DAY 1: Depart for Holy Land

Depart for Tel Aviv with complimentary meals and beverages served onboard your international flight.

DAY 2: Arrival to Tel Aviv Airport – Nazareth

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we proceed through Passport Control, meet our private airport assistant, and claim our luggage. Our group will meet directly with our guide and continue to our hotel in Nazareth. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Nazareth.

DAY 3: Mount Tabor – Cana – Nazareth

After breakfast, we drive to the site of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1–5). At this site, you will have time to reflect on Christ’s Humanity and Divinity. Our next stop is Cana of Galilee to visit the Wedding Church, where Jesus performed the first of His signs, changing water into wine (Mass with renewal of wedding promises for couples). We drive back to Nazareth for lunch. After lunchtime, we experience the town where Mary once lived and where Jesus lived as a child (Matthew 2:23). During our visit to Nazareth, we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, which includes the Church of St. Joseph (built from 1914–21 over Byzantine ruins), which tradition identifies with the workshop of Joseph and the house of the Holy Family. We continue with a visit to the Church of the Incarnation. Inside is the Grotto containing the remains of the house of the Blessed Virgin where the Angel appeared and announced the Good News. Following the pilgrims’ path, we visit Mary’s Well, where the Virgin Mary would often have walked to draw water from the spring. Option: Meeting with the Vicar of Nazareth. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Nazareth.

DAY 4: Tiberias – Sea of Galilee – Capernaum

This morning, we drive to the Sea of Galilee to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where our Lord gave the Sermon on the Mount. We continue to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic of the loaves and fishes with which He fed the Five Thousand. We then visit the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy and continue to Capernaum to see the house of St. Peter and the Synagogue where our Lord preached. You will have the opportunity to try the St. Peter’s fish for lunch today. One of today’s highlights is a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, and we will also see the “Jesus Boat,” a 2,000-year-old boat found on the shores of Magdala. (Holy Mass at the Mount of Beatitudes.) Dinner and overnight in Nazareth.

DAY 5: Nazareth – Sheikh Hussein – Jerash – Amman

This morning, we drive north to the Sheikh Hussein Border to Jordan. After crossing the border and meeting our Jordanian guide, we continue to Jerash. The ancient Gerasa, one of the cities of the Decapolis, testifies to the urbanistic power of the Roman Empire in the Middle East. We have lunch at Artemis Restaurant. At the end of the visit, we transfer to Amman. Mass in a Catholic church. Dinner and overnight in Amman.

DAY 6: Amman – Petra

After breakfast, we drive to Petra. Upon arrival, we begin our visit to the Nabatean capital. We walk along the Siq to reach the magnificent Treasury and visit the archaeological site. Optional: Visit “Petra by Night,” a truly unique experience. Dinner and overnight in Petra. (Mass TBD)

DAY 7: Petra – Madaba – Mount Nebo – Allenby – Jericho

Breakfast and transfer back to Israel. During the trip, we stop in Madaba, the City of Mosaics, and at Mount Nebo, where Moses looked upon the Holy Land before his death. After lunch, we cross the border at Allenby Bridge. Upon arrival to Jericho, we visit the Baptism Site on the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13–17). Dinner and overnight at Jericho Resort. (Mass in Mt. Nebo)

DAY 8: Jericho – Mount of Temptation – Dead Sea – Jerusalem

After breakfast, we visit the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho (Joshua 6:12–25). In Jericho, we view the exact location of the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during His forty-day fast (Luke 4:1). Following this visit, we drive to the Dead Sea for a relaxing float or swim. In the afternoon, we drive to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Jericho)

DAY 9: Bethlehem

This morning, we drive to Bethlehem to visit the place of birth of our Lord, the Basilica of the Nativity, where we celebrate Mass. We visit the Grotto of the Nativity and the Church of St. Catherine, where the Midnight Mass is celebrated, as well as the Caves of St. Joseph and St. Jerome beneath the church. We continue to the Shepherds’ Fields, where the Angels appeared to the shepherds who were watching over their flocks at night. This afternoon, we enjoy time for shopping at a local Catholic-owned cooperative in support of the remaining faithful Catholic community of Bethlehem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 10: Jerusalem – The Passion of the Last Hours of Jesus

Early this morning, we plan to attend Mass in the Holy Tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After Mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast. We continue with a visit to the Old City of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Afterwards, we visit St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda. We proceed to the Judgment Hall, known as the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. From that place, we begin walking the Via Dolorosa through the markets of the Old City, praying the Stations of the Cross. We reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice, stopping at each of the fourteen Stations until we reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We visit Calvary, the Empty Tomb of our Lord, and the different sections of the church. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 11: Jerusalem – Mount Zion

After breakfast, we drive to the top of the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem, gaining a better understanding of the geography and the significance of the surrounding holy sites. We visit the Church of Pater Noster, where Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. We then walk down the Palm Sunday Road to the Church of Dominus Flevit, where our Lord wept over the city. We continue on the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, where we visit the Rock of Agony, the site of Jesus’ final prayer before His arrest. We spend time in reflection and meditation inside the church. In the afternoon, we go to Mount Zion to visit the Church of the Dormition, commemorating the Blessed Mother’s falling asleep. Next, we visit the Cenacle (Upper Room), the place of the Last Supper and Pentecost. We also visit the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, the house of the high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned overnight and where Peter denied our Lord.

Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 12: Departure Back Home

This morning, we depart from Tel Aviv and take our flight back to the USA.