IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
Re-live biblical stories, visit holy places and delve into history. What once captivated ancient travellers, continues to enthrall visitors today.
Duration
12 Days
Start
Tel Aviv
Finish
Tel Aviv
Trip Code
FJ178
Trip Overview
In The Footsteps Of Jesus
A Larger Version Of The Route Map Can Be Seen Via The Media Gallery Tab
| Trip Code | FJ178 |
|---|---|
| Continent(s) | North Africa And Middle East |
| Countries | Israel, Jordan |
| Starts In | Tel Aviv |
| Ends In | Tel Aviv |
| Duration | 12 Days |
| Min/Max Travellers | Min 15, Max 40 |
| Travel Style(s) | Faith-Based, In-Depth Cultural, Historical, Adults-Only |
| Pace | 04 (Demanding) |
| Operator | Epik Escapes |
Highlights
- City tour of Tel Aviv.
- Visit Caesarea, the incredible fortress city.
- Ascend Mt. Carmel.
- Take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
- Pay a visit to Yardenit, the baptism centre on the Jordan River.
- Ascend Mt. Tabor and visit the Basilica of Transfiguration.
- Enjoy a Dead Sea experience.
- Discover Petra, the Red Rock City.
- Visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus.
- See the Armenian and Jewish Quarters in Jerusalem.
- Visit the Inn of the Good Samaritan as well as the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
- Tour the Western Wall Tunnels.
Trip Itinerary
Day-To-Day Itinerary • Select A Day For More Details
Day 01
Depart Canada
Depart Canada for Tel Aviv, Israel, where you will arrive the next day.
Day 02
Arrival In Tel Aviv • Jaffa
Jaffa, Israel
Upon arriving at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, you will meet your representative who will then begin the tour in Jaffa allowing you to have a breathtaking view of the city of Tel Aviv. At this picturesque port city of winding alleys, art galleries and crafts 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. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv where you will spend the remainder of the day at leisure. You can walk along the Mediterranean promenade to see the sunset.
| Accommodation | Metropolitan Hotel (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Dinner (D) |
Day 03
Tel Aviv • Caesarea • Mt. Carmel • Megiddo • Tiberias
Caesarea, Israel
Following breakfast, we drive north along the plain of Sharon, the Mediterranean and the old coastal road the Via Maris that linked Egypt and Babylon as we journey towards Galilee. We stop at Caesarea, the incredible fortress city built by King Herod the Great. Here, Pontius Pilate had his base, where Cornelius lived and was baptized, where Paul embarked to Tarsus and where Phillip preached. Visit the Roman theatre, the Hippodrome and the Crusader City before travelling north towards Haifa where we will ascend Mt. Carmel, the site where the prophet Elijah fought the 400 false prophets of Baal. We will then stop for an incredible view of Haifa, then return inland and proceed to Megiddo, one of the King Solomon walled fortified cities with ruins of 20 levels of civilization. From here, the Books of Daniel and Revelation will come alive as we read about the final Battle of Armageddon while viewing the Plains of Jezreel. The drive will then continue to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.
| Accommodation | Leonardo Plaza Hotel (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 04
Tiberias • Sea Of Galilee • Capernaum • Mount Of Beatitudes
Sea Of Galilee, Israel
We will start our day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to Kibbutz Ginossar where we view an ancient boat from the time of Jesus that was discovered in the Sea of Galilee. Then, continue on 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 worshiped. We will then take a drive to Tabgha and visit the church of the multiplication of loaves and fish. Then continue to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered what is perhaps the most famous sermon ever preached “The Sermon on the Mount”. We will then proceed to the site of the city of Korazim where you will see the remains of a first century synagogue where Jesus frequently ministered. We will drive north of the Golan Heights and visit Banias, one of the sources of the Jordan River and the site of ancient Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made the confession of faith in Christ. We will then return to Tiberias via the east side of the Sea of Galilee stopping at Kursi to see the place where demons entered the swine and the Sea of Galilee.
| Accommodation | Leonardo Plaza Hotel (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 05
Yardenit • Nazareth • Allenby • Dead Sea, Jordan
Yardenit, Israel
After breakfast, we start the day with a visit to Yardenit, the baptism centre on the Jordan River. Cana, where Jesus performed his public miracle: the turning of water into wine at the wedding feast. We will then visit Nazareth Village which depicts a village from the time of Jesus. Then, drive to Mt. Tabor and ascend up the mount by taxis and visit the Basilica of the Transfiguration. We will then continue southward 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, and mosaic 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.
We then depart Israel and drive to the Jordan border at the Allenby bridge crossing. Having passed through customs, you will meet your Jordanian guide and driver, and then will be driven to your hotel. At the hotel, you can enjoy the Dead Sea floating and natural minerals experience.
| Accommodation | Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 06
Dead Sea • Petra
Petra, Jordan
Early in the morning, we will drive to Petra. Take a horseback ride to the Siq (Canyon) and then on foot to Petra, known as Red Rock City, the ancient capital of the Nabateans from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD and now one of the new ancient wonders of the world. Visit the carved monuments such as the Treasure (a tomb of a Nabatean king), then the field of tombs, obelisks and alter. Petra is also the burial place of Aaron, brother of Moses. In the afternoon, we head back to our hotel. If time permits, stop over at Kerak to see the Crusaders’ castles.
