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Visiting the Holy Land is a life changing experience. You will never read the scriptures in quite the same way after walking in the footsteps of prophets, apostles, and the Savior. The men and women whose stories have inspired us since childhood come to life in a manner that is remarkable and penetrating. When Jesus walked to Emmaus with two of his disciples they later remarked, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” We feel confident you too will feel the power of the Bible’s familiar stories as you experience the sights and sounds of the land that gave to us our shared spiritual heritage. After visiting the lands of the scriptures you will always feel a certain unique homesickness for them and a longing to return.
Our special
tour includes all of the important Sites in Israel such as
Jerusalem, Garden Tomb, Galilee, Bethlehem, Masada and more.
It also includes Petra and Jordan, Mount Sinai, Sinai Desert,
Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The optional Egypt extension includes
Cairo, the Pyramids, King Tut's treasure, Luxor, Valley of
the Kings, Karnak Temple and more.
This once in a lifetime tour will visit many sites that others
are not able to see when they go to Israel. For example: The
City of Lehi excavations, located a short distance down from
Jerusalem. This is where caves were discovered with writings
on the inside walls. It was determined that the writings were
by a prophet in hiding that date approx. 600 BC. The Arabs
have considered the hill above the cave to be a sacred place.
As they put it – “before Mohamed there was a great
prophet named Lehi and he taught from that hill." Even
the archeologists in Jerusalem now call the area Beit Lehi.
With the Lehi excavations being on an army base, we are the
only ones that have received permission to visit the site.
“Whisper Perfect” headset receivers
Everyone on this tour will have their own individual “whisper
perfect” headset receiver. You will be able to hear
every word clearly spoken by our guides and educators, even
when you step away from the group to take that important picture.
CALL FOR PRICING AND FURTHER DETAILS
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DAY
BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: Sat. April 24th:Today we fly from our various USA cities to Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Day 2: Sun. April 25th: We arrive in Jordan, the ancient land of Moab, home of Ruth. It was here that David sent Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to his death. We will head directly south to Petra, the Rose-Red City. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel in Petra.
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Day 3: Mon. April 26th: This morning we explore Petra, the newly voted “Wonder of the World.” We will walk down the narrow canyon to the breathtaking view of the Treasury, Petra’s most famous landmark. You will have time to visit this fascinating city carved from the cliffs of the canyon and experience some of the best ruins found
anywhere in the world. After our tour we travel north to the border with Israel and then on to the Sea of Galilee. We check into our hotel for the next three nights.
Day 4: Tues. April 27th: This morning we will drive to Bet She’an, a New Testament Roman city. During the days of Saul, the Philistines hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan on the walls of Bet She’an after the Battle of Mt. Gilboa. We then travel to Ein Harod, the spring where Gideon chose his three hundred men before routing the Midianites. Then it is on to the top of Mt Carmel where Elijah had his historic confrontation with the priests of Baal with its dramatic conclusion. We will stop at Sepphoris to see some of the most beautiful mosaics in Israel. We travel on to Nazareth, home of the Savior for thirty years of his life. Our day ends with a sweeping view of the Jezreel Valley from Nazareth dominated by Mt. Tabor where we will discuss the transfiguration of the Savior. Deborah and Barak gathered their forces at Mt Tabor and defeated Sisera’s iron chariots. We descend in the evening to the Sea of Galilee and our hotel.
Day 5: Wed. April 28th: Our journey today takes us north of the Sea of Galilee. We begin by visiting Capernaum where so many wonderful events and teachings of the Savior took place. We then stop at the Mount of Beatitudes where we will ponder the great truths delivered by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Driving to the far north of
Israel we pass the Canaanite city of Hazor on our way to Tel Dan. Here Jeroboam erected a golden calf for the Israelites to worship, marking the beginning of a road that would end with the “lost ten tribes.” The restored walls and gates give us an excellent idea of the fortifications Joshua would have faced as he conquered the land. We will visit Banias, known as Caesarea Philippi in the days of Jesus where he asked his disciples, “Whom do ye say that I am?” Our day ends at Yardenit on the Jordan River where we will reflect on the healing of Naaman by the prophet Elisha. Tonight we will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and retell the stories of Jesus walking on the water and stilling the storm.
Day 6: Thurs. April 29th: This morning we head to the Mediterranean Sea. Our focus shifts now to the Apostles Peter and Paul as we discover Caesarea, Here the Roman centurion, Cornelius, became the first gentile convert to Christianity and Paul related his account of his vision on the road to Damascus to King Agrippa. We will visit the picturesque old Roman aqueduct and let you wade in the Mediterranean Sea. We conclude our visit to Caesarea at the Roman theatre, and hippodrome where chariot races were held. Time permitting we will stop in Netanya where the Presidents of the LDS Church and those who dedicated the Holy Land are honored in a special memorial. We drive south for our unique visit at Beit Lehi to experience an archeological dig firsthand. We will stop at the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath then continue on to the dig. Our visit to Beit Lehi includes beautiful early Christian mosaics, oil presses, a mikvah (a ritual bath) and the recently discovered columbary where doves were raised by the thousands for sacrifice at the Temple. There is also a New Testament period stable which will give you one of the best settings for the birth of the Savior. You can explore a remarkable site few get to visit. This is also the area where Samson roamed and fought his foes, the Philistines. Keep your eyes open for foxes which Samson used to burn the Philistine crops. We then ascend the Judean Hills to Jerusalem where we will overnight for the next three days.
