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A 14-Day Pilgrimage to Egypt, Jordan & the Holy
Land
Including Cairo, Mt. Sinai, St. Catherine, Petra, Amman, Mt.
Nebo, Jericho, Capernaum, Tabgha, Beatitudes, Cana, Mt. Tabor,
Nazareth, Megiddo, Caesarea, Qumran, Masada, the Dead Sea,
Bethlehem, Bethany, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv &
more.
Day 1 - Sunday
USA / CAIRO
Today we depart for our amazing
journey to the biblical holy lands of Egypt, Jordan &
Israel. Meals will be served aboard our transatlantic
flight.
Day 2 - Monday
CAIRO
Upon arriving in Cairo, we are welcomed by
our Pilgrimage Tours™ tour director. We board our motor
coach and transfer to our hotel in Cairo. Dinner and
overnight in Cairo.
Day 3 - Tuesday
CAIRO
Our day begins with our tour of the Pyramids
of Giza. Cheops Pyramid, the largest of the three, was
built in the 3rd dynasty, around 2690 BC and is one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world. In  front of the
Pyramids of Chephren, we find the Sphinx carved from a
single piece of stone; representing a lion with a
Pharaoh’s head. Next we have the opportunity for a
camel ride in the shadows of the ancient pyramids.
While in Old Cairo, where many of the first Christians
lived, we visit the Hanging Church and see the Coptic
Church and an ancient synagogue. Next we visit the
Egyptian Museum, home to the priceless treasures of
Tutankhamen, “King Tut,” and other world-famous
relics. We return to our hotel in Cairo for dinner
and overnight.
Day 4 - Wednesday
CAIRO / SINAI / ST.
CATHERINE’S
This morning we depart Cairo and
drive towards Sinai, crossing the Suez Canal and on through
Sinai enjoying the desert landscape and retell the story of the
Exodus and delivery of the Israelites from the Pharoah of
Egypt. We continue on to the towering red granite
mountains of the high range where both St. Catherine’s
monastery and Mount Sinai are found. Dinner and overnight
at Mount Sinai and the Sinai Peninsula.
Day 5 - Thursday
MOUNT SINAI / ST. CATHERINE’S /
PETRA
The
hardy among us will wake up at 2 a.m. for an ascent of Mt.
Sinai on foot in the footsteps of Moses. We reach the
summit just prior to dawn in time to enjoy its incredible
sunrise and magnificent views. While at Mt. Sinai’s
summit, we see the traditional place of the story of the
burning bush and where Moses encountered God and received the
two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments known as the Mosaic
Laws. At sun-up we descend Mt. Sinai and join the
other members of our group for breakfast. After
breakfast, we visit the monastery of St. Catherine, taking in
its fascinating sites and history. In the afternoon we
head for the eastern shores of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red
Sea and head towards Nuweiba where we embark on our Ferry Boat
ride to Aqaba in Jordan. Upon our arrival in Jordan, we
depart for the Nabtean city of Petra. Dinner and
overnight in Petra.
Day 6 - Friday
PETRA / AMMAN
This morning we awake in Petra,
the “Rose Red City”. Visiting this  ancient Endomite and Nabatean
capital with its famed gorge, ancient streets, dwellings
and tombs, as well as incredibly beautiful temples carved
into its multi-colored sandstone, is an extraordinary
experience. This is the place mentioned in the Old
Testament as the Seir mountains, where we view the places
of ancient sacrifice, the royal tombs, including the tomb
of Moses’ brother Aaron, and the royal palaces. Late
afternoon we depart for Amman. Dinner and
overnight in Amman.
Day 7 - Saturday
AMMAN / MT. NEBO / MADABA /
JERICHO / BET SHEAN
This morning we visit Mount Nebo where God
showed Moses the Promised Land. On a clear day, our view
is quite dramatic and includes seeing the Jordan Valley and
Jordan River, the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Jericho and the
Dead Sea. Here we celebrate Mass at the Franciscan church
which houses many wonderful mosaics. Our final visit in
Jordan will be to Madaba to view the mosaic map of Jordan in
the Greek Orthodox church of St. George. Next we depart
Jordan via the Allenby Bridge and descend to the Jordan River
to experience the place where John the Baptist immersed Jesus,
renewing our baptismal promises in the cleansing waters.
