November 8th, 2016 (TUE)
Tour of Samaria and Galilee
Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport at 04:45 (flight SU 500 from Moscow). Meet your tour guide Mr. Igor Tsaritsyn: 052-2955422.
Drive to Samaria. Visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery at Jacob’s Well with the beautiful St. Photini Church (John 4:4-26) in Nablus (Sychar, Schechem). Coffee break.
Drive to Cana – the village where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine, with the Wedding church (John 2:1-11)
Continue to Nazareth – childhood town of Jesus. Visit the Latin Basilica of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph, as well as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. See Mt. Precipice (Luke 4:29-30) – only outside.
Overnight in Nazareth
November 9th, 2016 (WED)
Tour of Galilee
Drive to Mount Tabor – site of the Transfiguration, where Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John (Matt. 17:1-9), visit the Greek Orthodox Church of Transfiguration; see panoramic view of the Galilee.
Continue to the Sea of Galilee. Tour some of the Christian Historical and Holy sites around the Sea of Galilee, including:
* Mount of Beatitudes – site of the Sermon on the Mount – only outside
* Tabgha (Heptapegon) – site of the Miracle of the Multiplication the Loaves and Fishes (Matt. 14:13-21) and the spot of Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter as chief among the Apostles (John 21, 1-17).
* Capernaum “City of Jesus” – ancient Jewish fishing town with synagogue from the 4th century where Jesus began his Ministry. Visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Apostles.
Visit the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission’ Metochion of St. Maria Magdalene in Magdala.
Drive to Bethlehem – the biblical birthplace of Jesus.
Overnight in Bethlehem
November 10th, 2016 (THU)
Tour of Bethlehem and Jezreel Valley
Walk to the Church of the Nativity to pray at the orthodox Divine Liturgy at 06:00. Return to the hotel (by foot). Breakfast.
Drive to Jezreel Valley.
Visit Qasr al Yahud – traditional site on Jordan River, where Israelites forded Jordan River into Cana’an and where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
Continue to Jericho – one of the oldest cities in the world. Hiking and climbing of Mount of Temptation. Visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Temptation with the St. Chariton the Confessor’s Well. Continue to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Prophet Elisha and the Russian Orthodox Metochion of St. John the Baptist.
Visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Abba Gerasimus of the Jordan.
Drive to the Dead Sea – region of the lowest place on earth (more than 430 meter below sea level). Free time on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Return to Bethlehem. Overnight in Bethlehem
November 11th, 2016 (FRI)
Tour of Jerusalem
Drive to Jerusalem – the Capital of Israel and the holy city for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Tour Mount of Olives and see the panoramic view of Jerusalem’s Old City, City of David and the Kidron valley.
Visit the Russian Orthodox Convent of the Ascension, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Ascension and the Chapel of the Ascension (under the authority of the Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem).
Drive to the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Meet with His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine.
Continue to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest (Matt. 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42 etc). Visit the Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, Church of the Sepulchre of St. Mary, Russian Convent of St. Mary Magdalene etc.
Tour some of the main historical and religious sites of the Jerusalem’s Old City, including Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross) and the Holy Sepulcher Church.
Return to Bethlehem. Overnight in Bethlehem
November 12th, 2016 (SAT)
Judean Desert Tour
Drive to Hebron – the first capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Visit the Russian Metochion in honor of Holy Forefathers.
Continue to Judean Desert. Visit the Holy Laura of Hosios Savvas the Consecrated (Mar Saba). See the Monastery of Abba Theodosius the Cenobiarch (outside).
Drive to Jerusalem. Visit the Russian Gorny convent in Ein Karem.
Return to Bethlehem.
22:00. Drive to the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sepulchre Church.
Return to Bethlehem ca. 03:30.
Overnight in Bethlehem
November 13th, 2016 (SUN)
On the Way Back
Drive to Jerusalem. Visit Mount Zion with the Coenaculum Room. Continue to Lod (Lidda). Visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St George. Drive to Tel Aviv. Visit the Russian Orthodox Metochion of Righteous Tabitha in Jaffa.
Free time on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
20:00 Departure to Ben Gurion Airport (flight SU 505 at 01:05).
Have a nice trip!
* The hosting is on Half Board basis
**Itinerary Subject to Change
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