Day 1      Wednesday, 26 May

London - Tel Aviv - Bethlehem

We gather at London Heathrow Airport for our direct flight to Tel Aviv, arriving at 1805 [local time]. We transfer to Bethlehem, arriving for dinner. Overnight at the Orient Palace Hotel, Bethlehem

Day 2      Thursday, 27 May

Bethlehem and the Judean Desert

We begin the morning with a walking tour of the Old City of Bethlehem followed by a visit to Hope School, Beit Jala [a BibleLands partner]. In the afternoon we visit King Herod’s Palace and burial place, Herodion, in the Judean Desert, returning to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity and to meet Palestinian Christian olive wood carvers. Dinner and overnight at the Orient Palace Hotel, Bethlehem

Day 3      Friday, 28 May

Nazareth

We leave Bethlehem to travel north through Israel to Nazareth in Galilee. We visit the Nazareth School of Nursing [a BibleLands partner], St Gabriel’s Church built over Mary’s Well, and the Church of the Annunciation. Late in the afternoon we travel east to the Mount of the Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at the Mount of Beatitudes Guest House

Day 4      Saturday, 29 May

The Sea of Galilee

Our morning is spent on the north western shore of the Sea of Galilee visiting places associated with the ministry of Jesus, including Bethsaida, Capernaum, Mensa Christi, the Church of the Multiplication. In the afternoon we take a boat on the lake, and later enjoy some free time. Dinner and overnight at the Mount of Beatitudes Guest House, Sea of Galilee

Day 5      Sunday, 30 May

Haifa, Mount Carmel & the Mediterranean

In the morning we travel west to the city of Haifa, beside the Mediterranean Sea, for worship and fellowship with the Palestinian Anglican congregation at St John’s Church. Following an afternoon visit to Mount Carmel, we return to the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at the Mount of Beatitudes Guest House, Sea of Galilee

Day 6      Monday, 31 May

The Jordan Valley and the City of Jericho

Today we travel south to Jerusalem via the Jordan valley, visiting Jericho to see the remains of the ancient city and to take the cable car to the Mount of Temptation Monastery. Late in the afternoon we arrive in Jerusalem, and our hotel in the Old City. Dinner and overnight at the Gloria Hotel, Old City of Jerusalem

Day 7      Tuesday, 1 June

The Mount of Olives and Bethany

Our morning is spent on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem; we visit the Church of the Paternoster, Dominus Flevit chapel, the Russian Orthodox Church of St Mary Magdalene, and the Garden of Gethsemane. In the afternoon we travel to Bethany, the home village of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Dinner and overnight at the Gloria Hotel, Old City of Jerusalem

Day 8      Wednesday, 2 June

Around Jerusalem

Today we visit Palestinian communities, Israeli settlements and a Bedouin community around Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the Gloria Hotel, Old City of Jerusalem.

Day 9      Thursday, 3 June

The Helen Keller Centre and the Old City of Jerusalem

This morning we begin with a visit to BibleLands Helen Keller Centre for the Visually Impaired, followed by part 1 of a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, including visits to the Western Wall and the Harem-esh-Sharif [Noble Sanctuary] or Temple Mount. Dinner and overnight at the Gloria Hotel, Old City of Jerusalem

Day 10      Friday, 4 June

The Old City - The Way of Sorrows and the Church of the Resurrection

Today begins with a visit to a vast model of 1st Century Jerusalem, after which we return to the Old City for part 2 of our walking tour - along the Via Dolorosa from St Ann’s Church to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where we gather for a service in the Chapel of Abraham. Dinner and overnight at the Gloria Hotel, Old City of Jerusalem

Day 11      Saturday, 5 June

Our journey home

An early departure from our hotel in Jerusalem to check in for our return flight home  arriving London Heathrow at 10.00.