A drive through the lush Jordan valley brings us to the oldest
city in the world, Jericho, where you can still see pot shards
and walk on actual remains of the famed wall that came
“tumbling down”. Here we will view the mountain of Jesus’
temptation. Next we visit Bet Shean and view the setting
for the death of Saul. Here we visit its Byzantine ruins;
the Tel and Roman theatre, bathhouses, market areas and
colonnaded streets. We continue north to our hotel on the
Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight in
Tiberias.
Day 8 - Sunday
UPPER GALILEE / CAPERNAUM /
TABGHA / BEATITUDES
This morning we drive along the
Sea of Galilee to the town where Jesus’ ministry was centered,
Capernaum, where we see the remains of an early Church, the
ruins of Peter’s House, and the ancient synagogue where Jesus
preached. We visit Tabgha, where Jesus’ walk on water
took place and the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is
commemorated in the mosaic floors of the historic Church.
Next we will have our own chance to taste “St. Peter’s Fish”
during lunch on the Sea. Ascending the Mount of the
Beatitudes, we listen to Jesus’ teachings. We retell the
‘Sermon on the Mount’ and enjoy our view  while standing on the
Mount of Beatitudes looking out over the Jordan Valley and
the Sea of Galilee. Nearby we arrive at St. Peter
Primacy where we celebrate Mass outdoors on the shore of
the Sea of Galilee. Next we continue on to
Caesaria Philippi (Banias) where St. Peter proclaimed that
Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ “conferred the keys” upon
Peter. Next we visit the Golan Plateau, skirting Mt.
Hermon for a panoramic view of upper Galilee. We end
of day with a classic boat ride across the tranquil waters
of the Sea of Galilee recalls the miracle of walking on
water and calling on Peter and Andrew to become ‘fishers
of men’. Dinner and overnight in
Tiberias.
Day 9 - Monday
CANA / MT. TABOR / NAZARETH /
MEGIDDO / MT. CARMEL / CAESAREA /
JERUSALEM
This
morning we visit the town of Cana, where we will see the site
of the miracle where Jesus caused the water in six earthen jars
to turn into wine. Here, those who are married can
participate in a ceremony of renewing their wedding vows.
Next we visit Mount Tabor– the Mount of Transfiguration, where
we celebrate Mass. Next we arrive in Nazareth where Jesus
grew up as a child. We visit the Basilica of the
Annunciation where the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would
“bring forth a son”. We continue on to Mary’s Well and
the site of Joseph’s carpentry shop. We depart Nazareth for
Megiddo where we see the ancient city and the site where the
prophetic battle of Armageddon is said will take place.
We will explore the ruins and observe ongoing
excavations. Ascending the heights of Mount Carmel for
one Israel’s best views high above the Mediterranean we see the
place where the prophet Elijah was instrumental in the defeat
of the prophets of Ba’al. Finally, we depart the sand
dunes of the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea by the Sea, built
by King Herod just a decade before the birth of Jesus.
The spectacular ruins were once the home of Pontius Pilate and
the site of the trial of the Apostle Paul. Here we visit
the Crusaders’ Castle and the Roman Amphitheater. We
continue on to Jerusalem for dinner and
overnight.
Day 10 - Tuesday
QUMRAN / MASADA / DEAD
SEA
This
morning we drive through West Jerusalem to the Shrine of the
Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and a visit to the
model of Jerusalem, representing how the city looked on the eve
of the Jewish revolt, 36 years after the Passion of
Christ. Then we drive through the Judaean desert to
Qumran where we will look, literally only a stones throw away,
into the cave where the original Dead Sea Scrolls were
found. At Masada we ascend either by foot or cable car on
a spectacular ride to the top of the fortress palace of
Herod. Finally, its beach time at the Dead Sea – the
absolute lowest point on Earth where the salty water is so
buoyant that sinking is IMPOSSIBLE. Dinner and overnight
in Jerusalem.
