10-Day Holy Land, Dead Sea & Cairo

DAY 1: USA / EUROPE.  Tour members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours prior to their departure to Europe.  Dinner and breakfast will be served in-flight.

DAY 2: EUROPE / TEL AVIV. Upon our arrival at the Tel Aviv airport we will be met and taken to  Ancient Joppa on the Sea, where Jonah set sail, and where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead.  Joppa was the home of Simon the Tanner.  Then continue to our hotel in Herzlia - a suburb of Tel Aviv - situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  Dinner will be served at our hotel.  Weather permitting, we suggest a walk on the beach after dinner.

DAY 3: TEL AVIV / GALILEE.  After breakfast we drive through the citrus groves and farms of the rich land of Sharon, northward to Caesarea, the Roman city of Herod where sights include Crusader fortifications and the Roman aqueducts and amphitheater.  Driving through the Jezreel Valley to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and Megiddo.  Continuing northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Haifa and Mt. Carmel - the biblical site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal (I Kings:18). Traveling eastward across Galilee we will view Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), Deboriya - the hometown of the prophetess Deborah - at the foothill of Mt. Tabor (Judges 4 and 5). Overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.

DAY 4: TIBERIAS / CAPERNAUM / CAESAREA PHILLIPI / MT. HERMON / GOLAN HEIGHTS.  This day will be an exciting day in the Galilee area after a delicious breakfast.  We will depart from the Roman hot springs resort city of Tiberias via a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (John 6:24) to visit the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matt. 4:13-17).  Then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt. 5-7) and to Tabgha - the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes - (Mark 6:34-44).  We will then proceed to upper Galilee and the site of Peter's confession (Matt. 16:16) at Caesarea Phillipi and to Mt. Hermon (Psalm 89:12) the probable site of the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together.  We will follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea.  We will stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River.  Return to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 5:  TIBERIAS / BETHLEHEM / JERUSALEM.  This morning we will follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea.  We will stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River. Then we continue to Bethlehem and the Church of The Nativity, Manger Square, the Christmas Bell and Rachel's Tomb. Visit the Fields of Boaz and Shepherd's Fields and Caves.  Shopping time in Bethlehem before driving to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

DAY 6:  JERUSALEM.  Drive up to the Mt. of Olives for a panoramic early morning view of the city.  Visits include the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit.  Walk the Hosanna Road if you like.  Stop at the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations.  View the Golden Gate, the Pool of Siloam and Hezekiah's Tunnel.  Afternoon visits include St. Peter's in Gallicantu, Mt. Zion, King David's Tomb, Room of the Last Supper, Shrine of the Book housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Yad Vashem Memorial.  View Chagall's famed windows, the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Menorah, Kennedy Memorial and Hebrew University.  Final stop at the remarkable Model of Ancient Jerusalem.

DAY 7:  OLD WALLED CITY / JERICHO / QUMRAN / MASADA / DEAD SEA.  This morning our tour takes us within the ancient Old Walled City, highlighted by the Western (Wailing) Wall, the Temple area, Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa, Ecce Homo Arch, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Pilate's Judgment Hall, Chapel of the Flagellation, Pool of Bethesda, David's Tower, Damascus and Jaffa Gates.  Then visit the garden city of Jericho, oldest city in the world, dominated by the Mount of Temptation, on our way to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Continue to Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.  Continue to Masada, truly a remarkable piece of history.  Ascend to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress, where from 70 -73 A.D. the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome, and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a 6th century Byzantine Church are still on view.  Overnight at our hotel on the Dead Sea.

DAY 8:  DEAD SEA / CAIRO.   Leave the Dead Sea this morning and travel to Taba, on the border of Israel and Egypt. Continue north through the Sinai and cross the Suez Canal by ferry and travel along the mighty Nile River to Cairo, and our hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 9:  CAIRO / GIZA.   Morning visit to the Egyptian Museum to view many specimens of finest antiquities including precious collections from the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amon.  Then drive through the city past Cairo University to Giza.  Visit Cheops Pyramid and the Sphinx.  Camels or horses will be available to ride to the Pyramid Plateau.  Afternoon sightseeing drive along the Nile Cornice past East El Ainin Hospital to "Old Cairo" to visit the Coptic Churches of Abu Sarga associated with the Flight of the Christ Child to Egypt, Ben Ezra Mosque and MAR Mosque.  Drive via Republic Square past Abdin Palace to Sultan Hassan Mosque, the Citadel and El Azhar University to the native bazaars of Khan El Khalili where time is allowed for browsing and shopping.  Tonight we have a farewell dinner at the hotel.

DAY 10: CAIRO / NORTH AMERICA.  Early morning departure from Cairo to North America.  The close of our unforgettable tour of the Bible Lands - to have walked in the paths of the Master and the early Christians.