Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus hosted by Dave & Jerri McGarrah

Overview

Videos

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: USA/Israel

• Departure on the first leg of your overnight flight to Israel

Full Day Itinerary: Today, depart on the first leg of your overnight flight to Israel. Aloft, we will have dinner, a little sleep time, breakfast, and the opportunity to praise the Lord for His great creation from the vantage point of 35,000 feet! 

Day 2: Tel Aviv

1 night Dan Panorama, Tel Aviv. Dinner.

• Arrive in Tel Aviv, where you’ll be met and escorted to your hotel
• Balance of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. After passing through passport control and customs, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel to check in. Get a good night sleep tonight to be ready for your Israel adventure in the morning.

Day 3: Jaffa, Caesarea, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth & Tiberias

2 nights Nof Ginosar Hotel. Breakfast & dinner.

• Visit Caesarea, Roman capital of Judea
• Tour Megiddo, the site of Biblical Armageddon
• See Sepphoris, the original home of Mary's parents
• View the 1st century “Jesus Boat” at Nof Ginosar

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, take a panoramic tour of ancient Jaffa, then drive north along the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea, ancient Roman capital of Judea. Here we view the beautifully restored theater, and the ruins of the ancient town, its harbor and aqueduct. We travel inland to Megiddo (Biblical Armageddon), then continue to Muhraka on Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the priests of Ba’al. Continue to Sepphoris located 6.5 kilometers north-west of Nazareth and was the old capital of Galilee during the time of Jesus. According to tradition, the original home of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne (or Anna) was at Sepphoris. During the 12th century, the Crusaders built a huge Church of St. Anna, possibly on the site of their home. This afternoon we'll see the first century "Jesus Boat", found by members of Kibbutz Nof Ginosar after a drought in 1985 caused the water level in the Sea of Galilee to fall lower than usual, exposing this ancient boat. Buried in a mud-bank along the shore of the Sea of Galilee near the ancient town of Migdal for almost two millennia, it was the first (and so far, the only) ancient boat to be recovered from the Sea of Galilee. 

Day 4: Golan Heights

Breakfast & dinner.

• Boat ride across the Sea of Galilee
• Private Jeep tour
• Visit the Golan Heights

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Later, we will enjoy a two hour jeep tour from Galilee to the Golan Heights. The exact region defined as the Golan Heights is different in different disciplines. As a geological and biogeographical region, the Golan Heights is a basaltic plateau bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south and the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon with Mount Hermon in the north, and Wadi Raqqad in the east. The western two-thirds of the region are currently occupied by Israel, whereas the eastern third is controlled by Syria. As a geopolitical region, the Golan Heights is the area captured from Syria and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War, territory which Israel effectively annexed in 1981. This region includes the western two-thirds of the geological Golan Heights, as well as the Israeli-occupied part of Mount Hermon. Time permitting, we will also visit Gamla this evening before returning to our hotel on the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Yardenit, Beit She'an, Jericho & Dead Sea

Accommodations 1 night Daniel Dead Sea. Breakfast & dinner.

• Take part in a baptism at Yardenit on the Jordan River
• Tour Beit She'an
• Enjoy a hike through Ein Gedi Nature Reserve to David's waterfall
• View the Qumran Caves
• Drive through the Jordan Valley to reach the Dead Sea

Full Day Itinerary: This morning we will stop at Yardenit, a special site on the Jordan River, for a Baptism service.  We continue to Beit She'an, an ancient city which has been extensively excavated and is considered the best preserved Roman-Byzantine city in Israel. Visit the colonnaded streets, bath houses, and magnificent mosaics. Continue driving south through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, one of the oldest known cities in the world. It is near Jericho that Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist. Continue to Ein Gedi, David's waterfall, a wonderful nature center. You will also visit Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Finally, check in to your hotel near the Dead Sea. 

Day 6: Arad, Beit Guvrin & Jerusalem

3 nights Dan Panorama, Jerusalem. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Drive south via Arad and Beit Guvrin
• Continue to Jerusalem - our highlight of the tour!

Full Day Itinerary: Today we will continue our journey to Jerusalem via Arad and Beit Guvrin. Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park is located in central Israel, 13 kilometers from Kiryat Gat, encompassing the ruin of Maresha, one of the important towns of Judah during the time of the First Temple, and Beit Guvrin, an important town in the Roman era, when it was known as Eleutheropolis. Archaeological artifacts unearthed at the site include a large Jewish cemetery, a Roman-Byzantine amphitheater, a Byzantine church, public baths, mosaics and burial caves. Later continue to Jerusalem. On arrival, check in at the last hotel for the remainder of your trip.

Day 7: Old City of Jerusalem

Breakfast & dinner.

• Explore Christian Heritage and its Jewish Roots
• Mount Zion and the Upper Room
• Garden of Gethsemane
• Walk the Via Dolorosa
• Pray at the Garden Tomb

Full Day Itinerary: Today we enjoy a full day of sightseeing in the Old City of Jerusalem, exploring our Christian heritage and its Jewish roots. We'll begin our day with a visit to the Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, Mount Zion, the site of the Upper Room, and the Kidron Valley. Walk the Palm Sunday path to Dominus Flevit Chapel and visit the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. Enter the Old City, and within the walls, walk the Via Dolorosa, the agonizing route Jesus walked with the cross on the way to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb.

Day 8: Shiloh & Jerusalem

Breakfast & dinner.

• Full day tour of Shiloh

Full Day Itinerary: Today you will enjoy a full day visit to Shiloh. Shiloh was established by Joshua, son of Nun, approximately 3,500 years ago, as the spiritual capital of Israel. The Tabernacle was placed there, and Jews from all over the land came to worship at the location (Joshua 18:1). The Tabernacle stood in Shiloh for over 350 years according to Jewish tradition, and its remains can still be seen today. One of the most special features of historical Shiloh, said Sela, was the emphasis placed on the importance of women during Biblical times. Women even worked around the Tabernacle, helping to run the holy site.

Day 9:  Jerusalem/Evening Departure

Breakfast & dinner. 

• Day of leisure in Jerusalem
• Transfer to the airport with dinner en route

Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day at leisure in Jerusalem. Stroll the busy streets of downtown Jerusalem, shop in the Old City "shuk", and explore the many amazing facets of the world's most desired and coveted city. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers before your late evening transfer to Ben Gurion Airport to board your return flight home, departing shortly after midnight. 

Day 10: USA

• Arrive in the USA this morning

Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 21 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Israel? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.