Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio with Optional Extension to Jordan

Depart on an overnight flight to Tel Aviv. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane.

Shalom! We arrive at Tel Aviv Airport, and once we pass through passport control and customs, we are greeted by our English-speaking Christian guide, who will assist us with boarding our luxury Motorcoach. We travel to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and a well-deserved night of rest. Overnight Jerusalem.

This morning we visit the Church of St. Anne, built on the site of the birthplace of Our Lady. Continue to the Pools of Bethesda, where Christ healed the paralytic. Visit the temple area, the spot where the original temple was built, which was the scene of many episodes from the life of Christ, such as the expulsion of the money changers. We visit the Western Wall (aka the “Wailing Wall”) of the Temple, the most sacred spot in the world for the Jews. In the afternoon, proceed to the National Museum, the Shrine of the Book. Continue to Mount Zion, visiting the room of the Last Supper and Church of the Dormition. We celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, built on the site of the house of Caiaphas, which encloses the dungeon where Christ was kept on Holy Thursday night and where Peter denied Christ thrice. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Today, we begin at Bethphage, where the procession of Palm Sunday started. Continue to the Mount of Olives and visit the Church of the Ascension, the spot where Christ ascended into Heaven; the Pater Noster Church commemorating Christ’s teaching of Our Father to his disciples; Dominus Flevit, the place where Christ wept over Jerusalem, and onwards to Gethsemane to view the ancient Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. We then visit the Church of All Nations, which houses the Rock of the Agony of Christ on Holy Thursday; in this Church is a beautiful mosaic donated by the United States. Visit the Cave of the Betrayal of Jesus and the Tomb of Our Lady. In the afternoon, we visit Ein Karem, the place of the Visitation where Our Lady came to visit her cousin Elizabeth. View the plaques with the Magnificat in most languages of the world. We visit the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist and the Grotto of his birth. Here, we celebrate Mass before we return to our hotel. Tonight, we enjoy “Sharing the Bread” dinner as we are welcomed into the homes of the Christian Families of Bethlehem. Overnight in Jerusalem (B, Special dinner)

This morning, we depart for Bethlehem to visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the birthplace of Christ. We see the cave where Christ was born and enjoy the opportunity to sing traditional Christmas Hymns. The nearby Church of St. Catherine is the venue from where midnight Mass is broadcast all over the World from Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. We visit St. Jerome’s Grotto, the cave where he lived for many years while translating the Bible into Latin. A meeting is scheduled with the orphanage at the French Hospital. Continue to Shepherd’s Field, recalling the “great throng of the heavenly hosts” who appeared to the shepherds and told them of the birth of The Savior. We celebrate Mass before returning to Jerusalem to visit the Museum of the Shroud. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Jerusalem.

We start the day early by praying the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, ending with celebrating Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We visit Calvary and the Tomb of Our Lord before continuing with a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Chapel of Flagellation, the Chapel of Condemnation, and the Lithostrotos, the site of the Antonia Fortress where Julius Caesar resided at the time of Christ and where Christ was tried and condemned to death. In the afternoon, we drive through the Judean Wilderness to Jericho. Visit Elisha’s Fountain and the ancient city of Jericho. Catch a glimpse of the Mount of Temptation in the distance, where Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. Visit Tel El Sultan before we continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Our final stop of the day is the Dead Sea, where we have time to relax and float (Don’t forget to pack a bathing suit) before heading back to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

This morning, we drive north from Jerusalem to visit Mt. Tabor. We leave the bus and transfer to taxis for the ascent to the top, where we visit the site of the Transfiguration and celebrate Mass. Continue with a visit to Magdala, the village of Mary Magdalene, before we check in to our hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Tiberias.

This morning, we visit Nazareth. We start with a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation, enclosing the remains of the house where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she was to become the mother of God. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation before continuing to Nazareth Village to learn more about daily life in the times of Jesus. Following lunch on our own, we drive to the Wedding Church at Cana, where Christ performed his first miracle, and married couples can renew their marriage vows. We then proceed to the River Jordan, where we will renew our Baptismal vows before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

This morning, we take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Our next stop is Capernaum, now in ruins, but once a thriving town where Peter lived and where much of the public ministry of Christ took place. See the Church of the Primacy of Peter, where Christ confirmed Peter as Head of the Church. We continue to Mount of Beatitudes, where Christ taught the Eight Beatitudes to His Disciples, to celebrate Mass. Following lunch on our own, we proceed to Tabgha, the place of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

We depart from Tiberias and travel to Haifa to visit Mount Carmel. We celebrate Mass at the Church of Our Lady and Star of the Sea. We visit the cave of the Prophet Elijah before proceeding along the shores of the Mediterranean to Caesarea Maritime, on the Plains of Sharon, to visit the ruins of the Crusader’s City, surrounded by a moat and a city wall enclosing the ruins of the Roman city. Visit the Roman Theater and Aqueduct. We enjoy a farewell dinner at a restaurant. Some may depart tonight on their flight back to the US. Overnight in Netanya. (B.Special Dinner)

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

Early this morning, we depart for the border to cross into Jordan, where we will meet our Jordanian guide. We visit Madaba, where we see the famous 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine in St. George’s Church. Stand atop Mount Nebo, looking over the Promised Land just as Moses did before his death. Meet Christian Refugees and learn about the work of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine and American University. We end our day with a visit to Machaerus, where John the Baptist was beheaded. Dinner and overnight at our hotel at the Dead Sea.

This morning, we drive into the Wadi Rum desert to be transported back in time when we get into our 4×4 Jeeps for an adventure-filled ride through the sand dunes and magnificent mountains. Look at the night sky tonight, where we may see shooting stars, the Milky Way, and many planets. Lawrence of Arabia comes to mind as we settle into our Bedouin Tent for a comfortable overnight. Overnight Wadi Rum.

Today, we visit the incredible ancient city of Petra. Enjoy a guided tour followed by time to explore on our own. Dinner and overnight in Petra.

Following breakfast, we depart for Jeresh to tour the ancient ruins. We then travel to Amman to check into our hotel for an early dinner.

Very early this morning, we check out of our hotel and are transferred to the airport for our flight home.