Women of the Cross Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Depart from London Luton to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival at Tel Aviv airport, your guide and coach will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Bethlehem. Evening dinner at the hotel.

We walk to Manger Square in the morning to tour the Basilica of the Nativity, visiting the Nativity and Grotto where Jesus was born. Afterwards we take a coach to the Shepherds’ Field and visit the grottos there and the chapel above where the angels first sang the ‘Gloria in Excelcis Deo’ on the night of the first Christmas. We sing Christmas Carols here followed by our service. Proceed to Ein Karem a small village located just outside Jerusalem and visit the Visitation Shrine and the Birthplace of St John the Baptist. Return to Bethlehem and we will have a chance to do some shopping before we return to the hotel for our evening dinner.

Early coach to Jerusalem and the beautiful Mt of Olives where we begin our journey following in the footsteps of Jesus when he entered Jerusalem. We start with Bethphage where Jesus ordered his disciples to find a donkey to enable him to enter the ‘city of peace’. We then stop at Pater Noster where he taught his disciples the prayer ‘Our Father’. Continue to Dominus Flevit where Jesus stopped, looked down on Jerusalem and wept when he saw a vision of its destruction. Walk further down to the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Church of All Nations. After lunch, we visit the Western Wall (the holiest site in Judaism) which is part of the remaining wall around the temple that was destroyed in AD70. Afterwards we visit the Church of St Peter’s in Gallicantu where he was imprisoned overnight on Thursday evening, and the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Return to our hotel for dinner.

Depart to the old city of Jerusalem to visit St Annes Church and the Pools of Bethesda. Afterwards visit Pilate’s Court, the Chapel of Crowning with Thorns and the Condemnation Chapel, followed by a walk along the Via Dolorosa where Jesus carried the cross to Mt Calvary. Proceed to the Garden Tomb for our service. We then take our coach to Jericho and view the Mt of Temptation from a distance then Zacchaeus’s Sycamore Tree. After lunch in either Qumran or Jericho we continue on to the Dead Sea for the floating experience. The water of this famous salt lake is full of natural minerals and famously known to be rejuvenating. Return to our hotel and evening dinner here.

A coach transfer will be provided (this is not a guided visit). You will be dropped off in the morning in Jerusalem and picked up in the afternoon from the same location before returning to our hotel in Bethlehem.

We leave Bethlehem and drive north along the Jordan Valley. Our first visit will be Bethany, the home of St Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Moving on we visit Cana - the Church of the Wedding - where Jesus performed his first miracle, then on to Nazareth to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, St Joseph’s workshop and the Synagogue of Jesus. Proceed to Tiberias to the River Jordan ‘Yardinit’ for renewal of Baptismal vows. Note: if you require total immersion for the renewal of Baptismal Vows, a white gown must be hired for $15 at the site (you pay when you get there). Check-in to our hotel. Evening dinner and overnight here.

After breakfast drive towards the sea of Galilee and firstly visiting Mt Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount took place. This is followed by a scenic boat-sailing experience on the Sea of Galilee. We then travel to Capernaum, the town of Jesus, visiting the church of St Peter and the remains of the ancient Synagogue. Continue on to visit the church of the Feeding of the 5,000 (Tabgha). We will have our service by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Return to our hotel in Tiberias. Evening dinner here and overnight.

We check-out of our hotel and drive to the foot of Mt Tabor - the church of Transfiguration and taxis up the mountain. We have our service here. If time allows continue to Haifa - Mt Carmel where Elijah confrontred the Baal prophets and here we also view Prophet Elijah’s cave located underneath the altar inside the Stella Maris church. Right opposite the church we view the impressive Gardens and Bahá’í Temple. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site declared in 2008 in recognition of their outstanding universal value as holy places and places of pilgrimage for the Bahá’í faith. Proceed to the airport for our flight back to London.