Holy Land and Jordan

Day 1 | USA Departure for Amman, Jordan
Depart the USA for Amman, Jordan. Dinner and breakfast will be served during your transatlantic flight.

Day 2 | Arrival in Jordan
Upon arrival in Amman, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel in Amman. Remainder of the day is free to relax and rest after your long flights. Our group will enjoy a splendid Middle Eastern dinner tonight at the hotel. (D)

Day 3 | Amman – Mt. Nebo – Madeba – Kerak – Petra
This morning after a filling breakfast we depart Amman for Mt. Nebo, one of Jordan’s most distinguished holy sites, the place Moses was buried. As we visit the Sanctuary at Nebo we take part in a pilgrimage which has been made since the times of the First Testament for we know Moses was an important prophet of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Later we continue to the ‘City of Mosaics”– Madeba, to visit the St. George Church, and to the Castle of Kerak, one of the three largest crusader castles. We arrive in the evening in Petra, where we will spend the following two nights. (B, D)

Day 4 | Petra
This morning we awake in Petra and after breakfast enjoy a walking tour to the Siq or main entrance, to the Treasury. Listen to our guide share history as we take in the marvelous structures hewn into the pink sandstone by the Nabateans. Spend the day in this ancient place. Dinner and overnight in Petra tonight. (B, D)

Day 5 | Petra – Jerash – Israel
Today we pack and get ready for one of our longer days. We leave Petra traveling north to Jerash in the mountains of Gilead, site of some of the best preserved Roman architecture apart from Italy. Our guide will share the history of the Romans here as we immerse ourselves in the beautiful landscapes. There are still city walls, fountains, towers and gates dating to Alexander the Great. Studies and excavations show Jerash was already inhabited during the Bronze Age (3200 BC – 1200 BC). This afternoon we cross into Israel at the Jordan River crossing (Nahar Ha–Yarden/ Sheikh Hussein Crossing). Dinner and overnight in Nazareth. (B, D)

Day 6 | Nazareth – Cana – Haifa – Stella Maris Monastery – Mt. Carmel
This morning we wake to a delicious breakfast. After we’ve had our fill, visit the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. We will have time for personal reflection before heading to Mary’s Well and the Chapel of St. Joseph. In the late morning we continue to Cana for Holy Mass and a special renewal of our wedding vows at the ‘Wedding Church’. In the afternoon our coach whisks us away to Haifa, Mount Carmel and the Stella Maris Monastery where we take in the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. During our drive, we pass the famed Bahá’í gardens. Return to Nazareth for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

Day 7 | Nazareth – Mt. Tabor – Tiberias – Capernaum – Tabgha
After a filling breakfast, ascend to the top of Mt. Tabor, the mount of Transfiguration for Holy Mass. The road up the mountain is so winding we must leave the coach at the base and take little mini–busses up! Our theologian guide and Spiritual Director will tell us about the Transfiguration of Jesus. Later we drive to Tiberius and sail across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Visit Capernaum, the home town of Jesus, then the beautiful Mount of Beatitudes, and on to Tabgha – to view the mosaics in the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. Check in this evening at an oasis–like resort in Jericho. (B, D)

Day 8 | Jordan River – Jericho – Dead Sea
Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan River. This morning we beat the crowds by getting to the Jordan River early. On the banks of the Jordan we will celebrate Holy Mass and our Priest will renew our baptisms here. In the late morning visit the excavations of the oldest city in history, Jericho; view the Mount of Temptation. Depending on the energy level of the group, we may ascend the Mount of Temptation by foot. Continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth and spend the afternoon relaxing and floating in the Dead Sea. Overnight in Jericho. (B, D)

Day 9 | Bethlehem – Ein Karem
Today we visit Bethlehem, the Basilica of the Nativity, the Grotto and the Manger. We also stop at the Shepherd’s Field. In the afternoon we continue to Ein Karem, the valley of the Visitation, the Magnificat and the birthplace of John the Baptist. Then we take a panoramic drive through the city of Jerusalem, viewing the Knesset building and the Menorah. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)

Day 10 | Jerusalem
Start the day from the top of the Mount of Olives with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Old City. Visit the Chapels of Pater Noster, the Ascension, Dominus Flevit and the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the afternoon, visit Mount of Zion, St. Peter in Gallicantu (House of Caiphas), the Room of the Last Supper (Cenacle) and the Tomb of King David. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)

Day 11 | Jerusalem
In the morning we take a walking tour in the Old City of Jerusalem. From the chapels of the Flagellation and Lithostrotos, follow the 14 Stations of the Cross along the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) through the Old City to Calvary and Holy Sepulchre in the Basilica of the Resurrection. In the afternoon we visit the Wailing Wall, the holiest site of Judaism; the Mosques of Al Aksa and the Dome of the Rock, Islamic presence in the Holy City; the Crusader Church of St. Anne and the Pool of Bethesda. We will enjoy a final group dinner tonight in Jerusalem sharing our experience of the Holy Land with our friends from atop our hotel with one of the most awe inspiring panoramic views of Old Jerusalem, an image which you will never forget. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)

Day 12 | Tel Aviv Departure for USA
After breakfast transfer to the airport in Tel Aviv for your flight home. (B)