Day 1 • Tel Aviv to Nazareth
Arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport. Transfer to Galilee, the loveliest and most fertile region of the Holy Land. Possible stop at Mount Carmel (time permitting) to visit the Stella Maris Church, revered as a holy place since antiquity and site of the altar of Elijah, who founded here the “School of the Prophets.” Arrival at Nazareth in the evening, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 • Nazareth
In the morning, we journey to Mt. Tabor and visit the Church of the Transfiguration. We stop to experience the sacred joy of Cana, site of the wedding feast. In the afternoon, we visit the Shrine of the Annunciation and the New Church, the Church of St. Joseph, built where the Holy Family lived, and the Synagogue. Dinner and overnight in Nazareth.
Day 3 • Nazareth
After breakfast, we depart for the region of Lake Tiberias, one of the most renowned lakes in the Holy Land, and board a boat for a gentle cruise along the water. We visit Capernaum (synagogue and Peter’s home) and Tabga (site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes). We experience the ascent of the Mt. of Beatitudes, the holy peak where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Dinner and overnight in Nazareth.
Day 4 • Bethlehem
We continue through the Valley of the River Jordan, stopping at the Dead Sea, whose gentle waves glitter in the desert sun. This body of saltwater is the deepest geological depression of the Earth, over a thousand feet below sea level. We journey to Jericho, known as the “City of Palm Trees” in the Old Testament, and renew our baptismal promises. We take time to appreciate the site of Qasr El Yahud (Castle of the Jews), site of the baptism of Jesus. Arrival at Bethlehem, where King David and Jesus were born. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5 • Bethlehem
In the morning, we visit the Church of the Nativity, the Shepherd’s Field and the Grotto of St. Jerome. In the afternoon, we visit the village of Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist and site of the visit of Mary to St. Elizabeth, when they shared the joy of her pregnancy. We stop at the evocative Western Wall, the magnificent ruins of the Temple of Herod, a holy place in many cultures. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 6 • Bethlehem
After breakfast, departure to Jerusalem, the “City of God.” We visit Mount Zion: the room and the Church of the Last Supper, the Church of the Dormition, the Church of St. Peter Gallicantu, remembering the place where St. Peter denied Jesus. In the afternoon, we experience the contrast between ancient and new by visiting the modern side of the city: the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), the Supreme Court, the Museum of the Book, and other political buildings. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 7 • Jerusalem
Departure to Jerusalem. Full day dedicated to the visit of the city sacred to the three largest monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We visit, among other wonders: the Mount of Olives, the Garden of the Gethsemane, the Basilica of Agony, the Chapel of the Pater Noster, the chapel of the Dominus Flevit, the Virgin’s Tomb. In the afternoon, we view St. Anne’s Church, sacred to Mary’s mother, the Pool of Bethesda, the Chapel of the Flagellation and Via Crucis along the Via Dolorosa. We enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, containing the tomb where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 8 • Rome
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for flight to Rome. Arrive and ride on board private coach to city center, where we take a panoramic tour of the magnificent capital. Check in at the hotel or religious house. Dinner and overnight.
Day 9 • Rome
We board a private bus and head to ORP offices, where we meet with an ORP guide for our exclusive tour of the Vatican Museums, the glorious Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica (if open). In the afternoon, a second panoramic tour aboard the open bus Roma Cristiana and visits to Saint John’s Lateran, the Cloister and Holy Stairs, and St. Mary the Mayor Basilica. A private bus brings us back for dinner and overnight at the hotel or religious house.
Day 10 • Rome
Breakfast and free time to explore this central city of one of the world’s greatest empires. Afterwards we meet our guide and board a private bus for the half-day guided tour of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, one of the papal Basilicas. Celebration of the Holy Mass, an experience intensified by the millennia of religious history infusing every part of the city. A private coach brings us back to hotel or religious house for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 • Departure
Early breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the Fiumicino Airport for final departure. ORP assistance with check-in procedures and escort to the gate.
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