Day 1 – Nov 3

Late afternoon departure from Toronto to Tel Aviv.

Day 2 – Nov 4

Morning arrival in Tel Aviv. Upon meeting our guide we embark on a panoramic view of Jaffa and are transferred to our hotel in Galilee. Time for rest, Mass, dinner and overnight.

Day 3 – Nov 5

After breakfast we depart for Tiberias. We travel by boat on the Sea of Galilee, visit Capernaum, home of St. Peter and the site of Jesus’ preaching, on to Tabgha to see the Church of the Multiplication with its beautiful 5th century fish mosaic. We also visit the Church of the Primacy and celebrate Mass on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Continue to Cesarea Philippi, where Jesus revealed to His disciples for the first time that He was indeed Messiah. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 – Nov 6

This morning we start our tour in Cana – the site of Jesus’ first miracle. Here we celebrate marriage renewal ceremony. We move on to Nazareth where we celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Annunciation and visit Mary’s Well and St. Joseph’s church. Continue to Bet She’an National Park to view spectacular ruins of the Roman and Byzantine city of Bet She’an overlooked by the high mound where the Biblical King Saud died. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 – Nov 7

Today we depart Galilee for Judea and the area of Jerusalem. En route we ascend Mount Tabor – the Mount of Transfiguration. Continue to Emmaus where Jesus appeared following His Resurrection. Then we visit Ein Karem, the picturesque village where St. John the Baptist was born and where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. We celebrate Mass in the Church of the Visitation and continue to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 – Nov 8

After breakfast we visit Bethlehem – where Jesus was born, celebrating Christmas Mass in one of the grottos. We visit the Manger, the Crusaders’ Cloister and the Grotto of St. Jerome – Shepherd’s field. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 – Nov 9

Today we leave for a full day excursion to Masada, the Dead Sea and Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. After Mass in Jericho we stop at the Jordan River in Qasr al-Yahud, where Jesus was baptized. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Time for swimming in the Dead Sea before traveling to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 – Nov 10

Today’s journey takes us to the ancient city of Jerusalem: St. Ann’s Church, Pool of Bethesda, Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation and the Arch of Ecce Homo, the convent of the sisters of Zion. We continue with the Stations of the Cross – Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulchre. Mass will be celebrated in one of the many churches of Jerusalem. In the afternoon we visit the Western Wall, also called the “Wailing Wall”. We see the place of the Mosque of Omar and El Aksar. Transfer to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 – Nov 11

We continue our tour of sacred places in Jerusalem. We visit the Mount of Olives: the Church of all Nations, the Church of Maria Magdalene, Dominus Flevit Church, Chapel of the Ascension, Garden of Gethsemane, Mary’s Tomb, Church of the Pater Noster. We continue to the village of Bethany with the tomb of Lazarus (time permitting). In the afternoon we visit Mount Zion with the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper) and the Church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 – Nov 12

This morning we visit the Friends of Zion Museum, where, with use of ground-breaking technology we meet the biblical figures, academics and people of goodwill who, through their faith, have forged an everlasting bond between the Jewish and Christian people. Continue to The Western Wall Tunnel, a fascinating underground tunnel exposing the full length of the Western Wall built by King Herod. Afternoon free time for leisure.

Day 11 – Nov 13

After breakfast we are transferred to the airport in Tel Aviv for a flight to Toronto. Evening arrival.