Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Jordan with Susan Lovejoy

Depart London Gatwick to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival we will be greeted by our tour guide who will be with us for the duration of the pilgrimage. Transfer by coach to our hotel in Bethlehem where we stay for the next five nights. Check-in before dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast we walk to Manger Square (the oldest complete church in the Christian world). We visit The Grotto inside the Nativity Church where Jesus was born, followed by a tour viewing the Wall mosaic from the 12th century and St Jerome’s Tomb, the Chapel of the Holy Innocents and St Joseph’s Grotto. Mass here. Proceed to Shepherds’ field, 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 will have a chance to do some shopping before we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

In the morning we take our coach to Jerusalem, entering the Old City via Stephen’s Gate. We will walk to St Anne’s Basilica - where Our Lady was born - and the Pool of Bethesda. Proceed to the Church of Ecce Homo, built on the site of the Palace of Pilate, visit Crowning with Thorns and Condemnation Chapels, followed by the Stations of the Cross along Via Dolorosa following the route Our Lord walked on the first Good Friday. We can carry a cross from here changing at every station, and finishing in the Holy Sepulchre Basilica - the holiest place on earth for Catholics. We celebrate Mass here. Afterwards visit Mt Calvary, the Holy Tomb of Jesus, and the Grotto of the True Cross. We will have time to pray and reflect in front of the Holy Tomb. If time allows, we stay here for little longer to pray, reflect and light candles. Evening dinner at the hotel.

Today we take our coach to the Old City of Jerusalem and visit the Western ‘Wailing Wall’, part of the remaining wall around the temple that was destroyed in 70 AD. This is holiest place in Judaism. Proceed to Mt Zion and visit the Upper Room (Last Supper), and the magnificent Dormition Abbey, where Our Lady was assumed to heaven. Mass in the Chapel of the Last Supper. Proceed to the church of St Peter’s in Gallicantu - a truly incredible Shrine - and see the dungeon where Jesus was imprisoned after His mock trial on Maundy Thursday night. We then drive to Ein Karem to visit the beautiful Church of the Visitation and the Basilica of St John the Baptist and visit the grotto where he was born. Return to hotel and evening dinner.

After breakfast coach to Jerusalem to the summit of Mt of Olives and visit Pater Noster where Our Lord taught His Prayer - Our Father; walk further down to the Church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept when he foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem. Mass here. On the way down enjoy the panoramic view overlooking the Old City with a clear view of the Golden Dome of the Rock. Arriving at the basilica of All Nations, pass the Gethsemane Garden and view the oldest olive tree from the time of Jesus. We move on to the Basilica of the Agony, where Jesus spent his last night before his arrest. We spend some time here to pray and reflect. Continue to Jericho, view Mt Temptation and Zacchaeus Sycamore tree then proceed to the Dead Sea to experience floating in the sea. Return to our hotel and evening dinner here for the final night.

We check-out from our hotel then say farewell to Bethlehem as we take our coach northward to Tiberias. Our first visit en route is Nazareth and the incredible Basilica of the Annunciation. The lower level contains the grotto where the Annunciation took place; we take our time here to pray and reflect. The upper level houses some magnificent artwork of Our Lady, mainly mosaics donated by countries around the world. We celebrate Mass here. Afterwards we walk to St Joseph’s Workshop opposite the basilica then we visit the Synagogue of Jesus and Mary’s Well. Our next destination is the Church of the Wedding in Cana where Jesus famously performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. Married couples may renew their marriage vows here in a ceremony. Finally, we travel to the River Jordan ‘Yardenit’ baptismal site for a ceremony reaffirming our vows. Check-in to our hotel in Tiberias for the following 2 nights. Evening dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast we take our coach down to the shore where we will embark on a boat ride on the calm waters of the Sea of Galilee in an ancient reproduction boat. After we visit Capernaum, also known as the town of Jesus, then visit the Mt of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount took place, Tabgha and the Multiplication Shrine of the Loaves and Fishes, and finally St Peter’s Primacy where Christ appeared to the Apostles after His Resurrection. We celebrate Mass here. Return to our hotel for evening dinner and our final night in Israel.

After an early check-out from our hotel we proceed directly to the Sheikh Hussein bridge where we cross the border into Jordan. Our guide will meet and greet the group and assist with entry formalities. We begin our time in Jordan by taking our coach to Mt Nebo where Moses stood and saw the promised land. Here we enjoy the magnificent view overlooking the Holy Land. Mass here. Our next destination is Madaba where we visit the Church of St John and the 6th century mosaic map depicting Jerusalem as the centre of the world, as well as other wonderful artefacts. We continue our journey south to Wadi Musa and Petra ‘The Red Rose City’. Check-in to our hotel. Dinner and overnight here for the remaining 2 nights.

Today we enjoy a spectacular guided day-tour of the historic archaeological site of Petra. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Petra was first settled around 7000 BC, later becoming the centre of Nabatean wealth because of its strategic access to incense trade routes in the region. The majority of incredible tombs, monuments and building structures of the ancient city have been handmade by carving out the vast rock-walls of sandstone. The tour includes a canyon walk through Al-Siq (the narrow gorge or shaft) leading to Petra’s most elaborate and famous structure: Al-Khazneh (The Treasury). There will be free time at the end to explore at leisure. Those able can make the 850-step hike up the Ad-Deir trail to see The Monastery and panoramic view of the surrounding valley. Note: this is an extra 2-hour hike up and down; physical fitness and comfortable footwear is essential. We rendezvous at our hotel for evening dinner and our final night in the Holy Land.

In the morning we checkout from our hotel and drive southward to the international airport in Aqaba, the Jordanian port city on the Red Sea Gulf. We will stop for a brief visit of Moses’ Spring on the way. Upon arrival in Aqaba Mass will be arranged. We may visit the market or shopping mall or simply walk along with beach if there is time before our flight home. Proceed to the airport for our flight to London Gatwick.