U.S.A. - Transatlantic Flight - Tel Aviv, Israel

We take a morning flight from our various U.S.A. homes and arrive the next afternoon at the Ben Gurion International Airport. After our planned arrival in Israel, if time allows, we stop at Jaffa before driving to Tel Aviv to stay the night at the Metropolitan Hotel.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For those coming from the PRE TOUR in ROME, today you will have a transfer to the airport for your flight to Tel Aviv to join the group on the 10th.  More details about this tour HERE.

Caesarea - Haifa - Mount Tabor - Sea of Galilee

Our day begins with a stop at King Herod’s Roman port city, Caesarea (the pride of the Mediterranean world), where Paul the Apostle was tried before being sent to Rome. We visit the amazing aqueducts that Herod built to bring water into his city. We continue on to Haifa for a breathtaking view of the city from Mount Carmel at Kaiser’s Watch to recount the important LDS Church historical events which took place in this area and view the beautiful Baha’i temple and gardens. We travel east along the top of Mount Carmel to Muhraka to discuss the interesting life of the prophet Elijah. Next, we visit the village of Devaria, where we take taxis to the top of Mount Tabor, the traditional site of Christ’s transfiguration. We continue on to the Sea of Galilee and check in to the Ein Gev Holiday Village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where we spend two nights.

Capernaum • Mount of Beatitudes/Mt. Arbel • Dan • Banias

This morning begins with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to the Nof Ginosar to see a boat from the time of Jesus. We then drive to the site of ancient Capernaum, Peter’s home and the headquarters for Jesus’ Galilean ministry. We continue on to the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount, for a discussion and personal contemplation of the teachings of Jesus. We pass the ruins of Hazor, an ancient Canaanite citadel conquered by Joshua, then continue north to Tel Dan, the ancient northern limits of Israel (“from Dan to Beersheba”). We next visit Banias, ancient Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mount Hermon to recall the Savior’s discussion on priesthood keys (Matthew 16). Our last stop is at Mount Bental for a view of the area before returning to our guesthouses to enjoy an evening of relaxation at Ein Gev.

Magdala • Nazareth • Beit Shean • Jericho area 

The day begins with a stop at Magdala, where we learn of the women in the Savior’s life at their beautiful shrine. We continue on to Nazareth, where we visit Nazareth Village to step back in time in a wonderful re-creation of first-century life in a small Galilean village. In the afternoon, we drive down to the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean, the most complete Roman ruins in all Israel. This city of the Decapolis brings the opulence of the Greco–Roman world to life. Just east of the Roman and Byzantine ruins lies the Old Testament tel of Beit Shean. Here the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were hung on the wall for all Israel to see. We continue south following the Jordan River to Qasr el Yahud to recall the important events that occurred here at the Jordan River. In Jericho, we visit the Old Testament tel before checking in to the Oasis Hotel for the night.

Dead Sea • Masada • Qumran • Jerusalem

Our morning travels take us south along the Dead Sea which is 1,400 feet below sea level. Our first stop is at the ancient mountaintop fortress built by King Herod —the Masada. We ride the tram up to explore the ruins and, on the return, to meet our bus that takes us to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. After a float in the Dead Sea at Kalia Beach, we drive to the ancient village of Bethany, where we visit a possible tomb of Lazarus and the traditional site of the home where he lived with his sisters, Mary and Martha. We drive to Jerusalem (the city of gold), where we check in to the Leonardo Hotel for the rest of our nights in Israel. 

Jerusalem • Old City • City of David

We visit the Ophel area before we walk up to the Holy Mount, which is located atop Mount Moriah—the place where Abraham took Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice. It was also the site of the temples of Solomon and later Herod; today it is occupied by the magnificent Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, making this city the third most sacred site in all the world of Islam. We will then go to Lion’s Gate, and walk to the Pool of Bethesda area to discuss the events in John 5, before going on to the general area of the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was sentenced to be crucified.  We will continue on the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha.  After a visit to the Western Wall, we visit the Jewish Quarter to see Hezekiah’s Broad Wall and stroll down the Roman Cardo, which was originally built by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Next, we walk through the excavated City of David, including Warren’s Shaft, and into Hezekiah’s Tunnel—the ancient water system carved through the hill in the time of Isaiah. We continue to the Pool of Siloam, the site of one of Jesus' miracles. After we return to the hotel to change into dry clothes and eat dinner, we enjoy a free evening to experience Jerusalem's nightlife and prepare for the crescendo of our travels--the final week of the life of our Lord.

Footsteps of Jesus • Bethlehem • Western or Wailing Wall

This special day begins with a visit to the Upper Room, where a Passover meeting was held with Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, and the sacrament was introduced. We next visit the possible site of the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the Savior was illegally tried after His arrest. We continue to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity (traditional site of the birth of Jesus). We then visit Shepherds’ Field and discuss the wonderful events of His birth. We return to Jerusalem for shopping, if time, before ending the day at the Western Wall to watch religious Jews welcome in the Sabbath. NOTE: Time (2–3 hours) will be available in the afternoon for shopping .

Mount of Olives • BYU Jerusalem Center  • Gethsemane • Golgotha • Garden Tomb

We begin the day with a visit to the Mount of Olives for an orientation to the Old City of Jerusalem before going to the beautiful BYU Jerusalem Center, where we attend sacrament meeting with the Jerusalem Branch. We will have lunch on the Mount of Olives. From there we visit the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden for a review of some LDS Church history in the land. We continue down to a private garden across from the traditional Garden of Gethsemane, where centuries-old olive trees remind us of the sacred account of our Savior’s suffering and arrest.  We will visit the Grotto of Gethsemane where olive presses were and where Jesus and His disciples would have met and rested. We will then go to Golgotha, the place of the Crucifixion, and conclude at the Garden Tomb, where the body of Christ was interred and from which He rose on that Easter Sunday so long ago.

Jerusalem • Yad Vashem • Model City

The day begins with a drive through Mea Shearim (an ultraorthodox community) on our way to Yad Vashem, the sobering Holocaust memorial. We pass the Knesset Building, where the Israeli parliament meets, on our way to the Israel National Museum, which includes the Shrine of the Book (the museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls) and the wonderfully re-created Model City of Jerusalem, which portrays the city as it looked near the time of Jesus. The rest of the day if free to shop or visit other sites. We return to the hotel to complete our packing and to have our last dinner at the hotel.

Tel Aviv • U.S.A.

We bid a very early morning farewell to the Holy Land as we depart for the Ben Gurion International Airport to fly home—taking with us never-to-be-forgotten memories. We arrive home in the afternoon.