Holy Land Classic | Nov. 5, 2024
Join us on a Holy Land Classic Journey starting at $3898 from New York or $4196 from Nashville, TN, on November 5, 2024. You will see Galilee, Cana, Nazareth, Tel Megiddo, Caesarea, Bet Shean, Jericho, Qumran, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more!
What's Included
- All Inclusive Pricing
- First Class Hotels
- Breakfast and Dinner Daily
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- Entrance and Program Fees
- Live Audio Headsets
- Guided Tours
- International Airfare from NY
- Overseas Airport Transfers
- Domestic Airfare
- Administrative Fee
- Hotel Gratuities
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 November 5 - USA TO THE HOLY LAND
Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.
Day 2 November 6 - Welcome to the Holy Land
You will be welcomed at the Tel Aviv airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel to enjoy dinner before retiring for the night
Day 3 November 7 - THE GALILEE
Worship as you sail across the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matthew 4:13, 23). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Explore the Church of the Loaves and Fish at Tabgha, the traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:10-17). See the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion three times to the risen Christ (John 21). In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene, visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue. Recall Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River.
Day 4 November 8 - CANA, NAZARETH, TEL MEGIDDO & CAESAREA
Visit the Franciscan Wedding Chapel in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, before continuing on to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23). Look out over Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) to view one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. Today’s last stop is Caesarea, a center of the early Christians, where an angel visited Cornelius, the first Gentile believer (Acts 10), and where Paul was imprisoned for two years before appealing to Caesar.
Day 5 November 9 - BEIT SHEAN, JERICHO, & QUMRAN
Start the day in Beit Shean, a city continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. The uncovered ruins date back to the Greek/Roman city that was part of the Decapolis of Jesus’ day. See colonnaded streets with marble sidewalks, Roman public baths, and a theater. As you stop in Jericho to view the ruins of the city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1, 2, 20), in the distance, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.
Day 6 November 10 - BETHLEHEM & JERUSALEM
In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace and see the Church of the Nativity constructed over the site (Matthew 1:18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field before returning to Jerusalem. Explore the poignant exhibits of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial.
Day 7 November 11 - JERUSALEM & THE CITY OF DAVID
Begin your day with a group picture taken from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). Walk the Palm Sunday Road and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and envision the scenes of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 26:36 - 44). Continue to Mount Zion to visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was questioned the night of His betrayal (Matthew 26:57). Meditate on the events of the Last Supper as you visit the traditional location of the Upper Room (Mark 14:12-26). After lunch, wander through the excavations of the City of David. Explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat that was dug from both ends and met in the middle (Those who are claustrophobic may want to meet the group at the other end of the tunnel)! Visit the Pool of Siloam, recently uncovered at the foot of the city.
Day 8 November 12 - LEISURE DAY (MASADA/DEAD SEA OPTION)
Today, you have free time to explore on your own or you may choose to visit Masada and the Dead Sea (additional charge). Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress, which became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans. You can still look down on the remains of the Roman camps and the siege ramp below. End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea.
Day 9 November 13 - JERUSALEM & THE OLD CITY
Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5:1-18). Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and experience its rich acoustics. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress, where Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1), and follow in Christ’s steps on the Via Dolorosa (“the Way of the Cross”). At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, take time to reflect on His sacrificial love. Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion.
Day 10 November 14 - RETURN TO THE USA OR ENJOY AN EXTENSION
RETURN TO THE USA OR ENJOY AN EXTENSION.
Enhance Your Journey
Cairo & the Route of the Exodus
November 14 – Jerusalem to Egypt
Travel in the footsteps of the Holy Family as you travel along the
ancient caravan route from Jerusalem to the Sinai desert. Cross the
border and check into your hotel for dinner and rest.
November 15 – Saint Catherine’s Monastery
This morning, you can opt to climb Mount Sinai (conditions permitting),
where tradition says that Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Everyone will experience a visit to fortified St. Catherine’s Monastery,
built in the 6th century and one of the oldest working monasteries
in the world with the world’s oldest continually operating library.
Both the Codex Sinaiticus and Syriac Sinaiticus, important early
Biblical manuscripts, were discovered here. Even Muhammed found
refuge here, and the site is sacred to all three monotheistic religions.
Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush, which tradition
places inside the monastery. Continue to Sharm el Sheikh for dinner
and overnight at your hotel located on the shores of the Red Sea.
November 16 – Route of the Exodus
Trace the route of the Exodus along the eastern Sinai coast to Wadi
Feiran, where the Children of Israel withstood the Amalekites. Travel
to Elim, where the Children of Israel camped by the oasis of 70 palm
trees. Your final stop of the day will be Marah by the Red Sea, where the
“waters were bitter.” Continue to Cairo for dinner and a two-night stay.
November 17 – Memphis, Saqqara, the Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
Tour the rural region of traditional Egyptian farming. Travel as Abraham
did to Memphis (Biblical Noph) and on to Saqqara, where you will see
the Step Pyramid, the world’s oldest stone structure. See the Great
Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
November 18 - Cairo
This morning, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view the
unique collection of Pharaonic art and the renowned treasures of
King Tutankhamun. Tour the Old City and see the Citadel of Saladin,
built in 1183 AD, and view the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
In Old Cairo, visit the Abu Serga Church built over the traditional site
of the house where the Holy Family lived during their stay in Egypt.
