Trip Itinerary

Well folks, here is the Itinerary for my Holy Land trip - I'm going to be busy!

DAYS ONE & TWO : June 2 & 3…TRAVEL

·         Sunday 11:25pm. Depart Dulles International Airport on Turkish Airlines > Istanbul International Airport at 4:40pm > to Turkish Airlines at 6:10pm > Overnight flight to  Ben Gurion Int’l Airport, arrive Monday 8:15pm.

 

·         Transfer to City Hotel Tel Aviv, centrally located in the heart of the city's tourism district and a short walk from the city's most popular leisure spot, the Mediterranean beaches

·         Orientation and Welcome Dinner

 

DAY THREE:  June 4… FOUNDATIONS OF A CITY AND A STATE

·         Understanding Fulfilment: Visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's historical proclamation of the State of Israel.

·         Visit Jaffa, the ancient port where Jonah ran from God.

·         Visit the Ayalon Institute, near Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate.

·         Take part in an active Dig at the Beit Guvrin Caves to uncover pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, and then a crawl through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth.

·         Travel through the Valley of Elah, the location traditionally associated with the biblical battle between David and Goliath.

 

DAY FOUR: June 5 … THE STILL SMALL VOICE

·         Depart north along the Mediterranean Coast for Caesarea

·         Dive in to the book of Acts as you visit Caesarea, a city built by Herod the Great, and the Capital of the Roman history of Judea.

·         Witness the Faithfulness of God in Modern Israel: Visit Given Imaging, a successful company developing micro-medical testing and imaging devices, which directly affect and improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases all over the world.

·         Visit Megiddo to see the layers of archaeological ruins at this important site. From here, view the Jezreel Valley, known by many as the Valley of Armageddon.         Or

·         Visit the Church of the Annunciation of Christ and Mary's Well in Nazareth.

·         Check into The Ramot Resort Hotel on the Sea Of Galilee

 

DAY FIVE: June 6 … FULFILLING HIS PROMISE

·         Visit the church at the Mount of Beatitudes, site associated with Jesus' ‘Sermon on the Mount' and view the Sea of Galilee from the foothills of the Upper Galilee.

·         Venture along the Banias River, also known as Caesarea Philipi, and experience the wonder of God in nature, where Jesus asked his disciple: “Who do men say that I am?”

·         Overlook Israel's border with Syria atop Mount Bental, and understand the strategic importance of this region.

·         Meet with local Israelis who are working in the Golan today who will guide you while you try your hand (or feet) in a wine press or olive press. Feel the land, touch the herbs and find yourself transported back to the world in which Jesus lived.

 

DAY SIX: June 7… JOURNEY TOWARDS JERUSALEM

·         A visit to the Jesus Boat a 2,000 year old fishing boat similar to those used by the Disciples.

·         Enjoy a Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee.

·         Visit the biblical sites of Capernaum (Matt. 4:13) & then Tabgha and the site of the Restoration of Peter (John 21).

·         Drive along the Sea of Galilee to a Baptismal Site on the Jordan River.

·         Drive via the Jordan Valley, and view Jericho, the city that was conquered by Joshua as the Israelites were led into the Land of Israel.

·         Drive east across the untouched biblical landscape of the Judean Desert and ascend to Jerusalem through the wilderness where Jesus wandered and was tempted by the devil.

·         Overlook Jerusalem from atop the Mount of Olives, traditional site of Jesus' ascension to heaven, for a view of the glorious Old and New Cities of Jerusalem.

·         Check in The Prima Royale Hotel - centrally located in Jerusalem's Talbieh district and within walking distance to all the tourist attractions of the ancient and modern city.

·         Special experience - a traditional Shabbat dinner with a family in Jerusalem, beginning with a visit to the Western Wall.

 

DAY SEVEN: June 8… DEAD SEA BASIN

·         Head to the Dead Sea basin.   Ascend Masada by cable car to visit Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Explore the many archaeological remains from the Roman and Byzantine Eras.

·         Visit Ein Gedi and take a short hike to the pools and waterfalls familiar to the story of David hiding from King Saul. From here, also discuss the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of Qumran.

·         Experience the weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its waters.

 

DAY EIGHT: June 9… ON HIS PATH

·         Church service, possibly at St Georges

·         Enter the Old Jerusalem through St. Stephen's gate, visit the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus told the lame man to “take up his mat and walk.”    Visit Ecce Homo/Antonia Fortress, where it is believed the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate took place. Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Via Delarosa.

·         One Mountain, Three Religions: Mt. Zion and the Religious Challenge: Visit the traditional burial site of King David, a 1948-1967 Temple Mount overlook, the Dormition Abbey, a mosque and the Room of the Last Supper.

 

DAY NINE: June 10 … THE LAYERS OF JERUSALEM

·         Visit the Temple Mount, site of the First and Second Temples and today, the location of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque, making it Islam's third holiest site in the world.

·         Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old Jerusalem,  guided visits to some sites excavated over the past 30 years, including:  The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade.   The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter. The Jerusalem Archaeological Park, the Davidson Center,  and the Southern Wall Excavations.

·         Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity,   Visit a local Arab Christian community in Bethlehem.

 

DAY TEN: June 11 … MEMORY, RENEWAL AND RETURN

·         View Chagall stained-glass windows depicting the 12 tribes of Israel, at Hadassah Hospital, Ein Karem.  Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, with concluding Memorial Service

·         Farewell Dinner

 

DAY ELEVEN: Wednesday, June 12…RETURN HOME

·         Arrive Dulles 6pm.   Return to Norfolk – home ~ midnight.