Itinerary

Day 1, Wednesday 14th March

Departure for The Holy Land

We gather at London Airport to join an evening flight to Eilat, via Tel Aviv. The journey time is around four and a half hours. Dinner will be served in flight. The lights will be switched-off after dinner for those that wish to sleep.

Day 2, Thursday 15th March

TEL AVIV - EILAT ON THE RED SEA

We arrive at dawn and board our local flight to Eilat. Journey time is approximately 30 minutes. On arrival we will be met by our Lightline guide and then driven tour our hotel in the Red Sea resort of Eilat. The rest of the day will be free to relax by the sparkling waters of the Red Sea. For those who love to shop, Eilat provides shops with both foreign and local products, including jewellery, leather goods, clothing and pottery. Dinner and overnight stay in Eilat on the Red Sea.

Day 3, Friday 16th March

St Catherine's Monastery

We leave Eilat at around 06:30 to drive across the Egyptian border and across the Sinai desert to visit the St. Catherine’s Monastery. Situated at the foot of Mount Sinai, this beautiful monastery was built on this site where Moses witnessed the burning bush before receiving the Ten Commandments Day 3 continuedv If permitted we will have an opportunity of visiting the monastery and it's priceless collection of icons. In the afternoon we leave Mount Sinai and return to Israel, and our hotel in Eilat to enjoy the spectacular sunset over Sinai. Dinner and overnight in Eilat by the Red Sea

Day 4, Saturday 17th March

Dead Sea - Masada - Jerusalem

We leave Eilat after an early breakfast and travel into the Negev Desert breaking to visit Timna National Park: King Solomon's mines, the Shrine of Hathor, and ancient copper furnaces where ancient Egyptians first began copper mining and discover the unique beauty of the turquoise Eilat stone. Leaving Timna we continue the north to the Dead Sea to visit Masada, which we ascend by cable-car. Then along shoreline to visit Qumran and an opportunity to bathe in the Dead Sea’s unique mineral laden waters. After our visit of Qumran, the site where the dead Sea scrolls were found we proceed up through the hills of the Judean Wilderness towards Jerusalem. On the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives we visit Bethany, the home of Jesus’ friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus, before continuing to the summit for our first breathtaking view of Jerusalem and its beautiful Medieval walls. We finally proceed down to our hotel and check-in. Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 5, Sunday 18th March

Mt Olives - Mt Zion - Bethlehem

After breakfast we return to the summit of the Mount of Olives. We the begin our walk down Olivet visiting the Church of Dominus Flevit, the church which commemorates the site where Jesus wept over the destruction of the Temple, Pater Noster, the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane. We then drive across the Kedron Valley and up Mount Zion to visit the traditional site of the Room of the Last Supper, The tomb of King David, and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. View the recently excavated Roman pathway and steps. After a break for lunch we drive to Bethlehem on the outskirts of Jerusalem to visit the Church of the Nativity, the Grotto, venerated as the birthplace of Jesus and the Shepherds Fields. Here we will hold our Carol Service, before returning to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6, Monday 19th March

The Old City Of Jerusalem

We begin our day at the Garden Tomb to visit the beautiful landscaped gardens and The Empty Tomb. We then proceed to Zion Gate and continue on foot into the Old Walled city. Visit the Western Wall before proceeding to the beautiful Crusader Church of St. Anne overlooking the Pools of Bethesda. Then on to the Convent of the Sisters of Sion built on the foundations of the Antonia Fortress, the Roman Garrison of Jerusalem. Visit the Ecce Homo Arch, and the pavement (Lithostratos) before we follow the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Return to our hotel for dinner.

Day 7, Tuesday 20th March

Jericho - Nazareth - Cana

This morning we leave Jerusalem after an early breakfast and drive down to the ancient oasis city of Jericho, the city of palms to view the traditional sycamore tree and the mount of Temptation which overlooks this green and fertile valley. After an opportunity for a break for refreshments and a spot of shopping we leaving Jericho and continue north along the Jordan Valley to the Sea of Galilee where we break for lunch. In the afternoon we drive along the lakeside and up in to the Galilean hills to visit Cana, the site of Jesus’ First Miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast. From Cana we continue to the city of Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up, to visit the Church of the Annunciation, Joseph’s Carpentry, the church of Mary’s Well and the Old Synagogue-Church, where Jesus may have taught. Finally we leave Nazareth and rive down to Tiberias and check-in to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Tiberias.

Day 8, Wednesday 21st March

Galilee - Golan Heights

We begin our day by Sailing across the Sea of Galilee to Ginosar, here view the Ancient boat (from the time of Jesus) and film about its discovery and preservation, then drive to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and the Primacy of Saint Peter. Continue to the Mount of the Beatitudes, which overlooks the places where Jesus lived and worked. Drive on to the ancient fishing village of Capernaum, the centre of Jesus Galilean Ministry to view the House of Peter and a partially rebuilt synagogue, probably the site where Jesus often preached. After a break for lunch at the nearby Kibbutz of Ein Gev. In the afternoon we drive up into the Golan Heights to visit Banias (Greek Panias) and Caesarea Philippi in the foothills of Mount Hermon. A spring fed by the melting snow of the mountain forms a source of the River Jordan. It was near here, that Jesus walked with his disciples and where Peter made his great profession of faith in Him. On route to our hotel we will visit the new Jordan River Baptismal site at Yardenit where we will have the opportunity to renew our baptismal vows. Farewell dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

Day 9, Thursday 22nd March

Caesarea - Journey Home

After breakfast we leave our hotel proceed down to the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea Maritima to visit this beautiful Roman and Crusader Port City. View the ancient harbour, fortifications, twin water aqueducts and reassembled theatre. Paul was imprisoned here for almost two years before his trial in Rome. For Christians it is a place of great significance, as it was here that Peter baptised the first Gentile, Cornelius the Roman Centurion. After a break fro lunch we drive to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport for our late afternoon return flight to London. We plane to arrive back in London at around 8:30pm (20:30 hrs.)