Ben Gurion Airport early morning. Welcome service by Immanuel Tours representatives and your guide who will meet the group and assist with arrival procedures. We drive to Tel Aviv for a visit to the Independence Hall museum where we shall see the historic hall in which the State of Israel was declared. We leave Tel Aviv and drive northwards to our hotel in Netanya for the first night of our stay in Israel. Dinner and overnight in Hotel Leonardo Plaza.

We begin our day driving northwards to the ruins of the ancient city of

Caesarea Maritima which was built by King Herod and later became the

seat of government of the Roman governors including Pontius Pilate who

sat in judgement on Jesus Christ and sentenced him to be crucified. Visit

the extensive excavations of the site including the harbour, the Crusader

City, the theatre, the hippodrome and the Roman aquaduct. Proceed to

Meir Panim center and Summercamp in Or Akiva. We will help to distribute

vegetables and fruit to the needing families in the neighborhood.

After a couple of hours of volunteering work, we continue and drive by Mt. Carmel, where the Prophet Elijah challenged the Priests of Baal. (1 Kings 18:17-40) We continue and arrive at Ramot Resort on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee in the late afternoon.

The Sea of Galilee is rich in memories of the three years of Jesus’ ministry

around its shores. We begin this day with a visit to the so-called “Jesus

Boat” a fishing boat of the kind used by the disciples of Jesus. We then take

a boat ride from Ginosar to Capernaum, a town on the northwestern shore

of the Sea, where Jesus dwelt after he left Nazareth and did there many

signs and wonders. There we visit the ancient synagogue and the nearby

House of Peter and drive on around the shores of the Sea of Galilee to visit

the Mt. of Beatitudes. We visit also St. Peter’s Primacy and Tabgha before

we drive on to visit Magdala, birthplace of Mary Magdalena. Last on our

program today is a visit to a traditional baptismal site at Yardenit which is

located on the banks of the River Jordan. We return to our hotel for dinner

and overnight.

First on our program for today is a visit to Beit Saida, “ The house of the

Fisherman”, the location where Jesus healed the blind man (Matt. 12:22).

Next we drive up to the Golan Heights passing by Katzerin “the

town of the Golan” which was established in 1974. We stop at the Banias,

the location of Caesarea Philippi where the Apostle Peter made his great

confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, before continuing to Tel Dan,

which was the north most town in biblical Israel (hence the saying “from

Dan to Beersheba”). Time permitting we shall visit the site of Tel Hazor

before we return to Ramot for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we drive southwards through the Jordan Valley and along the slopes of the Gilboa Mountains, where Saul, the first king of Israel, and his son Jonathan, were killed in a battle with the Philistines about 1010 B.C. and arrive at the Spring of Ein Harod. At the waters of Ein Harod, Gideon collected his people to fight the Midianites, about 1050 B.C. as described in the book of Judges (Judges 7, 7). We continue and drive along the Jordan Valley and we shall make a short stop in Jericho, known as the most ancient city in the world. Here we shall visit a glass shop before we drive on to the Dead Sea. We visit the Mountain fortress of Massada, the site of the last Jewish resistance against the Romans in 73 AD. Ascent and descent by cable car. Here we shall visit the extensive excavations of this famous site including the Palace of Herod the Great, the Roman baths and storerooms, the synagogue and the Roman Ramp. Then we descend the Mount and drive to our hotel at Ein Bokek resort to enjoy the facilities and a bathe in the mineral rich waters of the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Ein Bokek Resort.

We check out from our hotel after breakfast and drive along the shores of

the Dead Sea. Our first stop is at Ein Gedi National Park which was one of

the cities of Judah where David found shelter from Saul the King. The visit

to Ein Gedi includes a walk through the National Park to Ein David and the

Ein Gedi Spring. We drive up through the Judean Hills to Jerusalem. We

shall make a stop at Mt. Scopus where we shall enjoy a magnificent

panoramic view over all of ancient and modern Jerusalem, the center of

After breakfast we shall walk over the Temple Mount passing the

Dome of the Rock where the 2nd Temple stood until it was destroyed in

70AD. We visit the Western (Wailing) Wall which is

the last standing remnant of that great temple and is the most holy shrine

of the Jewish people. We shall walk through the Western Wall Tunnel. Next

walk via Robinson’s Arch to the Garden of Ophel where archaelogical

excavations have revealed many remains of the Herodian period which

include the steps known as the Hulda Steps leading up to the Temple

Court. Afternoon visit the City of David where we shall walk

through Hezekiah’s tunnel. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

We leave Jerusalem and drive past the ruins of Emmaus to the Vally of

Ayalon, known in history as one of the major battlefields of the Near East.

Here Joshua, son of Nun, beat his enemies while the sun, obeying his

bidding stood still (Josh 10,12). We drive past Beit Shemesh, an important

town in Biblical times where during one of the battles between Israel and

the Philistines, the latter captured the Holy Ark, which was later

surrendered after causing havoc among them. We drive on through the

Valley of Elah where David the Shepherd fought Goliath the Philistine.

We continue to Hebron, the City of the Patriarchs and Machpela with the

Tombs of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. (subject to changes depending on

the security situation in the Palestinian Territories). Return to our hotel for

dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we drive to biblical Samaria to visit ancient Shilo* which held a central place in the Biblical history of the Children of Israel for more than 300 years and was the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant until the death of Eli the High Priest. Drive through the Land of Benjamin to the Psagot Winery at Nahalat Benjamin. From here we continue to the Yad Vashem Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The visit will include a visit to “Ohel Yizkor” (Hall of Remembrance) and the impressive Children Memorial Hall. A visit to the Bible Land Museum is also on our program before we return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

* depending on the security situation

This morning, we walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Pools of

Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne, which by tradition is the home of

Joachim and Ann the parents of the Virgin Mary, passing the Ecce Homo

Arch to visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion where we can see the

remains of an ancient pavement which is known as Gabbatha, the place of

judgement. We arrive to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a visit.

We continue to Mt. Zion to visit the Upper Room and the

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu which is built over the remains of the

Palace of Caiaphas the High Priest before whom Jesus was brought for

hearing on that fateful Thursday. In the afternoon we shall visit the Garden

Tomb and Gordon’s Golgotha. Farewell dinner in a restaurant in Jerusalem.

After early breakfast we set off to Ben Gurion Airport for our return flight

to our homes in the USA.