Christian nature Private tour in Israel This way we can offer a great flexibility and build our itinerary completely around your ideas, interests and schedule.
The modular tour program below gives you the opportunity to see the major Christian sites and at the same time to experience the best of Israel’s nature sites, to go hiking, jeep touring and to see less or little known springs, rivers, wadis and much more.

The Sea of the Galilee (where Jesus spent most of his ministry) and Jerusalem are sure a must for Christian visitors. Here are some suggestions how these can be corporate into a unique tour experience with the best of Israel’s site in nature. Our suggestions will depend on the season you travel and when we continue planning we can plan what sites will be ideal for your travel time:

Day 1: sites between Tel Aviv and the north of Israel, the Galilee: Caesarea, Haifa and Akko – Night: in holiday apartment in Upper Galilee (recommended) or on the Sea of the Galilee
From Tel Aviv, we start driving to Caesarea Maritima, the magnificent port city built by King Herod the Great. It was here that Cornelius, the Roman centurion, was converted and where Paul was imprisoned and then sent to Rome. In Caesarea’s Roman theater an inscription of the Pontius Pilate is found. We continue our drive along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the modern port-city Haifa. On Mt. Carmel we can connect to Elijah the prophet and this is where we find the Christian Carmelite monastery. Down the hill “Elijah’s Cave” is located. If entrance hours allow, we can visit the impressive Bahai Gardens and we can get an overview at any time of the day. Driving on to the oriental city of Akko (Acre), where the Christian Crusaders built their most important port. We visit the Templers “Knights Halls” under the oriental market with its colors and scents of the East. In the end of the evening we reach Amirim, a village located beautifully in the Upper Galilee.

Guests who are interested in Christianity as the major focus of the tour can decide to see Nazareth on the way to the Upper Galilee. Jesus spend his childhood and youth in Nazareth and the place of the annunciation of the birth of the messiah to Mary.

For hiking and nature lovers: we can take you on an hike to the beautiful Wadi Cziv and the breathtaking and beautifully located Montfort Crusader Castle – for details: please check additional email with tour add-ons.

Day 2: Christian sites on the Sea of the Galilee until midday: Mount of the Beatitudes, Tabgha, Capernaum. Options for the afternoon: hiking in the Golan Heights combined with the overview from Mt. Bental – Night in holiday apartment in Upper Galilee (recommended) or on the Sea of the Galilee

Today we visit the places Jesus dwelt in around the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum, where he spent much of his time and home of several disciples. We visit Peters House and the famous Synagogue. We ascend the Mt. of the Beatitudes, where the “Sermon on the Mount” was given. Onto the reconstructed church at Tabgha, where tradition places the miracle of the Bread and Fish.

Options for the afternoon:
– The Golan Heights offer some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Israel. We can offer a variety of hiking trails, depending on the season, your wishes and skills. See on our tour add-ons:
Nahal Snir
Gamla Waterfalls
Nahal/ Wadi Meshoshim and Hexagon Pools
Zaki and Majrase Trail
– From October to April you can take a sunset tour into The Hula Nature Reserve: A paradise for birds

Day 3: we can choose between taking either of these 2 routes that take us in the end of the day to Jerusalem. It is also possible to combine certain sites of each route. – Night in Jerusalem
– Sites in the Jordan River Valley and the Judea Desert (you can chose a few sites of the following): Baptismal site “Yardenit”, Beit Shean or Scythopolis, Ein HaNatziv Spring, Deir Hajle, Wadi Qelt and view over St. George Monastery

We drive along the Sea of the Galilee and enjoy again its beauty. At the southern end, on the Jordan River, we visit the Yardenit, the Baptismal site on the Jordan River. Continue the ride in the Jordan River Valley to Beit Shean where we find the remains of Scythopolis, a huge and well preserved and restored Roman Byzantine town. After the visit of the impressive remains we return to our vehicle and have a very short ride to the Ein HaNatziv Spring where we can refresh ourselves.
After the ride through the Jordan River Valley we stop at the Monastery of St. Gerasimus (Deir Hajle). Fascinating Greek Orthodox Monastery near Jericho. It’s location in the Judean desert and the quiet courtyard are a unique experience. According to Christian tradition, the monastery was built where Mary, Joseph and Jesus had halted, while fleeing from Herod after the birth of Christ. This is the area where John the Baptist was active and most likely also where Jesus was baptized.
Then we head for the upper parts of the Ein Prat or the Wadi Qelt Nature Reserve Nature Reserve. We enjoy a walk in this Wadi that carves its way as a green stream through the rouged mountainous terrain of the Judean Desert. Wadi Qelt, or Nahal Prat was identified with the biblical “Perath: mentioned in Jeremiah 13:5. We get to see the St George Monastery from above. Back at our vehicle, it is only a short ride to Jerusalem.

