PILGRIMAGE  - ISRAEL & Jordan

Day 1 - Monday, April 13            DESTINATION THE HOLY LAND    

Board your flights to the Holy Land. Overnight: En Route                             

Day 2 - Tuesday, April 14           WELCOME TO THE HOLY LAND    

Arrive in the Holy Land, at Ben Gurion International Airport. Assistance at the airport. Transfer via Mt Carmel crossing the Jezreel Valley en route to Nazareth. Overnight: Mary’s Well, Nazareth (or similar) x 3 nights. [D]

Day 3 - Wednesday, April 15      FROM JAFFA TO THE GALILEE          

Visit Caesarea Philippi (Banias), where Jesus asked, “Who do men say I am?”. Continue to sites central to Jesus’ Ministry - the Church of the Beatitudes, Heptabagon (Tabgha), site of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish; and Kfar Nahum - Capernaum home of Simon Peter. Following the tradition of the “fishermen” disciples sail on the Sea of Galilee, time for meditation and prayer. Travel back to Nazareth via Cana – site of the wedding and the 1st miracle. [BD]

Day 4 - Thursday, April 16          JEWELS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY 

Spend time at the Church of the Annunciation this morning and the experience Nazareth as it was during the time of Jesus’ youth at the recreated Nazareth Village. Depart for Megiddo and visit the site of the epic Armageddon - view 21 layers of civilization. [BD]

Day 5 - Friday, April 17               IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MARY  

Depart for Jerusalem via Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Follow the pilgrimage route that Jesus and the Galileans took and ascend to the Holy City. Continue to the coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea and explore the excavated ruins of Caesarea before ascending to Jerusalem. Overnight: Caesar Hotel (or similar), Jerusalem x 4 nights. [BD]

Day 6 – Saturday, April 18        THE HOLY CITY  

Travel to Bethlehem visit the Church of the Nativity the birthplace of Jesus. Continue on to Ein Karem with the Church of Visitation where Mary and Elizabeth met, the birthplace of St. John. View the Holy Temple from Mt. Olives visit the Church of the Ascension and Pater Noster, and then walk down into the valley. Stop at Dominus Flevit where Jesus cried upon prophesying the destruction of the Temple. Continue down along the ancient Jewish cemetery into the Valley of Jehoshaphat to Gethsemane – visit the Church of All Nations. [BD]  

Day 7 - Sunday, April 19          THE HOLY CITY  

Pay respect to the victims of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem – National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust, including the New Museum and the Children’s Memorial. Visit the Israel Museum, home of the original Dead Sea Scrolls and also a Model of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. Continue to Mt Zion to visit St Peter in Gallicantu – where Peter denied Jesus for the 3rd time, King David’s Tomb, the Church of the Last Supper, and the Dormition Abbey. [BD]

Day 8 - Monday, April 20         THE HOLY CITY    

Enter the Old City through the Jaffa gate walk through the Suk to the Pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralytic man then follow the Via Dolorosa from the condemnation via Ecce Homo and the Monastery of the Sisters of Sion to the crucifixion and death on the Cross, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Remember the resurrection with time for prayer and reflection. Stop at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism. [BD] 

Day 9 - Wednesday, April 21   JERUSALEM / AMMAN 

Descend via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth (417m below sea level). Visit Masada - ruins of King Herod’s mountaintop fortress and last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 73 C.E. Depart to the Jordanian border. After immigration procedures drive to Jerash, city of the Decapolis, 45km. north of Amman in the fertile heights of Gilead. Visit the Roman city with colonnaded streets, ancient theater, baths, hilltop temple and the triumphal arc. Continue to Amman, capital of Jordan. Overnight: Amman x 1 night. (BD)

Day 10 - Thursday, April 22     AMMAN / PETRA 

After breakfast drive to Madaba to see the ancient mosaic map of the Holy land and the ruins of the historical site.  Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. From there you will see the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea. Visit the remains of a Byzantine church with a mosaic floor. Proceed via the Crusader's Castle – Shobak – to Wadi Musa, the modern village of Petra. Overnight: Petra x 1 night. (BD)

Day 11 - Friday, April 23         PETRA / DEAD SEA

After breakfast leave the hotel and ride on horseback from the Visitors’ Centre to the entrance of the dramatic “Siq” (Canyon), then walk through it to Petra, known as the red rock city, the ancient capital of the Nabateans from the 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Visit the most interesting carved monuments such as the Treasury (El Khazneh, tomb of a Nabatean king), then the field of tombs, obelisks and the altar (Al Mashbah). From this point you can view the whole of the rock city. Depart Petra and drive to your Dead Sea Resort hotel, where you can have a unique experience, “float” in the Dead Sea – you cannot sink!!! Overnight: Dead Sea x 1 night. (BD)

Day 12 - Saturday, April 24    DEAD SEA / AMMAN AIRPORT

Enjoy a restful day at your hotel checking out late this afternoon. Drive to Amman for a city tour and farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Transfer to the airport for check in. (BD)

Day 13 - Sunday, April 25      JORDAN / WINNIPEG

Your flight departs for Canada via Frankfurt @ 3am.