Itinerary

Day 1, Monday 26th November

Journey to the Holy Land

We gather at Manchester Airport for our morning flight to Tel Aviv, via Heathrow. On arrival we will be met by our guide and driven up to Jerusalem and our hotel within the Old Walled city. Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 2, Tuesday 27th November

Bethlehem & Beth Sahour

After breakfast we leave Jerusalem for the short drive through the nine-metre high “separation wall” to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity, the oldest in Christendom and built over the cave. Christmas Mass will be celebrated by St Joseph’s altar close to Jerome’s Cave below the Church of the Nativity. After visiting the Milk Grotto we proceed to the Shepherds Fields. After a break for lunch we visit the University of Bethlehem. Late afternoon we return to Jerusalem and our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 3, Wednesday 28th November

Mount of Olives & Ein Karem

Today we drive to the top of the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem, before visiting Beth Phage. We then walk down the Palm Sunday path to the Garden of Gethsemane and on route we visit the Church of the Pater Noster which attests to the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives associated with Jesus’ teaching and the Ascension to the Church of Dominus Flevit, commemorating the site where Jesus wept over the destruction of the city. We will celebrate Mass here, before visiting Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas. The Church of All Nations is located on the traditional site where Jesus prayed and built over the agony rock. After a break for lunch we will drive to the village of Ein Karem, to visit the church of the Visitation and home of John the Baptist. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4, Thursday 29th November

Mount Zion & Emmaus

This morning we drive across the Kidron Valley and drive up Mount Zion to visit St Peter in Gallicantu, the house of Caiaphas, the pool of Siloam and the Cenacle, Franciscan Room of the Last Supper. Break for lunch. In the afternoon we drive to Emmaus at Abu Ghosh for Mass in the beautiful Crusader Church, before returning to Jerusalem to spend Evening Holy Hour at Gethsemane. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 5, Friday 30th November

The Old City & The Via Dolorosa

After breakfast we enter the Old Walled city by St Stephen’s (Lion Gate) for a mornings tour of the Old City foot. We begin by visiting the Crusader church of St Anne’s by the pools of Bethesda, before beginning the Way of Cross along the narrow street of the Via Dolorosa including the Ecce Homo Arch and convent, the Lithostratos “the pavement. View from the roof of the Antonia Fortress the Temple Areas. Proceed through the Souks and over the roof of the Holy Sepulchre and through the Ethiopian Monastery to the Holy Sepulchre. Visit the Basilica built over the tomb on Calvary. We will celebrate Mass (Resurrection) in the Franciscan Chapel. After a break for lunch free time to explore the Old City. Early evening there will a talk by one of the Church leaders from Bethlehem Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 6, Saturday 1st December

The Temple Mount

Today we enter the old city via the Dung Gate and proceed to the Western Wall, a sectional of the original retaining wall of Solomon’s Temple esplanade. We then, if permitted walk up on to the Temple Mount to view the Dome of the Rock that stands on the site of the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount and visit the Al Aqsa mosque. On exiting the Temple Area we will walk through the Jewish and Armenian quarters of the Old City for Mass at Notre Dame Chapel where we will break for lunch. The rest of the day will be free to explore the Old City. Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 7, Sunday 2nd December

Qumran, The Dead Sea & Galilee.

We leave our hotel after an early breakfast and celebrate Mass with a local Catholic community. Late morning on leaving the city we drive down to the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface to visit Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in a nearby cave by a Bedouin Shepherd. We will also visit the excavations of the Essene monastery where the scrolls may have originated and an opportunity to bathe in the unique mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea, before breaking for lunch. In the afternoon we leave Qumran and drive to the oasis city Jericho, the city of palms, where we will stop briefly for a view of the Mount of Temptation, before continuing our journey north along the Jordan Valley to Galilee. We then drive around the Sea of Galilee to our guest house on the summit of they Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the places where Jesus lived and worked. Dinner and overnight stay in Galilee.

Day 8, Monday 3rd December

Nazareth, Cana & Capernaum

After breakfast we drive up to Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. Here we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the traditional site of the home of the Holy Family. After Mass in the Basilica we continue to the Greek Orthodox Church, built over Mary’s Well and the old Synagogue-Church. We then proceed to Cana to visit the Wedding Church and then break for lunch. In the afternoon we return to the shores of the lake and visit the ancient fishing village of Capernaum. View the House of Peter and the excavations of a synagogue and old foundations that date back to the time of Jesus. We bring the day to a close with a visit to the Church of Peters Primacy. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9, Tuesday 4th December

Mount Carmel & Caesarea Maritima

After breakfast we drive to the Carmel mountain Range to visit the church that commemorates the place where Elijah was challenged by the prophets of Baal and celebrate Mass in the Carmelite Church. we then proceed down to the Mediterranean coast and visit the Roman and Crusader city-port of Caesarea Maritima and visit the ancient harbour, it’s 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 for lunch we return to Galilee and our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Galilee.

Day 10, Wednesday 5th December

Mount Tabor & Tiberias.

Leaving our hotel after an early breakfast we drive to the village of Nain, then on to the foot of Mount Tabor from where we continue by taxi to the summit for Mass in the Basilica built on the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus before Peter, James and John. From the roof top one can look across the Valley of Jezreel and the plains of Armageddon. On descending Mount Tabor we drive up back to Galilee and stop off in the city of Tiberias and break for lunch. We will have time to relax and explore the town and in the late afternoon we gather at Tiberias pier to sail across the Sea of Galilee and then continue by coach to our hotel. Dinner and overnight by Galilee.

Day 11, Thursday 6th December

Our journey home

We begin our final day in the Holy Land with Mass in Dalmanutha by the lakeside and after an early lunch we leave the rolling hills of Galilee and drive down to Ben Gurion Airport and our return flight to Manchester.