Christian/ Nature Tour of Israel
’Perhaps I can tell you something of what I’ve seen in these years of wandering;
but I shall never be able to tell you the grandeur of these mountains’
John C. Van Dyke. The Desert 1901
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Masada, Dead Sea- 2 days tour
This Holy land tour can be started from the Sinai, Jordan, Eilat.
Day one – Departing Egypt at the Taba order we enter Israel and begin our tour of Israel’s most renowned sights. We drive towards Jerusalem via the Great Rift Valley, stopping en route at the lowest point on earth, The Dead Sea. We enjoy here a short break, have a dip in the healing waters and enjoy the dramatic views of the mountains of Jordan. We continue on our tour to the Holy City and make our first stop on the famous Mount of Olives. Here we visit the Church of all Nations, the Garden of Gethsemane, the church of Mary Magdalene and the Tomb of Maria. We enter the old city at the Lion’s gate and begin our tour of all four quarters of ancient Jerusalem, starting in the Christian quarter. We walk the Via Dolorosa (way of the Cross) from the first station at the Church of the Flagellation where Jesus was whipped and given his cross, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the Hill of Calvary and final five Stations of the Cross are found. We visit here the crucifixion site on Calvary, the tomb of Christ and the Unction stone where his body was prepared for burial. From here we take a break for lunch near the Arab market in the Moslem quarter and then make our way the the Jewish quarter and the Western Wall (Wailing Wall), we see the nearby Temple Mount and it’s renowned golden ‘Dome of the Rock’ before continuing our tour through the Armenian quarter onto Mount Zion and the Last Supper Room. It was on Mount Zion that Jesus was held by the Romans and where Peter denied Jesus three times. From here we depart Jerusalem in the direction of the Galilee and spend the night near the Christ’s home town of Nazareth.
Day Two – Following breakfast we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Church of Gabriel before we head for the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum where Jesus’ stayed and taught during his years of preaching. We tour the remains of Capernaum, the village where he spent much of his preaching years; we see here the ancient synagogue and the remains of Saint Peter’s house where it is believed Jesus’ frequently visited. We continue our tour and visit the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Twelve Apostles on the shores of the Galilee. We visit the Church of the Bread and Fish in Tabgha and see the ancient mosaic dedicated to the miracle performed here and we take a break to enjoy a traditional bread and fish lunch in a restaurant on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. From here we head south to the Baptismal site on the banks of the Jordan River and after a short visit we begin our return journey south and complete our Holy Land tour as we pass the Negev desert and Dead Sea and cross back into Egypt at Taba. This tour itinerary is a general outline and is subject to changes depending on the tour time schedule and unforeseen delays and/or conditions.
Incl. jeep/ car and a guide.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
2-Days Christian Galilee Tour
Day 1:
We start the day in Caana, where Jesus turned water into wine. He we are introduced to Israel of 2,000 years ago, its inhabitants and its rulers. We continue onto Nazareth we take a tour of the town before visiting the famous Basilica of the Annunciation, the Greek-Orthodox St. Raphael Church and Mary’s Well. We Continue to Mount Tabor which is where Jesus revealed his glory to his closest disciples and walk the scenic route to the summit where the ancient Church of the Transfiguration is situated. After descending the mountain, we travel to Tiberias, where we spend the night.
Day 2:
Today we visit the sites of Jesus preaching in the Sea of Galilee area including: Capernaum the site of Peters House and the most ancient Jewish Synagogue in the area. The Mount of the Beatitudes, where the “Sermon on the Mount” was given. The beautifully restored church at Tabgha traditionally believed to be the site of the Bread and Fish miracle. We may also take a step back in time and experience how it is to sail on the Sea of Galilee (lake Kineret) in a small wooden fishing boat. In the afternoon we make a short drive to Jesus’ Baptism Site on the banks of the Jordan River.
Mt. Tabor
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