What We Do

Early in the 4th Century, C.E., the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, traveled from Western Europe to the Holy Land. A strong and resilient woman, she was undaunted by the demands that to such a long journey made in those times. Legend has it that she was in search of the concrete realities that underpinned this new Christian faith. If Christ was indeed crucified, and raised from the dead, then this must have happened not in books and stories, but in a certain place.

Helena went to find the place, to see and pray where it all happened. Her journey changed her life, that of her son, and the entire world. Since that time millions of Christians have followed where Helena led. You are invited to join us on pilgrimages to that same place. Not only will you see the places where it all began, but you will see the “facts on the ground”—what it means to be a Christian in Israel and Palestine today. So do come join us. Bring your head and your heart, but put your feet on the ground of the Holy Land.

Lightline pilgrimages focus on the Living Stones, the people of the Holy Land, and sharing in a small part of their daily lives, culture, faith and challenges. So it is our mission to build enduring relationships with the local Christian communities through the intentional act of connecting our pilgrims with the lives and faith of these courageous people.

Our Expertise and Experience

Lightline Pilgrimages is one of the UK’s leading tour operators specializing in Christian pilgrimage, both to the Holy Land, and too many other countries rich in the history of the Christian faith and church.

The Managing Director of Lightline, Rene John Siva, has worked in pilgrimage for over thirty years, and has an intimate knowledge of the countries in which we operate. Under his direction, Lightline has acquired a unique reputation for its unparalleled support of the local Christian communities of Palestine and Israel, which has made it the pilgrimage operator of choice for church leaders both in Britain and the United States.

Lightline’s commitment to the local Christians of the Holy Land led to it being appointed the Official and Preferred Pilgrimage Partner of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem by Bishop Suheil Dawani in November 2013. No other pilgrimage operator has ever been accorded a similar honour, and Lightline is honoured to have been singled out in this way.

When you travel with Lightline in the Holy Land, we have made it a top priority to work with Christian business partners, and it is our aim whenever possible, to ensure that every pound spent on behalf of our clients in the Holy Land goes to support Christian concerns – hotels, tour companies, guides, coach companies, restaurants, etc.

We believe a pilgrimage is both a spiritual journey as well as a physical voyage and we offer good, comfortable hotels, designed especially for Christian pilgrims, We also provide the latest coaches, excellent guides and costs that are inclusive, with absolutely NO hidden extra costs.

Further afield, we have extensive experience of carrying pilgrims to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Italy, Greece, Spain, Malta, Poland and Russia, and are always happy to discuss new itineraries with clergy or other tour leaders.