Prepare for your return flight home.
November 19 - Return to the USA
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
Taxes, tips & fees for extensions are charged separately.
Wonders of Petra & the Dead Sea
November 14 – Jerash
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on
your way to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities
in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along
colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots.
Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be
heard in the top row. Continue to your hotel for dinner and
overnight.
November 15 – Petra
Begin your journey south towards Petra today. Explore the city of
Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known
as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or
on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a
city that was cut into the cliffsides of rose-colored rock. Travel
to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.
November 16 – Madaba & Mount Nebo
Travel to Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint
George with its sixth-century, Byzantine, mosaic map showing
Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where
Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a
clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and
the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
November 17 – Free Morning at the Dead Sea
Enjoy a free morning at your hotel. Cross the border back into
Israel and enjoy dinner in Jerusalem. Afterward, you will travel
to the airport in Tel Aviv to begin your journey home.
November 18 – Return to the USA
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
Taxes, tips & fees for extensions are charged separately.
Nile Cruise
November 14 – Jerusalem to Mount Sinai
Travel in the footsteps of the Holy Family as you travel along the
ancient caravan route from Jerusalem to the Sinai desert. Cross the
border and check into your hotel for dinner and rest.
November 15 – Saint Catherine’s Monastery
This morning, you can opt to climb Mount Sinai (conditions permitting),
where tradition says that Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Everyone will experience a visit to fortified St. Catherine’s Monastery,
built in the 6th century, and one of the oldest working monasteries
in the world with the world’s oldest continually operating library.
Both the Codex Sinaiticus and Syriac Sinaiticus, important early
Biblical manuscripts, were discovered here. Even Muhammed found
refuge here, and the site is sacred to all three monotheistic religions.
Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush, which tradition
places inside the monastery. Continue to Sharm el Sheikh for dinner
and overnight at your hotel located on the shores of the Red Sea.
November 16 – Luxor & Karnak
This morning, fly from Sharm el Sheikh to Luxor (ancient Thebes),
which served as the Egyptian capital during the New Kingdom and the
time of Moses. Visit the magnificent Temple of Luxor with its avenue of sphinx statues and mighty monumental columns. Continue to the
Karnak Temple, which took over 2,000 years to build and is the largest
religious building ever constructed. See the famed Hypostyle Hall,
the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose III, the temple of
Amon, the Granite Scarabeus and the Sacred Lake. Board your Nile
cruise ship and enjoy dinner.
November 17 – Valleys of the Kings & Queens & Esna
This morning, enjoy the sunrise over the Nile River before your visit to
the Valley of the Kings. Tombs were constructed here for the kings and
powerful nobles of Egypt for nearly 500 years. The valley stands on
the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within
the heart of the Theban Necropolis. See the Colossi of Memnon,
made of sandstone brought from Gebel El Silsila. Each colossus,
including the pedestal and the crown, is about 21 meters tall and
represents King Amenhotep III. See the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut,
one of only a handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign
was the longest of all the female pharaohs. Sail to Esna, enjoying
afternoon tea before visiting the Temple of Khnum. Dinner & overnight
on board.
November 18 – Edfu & Kom Ombo
Visit the Edfu Temple on the west bank of the Nile. Dating to the
Ptolemaic period, the temple was dedicated to the worship of the
god Horus, represented as a falcon. It is one of the most beautiful
Egyptian temples, distinguished by its huge splendid structure
blending Pharaonic and Greek architecture. Enjoy lunch on board
as you sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Kom Ombo Temple. Built on a
hillside, this temple was constructed in the Ptolemaic Roman era for
the worship of the gods Haroeris and Sobek. It is noted for the relief
engravings on its walls, which show ancient surgical tools, bone saws
and dentistry tools. Nearby, view the three mummified crocodiles in
Hathor’s chapel.
November 19 – Aswan
Set sail on a smaller boat across the Nile to visit the temples at Philae,
including the Temple of Isis, one of the greatest temples in Egypt
occupying a quarter of the island. Next, visit the High Dam, one of
the most outstanding architectural achievements of the twentieth
century. It was constructed to replace the old Aswan dam built in
1902. The 3600-meter-long dam was constructed to protect Egypt
from the floods as well as provide irrigation and electricity to its
citizens. View the Unfinished Obelisk made of red granite brought
from the quarries of Aswan. After exploring Aswan, fly to Cairo to
check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.
November 20 - Cairo
This morning, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view the
unique collection of Pharaonic art and the renowned treasures of
King Tutankhamun. Afterward, visit the Pyramids of Giza, constructed
over 1,000 years before the birth of Moses. See the Great Sphinx and
have the opportunity to ride a camel in the desert near the Pyramids.
Tour the Old City and see the Citadel of Saladin, built in 1183 AD, and
view the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali. In Old Cairo, visit the
Abu Serga Church built over the traditional site of the house where
the Holy Family lived during their stay in Egypt. Prepare for your
return flight home.
November 21 - Return to the USA
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
Taxes, tips & fees for extensions are charged separately.
Departure Dates
-
Tuesday, November 5, 2024From $3898