restoring hope to cities tour to israel

VANCOUVER, CALGARY, WINNIPEG & TORONTO

Departure on Air Canada from Vancouver at 7:00am. Arriving in Toronto at 2:30pm to connect to our non-stop flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv departing at 4:50pm from Terminal 1.

TEL AVIV / JERUSALEM

Arrive in Tel Aviv at 10:15AM. We begin our Discovery project with Bridges for Peace Israel, serving the people of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

Our work project continues during the day; the evening is for relaxation or exploration. Dinner and overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

Continuing to serve in Jerusalem Dinner and overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

We wrap up our work project today. Dinner and overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM

We start the day at the Mount of Olives, for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. From here, we proceed by bus across the Kidron Valley, past the Tombs of Absalom, Zechariah and James and proceed to Mt Zion to visit the traditional site of the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper) and the Church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, built on top of the High Priest Caiphas’ house. We walk to the Zion Gate and enter the Old City of Jerusalem through this gate and walk through the Armenian Quarter to the Jewish Quarter. Visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest spot. We continue our walk along the Via Dolorosa to visit the Pools of Bethesda, St. Anne’s Church, Chapel of the Flagellation and Pilate’s Judgment Hall. We pass through the colourful bazaars, alleyways and market places and reach the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for a brief visit. Drive to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in the world and birthplace of Jesus. Dinner and overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

QUMRAN / MASADA / DEAD SEA

This morning we drive to Masada. You will take a cable car to the summit of this magnificent fortress built by King Herod the Great and the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots. Visit the historic ruins and see the palaces, bathhouses, swimming pool, and the oldest synagogue in the world on this mountain in the middle of the desert. Continue to the shores of the Dead Sea where you will have time for a chance to float in the saltiest body of water in the world. Drive to Qumran, where a young shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 in the cave that you will see. These scrolls are the oldest scriptures of the Bible ever found. You will see the where the Essenes who wrote these scrolls lived and wrote these scrolls. We ascend 3700 feet through the Judean Wilderness to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Dinner & overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

We start the day visiting Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust commemorating the six million Jews who perished. Visit and walk through the newly opened Museum, the Children’s Memorial and walk along the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles for those who risked their lives to save Jewish lives. Drive to the excavated City of David to see remains of Jerusalem from the time of King David. See Hezekiah’s Tunnel and visit the Pool of Siloam. Continue to the Davidson Center using the state of the art technology and film showing what the Temple Mount was like from the time of Jesus. You will continue to the Southern Wall Excavations and see the walls from the time of King Herod and walk on the same steps Jesus walked on going up to the Temple. We finish the day at the Garden Tomb. Preserved by the Garden Tomb Association, these beautiful gardens surround the traditional site of the Garden Tomb. You will have time for a Communion Service privately in the gardens. Dinner & overnight at the Prima Kings Hotel, Jerusalem

BEIT SHEAN / NAZARETH / JORDAN RIVER / TIBERIAS

We depart Jerusalem and drive through the lush Jordan Valley, where the desert now blooms with flowers and vegetation of every description (Isaiah 35:1-2) to Beit Shean, where we will walk through the incredible excavations of the largest ongoing archaeological dig in the land of Israel with its Roman theatre, colonnaded Roman streets, mosaics and Roman bathhouses. It is also the city where the body of King Saul and his sons were nailed to the walls by the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:10). We continue to Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus. We will visit Nazareth Village depicting a village from the time of Jesus. We finish the day with a visit to Yardenit, the Baptismal Centre on the Jordan River. Dinner & overnight at the Leonardo Hotel, Tiberias.

JESUS’ MINISTRY IN THE GALILEE

After breakfast, we will begin our day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to Kibbutz Ginossar where we will see an ancient boat from the time of Jesus displayed at the Kibbutz Museum. Continue to Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the site of many of his miracles. We will see the remains of Peter’s house and the synagogue site where Jesus taught and worshipped. Drive to Tabgha and visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. Visit Magdala to visit the oldest synagogue on the Sea of Galilee from the first century, and a complete first century city. Continue to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered what is perhaps the most famous sermon ever preached – “The Sermon On The Mount” (Matt.5). We will drive north to the Golan Heights and visit Banias, one of the sources of the Jordan River and the site of ancient “Caesarea Philipi”, where Peter made the confession of faith in Christ (Matt; 16:16). After descending from the Golan Heights stop at Kursi the site which is identified as the place where Jesus cast the demons into the swine in the area of the Geresenes. Dinner & overnight at the Leonardo Hotel, Tiberias

MT. CARMEL / MEGIDDO / CAESAREA / JAFFA-TEL AVIV

We depart Tiberias after breakfast and we drive to Haifa and ascend Mt. Carmel, the site where the prophet Elijah fought the 400 false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:30). We will stop for an incredible panoramic view of Haifa. We turn inland and proceed to Megiddo, one of King Solomon’s walled fortified cities (1 Kings 9:15; 10:26), with ruins of 20 levels of civilization. We drive to Caesarea to visit the incredible fortress city built by King Herod the Great. Here is where Pontius Pilate had his base; where Cornelius lived and was baptized (Acts 10); where Paul embarked to Tarsus (Acts 9:30) and where Philip preached (Acts 8:40). Continue south along the Mediterranean to Jaffa, which affords us a breathtaking view of the city of Tel Aviv. At this picturesque port city of winding alleys, art galleries and craft boutiques, King Solomon had the cedars of Lebanon rafted for the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem. You will view the spot of the House of Simon the Tanner (Acts 10:6). Dinner & overnight at the Grand Beach Hotel, Tel Aviv.

TEL AVIV / VANCOUVER

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your non-stop flight on Air Canada to Toronto departing at 11:55am. Arriving in Toronto at 5:00pm. Connect in Toronto to Vancouver departing on Air Canada at 8:00pm and arriving in Vancouver at 10:08pm.