ISRAEL RETREAT
with Rob Bryceson with Gathering House Church, Spokane, WA
February 12-23, 2026
⬇️ Scroll to the bottom for the full itinerary!
You were made for a purpose. Israel is the place where Jesus first revealed that purpose. Standing where Jesus stood, with an open Bible, will give you a fresh vision of his plan for your influence at home.
Gathering House Church is going on tour in Israel from February 12-23, 2026. Of course, the whole church can’t go! But our church can see Israel through you. Your pilgrimage will refresh people at Gathering House Church and Spokane when you return.
Experience sites around Galilee where Jesus walked. Follow his cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Visit fascinating Old Testament spots, like the mountain where Elijah prayed, a gate where Abraham passed, and the pool where Gideon selected his men. You can even stand where David faced Goliath.
Our tour company, Philip's House, will introduce us to Israeli believers, Jews, and Arabs. Our licensed tour guide will give us time for personal reflection at Bible sites.
Israel's leading tour company, Sar-El Tours, partners with Philip’s House to provide the safest and best in travel, accommodation, professional tour guides, and opportunities to help. Sar-El has kept 1.25 million international travelers safe over 31 years.
Let’s meet Jesus in the Promised Land.
Rob & Tonia Bryceson
Philip’s House tours are about ENCOUNTER. Get sand in your shoes that the disciples shook from their sandals.
ACTIVE: Explore the paths Jesus walked. Scan the mountains on the horizon that his eyes saw.
REFLECTIVE: You are encouraged to take a paper Bible along. You will have time to reflect on a passage written about the spot where you stand.
RELATIONAL: Meet Jews and Israeli-Arabs. Some are secular, some are religious, and a few are believers in Jesus. Israelis you meet will cause Bible personalities of history to spring to life in your imagination.
PHILIP’S HOUSE hosts ACTIVE tours of ISRAEL for INFLUENCERS from all nations to make Israeli FRIENDS and return home to a life of huge INFLUENCE.
Restore from your flight on a drive from the airport and check in at David's Harp in Galilee. Reflect over the Sea of Galilee across the road from the Hometown of Jesus.
In Jerusalem enjoy the Dan Panarama Hotel. The hotel is a short half mile walk to the Jaffa Gate into the Old City of Jerusalem plus the modern upmarket Mamilla Mall.
Every floor of your accommodation features a shelter room should an emergency arise.
Hike the paths Jesus walked.
Holy sites are empty of tourists. Enjoy peace at holy sites like Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Arbel, Golgotha, and the resurrection tomb of Jesus.
Visit Bible sites with time to reflect on passages written about events at locations you where you will stand.
See more than rocks of archaeology. Meet living stones--Jewish and Arab believers in Yeshua.
Meet Jews and Israeli-Arabs. Some are secular, some religious, and a few are believers in Jesus.
Breakfast & dinner is included. Lunch is paid by you. Expect about 15-$20 for lunch.
Airfare is not included. Philip’s House will guide you in booking your flight as a group.
Travel insurance to Israel is strongly advised. Philip’s House has options. you can visit the SquareMouth website here: https://www.squaremouth.com/23118
Lunch is extra, so plan about $15-$20 per day.
Remember your bus driver, tour guide, and waiter/waitress. Pre-Pay your tips in one easy payment.
On Feb 19, enjoy the Notre Dame Rooftop Cheese and Wine Restaurant in Jerusalem. It offers not only one of the most spectacular views, but also the best selection of cheese and wines in the city.
Check out PhilipsHouse.com for a detailed information about what to pack and what to expect on your tour. https://www.philipshouse.com/questions
Depart from your USA departure airport to connect with an international flight to Israel. (Airlines, flights, times, hotels, and sites are subject to change without notice.) Flights are booked through Philip’s House. Please contact flights@philipshouse.com.
Note that all international travelers from visa-exempt countries to Israel must have a valid ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) before departing for Israel. A small fee may apply. Visit the State of Israel visa website here https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/
Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
You will pass through Israel’s immigration, gather your luggage, and be greeted by a Philip’s House representative. Look for the smiling face holding the Philip’s House sign!
Please advise Philip’s House of your arrival time to ensure we can meet and transport you to your hotel. There will be an arrival time for most arriving tour members. If your arrival is outside of this arrival time, extra charges for transportation may apply. Talk with Philip’s House for more details.
You will spend the night at David's Harp Galilee Resort.
Stand at the threshold of a synagogue where Jesus taught at the Magdala village, home of Mary Magdalene.
Experience a boat from the days of Jesus at the Ginasaur Boat Museum.
Explore the Sea of Galilee with a boat cruise on the water where Jesus walked.
Walk through Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus. See the synagogue where he worshipped and the ruins of the house of Peter's mother-in-law where the disabled man was lowered through the roof.
Tonight you will be staying at the new David's Harp Galilee Resort overlooking the Sea of Galilee and directly across the street from Capernaum the hometown of Jesus.
The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus drew from the local scenery to illustrate the Sermon on the Mount.
Journey an hour north to Caesarea Philippi and touch the red bedrock where Peter stood, see the literal Gates of Hell, and the spiritual significance of announcing on this spot the church--the "called out ones."
Take in the 4,000-year-old Gates of Dan, where Abraham took his 318 servants to defeat physical and spiritual forces and how his story connects with Jesus' story.
