Departure on your way to Israel, the Land of the Bible.

Welcome to Israel! On arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, you will be met and assisted by our airport representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv — Israel’s largest and most modern city, a short distance from ancient Jaffa. Check in for dinner and overnight. Your hotel is conveniently near the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the Tel Aviv city center, with shopping, attractions, and the famous seaside promenade with restaurants and coffee shops. Time permitting, visit the artistic neighborhood of Neve Tzedek.

Overnight Tel Aviv — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Following a delicious Israeli buffet breakfast (which you will enjoy each morning before your day of touring), depart Tel Aviv and drive north along the coastal plain to Caesarea (Acts 9:30; Acts 10:24-48), the old Roman regional capital where the Apostle Paul was imprisoned before his journey to Rome. Explore the Roman theater and aqueduct. Next visit Muhraka (1 Kings 18:16-45), where the Prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel.

Continue to Megiddo (1 Kings 4:28, 9:15; 2 Kings 23:29; Revelation 16:16), an ancient city recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site and believed to be the location of the final battle of Armageddon. The final stop is Acre (Micah 1:10), a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Crusader capital. Walk through the Old City, visit the local market and the historic harbor, and explore the underground Crusader City and crypt.

Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse near the Sea of Galilee — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Drive through the coastal town of Tiberias to visit Magdala, birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus performed many of His miracles, including walking on water. Next visit the Yigal Alon Center, where the “Jesus boat,” an ancient fishing boat from the 1st century, is displayed.

Continue to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13, 13:54, 17:24; Luke 7; Mark 1:2; John 4:46-54), the town of Jesus and home of St. Peter, to see the ruins of the ancient synagogue and the octagonal Church of St. Peter. Stop at Tabgha, the site of the Miracle of the Fish and Loaves, and visit the Church of the Multiplication with its 4th-century mosaic floor. Proceed to the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5-8), where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Finally, visit Yardenit, a baptismal site on the Jordan River where pilgrims from around the world are baptized following the tradition of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.

Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse near the Sea of Galilee — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Drive to Cana (John 2:1-11) to visit the Wedding Church, where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. Continue to Nazareth (Luke 1:26, 4:16-29; Matthew 2:23), the hometown of Jesus, and visit the Church of the Annunciation, the basilica marking the site where the Angel Gabriel announced the Virgin Mary’s divine pregnancy. Explore Joseph’s Workshop, where Saint Joseph practiced carpentry, and Mary’s Well.

Drive along the Jordan Valley to Beit She’an, one of the ancient Decapolis cities (Mark 5:20, 7:31) and an important Roman-era city with well-preserved ruins, including a theater, bathhouse, and colonnaded streets. Pass Jericho, then climb west to the Golden City of Jerusalem.

Overnight Jerusalem — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Today we explore Jerusalem, the city of peace where Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the heavens. Begin on the Mount of Olives with a panoramic view of Jerusalem, marking the place where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1). At the bottom of the mountain visit the Church of All Nations, where Jesus prayed before His arrest. Next visit Mount Zion, with King David’s Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper (Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10-38; Acts 2).

Enter the Old City to explore the ancient Roman Cardo and the Jewish and Christian quarters. Highlights include the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Matthew 27:33-57, 28:10), the revered site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Walk through the colorful Arab bazaar and continue to the Garden Tomb to reflect and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Overnight Jerusalem — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Head out to the Ein Karem neighborhood, the birthplace of John the Baptist (Luke 1:39-80), and visit the Church of the Visitation, where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth while pregnant with Jesus. Also visit the Church of Saint John the Baptist, which marks the site where John was born.

Continue to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed, and the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.

Proceed to Bethlehem*, birthplace of Jesus (Matthew 2:1-5; Luke 2:1-7). View Shepherds’ Field, where angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds, then stroll through Manger Square to the remarkable Church of the Nativity, dating back to the 4th century and standing over the site of Jesus’ birth.

Overnight Jerusalem — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Drive through the Judean Desert to the extraordinary Dead Sea, the earth’s lowest point, about 1,300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumran, where the famed Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, an archaeological site believed to have once housed John the Baptist. Drive along the shore of the Dead Sea to Masada, the last refuge of the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod the Great, including the food storerooms, water system, and Herod’s Palace.

Descend by cable car and continue to the Dead Sea, where you can float in the unsinkable water and cover yourself with mineral-rich mud believed to have therapeutic effects.

Overnight Jerusalem — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Leave Jerusalem and enjoy a captivating southbound journey through the Negev Desert. Make a stop at Timna Park, a vast geological and archaeological park, where you will be enchanted by the breathtaking multi-colored rock formations, fascinating copper mines, and the impressive Solomon’s Pillars. See the Methuselah Tree in Ktura, a palm grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada, symbolizing ancient life revived.

Continue to the vibrant resort city of Eilat, nestled on the northern shores of the Red Sea. Discover the remarkable Underwater Observatory Marine Park, ingeniously built into a coral reef, for an up-close encounter with the marine life of the Gulf of Eilat.

Overnight Eilat — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Enjoy a day at leisure in Eilat. Stroll the city’s streets and beach promenade and enjoy the water sport activities on your own, or take the optional day tour to Petra (with additional charge).

Optional: Day tour to the Rose City of Petra. After crossing the border into Jordan, continue to Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Carved into vibrant sandstone cliffs by the Nabateans over two millennia ago, Petra was once a flourishing desert city and key hub on ancient trade routes, with dramatic landscapes and intricate rock-cut architecture.

Overnight Eilat — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Leave Eilat behind and head to Mitzpe Ramon. Pause to marvel at the geological wonder of the Ramon Crater, while also visiting the remarkable Mitzpe Ramon visitors’ center, which offers unique insights into this extraordinary natural formation. Continue to Sde Boker, where you will see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave, with a breathtaking view overlooking the magnificent Zin Valley.

Drive back to Tel Aviv for your overnight.

Overnight Tel Aviv — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

After breakfast, check out of your room by 12 noon and leave your luggage with the hotel concierge. Pick-up from the hotel lobby to Ben Gurion Airport will be 4 hours before your departure flight.