| Accommodation | Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 07
Dead Sea • Mt. Nebo • Madaba • Dead Sea
Mt. Nebo, Jordan
Today, after breakfast, we will drive up to Mt. Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. We will then head to Madaba, the Byzantine centre of the master mosaics, where you will see the oldest surviving mosaic map of the Holy land. We will then drive back to the hotel and spend the day at leisure.
| Accommodation | Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 08
Dead Sea • Amman • Bethany Beyond The Jordan • Allenby • Jericho
Amman, Jordan
After breakfast, we will drive to Amman and enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour. In Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, we will visit the citadel and Roman amphitheater. We will then drive to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus (where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist). Next, we drive back to the Allenby border crossing where you will meet your Israeli guide and driver. You will then be taken to ancient Jericho for a view of the Mount of Temptation and Elisha’s Fountain. We will then drive to Jerusalem where you will check-in to your hotel.
| Accommodation | Crowne Plaza (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 09
Jerusalem Old City
Jerusalem, Israel
Today, we will drive to the top of the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Tracing the footsteps of Jesus, we will stroll down the Palm Sunday route on the Mount of Olives to visit the Dominus Flevit Church, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. From here we will proceed by bus across the Kidron Valley, past the tombs of Absalom, Zecharia and James, and proceed to Mount Zion to visit the traditional site of the Upper Room (room of the Last Supper), King David’s tomb and the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, built on top of the High Priest’s Caipha house and the Dormition Abbey. We walk to the Zion gate, enter the Old City of Jerusalem and walk through the Armenian Quarter to the Jewish Quarter. Walk along the Roman / Byzantine street called the Cardo to the Davidson Centre and visit the archaeological park of the excavations along the western and southern walls of the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest spot. Take in the view from outside the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount. We then continue our walk along the Via Dolorosa to visit the Pools of Bethesda, St. Anne Church, Chapel of the Flagellation and Pilates Judgement Hall. We will pass through colourful bazaars, alleyways and marketplaces before reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a visit. Finish the day with a visit to the Garden Tomb for a communion service and then return to your hotel.
| Accommodation | Crowne Plaza (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 10
Masada • Qumran • Good Samaritan Inn • Bethany
Masada, Israel
This morning, a beautiful new road takes us south along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, a truly remarkable piece of history. Ascend to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 AD, the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. Return along the Dead Sea to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Visit the remains of the Community Centre of the Essenes and the Caves of the Scrolls. We then continue on the Jericho road viewing the Inn of the Good Samaritan. On the return to your hotel in Jerusalem, we will visit Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
| Accommodation | Crowne Plaza (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 11
Bethlehem • Israel Museum • Yad Vashem • Western Wall Tunnels
Bethlehem, Israel
After breakfast, we start our tour with a visit to Bethlehem where we will visit the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus. We will then drive to the Shepard’s field, then the field of Boaz and Ruth. We return to Jerusalem passing Rachael’s Tomb. In the afternoon, we will continue to tour New Jerusalem Hebrew University, the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and the model city of Jerusalem. We will then visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust commemorating the six million Jews who perished. We will tour the Western Wall Tunnels running along the base of the Western Wall which will lead us through the Second Temple and reveal the amazing construction of the Temple Mount, water supply and Roman street where our Lord was led to judgment. We then return to the hotel to freshen up for the farewell dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant.
| Accommodation | Crowne Plaza (4*) or similar. |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) • Dinner (D) |
Day 12
Depart Tel Aviv
Check-out from your hotel and depart Tel Aviv in the morning.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast (B) |
|---|
Finer Details
Trip Code: FJ178
Inclusions
- Accommodation for 10 nights in the mentioned 4 star hotels or similar in standard rooms.
- Daily breakfast and dinner as mentioned in the itinerary.
- 9 en-route lunches (3 in Jordan and 6 in Israel).
- Airport and border assistance upon arrival in Israel and Jordan.
- Deluxe air conditioned buses for 11 days touring in Israel and Jordan including all transfers.
- Professional Israeli and Jordanian licensed English speaking tour guides.
- Entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary.
- Horse ride in Petra.
- Hotel porters.
- One farewell dinner on the last day in Israel.
- Welcome kit: One map and one hat for each passenger.
- Gift: Holy Land Pilgrimage certificate for each passenger.
Exclusions
- International flights.
- Departure tax (Israel side) / Allenby Bridge: $50.00 USD per person.
- Departure tax (Jordan side) / Allenby Bridge: $15.00 USD per person.
- Horse drawn carriages in Petra.
- Lunches or extra meals.
- Whisper devices: Supplement USD $15.00 per person. For the whole period in Israel only.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Beverages, including mineral water or any other personal items.
- Anything extra not mentioned above.
- Extra optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary.
Rates & Dates
Based In American Dollars • Per Person • Includes Tax
| Rate Per Person | 2019 Season |
|---|---|
| $2,421.00 | 15 - 19 Travellers |
| $2,265.00 | 20 - 24 Travellers |
| $2,159.00 | 25 - 29 Travellers |
| $2,098.00 | 30 - 34 Travellers |
| $2,046.00 | 35 - 39 Travellers |
| $2,005.00 | 40 Travellers |
| $978.00 | Single Supplement |
The above rates are based in American Dollars, per person and includes the tax. The above rates do not include international flights. Rates and dates are subject to change without notice based on availability and conditions that are out of our control.
