take a coach from St Mary’s Woburn Sands for an additional £60 per person return