Day 11 - Wednesday
JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM /
BETHANY
Today
we travel the short route to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus,
where we will spend some time in prayer at the site of Jesus’
birth  inside the Church of the
Nativity, St. Catherine’s, the Grotto of the Holy Family,
and the Cave of St. Jerome. While in Bethlehem, we
have time for shopping beautiful Olive wood carvings and
other Israeli crafts in Bethlehem. We depart Manger
Square and enjoy lunch at the Shepherd’s Valley Tourist
Village, followed by a visit to Shepherd’s Field and some
of the caves that are typical of the stables of Jesus’
time. Here we celebrate Mass in one of the
Shepherd’s Field’s caves. Finally we see the Good
Samaritan Inn, Bethany, where we will visit the home of
Mary and Martha and enter the Tomb of Lazarus where Jesus
“cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth” and Lazarus
was risen from the dead. Dinner and overnight in
Jerusalem.
Day 12 - Thursday
JERUSALEM
As we ascend the Mount of Olives, we visit the Church of Pater
Noster where Jesus taught the “Our Father.” At the Dome
of the Ascension we will look upon the rock that Jesus stood on
at the moment of his ascension to heaven. We continue on
to the top of the Mount of Olives for a spectacular view of
Jerusalem and pose for our group photo. The Middle East
flavor is strong; sounds of morning Muslim prayers are heard
and the golden Dome of the Rock shimmers in the morning
sun. We descend down the trail to Dominus Flevit Chapel,
the site where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Next we
celebrate Mass at one of the most inspiring works of Christian
architecture and art in Israel, the Church of All
Nations. Adjacent to the Church, we visit the Garden of
Gethsemane. Crossing the Kidron Valley, we pass the
monuments of Absalom, Zechariah and St. James, partially built
and partially hewn directly into the limestone cliffs. We
drive towards Mount Zion and stop at the Church of St. Peter in
Gallicantu - the House of Caiaphas, we see the place of the
trial of Jesus and where Peter denied Christ three times.
At Mount Zion, the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper and
Pentecost) is a place of prayer, song and praise for many who
come here. One of Jerusalem’s landmarks, the Dormition
Abbey represents Mary having passed into eternal life, asleep,
in grand Byzantine décor. We have dinner and stay
overnight at our hotel in Jerusalem.
Days 13 & 14 – Friday &
Saturday
JERUSALEM /
USA
This morning we transfer
to the Dung Gate where we enter the Old City of
Jerusalem. We visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest
site where supplicants from around the world come to
pray. We ascent to  the Dome of the Rock and the
al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site of Islam, located
on the traditional site of the ancient Temple Mount, site
of the first and second Jewish temples. Just to the
north we find the open air Pools of Bethesda where Jesus
performed a miracle cure and the infirm have sought
healing for centuries. Next we visit St. Anne’s
Church, perfectly preserved from the Crusader
period. Here at St. Anne’s, we celebrate Mass.
We recall the final hours of Jesus’ life at Pilate’s
Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation and the Arch of
the Ecce Homo “Behold, the man”. We walk and pray
along the Via Dolorosa – the “Way of the Cross” where
Jesus carried and fell beneath the weight of his cross to
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We walk through
the Christian Quarter to Jaffa Gate and say farewell to
the Old City of Jerusalem. This evening we enjoy a
“Farewell Dinner” at a local restaurant. Following
dinner, we proceed to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport for
our late night return flight to the United States.
We arrive back home the following morning. Though we
come to the end of our time of pilgrimage, our faith is
deepened, our hearts stirred. Reading our Bible and
seeking Christ as pilgrims in this life will forever take
on new meaning for every one of
us.
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