Bible Land Christian Israel Tour

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

Welcome to the Land of Israel! On arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, our airport representative will meet and assist you and transfer you to your hotel in Tel Aviv — Israel’s largest and most modern city, next to ancient Jaffa. Check in for dinner and an overnight rest from your flight. Your hotel is conveniently near the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the lively city center, with shopping, family attractions, and the popular seaside promenade with restaurants and coffee shops. Time permitting, visit the artistic neighborhood of Neve Tzedek.

Overnight Tel Aviv — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Depart Tel Aviv and drive 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, with spectacular views of the Jezreel Valley and the Lower Galilee.

Continue to Megiddo (1 Kings 4:28, 9:15; 2 Kings 23:29; Revelation 16:16), a UNESCO World Heritage site and the location of the final battle of Armageddon; learn the history of this battlefield and visit the excavations, including the well-preserved water supply system. The final stop is Acre (Micah 1:10), a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Crusader capital. Walk the Old City, visit the local market and historic harbor, and explore the underground Crusader City and crypt.

Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse in 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. 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 (Matthew 14; Mark 6:30-44; John 21), the site of the Miracle of the Fish and Loaves, and 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, the 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 in 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, to visit the Church of the Annunciation, the basilica marking the site where the Angel Gabriel announced the Virgin Mary’s divine pregnancy, as well as St. Joseph’s Workshop and Mary’s Well.

Continue down 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 where Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the heavens. Begin on the Mount of Olives with a panoramic view of the city, 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 and walk the Roman Cardo and the Jewish and Christian quarters. Highlights include the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus walked carrying His cross, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Matthew 27:33-57, 28:10), the revered site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Stroll through the colorful Arab bazaar, and continue to the Garden Tomb.

Overnight Jerusalem — including buffet breakfast and dinner.

Head out to the Ein Karem neighborhood, the birthplace of John the Baptist (Luke 1:39-80). Visit the Church of the Visitation, where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth while pregnant with Jesus, and the Church of St. John the Baptist, marking 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 built 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 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.

After breakfast, check out by 12 noon and store your luggage at the hotel to enjoy a free day in Jerusalem. Revisit the holy sites and colorful bazaars, visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, the Davidson Center at the Western Wall, Ben Yehuda Street, and the Mahaneh Yehuda market, or explore the Israel Museum on your own.

Transfer from the lobby of your hotel to Ben Gurion International Airport for your departure flight, according to your flight schedule.

If your flight departs in the morning you will arrive back in America the same day. If your flight departs at night you will arrive the following day. Start planning your next memorable trip to the Holy Land with Israel Tourism Consultants.