From Mount Bental take in breath-taking views of Mount Hermon, where Jesus was transfigured, where Moses stood in the Promised Land, and the mountain where Elijah the prophet gave counsel to the Messiah about the cross.
David’s Harp Galilee Resort welcomes you back for another evening of rest and relaxation.
Experience Nazareth Village an open-air museum that reconstructs and reenacts village life in the Galilee in the time of Jesus.
Tour Old Nazareth with Pastor Saleem Salash. This congregation of Arab-Israelis is called Home of Jesus the King Church. They are committed to blessing Israel and serving the Jewish community near them. Saleem grew up in the old city of Jesus’ childhood. Visit his favorite spice shop. Hear his vision for ministry from Israeli Arabs to Jews.
Tonight the David's Harp Hotel in Galilee will welcome you for a restful night's sleep.
See Tel Shiloh or Ancient Shiloh Israel’s religious heart before Jerusalem. The Tabernacle stood here for 369 years. With engaging technology, you can almost see Samuel and David walking by and smell the incense burning on the altar.
Your trip to Jerusalem is called an "aliyah" or ascent upward because Jerusalem is 2,474 feet above Sea Level. Factor in the depth of the Dead Sea at 1,300 feet below Sea Level and Jerusalem stands 3,774 feet above the lowest point of the land.
The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) were written to be sung on your way up.
See the Dead Sea scrolls at the Shrine of the Book and watch your imagination come alive with the Model of Jesus’ Jerusalem at the Israel Museum.
Tonight you will be staying at the Dan Panorama Hotel. From here you may walk to the Jaffa Gate or to the Mamilla Mall for upscale shopping in an open-air environment.
Ascend to the Temple Mount, a massive platform constructed by Kind Herod, where once the Temples of Solomon and Zerubbabel stood. On the Foundation Stone, Abraham offered Isaac, David stopped the plague with his intercession, Solomon prayed at the dedication and fire fell, the Babylonians and Romans demolished, and Jesus taught. One day He will return through the Eastern Gate.
Pray at the Western Wall and touch the stones that made the disciples marvel.
Experience the history of Jerusalem at the Davidson Center and sit on the Southern Steps where Jesus taught.
Enter into the Jerusalem that Abraham and David knew in the excavations of the City of David. Take in the sweeping outlook of Jerusalem and a movie that reviews the story of the destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem over many centuries. Next walk through the ruins of David's palace, past walls Abraham saw, the city Solomon and the prophets knew.
For the adventurous: choose to walk Hezekiah's Tunnel. Bring a flashlight, shoes and clothes that can get wet. The water will come up to your knees. This is the water course chiseled out during the days of Senacharib's threat to Jerusalem. For those who want to keep dry, take the Canaanite era tunnel.
The Dan Panorama Hotel will be waiting for you at the end of your day.
Take in Jerusalem at the Mount Scopus outlook, then follow the triumphal route of Jesus down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Step into the olive groves of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before his arrest and surrendered to the Father's will.
Take a bus transfer for easy walking to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. Today 7 different church bodies oversee the building, showing it's significance to believers.
Meet Deanna Dolan, and hear her gripping testimony of conversion from Islam to Jesus Christ.
Science has researched the Shroud of Turin more than any human-made object. See the evidence for the burial and resurrection of Jesus at Notre Dame. Take in the stunning view of Jerusalem.
Enjoy a stunning view of Jerusalem and fine dining at the Notre Dame Restaurant near the New Gate. (Dinner is at your expense.)
You'll spend another peaceful night at the Dan Panorama Hotel.
Stop at the Valley of Elah where David won a victory over Goliath and pray for the people of Israel.
Visit the Nova Festival site and, to pay our respects to those affected by the October 7, 2023 attack.
See the Burnt Car Memorial, where hundreds of cars were left unclaimed by those murdered in the terror attack.
Visit Sderot, a resilient town that has long faced challenges, and gain a unique perspective overlooking Gaza and meet Pastor Michael Beener and the congregation at City of Life. Feel the healing work of believers in Messiah in the land.
Drive to the seaside city of Ashdod to join the Beit Hallel Congregation for their Shabbat Service.
Enjoy dinner in the city of Ashdod .
The Dan Panorama Hotel will be waiting for you with open arms.
Today we follow Jesus into the desert.
See the desert monastery of Qumran, located near the Dead Sea. Here, the Dead Sea Scrolls were prepared and later discovered. John the Baptist was familiar with this place.
Scale Masada with the Romans if you are up to the challenge or ride the gondola to the top of Masada, the desert fortress of King Herod.
Take in your first view of the Dead Sea at Kalia Beach. Have a float in the Dead Sea if you want something fun!
Your accommodations at the Dan Panorama Hotel will be waiting for you.
Today, you are free to explore the city of Jerusalem.
You will have a map, and recommendations of shops, restaurants, museums, and sites.
Spend the day shopping or meditating!
In the evening, explore underground around the Temple Mount with the Great Stone Route tunnel tour. This is the closest access to the Holy of Holies.
Your convenient accommodation is at the Dan Panorama Hotel.
You need to arrive at the airport 3 hours before your departure time for immigration processing.
Consult with your Tour Guide to confirm your departure time from the hotel.
Leave Friends in Israel and Go Home to Greater Influence
You now have friends in Israel. You've left a part of yourself in the Holy Land. You want to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and go back one day soon.