Day 7: Fri. April 30th: Today we begin with the stunning view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. We then visit the Jerusalem Center with its equally commanding views of the Old City. We then travel to the new city of Jerusalem and visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are located, and the Model City, a reproduction of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. We will walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, built over 2500 years ago to secure the water supply of Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege. You will need a flashlight for the tunnel. At its end we find the Pool of Siloam where the man born blind washed as instructed by Jesus and came away seeing. We drive a few miles to Bethlehem where we will remember the wondrous account of the Savior’s birth as recorded in Mathew and Luke and retold each Christmas. We will walk through the Church of the Nativity and sing Christmas Carols. Our day ends at sundown at the Western Wall to watch the Jewish people welcome the Sabbath.
Day 8: Sat. May 1st: Today we reach the spiritual pinnacle of our pilgrimage as we retrace the footsteps of our Savior during the last hours of his life and feel the deep appreciation these places create for the sacrifice of the Son of God. We begin on Mt. Zion at the traditional site of the Upper Room where the Last Supper was shared with devoted apostles. We visit St. Peter in Gallicantu, the possible site of the cock’s crowing and the Palace of Caiaphas where Jesus was tried. From there we descend into the Kidron Valley to visit Gethsemane, the Garden of the Savior’s deepest prayers. In the afternoon we will enter the Old City and continue the last hours of the Savior’s life. We will visit The Church of St Anne where the Pools of Bethesda were located. Here Jesus commanded the impotent man to take up his bed and walk. We visit the Convent of the Sisters of Sion, the location of the Antonia Fortress where Pilate tried the Savior. Our highlight day concludes at Golgotha and the Garden Tomb where we will have time to ponder the Resurrection and final triumph of Christ.
Day 9: Sun. May 2nd: Our attention today is drawn to the Old City of Jerusalem. We will explore the ruins located south of the Temple Mount where you can walk the sidewalks and stairs of Jesus’ time. We will climb the Temple Mount where both Solomon’s and Herod’s temples once stood and where the magnificent Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosques now stand. We will stop at the Western Wall, the most sacred site for the Jewish faith. You can write a prayer on a piece of paper and place it into the cracks of the wall as millions have done before you. There will be some free time to explore the Old City before we drive through the Judean Wilderness to the Dead Sea. The Judean Wilderness was the home of John the Baptist and the place Jesus went to prepare for his ministry and where he was tempted of the Devil. Passing along the shores of the Dead Sea we will make a quick stop for a photo of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We will stop at Ein Gedi, the natural springs where David cut off the hem of Saul’s robe while hiding in a cave. Rising above the desert floor is Herod the Great’s fortress of Masada which we will visit via cable car. During the Jewish revolt in 70 C.E. Masada’s defenders committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner by the Romans. We end our day at our hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Day 10: Mon. May 3rd: This morning you can float in the Dead Sea before we leave for the Egyptian border. We then travel south through part of the wilderness area where Moses wandered with the Children of Israel. This is also the route Lehi’s family crossed while fleeing Jerusalem. Arriving at Eilat we cross the border with Egypt where we board our private plane for our flight to Aswan. We arrive at our cruise ship for dinner and the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime cruise on the Nile River.
Day 11 & 12: Tue & Wed. May 4th & 5th: 5 Star Luxury Nile Cruise
From your cruise ship you will visit Aswan, Aswan Dam, Edfu, Philae Island, Kom Ombo and Esna before arriving into Luxor.
Day 13: Thu. May 6th: 5 Star Luxury Nile Cruise – Luxor – Cairo
This morning we will depart our Luxury 5 star cruise ship and begin our tour around the Luxor Area. Luxor was one of the great capitals of ancient Egypt. We will enjoy a full day of touring, visiting the Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, a spectacular funeral temple built for Ramases III, the huge temple complex of Karnak and the beautiful temple of Luxor. This evening we will fly to Cairo and check into our 5 star luxury hotel, Intercontinental City Stars.
Day 14: Fri. May 7th: Cairo – Pyramids
We will spend the day touring the important sites around Cairo. Foremost are the Pyramids, built over four thousand years ago and the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. Next to the Pyramids we find the Sphinx. We will visit the papyrus institute where we will learn about this ancient skill and where you can purchase a beautiful example of Egyptian hieroglyphics. We will also visit the Alabaster Mosque and explore the world of the Muslim faith, before returning to our 5 star hotel.
Day 15: Sat. May 8th: Cairo
Today you will have some free time to relax, shop and pack for your flight home. Today will also be one of your highlight days as you visit the famous archeological museum in Cairo which houses the world’s greatest collection of Egyptian artifacts including King Tutankhamen’s treasures. Late this evening we transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Day 16: Sun. May 9th: US & home
We arrive back in the United States filled with memories of these wonderful lands where the scriptures, the greatest books ever written, were created.
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