Grand Holyland Sunday arrival / 10 nights / 8 touring days
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE TOURS Grand Holyland (including Eilat)

Sunday
Arrival to Ben Gurion airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel .
Overnight Tel-Aviv.

Monday
Caesarea / Megiddo / Haifa / Acre
Depart Tel Aviv and drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. Visit the excavations of the ancient city, the Roman theater and aqueduct. Continue to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon; visit the archaeological excavations including the well-preserved water supply system.
Drive to Haifa for a panoramic view of the Bahai gardens and Haifa bay.
From Haifa, drive to Acre to visit the ancient city and harbor.
Continue to Kibbutz Lavi for overnight.

Tuesday
Tiberias / Capernaum / Banias
After a short tour of Tiberias, we take a boat ride to Capernaum. Visit the remains of the ancient synagogue. Proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of fish and loaves, and visit the Church of Multiplication with its 4th century mosaic floor. Continue to Mount of beatitudes, the place where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount. Drive to the Banias Springs and waterfalls and tour the Golan Heights.
Return to Kibbutz Lavi for overnight.

Wednesday
Nazareth / Beit Shean
Drive to Nazareth via Cana of Galilee. Visit the Church of Annunciation,
St. Joseph’s workshop and Mary’s Well. Drive to Yardenit, the baptismal site on the Jordan river; continue to Beit Shean, a newly excavated city, and visit the Roman theater. Drive along the Jordan River to Jerusalem for overnight.

Thursday
Jerusalem – Old City
Drive to Mount of olives for a panoramique view of the city; visit the Church of All Nations, King David’s tomb and the Room of Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter  the walls of the city and visit the Cardo, Temple Mount (entrance to the mosques not included), Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, oriental Bazaar.
Visit the Garden Tomb.
Overnight in Jerusalem.

Friday
Jerusalem – New City and Bethlehem
Drive to Ein Karem to visit the Church of Visitation; proceed to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the holocaust; visit the Israel museum, the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed, and the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period.
Proceed to Bethlehem * to visit the Church of Nativity.
Overnight in Jerusalem.

Saturday
Dead Sea /Qumeran/ Masada
Drive to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found. Visit the ancient city of Qumran and drive along the shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, to Masada, the last stronghold of the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Ascend Masada by cable car and visit the food storerooms, water irrigation system and Herod’s palace. Descend by cable car.  Time and weather permitting,  an opportunity will be provided to float on the Dead Sea.
Return to Jerusalem for overnight.

Sunday
Timna/underwater observatory/Eilat
Travel south through the Negev desert; visit Timna and see the copper mines, King Solomon’s pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations. Continue to Eilat and stop to visit the underwater observatory, one of the largest seaquariums in the world built into a coral reef .
Overnight Eilat.

Monday
Free day in Eilat or Day in Petra (optional)
After assistance with visa to the Jordanian border, drive straight away to Petra through desert highways, your ultimate destination is the astonishing rose-red city of Petra which was built by the Nabateans (an early Arab tribe). Petra was renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans who settled in the south of Jordan more than 2000 years ago. The visit begins with the possibility of a 700 meter horseback-ride until the entrance of the Siq, which is about 1.2 km long (walking distance). There is a possibility to rent a chariot (extra charge) to get inside Petra and back to the gate outside. Petra is famous for its huge monuments such as the Treasury, Royal Tombs, the Court, Roman theatre, Roman Street, Qassier El- Bint (Palace of Pharaoh’s daughter) and many other smaller monuments which fascinate the visitors. The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the second wonder of the world. After the visit, time for lunch in a nice restaurant. After lunch drive back to border. On the way,  a short visit to Aqaba with the possibility to stop and take a walk around. Transfer to the border at around 18:00 p.m and crossing back to Eilat.
Overnight Eilat.

Tuesday
Mitzpe Ramon/Sde Boker /Tel-Aviv
Depart Eilat and drive via Mitzpe Ramon; stop to gaze into the Ramon crater , a geological wonder; proceed to Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley.  Stop for a camel riding experience and a visit to an authentic Bedouin tent; learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch.
Continue to Hatzerim and visit Israel’s Airforce Museum to view the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force.
Drive back to Tel-Aviv .

Wednesday
Transfer to Ben Gurion airport for departure.

* Visit subject to the security conditions.

The above program can be extended and tailor-made for private tours according to the different denominations.