Itinerary
Mon. May 27: Depart
Sit back and relax as we depart for Israel and begin this exciting adventure of a lifetime! Depart from Huntsville International Airport at 12:20pm on Delta Air Lines flight DL1308, arriving at Atlanta International Airport at 2:21pm. Depart Atlanta on Air France flight AF681 at 5:00pm. Dinner and overnight on board your international flight.
Day 1
Tues. May 28: Arrive in Israel
Arrive at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Int’l Airport at 7:20am. Depart on flight AF962 at 9:20am. Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel at 2:40pm, we will be met by representatives of Vered Tours and transferred by deluxe motor coach to our hotel near the Mediterranean Sea for check-in and an overnight stay. (D)
Dan Panorama Hotel, 10 Kaufmann St., Tel Aviv, tel: =972-3-519-0190
Day 2
Wed. May 29: Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Sea of Galilee
We begin our tour with a visit to the Biblical port city of Joppa (Jaffa) at the south of modern Tel Aviv. It was from here that Jonah set sail to flee from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3) and it was here in Joppa that Peter raised Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead (Act 9;36-43). We will then meet with a local Christian Arab woman in her home to hear about her life and that of her family. We continue by driving north along the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea, a city founded by Herod the Great in 22 B.C. Here Peter proclaimed the good news to the Roman centurion, Cornelius. We will explore the city's famous Roman theater, harbor, newly-excavated hippodrome, and palace before continuing north to Mount Carmel, where Elijah prayed down the fire of the Lord and defeated the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). We will visit the excavations of the city of Megiddo, where 26 separate layers of cities have been found, each one built on top of the ruins of the previous city. We will view the beautiful Jezreel Valley, the location for the future gathering of the nations at Armageddon. From Mt. Arbel we will have a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee, before we descend to the water’s edge to check-in to our hotel. We will have dinner and stay overnight at our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. (B,D)
Kinar Galilee Hotel, Sea of Galilee, tel: +972-4-673-8888
Day 3
Thurs. May 30: Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Boat Ride, Jordan River Baptism
Today we will drive to the Mount of Beatitudes with its beautiful view overlooking the sea and the site where Jesus delivered one of His most powerful messages, the Sermon on the Mount. Along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee is Tabgha. It is believed that here Jesus walked along the shore and called out to Simon Peter and Andrew who were casting out their nets. James and John were also called to follow Jesus during that walk by the shore. This is believed to be the place of the loaves and fishes miracle. Visit Peter's Primacy, where Christ met with His disciples prior to His ascension (John 21). Our tour will then proceed to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry in Galilee, where He performed more miracles than at any other single place. There we will view the ancient synagogue where Christ taught and the house where Peter lived. We will cross the Sea of Galilee on a wooden fishing boat and then visit the "Jesus Boat," dating to the time of Christ, a wooden boat discovered in 1986 buried in the mud at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee. We will end our day with baptism in the Jordan River. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B,D)
Day 4
Fri. May 31: Golan Heights, Caesarea Philippi, Dan
Our day will begin by traveling through the Golan Heights. The Golan controls 30 percent of Israel's water resources. We will stop for a view of Syria to the east. We will travel to the New Testament City of Caesarea Philippi, in the area where Peter made his confession of Christ's deity (Matthew 16:13-16). We will visit the breathtaking Banias Waterfall, the site at which it is believed Psalm 42 was written. We will then drive north to the city of Dan, the northernmost city of Israel in the Old Testament. Abraham traveled from Hebron to Dan to rescue his nephew Lot from Kedorlaomer (Genesis 14:13-16). Here we will view the high place where wicked King Jeroboam set up a golden calf (2 Chronicles 11). Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)
Day 5
Sat. June 1: Nazareth, Beth She’an, Jerusalem
Today’s first stop will be in Nazareth, Jesus' boyhood home where we will visit the Nazareth Village, a recreation of Nazareth as Jesus would have known it. We then drive through the picturesque Gideon Springs (where Gideon tested his men, reducing his army from 10,000 to 300 by the way they drank water from the springs). Then we will travel south to Beth She’an to view the spectacular Roman and Byzantine ruins. The bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung from the city walls (1 Samuel 31:10-12) in Beth She’an after they were defeated by the Philistines. We will drive through the Jordan Valley and see the mountains of Moab and Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34). At Qasr El Yahud we will visit the site believed by the early church to be where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Continuing on toward our goal we will visit Jericho, the ancient Canaanite city destroyed by the power of God. Jericho remains one of the oldest known inhabited cities in the world. As we ascend to Jerusalem and to the Mount Scopus overlook, we will be able to survey the city of Jerusalem. We will check in to our hotel in Jerusalem and share dinner together. (B,D)
