Tuesday, April 2 - Depart for Tel Aviv (flights to be suggested).
Wednesday, April 3 - Arrive and transfer to our hotel on the Sea of Galilee, dinner, worship, and orientation.
Thursday, April 4 - Tour around the Sea of Galilee: the archeological site of Magdala, with worship in the ecumenical chapel. Take a meditative Boat Ride on the Sea. Enjoy a traditional St. Peter’s Fish lunch along the Sea. Visit the church and mosaic of the fish and loaves at Tagbha. Explore Capernaum, the Mt. of Beatitudes, and the newly opened Greek city of Sussita. Overnight at the Sea of Galilee.
Friday, April 5 - Drive north to region of the head waters of the river Jordan and take an easy hike to a waterfall. Have lunch in a Druze Village (self-pay.) Continue on to the site of Caesarea Philippi and further explore the northern region as time allows. Overnight at the Sea of Galilee.
Saturday, April 6 - Travel south to the Greek city of Beth-Shean. Drive to the hills of Nazareth and visit the Church of the Annunciation. Have a quick lunch (self-pay.) Take a walk up the Mt. of Precipice, and leave the region via the Armegeddon Valley and Iron Passageway to Caesarea Maritima and Roman Aqueduct along the Mediterranean Sea. Cross the Plains of Sharon to the hills of Judea in the West Bank. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Sunday, April 7 - Worship at Baraka Presbyterian Church and stay for fellowship. Enjoy lunch at Aida Camp with the women of Noor Weg. Then take a guided walk along the graffiti walls of Bethlehem, ending at the museum, gallery and tea room at the Walled Off/Banksy Hotel. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Monday, April 8 - Worship at Shepherd’s Fields. Visit the Church of the Nativity. Have lunch at the Palestinian village of Battir (Or Tent of Nations.) Take a drive to Hebron to a visit a glass and pottery factory (where you can try glass blowing and shop) Enjoy the local Palestinian dancers as they perform and teach us some steps. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Tuesday, April 9 - Drive to the Nablus region to visit Jacob, Rachel, Leah and the Samaritan woman’s Well. Proceed to Mt. Gezrim and visit with the Samaritans. Have lunch at the Samaria restaurant, adjacent to the site of Sebastiya. Explore Sebastiya and its ruins. Take a camel ride, if you’d like. And on the way home, if there is time, stop to taste Knafeh at a local sweet shop. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, April 10 - Drive from Jerusalem to the desert and worship at the Jordan River (Qasr al-Yahud) where we will renew our baptism. Go floating at the Dead Sea. Lunch (self-pay) at the Qumran caves. Watch the sun go down at Wadi Qelt or the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Thursday April 11 - Walk from our hotel through Herod’s Gate into the old city for an early morning tour through Al-Aqsa/Dome of the Rock. Walk part of the Via Dolorosa, from the Ecce Homo chapel to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Stop for a pizza lunch along the way. Leave the Old City to visit St. Peter in Gallicantu/Caiaphas’ House. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Friday April 12 - Starting on the Mt. of Olives, take a walk down the Palm Sunday Road. We will celebrate communion at the Dominus Flavit site. See the ancient olive trees and church at Gethsemane. Walk up to the Old City and enter at the Lion’s gate. Explore and sing at St. Anne’s church/Pools of Bethesda. Leave a prayer at the Western Wall. Take some free time with lunch on your own in the Old City. Depart in the late afternoon for a closing dinner and reflection. Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for late night departure for the US.
Saturday April 13 - Early morning arrival in the US.
The itinerary is always subject to change due to weather, road conditions, the imaginations of the group, and the work of the Holy Spirit!
Wednesday, April 3 - Arrive and transfer to our hotel on the Sea of Galilee, dinner, worship, and orientation.
Thursday, April 4 - Tour around the Sea of Galilee: the archeological site of Magdala, with worship in the ecumenical chapel. Take a meditative Boat Ride on the Sea. Enjoy a traditional St. Peter’s Fish lunch along the Sea. Visit the church and mosaic of the fish and loaves at Tagbha. Explore Capernaum, the Mt. of Beatitudes, and the newly opened Greek city of Sussita. Overnight at the Sea of Galilee.
Friday, April 5 - Drive north to region of the head waters of the river Jordan and take an easy hike to a waterfall. Have lunch in a Druze Village (self-pay.) Continue on to the site of Caesarea Philippi and further explore the northern region as time allows. Overnight at the Sea of Galilee.
Saturday, April 6 - Travel south to the Greek city of Beth-Shean. Drive to the hills of Nazareth and visit the Church of the Annunciation. Have a quick lunch (self-pay.) Take a walk up the Mt. of Precipice, and leave the region via the Armegeddon Valley and Iron Passageway to Caesarea Maritima and Roman Aqueduct along the Mediterranean Sea. Cross the Plains of Sharon to the hills of Judea in the West Bank. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Sunday, April 7 - Worship at Baraka Presbyterian Church and stay for fellowship. Enjoy lunch at Aida Camp with the women of Noor Weg. Then take a guided walk along the graffiti walls of Bethlehem, ending at the museum, gallery and tea room at the Walled Off/Banksy Hotel. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Monday, April 8 - Worship at Shepherd’s Fields. Visit the Church of the Nativity. Have lunch at the Palestinian village of Battir (Or Tent of Nations.) Take a drive to Hebron to a visit a glass and pottery factory (where you can try glass blowing and shop) Enjoy the local Palestinian dancers as they perform and teach us some steps. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Tuesday, April 9 - Drive to the Nablus region to visit Jacob, Rachel, Leah and the Samaritan woman’s Well. Proceed to Mt. Gezrim and visit with the Samaritans. Have lunch at the Samaria restaurant, adjacent to the site of Sebastiya. Explore Sebastiya and its ruins. Take a camel ride, if you’d like. And on the way home, if there is time, stop to taste Knafeh at a local sweet shop. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, April 10 - Drive from Jerusalem to the desert and worship at the Jordan River (Qasr al-Yahud) where we will renew our baptism. Go floating at the Dead Sea. Lunch (self-pay) at the Qumran caves. Watch the sun go down at Wadi Qelt or the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Thursday April 11 - Walk from our hotel through Herod’s Gate into the old city for an early morning tour through Al-Aqsa/Dome of the Rock. Walk part of the Via Dolorosa, from the Ecce Homo chapel to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Stop for a pizza lunch along the way. Leave the Old City to visit St. Peter in Gallicantu/Caiaphas’ House. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Friday April 12 - Starting on the Mt. of Olives, take a walk down the Palm Sunday Road. We will celebrate communion at the Dominus Flavit site. See the ancient olive trees and church at Gethsemane. Walk up to the Old City and enter at the Lion’s gate. Explore and sing at St. Anne’s church/Pools of Bethesda. Leave a prayer at the Western Wall. Take some free time with lunch on your own in the Old City. Depart in the late afternoon for a closing dinner and reflection. Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for late night departure for the US.
Saturday April 13 - Early morning arrival in the US.
The itinerary is always subject to change due to weather, road conditions, the imaginations of the group, and the work of the Holy Spirit!
