Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Upon arrival, you will proceed to Baggage Claim and follow the signs to: “Groups Assembly Exit”. Here you will be greeted by your Tour Guide and Driver. From the airport, you will be taken to your hotel in Nazareth where you will have your first night stay. Depending on arrival time, visits to initial sites may begin this day prior to dinner at the hotel. When possible, a Mass of Thanksgiving for safe travels will be celebrated as well.  

After breakfast, begin the day in Nazareth at The Basilica of the Annunciation, located at the Home of the Virgin Mary (“The Grotto”), where the Annunciation of our Lord took place. From here, we will walk to the Church of St Joseph’s Workshop where men will have an opportunity to consecrate their families to the Patron Saint of Holy Families, St Joseph.  

Our group then travels by bus to Cana to the actual site where Jesus performed His first miracle! At Cana, a special surprise awaits all married couples! We will then reboard and travel to Mt Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. We will stand where Peter, James and John stood to witness where the glorified Lord appeared with Moses and Elijah. Holy Mass is celebrated here, at The Church of the Transfiguration, before returning to the hotel for dinner. 

Following breakfast, we begin our day by traveling to the Sea of Galilee (also referred to as the Sea of Tiberia, Lake Galilee, or Lake Genesareth). From here, we visit The Mount of Beatitudes where we recall Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  We then head to the area of Tabgha, best known for The Miracle of Loaves and Fishes. In Tabgha stands the site of the 4th century  Multiplication Church, where we will see a magnificent Byzantine Mosaic, one of the most beautifully executed in the Holy Land. We then travel by boat across Lake Genesareth where Jesus walked on water after feeding the five thousand. It is here where Jesus says to Peter and the disciples, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” We will enjoy a most memorable fish lunch (St. Peter’s Fish!) before we continue on to The Church of Peter’s Primacy (where Peter declared his love for Jesus three times). Our last destination for the day is at Capernaum to view the spectacular ruins of the ancient synagogue and The Church of St Peter that hovers over his home. We head back to our boat for a return sail across the Sea of Galilee before we enjoy dinner at our hotel. Holy Mass is celebrated on the boat ride in the middle of the Sea of Galilee!

Checking out of the hotel in Nazareth after breakfast, we depart to Caesarea Maritima, the old capital of the Roman Province of Palestina Prima. Here, we visit the Roman and Crusader ruins along with the harbor where St Paul was taken prisoner to Rome. We continue by bus to Haifa where we visit Mt Carmel and the cave of Elijah. It is in this cave where Elijah hid and lived before his fateful encounter with the priests of Baal. From the top of Mt Carmel, we will enjoy a breathtaking view of the Haifa Port and the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to departing Haifa, we will stop at one of the most visited and distinct attractions in all of Haifa, The Bahai Gardens. Holy Mass is celebrated this day at Church Stella Maris. We end the day with shopping before returning to the hotel in Bethlehem for an amazing dinner.

Following breakfast, we begin a wonderful day in Bethlehem by first visiting The Church of the Nativity. We will enter the cave/stable of Jesus’ birth just below the church. After our time in this most holy place, we then proceed to The Church of St Jerome, where he translated the Bible into Latin. Holy Mass will be celebrated here.  We enjoy lunch in Bethlehem before driving to the town of Beit Sahour where we visit The Shepherd’s Field. This area has been inhabited by Christians for hundreds of years and the place where the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of Christ. We return to our bus to travel onward toward Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. We then go to The Church of the Visitation, where Our Blessed Mother visited her cousin, Elizabeth. It is here that the Virgin Mary recited the Hymn of Praises, The Magnificat. We conclude this extraordinary day with a visit to the exterior of The Convent of the Rosary Sisters (currently not accepting tours inside), The Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem. This is the first Palestinian congregation founded by St. Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, who was canonized in 2015.

Early this morning, following breakfast, we travel to the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and where we will renew our Baptismal Vows! From here, we travel by bus to the Jordan Valley to Jericho (the oldest, continually inhabited city the world). Holy Mass will be celebrated here, at The Church of the Good Shepherd. After mass, we view The Mount of Temptations and then proceed to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Here, we will have a most fantastic and one-of-a-kind experience in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is known for being the most salty and most deep hypersaline lake in the world. We return to the hotel in Bethlehem for dinner after this very special day.

Following breakfast this morning, our bus will take us to The Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of beautiful Jerusalem. We visit The Church of Pater Noster where Christians recall Jesus’ teaching of The Lord’s Prayer to His disciples. It is here where The Ascension of Our Lord is commemorated. We will walk The Palm Friday Way and stop at Dominus Flevit, the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. At the foot of The Mount of Olives, we will see The Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and The Church of All Nations (also known as The Basilica of Agony). These sites are located above the rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night prior to His crucifixion. Holy Mass is celebrated here. Following mass, we visit The Wailing Wall (The Western Wall) with views of The Al-Aksa Mosque and The Dome of the Rock. We then see the site known as David’s Memorial and visit The Caenaculum (The Cenacle, The Upper Room), the place of The Last Supper and of The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We walk The Kidron Valley later this afternoon, where we see the Pool of Siloam where Jesus told the blind man to wash his eyes and for his sight to be restored. Our evening ends by visiting The Church of St Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Jesus three times. It was built over the Palace of Caiaphas, The High Priest. We return to the hotel for a beautiful dinner after this full day!

We depart VERY early this day (perhaps with a packed breakfast) to The Via Delorosa, (The True Way of the Cross) where we walk and pray The Stations of The Cross. This road will lead us to The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was crucified. This is also the site of His burial and Resurrection. An unforgettable Holy Mass will be celebrated here, pending confirmation. We will then see the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralytic from his 38-year affliction. From here we enter St Ann’s Church to visit and pray at the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. We end this most memorable day by traveling back to the hotel to pack and prepare ourselves for a Farewell Dinner in a Bedouin Cultural Restaurant!