– Nazareth, Kfar Cana (the miracle turning water into wine), Mt. Tabor, Jerusalem

We start the day in Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water to wine at a wedding, and continue to Nazareth. This is where Jesus grew up and spent his youth. Here we visit the Christian sites of the Basilica of the Annunciation, (and if time allows) other places that connect to Jesus’ youth and childhood. We continue to Mt. Tabor with its scenic Church of the Transfiguration. We connect to the biblical story and enjoy the amazing views over the biblical lands. After descending the mountain, we travel to Jerusalem. From the Mt. of Olives we get a first introduction into Jerusalem and its fascinating stories and events.
If you want to see one or more of the above places and want to combine this with a hiking or nature experience, just let us know and we can make suggestions.

Day 4: If you have two days in Jerusalem (strongly recommended!) then we will take you on a tour that follows the chronological development of the incredible a history of this city and get a great understanding of the history and religions of Jerusalem.

First Day in Jerusalem: the beginnings of biblical Jerusalem, centered on the history of the Old Testament and : we visit the City of David, the Wailing Wall and the Jewish Quarter, Mehane Yehuda Market/ the Shuq. – Night in Jerusalem

The City of David is an amazing site that bring us back some 4000 years in history and gives us insights into different moments of time, such as the defense against the Assyrian invasion in the eighth century B.C.E. or the Great Revolt in the year 70 C.E. It is possible to see only some archeological relicts that will bring the past alive and it is possible to see more of the site, including the 800 m long tunnel built 2800 years ago which is filled with water and an incredible building project that kids and adults today really enjoy. This is one of the most fascinating archeological sites you will ever visit. Excavations are ongoing and you can walk on recently excavated paths underground to the area in front of the Wailing Wall, where the walk up to the Temple Mount starts.
The Jewish Quarter is one of the 4 quarters in the Old City. Here we can visit Synagogues, some old and some rebuild according to the historic ones. We will go underground to see for example the Roman Cardo and other parts that are a window into previous chapters of Jerusalem’s history.
If time allows (this depends also on your preferences) we can visit for example the Mehane Yehuda Market or the Shuk (market in Hebrew) which is worth the visit – just to get lost in the bustle of people, to taste the best vegetables and fruits ever or enjoy the local foods sold here, where you can find trendy small gourmet restaurants next to street food stands that offer Falafel, Shawarma and much more.

Day 5: Christianity, and also Judaism and Islam in Jerusalem: Mt. of Olives, Via Dolorosa, Church or Holy Sepulcher, Temple Mount, Mt. Zion – night in Jerusalem
We start with an introduction to the city from the summit of The Mount of Olives, then we walk down through the famous cemetery to the Garden of Gethsemane. If open, we visit the Temple of the Rock, with its amazing buildings (closed on Fridays and Saturdays). We continue through the Muslim Quarter on the footsteps of Jesus along the Stations of the cross – the Via Dolorosa, till the Church of the Holy Sepulcure, inside are the final five stations. Within this massive church is the Hill of Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. The Via Dolorosa also passes by the Old City’s oriental “Suq” (Bazaar). We continue to the “Western Wall” or the “Wailing Wall”, the last remnants of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The Western Wall is the most sacred site for Jews in Israel and the world. Nearby, on the Temple Mount we find Jerusalem’s famous golden dome – The Dome of the Rock. Towards the end of the day we visit King David’s Tomb and the “Room of the Last Supper” on Mount Zion if time allows.

In the morning we can start with a visit of Bethlehem and/ or the Temple Mount:
Bethlehem in the morning: Bethlehem is the birthplace of Christ and where we find the Church of Nativity. Israeli guides can’t always guide here and therefore a local guide will accompany you here (extra payment – please inquire about the details).
The Temple Mount is important for the three large monotheistic believers and on it we find two fascinating buildings – the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Already for several years we can visit only the mount and not enter the buildings, but the visit of the mount is still fascinating and also offers great views over the Mount of Olives.

Day 6: Sites along the Dead Sea: Qumran, the Dead Sea and Masada – night in Eilat or Aqaba for those who continue to Jordan

We being early from the center of Israel (Tel Aviv or Jerusalem) and make our way to the Dead sea and the famous Ein Gedi oasis. Here we enjoy a hike to the largest waterfall in the nature reserve and visit its best known sites. From here we drive to the world famous fortress of King Herod – Masada. Masada is spectacularly positioned on the top of the dramatic cliffs on the edge of the Dead Sea. We ascend the mountain by cable care on a 15 minute ride to the summit. ‘The Snake Path’ is available for people who wish to make the hike up. We explore this remarkable site, taking in its incredible history and spectacular views. After touring Masada we head down to the lowest place on earth, the shores of the Dead Sea. We a take dip in the unique water and can on certain places also try the famous dead sea mud. We then drive through the Arava desert. For those continuing to Jordan: We reach the border crossing just north out of Eilat and then cross to a hotel in Aqaba, Jordan and spend the night there in a 3* hotel that we reach in time for dinner (additional hotel options below available for supplement).

Other options for this day:
Jerusalem to Eilat via the Dead Sea with Masada and Timna Valley – the oldest copper mines in the world, located in the southern Negev near Eilat
Jerusalem to Eilat via the Dead Sea and one of the craters of the Negev (Ramon or Small Crater), option to combine with off-road 4×4 adventure in the desert (supplement)