Walk Where Jesus Walked: A 10-Day Holy Land Pilgrimage

Land at Ben Gurion. Our representative meets the group at arrivals, handles the transfer to the hotel on the Mediterranean coast, and gets everyone checked in. Dinner together that evening, a short orientation from your guide on what the next nine days look like, and an early night. Most groups arrive jet-lagged. Day 1 is intentionally light. No touring.

Begin in Joppa where Peter received the rooftop vision that opened the Gospel to the Gentiles. Drive north along the coast to Caesarea Maritima, the Roman port where Cornelius was baptized. Climb Mount Carmel for Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Cross the Jezreel Valley to Megiddo, the Armageddon plain of Revelation 16. Arrive at the Sea of Galilee for dinner.

Board a wooden boat for a morning crossing of the lake, the same waters where the disciples were called and the storm was stilled. Walk the slope of the Mount of Beatitudes, the natural amphitheater where the Sermon on the Mount was preached. Pause at Tabgha for the multiplication of loaves and fish. End at Capernaum, the village Jesus used as His base of operations. Afternoon ascent to the Golan Heights.

Drop into the Jezreel Valley between Beit Shean and Mount Gilboa, the battlefield where King Saul's reign ended and David's began. Stop at the spring of Harod where Gideon chose his three hundred. Climb to Nazareth, Jesus' hometown for thirty years, and stand on the cliff at the Mount of Precipice. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation. Close the day in Cana, the village of the first miracle.

Renew baptismal vows at the Jordan River. Drive south through the Jordan Valley, past Jericho and the Mount of Temptation where Jesus fasted forty days. Pause at Qumran, the Essene settlement where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Stop at the Ein Gedi oasis, David's hiding place from Saul. Check in at the Dead Sea with afternoon time to float on the world's lowest body of water.

Take the cable car up to Masada, Herod's desert fortress and the last stand of the Jewish revolt against Rome. From there, drive the Judean wilderness road, the same climb pilgrims made for Passover. Pause at Bethany at the tomb of Lazarus. Reach the crest of Mount Scopus for a Triumphal Entry ceremony at the walls of the Old City. Continue to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane at sunset.

Circuit the gates of the Old City: New Gate, Damascus, Herod's, Lions, and Dung. Descend into the City of David, the original Jerusalem of David and Solomon, and walk to the Pool of Siloam. Cross to Mount Zion for the Upper Room and the traditional tomb of David. Enter the Old City through Zion Gate. Pray at the Western Wall. Walk the Hasmonean Tunnel along the foundation of the Second Temple.

Drive south into the Judean hills to Bethlehem. Visit the Shepherds' Fields and descend into the Grotto of the Nativity beneath the Byzantine basilica. Return to Jerusalem through Lions Gate. Pause at the Pools of Bethesda. Walk the Via Dolorosa, station by station, exiting through Damascus Gate. Reach Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. Most groups schedule communion here. It is the right place for it.

Panoramic tour of West Jerusalem: the Knesset, the Supreme Court, the seven-branch Menorah. Visit the Israel Museum to see the scaled model of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple, then the Shrine of the Book where the Isaiah Scroll is on display. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, in the late morning. The afternoon stays open for personal reflection, last shopping, or a return walk through the Old City.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ben Gurion airport with assistance through check-in and security. Most flights to North America depart late morning or midday, which means an early start. Groups flying to Europe usually have a more relaxed morning. Your guide and driver remain with the group through airport drop-off. End of services.