Pilgrimage to Jordan, Mt. Sinai, and Egypt with Fr. Chris Alar, MIC

Depart the USA on an overnight flight to Amman. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Enjoy your flight as you look forward to your incredible pilgrimage journey. Quotes for add-on flights and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request and will be provided starting 120 days before departure. Group air restrictions (for ten passengers traveling together) do not permit specific seating requests on flights. We recommend purchasing your own airline tickets and the land-only package with us if seat confirmation is an essential part of your trip. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact your trip Account Manager, who will be happy to assist you.

Welcome to Jordan! We are met by our Jordanian guide and assisted onto the bus. Transfer to our hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea for a well-deserved night of rest. Mass will be celebrated at the hotel. We gather for a welcome greeting by our group leaders before our dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel on the banks of the Dead Sea.

This morning, we visit Mount Nebo, believed to be the burial place of Moses, offering a view of the Promised Land as he saw it before his death. We will observe the Plains of Moab to the north, where the Israelite tribes camped before crossing the Jordan River. Our next stop will be Bethany Beyond Jordan, the traditional baptismal site of Jesus on the River Jordan. We continue the day with a visit to Madaba to see the renowned 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine located in St. George’s Church. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at the Dead Sea.

Traveling the King’s Highway, we reach Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. This ancient city, often called the “Rose City,” was featured in many films, including “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. Our sightseeing tour of this ancient Nabatean City, carved from the red rock, will include the Treasury, Monastery, and Theatre. Mass will be celebrated at the Dead Sea in the morning. Dinner and overnight will be in Petra.

We check out of our hotel and drive to Aqaba, a city on the Red Sea, known for its appearance in the Aladdin movie. We explore the Aqaba Church ruins, a 3rd-century church discovered in 1998 by American archaeologists, believed to be the world’s oldest purpose-built Christian church. Afterwards, we cross from Jordan to Egypt via Ferry and transfer to the resort city of Taba for a relaxing night. Mass will be celebrated.

Early this morning, we have the opportunity to climb Mt. Sinai, the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments. This challenging ascent leads to the traditional location of the Burning Bush, where the Lord communicated with Moses. A stunning panoramic view awaits us as we pray the Rosary and witness the sunrise over Mt. Sinai. After descending the mountain for breakfast at the hotel, we visit St. Catherine’s Monastery and Museum. This monastery is dedicated to St. Catherine, who was martyred for her Christian faith. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, we take the Moses Exodus Route and drive through the Sinai Desert, arriving in Cairo in the afternoon. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

After breakfast, our Cairo tour begins, focusing on Egypt’s rich, often-overlooked Christian history. Our guide will lead us through Old Coptic Cairo, including the Hanging Church, the Apparition Church, the Holy Crypt, and the Abu Serga Church. We will also visit the monastery of St. Simon el Mokkattam. In the afternoon, we explore sections of the newly opened Grand Museum, the world’s largest. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

After breakfast, we head to Sakkara, home to Egypt’s oldest pyramid, built around 2,650 BC. We admire this incredible stepped structure, learn about its construction for Pharaoh Djoser, and then have time to explore at our leisure. Following lunch at a local restaurant, our next stop is the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. This archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, features three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers’ village, and an industrial complex. We have time for shopping in the local bazaar before returning to our hotel. Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church. Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel in Cairo.

We drive to Wadi Natrun today to visit ancient monasteries with their beautiful frescoes and icons, and meet with the monks to learn about the beautiful ancient traditions of Egyptian monasticism. Following lunch in the area, we return to the hotel. In the evening, after dinner, we enjoy the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids. Dinner and overnight in Cairo. Mass will be celebrated.

After breakfast this morning, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.

After checking out of our hotel, we transfer to the Cairo airport for our flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, we visit the Temple of Karnak, the world’s second-largest ancient religious site after Angkor Wat. Marvel at the Great Hypostyle Hall, with its 134 towering columns, each intricately carved with hieroglyphs. Our next stop is the Temple of Luxor, where many Egyptian kings, including Tutankhamun and Ramses II, were crowned. Later this afternoon, we board our luxurious riverboat, our home for the next four nights of our Nile Cruise. We are docked in Luxor overnight, allowing time to explore the city and its vibrant markets. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship. Mass will be celebrated.

This morning, we explore the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile, followed by a visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. On our return to the ship, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two iconic statues at the entrance of Amenhotep III’s temple. Our ship then sails to Esna, where we see its magnificent dam. Overnight on board the ship. Mass will be celebrated.

The ship sails to Edfu this morning, where we visit the remarkably well-preserved Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus. This temple was buried under 40 feet of sand for centuries before being excavated in 1860, leaving it almost perfectly intact. We then return to the boat and sail to the unique double temple of Kom-Ombo, half dedicated to the crocodile-headed god Sobek and the other to the falcon-headed god Horus. We continue our Nile cruise towards Aswan. Dinner and overnight on the ship. No Mass will be celebrated today.

Today, we visit the Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960s to control the Nile’s annual floods and generate hydroelectric power. Next, we explore the Temple of Philae, an island downstream from the dam. The Temple of Isis was disassembled stone by stone and meticulously reconstructed before the dam’s completion, as it was previously flooded for six months each year. We return to the boat for lunch. Later this afternoon, we will enjoy a traditional felucca sail on the Nile, a centuries-old method of transport for the Nubian people. Our evening concludes with a visit to the Aswan Spice market after our farewell dinner on board. Mass will be celebrated.

This morning, we bid farewell to our ship’s crew. We embark on a tour of the magnificent Temples of Abu Simbel before boarding our flight to Cairo, where we check into our hotel for an overnight stay. Mass will be celebrated.

After breakfast this morning, we are transferred to the airport for our flight home.