Meeting at the intersection of faith and history.
Holy Land Itinerary - 2027
Day 1 – Tuesday, January 26: Depart U.S.A. Tour members meet for our flight to Israel. After dinner, relax and enjoy on-board entertainment as we prepare for this exciting adventure.
Day 2 – Wednesday, January 27: Arrive in Tel Aviv In Tel Aviv, after proceeding through customs, we’re met by our tour guide. From here, we drive to our hotel in Netanya for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 – Thursday, January 28: Caesarea Maritima, Megiddo, Nazareth, Cana, Galilee We start by traveling to Caesarea Maritima (Acts 10), then venture to Megiddo. If time allows, we’ll visit a Druze Village for lunch (not included). Afterwards, we continue to Nazareth (Jesus’ childhood home), then Cana (Jesus’ first miracle - John 2), concluding our day atop Mt. Precipice. Dinner and overnight are in Tiberias near the Sea of Galilee.
Day 4 –– Friday, January 29: Galilee, Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Boat Ride, Bethsaida, Jordan River This morning, experience the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee! We then begin our day at Tabgha (feeding of the 5000) and the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. We read the Sermon on the Mount at the Mt. of Beatitudes, then travel downhill to Capernaum (Jesus’ ministry base). Venturing to Ginosar, we sail on the Sea of Galilee in a replica “Jesus Boat.” Lunch features the option to try an authentic St. Peter’s Fish (not included)! After lunch, we visit Gadara and Bethsaida (time permitting) before heading to the Jordan River. Dinner and overnight are in Tiberias.
Day 5 – Saturday, January 30: Golan Heights, Caesarea Philippi, Tel Dan, Gideon Springs, Beit Shean, Jerusalem Today we travel north to the Golan Heights for stunning views, then to Caesarea Philippi where Peter confessed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16). We take a hike through Tel Dan to see the altar of Jeroboam and then visit Gideon Springs. Traveling south, we explore Beit Shean, where King Saul’s body was hung (1 Samuel 31:10-12). This evening, we ascend to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. “I was glad when they saidr gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:1-2).
Day 6 – Sunday, January 31: Mt. of Olives, Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane, Western Wall, Temple Mount, Via Dolorosa, Davidson Center and Southern Steps The day begins on the Mt. of Olives with a panoramic The ITINERARY view of Jerusalem. Here, we travel to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of the Agony via the Palm Sunday Road. Enter Jerusalem, the “Old City”, through the Zion Gate to the Western Wall (the holiest site in Judaism) and Temple Mount purchased by King David (2 Samuel 24:18-25). We walk the Via Dolorosa, including stops at St. Anne’s Church, Pools of Bethesda, the Pavement, and the Ecce Homo Arch. We conclude our walk at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then travel down to the Davidson Center, including the original steps Jesus climbed as he entered the Temple Area, the Southern Steps. We will end the day at the Shorashim Shop. Dinner and overnight are in Jerusalem.
Day 7 – Monday, February 1: Qumran, Ein Gedi, Masada, Dead Sea for Swim/Float This morning, we drive down to Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. From here, we head to Ein Gedi (where David hid from Saul), then travel to Masada to scale King Herod’s fortress (via cable car). Before returning to Jerusalem, we stop at the renowned Dead Sea for a swim or float. Time permitting, we’ll stop and visit Qasr elYahud (the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism) and possibly Jericho. Dinner and overnight are in Jerusalem.
Day 8 – Tuesday, February 2: Shrine of the Book, Model City, City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Pool of Siloam, St. Peter Gallicantu, Garden Tomb Today, we visit the Shrine of the Book Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls (found in Qumran) and a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem from Jesus’ time. Afterwards, we explore the City of David and visit Hezekiah’s Tunnel. If time permits, we’ll visit the newly excavated Pool of Siloam and St. Peter in Gallicantu. We end a perfect day with worship at Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. Dinner and overnight are in Jerusalem.
Day 9 – Wednesday, February 3: Jerusalem, Herodion, Bethlehem, David’s Citadel After breakfast, we depart Jerusalem and drive south to visit the national park of Herodion, the grave of King Herods. Then we proceed to visit Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherds’ Field. Afterwards, we return to Jerusalem to visit David’s Citadel with its new museum. Last overnight and Farewell Dinner are at our hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 10 – Thursday, February 4: Arrive in U.S.A. At the close of an unforgettable tour, we transfer to the airport and arrive back in the States with memories that will last a lifetime of the land where Jesus walked.
Jordan & Egypt Extension - 2027
Day 10 – Thursday, February 4: Allenby Bridge, Jordan: Tall El Hammam, Mt. Nebo After breakfast, we cross the Jordan River at the Allenby Bridge to enter the Kingdom of Jordan. We visit Tall el-Hammam to explore the site recently suggested as the ancient city of Sodom. We ascend to the top of Mount Nebo to view the Promised Land from the same perspective as Moses Afterwards, we drive south into the mountains of Edom to our hotel near Petra. Dinner and overnight are in Wadi Musa.
Day 11 – Friday, February 5: Petra, Madaba Today we venture into the rose-red city of Petra! Here, we spend the day marveling at the stunning beauty of the Siq (entrance passage), the Treasury, the Street of Facades, the 8000-seat Theater, and the various temples and royal tombs carved into the red stone. We then drive north along the King’s Highway to our hotel on the northeast shore of the Dead Sea. En route, we will stop at Madaba, the site of the oldest map of Palestine in the world. Dinner and overnight are in Sweimeh.
Day 12 – Saturday, February 6: Flight to Cairo, Felucca Boat Ride, Grand Egyptian Museum After breakfast, we transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for our flight to Egypt (flight included). Upon arrival we will be met by our guide to begin our tour. First, we enjoy a felucca boat ride on the waters of the Nile. Then we enjoy a special tour of the new Grand Egyptian Museum. The museum houses the greatest collection of Pharaonic treasures in the world, including the expansive Tutankhamen collection of golden treasures.
Day 13 – Sunday, February 7: Cairo, Great Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis After breakfast, we venture to visit some of Egypt’s oldest sites and enjoy a camel ride. We first visit the Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest and is comprised of 2.3 million stone blocks. We enter this pyramid and visit the King’s Chamber. Nearby, we visit the Solar Boat Museum, to see an ancient Egyptian cedar wood boat dating back 4,500 years. We also visit the Great Sphinx. Then, we visit the Necropolis of Sakkara, to see King Zoser’s Step Pyramid. This vast site in the heart of the desert plateau is the largest necropolis in Egypt. We end in Memphis, to see the limestone Colossus of Ramses II. Here, the remnants of the nation’s first capital and once the most cosmopolitan city in Egypt now lie scattered in the desert. Dinner and overnight are in Cairo.
Day 14 – Monday, February 8: Cairo Today we visit the Citadel Inside, we see the lavishly decorated Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. We continue to the famous Suspended Church, dating back to the late fourth and early fifth centuries. We then visit the Church of St. Sergius, a fifth-century Coptic church built in the cave where the Holy Family stayed. We come to the Synagogue of Ben Ezra, where Moses was saved by Pharaoh’s water girl. Finally, we stroll through the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, a bustling warren of shops where you can bargain for rugs, copper, leather crafts, and much more. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 15 – Tuesday, February 9: Transfer to Cairo Airport This morning, we transfer to the airport to make our way home after an unforgettable adventure!