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Day 3 • Caesarea
Day 4 • Tiberius
Day 6 • Mount of Olives
Day 7 • Jerusalem
Day 10 • Mt. Pilatus
Day 12 • Linderhof
Day 14 • Zurich
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
Today we begin our adventure as we board a giant jet for an evening flight over the Atlantic. The night is short as we fly towards the rising sun.
Day 2 • Arrival Tel Aviv/Netanya
We arrive in Tel Aviv where we are met by our representatives of Signature Tours International and taken to our hotel in Netanya, on the shores of the Mediterranean, for our first night in the Holy Land.
Day 3 • Caesarea/Sepphoris/Nazareth/Tiberius
This morning we drive along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea. It was here that Peter converted the Roman centurion, Cornelius. We visit this 2,000-year-old Roman theater and aqueduct. We then visit the traditional place of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. We continue driving through the Jezreel Valley to Sepphoris, the hometown of Mary, Jesus’ mother and once the capital of Galilee. Here we see the “Mona Lisa of Galilee.” Continuing to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, we see Mary’s Well and the Churches of the Annunciation and St. Joseph. On our way to Tiberius for the night, we pass Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine.
Day 4 • Tiberius
We follow the footsteps of Jesus and board a boat for the “other side” of the Sea of Galilee. Crossing the Jordan River near the site of Bethsaida, we stop at Capernaum, the city of Jesus. We view the House of Peter and the synagogue where Jesus taught. We read the Sermon on the Mount at the Mount of Beatitudes and go to the Tabgha where Jesus performed His miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. We proceed to Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Mt. Hermon, where Peter recognized Jesus as the Christ. We stay the night in Tiberius.
Day 5 • Jericho
Day 5 • Jerusalem/Jericho/Jerusalem
The first stop this morning is the baptismal site on the Jordan River. We continue down the Jordan Valley to Bet Shean to view the magnificent remains of the ancient Roman City. Our next stop, at the base of the Mount of Temptation is Jericho, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. We visit Elisha’s Springs and the ruins of Old Jericho before continuing up the Old Roman road, by Wadi Qelt, to Jerusalem for overnight.
Day 6 • Jerusalem/Bethlehem
This morning we drive up on the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the entire city. We walk the traditional Hosanna Road to the Church of Dominus Flevit and to the Garden of Gethsemane. Olive trees that date back to the time of Christ fill a garden next to the Church of All Nations, built over the stone on which Jesus is thought to have prayed at before He was taken to be crucified. We then cross the Kidron Valley to visit the Mount Zion area to see the traditional site of the Upper Room, David’s Tomb and Caiaphas’ House. In the afternoon, on our drive to West Jerusalem we pass by the Israeli Parliament, called the Knesset, on our way to the Shrine of the Book to view the Dead Sea Scrolls. There we also survey the newly relocated open-air model of Jerusalem, representing the city on the eve of the first revolt, 36 years after the Passion of Jesus, before driving to Bethlehem. Here we visit Shepherd’s Fields and the Church of the Nativity built over the grotto where Jesus was born. We have time for olivewood shopping before returning to Jerusalem for the night.
Day 7 • Jerusalem
This morning we have one of the high points of our trip, as we take a walking tour in the Old City of Jerusalem. We visit the Western (Wailing) Wall and the Temple Mount with the Mosque of Omar and Dome of the Rock. We enter St. Stephen’s Gate to the Pool of Bethseda and St. Anne’s Church, stopping at Pilate’s Judgment Hall. We stand on stones where Jesus stood, see the Ecce Homo Arch and walk the Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulchre Church. After lunch and a candlelight visit inside the authentic rolling-stone tomb from the time of Jesus (“Tomb of the Kings”), we conclude our day with a Communion Service at the Garden Tomb, commemorating our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Day 8 • Massada
Day 8 • Jerusalem/Massada/Qumran/Bethany
We drive down through the Judean Desert to the lowest point of the face of the earth, the Dead Sea. Here we ride a cable car to the summit of Massada, Herod’s luxurious winter palace and the place of the Zealots’ heroic last stand against the Romans. We have time for a dip in the Dead Sea before continuing to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Here we also view the ruins of the community of Essenes, who prepared themselves, in the desert, for the coming of the end-times. We conclude our day at Bethany with a visit to the Tomb of Lazarus and the House of Mary and Martha.
Day 9 • Jerusalem/Tel Aviv/Zurich/Berne
This morning, flight time permitting, we visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. We then drive to the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv to board our flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Signature Tours International representatives meet us upon arrival and assist us in our transfer. Our motor coach then takes us to Berne for a look at the monumental Federal Palace and the Bear Pit. We stay overnight in Berne.
Day 10 • Berne/Interlaken/Cog Wheel- Mt. Pilatus/Brunig Pass/Lucerne
This morning we pass through Interlaken. We climb over the Brunig Pass, and then descend to Alpnachstad from where we ascend by cogwheel train to Mt. Pilatus. Descending by cable car from Mt. Pilatus to Kriens, we board our bus for the short drive to Lucerne for the night. Take a walk this evening and enjoy the ornate patrician houses lining the cobbled streets, the Lion Monument, and the impressive mural-decorated, covered wooden bridge dating from 1333.
Day 11 • Neuschwanstein Castle
Day 11 • Lucerne/Fussen/Innsbruck
Today we pass through stunningly beautiful scenery, so sit back and relax. We drive through the lovely Bavarian forest near Fussen, where we stop to visit the Cinderella-style Neuschwanstein Castle of King Ludwig. We continue to Innsbruck for overnight.
Day 12 • Innsbruck/Oberammergau
After breakfast, we enjoy seeing Innsbruck, this 800-year-old city of great charm and vitality. Here we see Maria Theresa’s famous Golden Roof, the court palace, and the church. There is some time for shopping here in Innsbruck. Then we visit King Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle, where the gilded splendor begins at the fountains and continues through every room. Our destination for the day is the little village of Oberammergau, site of the famed Passion Play.
Day 13 • Passion Play
Day 13 • Oberammergau/PASSION PLAY
Today we view the Passion Play, presented almost every decade without interruption, since 1634. It is performed by the people of Oberammergau as a perpetual sign of gratitude to God for the cessation of the Black Plague, which took so many lives but stopped short of their village. We stay overnight in Oberammergau.
Day 14 • Oberammergau/Appenzell/Zurich
After breakfast this morning, we depart for Zurich. Sit back, relax, and enjoy, as we pass richly forested mountains, rivers, and small market towns. On the way, we stop in the quintessential Swiss village of Appenzell. See the many cows, farmhouses, and people dressed in traditional costumes. This evening, take a walk and enjoy Zurich’s attractive historic center and lakeside promenade.
Day 15 • Zurich/Hometown U.S.A.
Today our tour comes to an end as we board our flight that takes us home. We will re-live these exciting and inspiring experiences often in the days and years to come.