13-DAY HOLY LAND & EGYPT

Today: We start the day at Caesarea Maritima, take a glimpse of the ancient remains of Herod’s. Proceed to Deir Al-Muhraqa Carmelite Monastery where we celebrate Mass, it is famous as the site of the Sacrifice of Elijah the Prophet, the Episode is dramatically recounted in the Bible (I Kgs. 18). Continue to visit Stella Maris Monastery on Mt. Carmel and then to Haifa City. Continue towards Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Tiberias.

Today: We start by celebrating Mass at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle. Here couples may renew their wedding vows and a certificate of renewal can be requested from the church. We then go to Nazareth where we visit The Basilica of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s Church, Mary’s Well, and the old market. We also visit Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration. Return to Tiberias.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Tiberias.

Today: We go to visit Mount of Beatitudes (the location of Sermon on the Mount). Tabgha, the site where the miracle of the multiplication of fish and bread took place. Close by, is the Church of Peter’s Primacy the location of the Miraculous Fishing. Continue to Capernaum where Jesus lived, and started his ministry. In the afternoon, Mass will be celebrated on the Boat, on the Sea of Galilee, as was done in the time of Jesus. Drive towards Bethlehem.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: In Bethlehem we visit the Shepherd’s Fields, celebrate Mass here. We also visit the Church of the Nativity that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. In the afternoon, we go to Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist and to the Church of the Visitation, where the Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the ‘Magnificat’.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: We visit the Mt. of Olives and The Pater Noster where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples. We walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see The Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed his last prayer before his arrest. Mass will be here at the Church of all Nations. We make a stop at the Chapel of the Ascension, located on the site where Jesus ascended into Heaven after his resurrection. This afternoon, we drive to the hill of Mount Zion, the highest point in ancient Jerusalem. It is dominated by the Church of the Dormition. The location is identified in Christian tradition as the place where the Virgin Mary died or “fell asleep”, as the name suggests. End our day at St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied our Lord thrice.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: We retrace the last steps of Jesus, as we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross. We reflect on the greatness of his sacrifice. Finally, we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass. At St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parent’s Saints Joachim and Anne, we’ll stop for a short prayer. We pass the Ecce Home where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; then on to the Wailing Wall, the most holy place for the Jews. The rest of the day is open for visits to other Holy Sites, shopping or resting at your hotel.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: We deport early this morning towards the Jordan River to renew our baptismal vows. Drive down the Jordan Valley and stop at the oasis town of Jericho. Visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world. We view the Mt. of Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. We then visit the “Dead Sea” for a day swim (bring your swimsuit). Later we depart towards Eilat to cross the Israeli-Egyptian border and drive to St Catherine in Sinai. Optional: At daybreak climb Mt. Sinai in the early morning. You may choose to rent a camel for assistance 2/3 of the way up to see the sunrise. Enjoy a time of praise and incredible views of the Sinai wilderness, where in the book of Genesis God revealed himself to Moses and where he received the Ten Commandments.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Sinai.

Today: After Breakfast we visit St Catherine Monastery. Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the world’s great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen centuries. Later we drive to Cairo.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Cairo.

Today: We visit the Egyptian Museum. We then visit the great Pyramids – Cheops, Chephren & Mykerions. Cheops is the most colossal ever built. Next is a close-up look at the Sphinx – a huge funeral complex guarded by the legendary lion body with the face of king Chephren. We gather for a Nile Cruise Dinner.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Cairo.

Today: This morning we start our day by visiting the Citadel and Mohamed Ali mosque. We then visit Abu Sergha Church. Later we travel to Khan Khalili Bazaars; The Khan El-Khalili is one of the most interesting bazaars, not only in Egypt, but also in the whole Middle East. The Medieval atmospheres of this traditional market. Together with the labyrinth layout of the streets gives visitors a lot of pleasure and a glimpse into what medieval markets once were like.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Cairo.

Today: This morning we will transfer to the airport to catch our return flight home.