Grand Court Hotel, 15 St. George Street, Jerusalem, tel: +972-2-591-7777
Day 6
Sun. June 2: Mt. of Olives, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Israel Museum
Our visit to Jerusalem will begin at the top of the Mount of Olives. Here Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24-25). As we descend the Mount, we will stop at Dominus Flevit, the site commemorating the tears Jesus shed over Jerusalem before entering the city; there we will be reminded of what the Messiah saw as He looked out over Jerusalem. We will visit the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-45), where Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion. We will enter the Old City through the Dung Gate and ascend to the Temple Mount to view the Dome of the Rock, the spot on which Israel's Temple once stood. Then we will visit the Western "Wailing" Wall, the Jews' most sacred site, we will observe the lifestyles and traditions of the people within the Old City walls. We will enter the Western Wall Tunnels to get a better understanding of Solomon’s Temple. We will exit the tunnels onto the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus carried the cross along the narrow streets from Pilate's judgment hall toward Golgotha. We will stop at St. Anne's Church and the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the lame man (John 5: 1-9). Walk thru the market area taking in the sights, sounds and aromas of the shops that surround you. We will arrive at The Church of the Holy Sepulcher which commemorates one of the traditional sites of the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial. From here we will walk to the Jaffa Gate, leaving the Old City for a short drive to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls collection is exhibited and a model of Jerusalem from the time of Jesus is on display, both at the Israel Museum. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B,D)
Day 7
Mon. June 3: Qumran, Dead Sea, Masada
Today we will travel to the lowest spot on earth-the Dead Sea. We will visit Qumran, site of an ancient Essene community and of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will travel high above the shores of the Dead Sea and arrive at Masda, the spectacular mountaintop fortress built by Herod the Great. Masada is famous for being the last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. From the top of Masada, the Roman camps and siege ramp can still be seen. At Ein Gedi we will walk along this mountain stream to the waterfalls and desert oasis where in one of the nearby caves David hid from the wrath of King Saul. We will have an opportunity to stop at the Dead Sea and feel the salty water or take a swim. Afterwards, we will return to Jerusalem for our overnight stay. (B,D)
Day 8
Tues. June 4: Mt. Zion, Southern Steps, Bethlehem, Garden Tomb
We will begin our tour today on Mount Zion where the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest is located and where Jesus was held in a call after he was arrested. Then we will visit the Upper Room where the Holy Spirit visited Jesus and his disciples. We will sing praises in the Upper Room (Luke 22). We will continue touring sites within the Old City, Zion Gate, the Jewish Quarter arriving at the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount. We will sit on the temple steps where we know Jesus actually walked. From here we will depart for a short ride to Bethlehem to visit the site of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1-19). Bethlehem is also the burial site of Rachel (Genesis 35: 16, 19). We will return to Jerusalem and visit the Garden Tomb, where we will gain a sense of the agony of Christ's crucifixion at Calvary (Luke 23) and experience the exhilaration and reality of His resurrection. Following the tour of the Garden Tomb, we will have a special private communion service. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B,D)
Day 9
Wed. June 5: Free Day in Jerusalem
Enjoy a free day in Jerusalem today, providing you with an opportunity to revisit sites or explore the city on your own, shop for gifts or rest up before the journey home. We will gather at our hotel in the evening for our farewell meal and a brief chance to freshen up before our flight. We will transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for our return flight home. Depart Israel on Delta Air Lines flight DL235, departing at 11:55pm.
Day 10
Thurs. June 6: Arrival in USA
Arrive at New York’s JFK International Airport at 5:00am. Depart for Atlanta at 8:35am on DL1427, arriving at 11:09am. Depart for Huntsville at 2:00pm on DL1460, arriving at 1:52pm. Arrive home with memories to last a lifetime.
Day 11
Contact Information:
Tour Guide: Ronnie Netzer, mobile +972-52-384-2596
Vered Tours: Ms. Ellen Madison, mobile +972-54-975-4066, +1-617-410-6104
