Itinerary

1. Day 1: Way through Samaria to Jerusalem

   • Make your first stop in the Town of Sebastia and see its Israelite and Roman ruins. Reflect on how Jesus dealt with the relationship between Jews and Samaritans.

   • Continue to pass through Shechem (Nablus of today) located between the two biblical mountains: Ebal and Gerizim. 

   • Then stop at the Church of Jacob's Well to read and reflect on the Gospel. Grab a unique chance to drink at the same well that Jesus drank from and take some of its Holy water home.

   • Stand in front of the same church to reflect on the Blessing (Gerizim) and the Curse (Ebal) mountains. This is where the people of Israel made their oath to follow the commandments of God.

   • Proceed to descend through the same valley of Bathan, used by the Patriarchs Abraham and Jacob as they made their way to the opposite direction, to the promised land and reached the Jordan valley and Jericho.

   • Visit Jericho, pass near its sycamore tree, remember Zacchaeus, and view the Mt. of Temptation, where Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights.

   • If time permits, we will also make a short stop by the Jordan river, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

   • Make your way up to Jerusalem and stay overnight.      

2. Day 2: Jerusalem and Bethlehem

   • Start your day by driving up to Mt. of Olives to visit its highly spiritual sites, including the Ascension Chapel and the Pater Noster Church. 

   • Stand at the panoramic view of the mountain to see the city stretched in front of you and listen to its long, vibrant history.

   • Make your way down through the same route that The Lord took when He entered the city on the Palms Sunday, but do not forget to stop by the Dominus Flevit Chapel that reminds us of The Lord's weeping as He prophesized destruction of the city.

   • From there, we will continue our way down to the Church of All Nations (Church of Gethsemane) and reflect on His agony prayer and the story of the betrayal by Judas Iscariot.  

   • Afternoon, we will make our way to the Bethlehem area and start the visit with a stop in the Shepherd Field. It is where the angels of the Most High appeared before the humble shepherds to invite them to visit the New Born King - Jesus Christ (Luke 2).

   • We will then make our way up to the city of Bethlehem and will surely not miss the most ancient Church of Nativity of the 6th century and kneel in front of the place where Jesus was born - The Nativity Grotto. We will also see the Manger's place, and if it is possible, we might be lucky to see a small piece of the authentic Jesus manger in the near Church of St. Catherine.

3. Day 3: Jerusalem - Old City

   • Spend your day in the old city of Jerusalem. If it is not Friday or Saturday, we will ascend the Temple Mount (also called Al Aqsa Mosque according to Muslims) via the Dung Gate and walk through its courtyards to remind ourselves of the many events that took place in that exact location when Jesus visited Jerusalem mainly during the Jewish feasts.
   • We will exit the Northern Gate of the Temple Mt. and pass next to the Sheep Gate (today called The Lions Gate) to enter the Santa Anna Church and visit the nearby Bethesda Pools (John 5). We will reflect on how Jesus interpreted the scriptures. There will be an opportunity also visit the traditional birthplace of the Virgin Mary.
   • Continue to the Via Dolorosa and pass through the 14 stations of passion until we reach the Church of Holy Sepulcher. 
   • We will make a tour within the various sections of the church, including the Golgotha (Calvary), the Empty Tomb of Jesus and other parts of the church.
   • After a short break with a possibility for a quick lunch, we will proceed to the Jewish quarter to see the Roman Cardo and exit the old city through Zion Gate to visit the Upper Room.
   • It is the same place where the first church was established when Jesus offered the first communion to His disciples, symbolizing His Flesh and Blood offered as a sacrifice to wipe humankind's sins. It is also where the Holy Spirit ascended upon the disciples and the believers to continue the Ministry of The Lord.
   • We may stop by the church of Mary's Dormition - the traditional site where Mary fell asleep, and Her soul was assumed by The Lord.
   • Another short walk down the hill will take us to the house of Caiaphas (Church of St. Peter InGalicantu). This is where Jesus stood in front of the Jewish leaders for judgement. You will also see the pit where He was kept during Thursday's night before being taken to Pontius Pilate the next day and was sentenced to death.  
   • In the late afternoon, make your last walk to the Western Wall; this is the closest place to the Temple where the Jews of today can reach and pray. You may reflect on a young boy who was there for a "Bar Mitzva" ceremony around 2,000 years ago and decided not to make the way back home with His parents.
   • By the end of this intensive day, we will drive our way back to Galilee, possibly tired but full of joy and faith.