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Day 3 • Caesarea Theater
Day 4 • Tiberias
Day 6 • Petra
Day 8 • Bethlehem
Day 9 • Jerusalem
Day 11 • Neuschwanstein Castle
Day 13 • Linderhof
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
Today we begin our adventure as we board a giant jet for our evening flight over the Atlantic. The night is short as we fly toward the rising sun.
Day 2 • Arrival Tel Aviv/Netanya
We are met in Tel Aviv by 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 • Netanya/Caesarea/Mt. Carmel/Sepphorus/Nazareth/Tiberias
This morning we drive along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea. It was here that Peter converted the Roman centurion, Cornelius. We visit the 2,000-year-old Roman theater and aqueduct. We continue to the traditional place of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Then we drive through the Jezreel Valley to Sepphorus, once the capital of Galilee and hometown of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Here we see the excavations, including the life-like mosaic floor. We drive by the nearby city of Nazareth to see Mary’s Well and the Church of Annunciation. We then drive towards Tiberias and on the way we stop at Cana, commemorating Jesus’ transformation of water into wine (John 2). We stay the night in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
Day 4 • Tiberias
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. Here 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 visit Tabgha where Jesus performed His miracle of feeding the 5,000. We proceed to Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mt. Hermon, where Peter recognized Jesus as the Christ. Our day concludes at the baptismal site on the Jordan River.
Day 5 • Jerash
Day 5 • Tiberias/Jerash/Mt. Nebo/Madaba/Amman
This morning we cross into Jordan using the recently dedicated bridge in Galilee. We continue to Jerash, a well preserved Greco-Roman city, “the Pompeii of the East”. We visit the Temple of Artemis and Zeus, the Roman Forum, Hadrian’s Arch, and the mile long Street of Columns before driving to Mt. Nebo from which Moses was permitted to take a glimpse of the Promise Land before his death. Then to Madaba, a pleasant old Christian city with a famous Byzantine mosaic of a 6th century Map of Palestine. For the night, we drive to the 5,000-year-old Amman, the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which in Bible times was called Rabbath Amman.
Day 6 • Amman/Petra
After breakfast we drive south through fascinating countryside, via the scenic King’s highway, to the ancient, hidden city of Petra. In Petra Camp we can walk or take a horseback ride to the Syk, the only access to this more that 2,000-year-old city carved out of rose-colored rock. Here we can explore the treasury, the prison, the court, and the huge tombs prepared for the wealthy. We return to Amman for the night.
Day 7 • Dead Sea Caves
Day 7 • Amman/Jericho/Masada/Jerusalem
This morning we drive to the Allenby Bridge, the border crossing into Israel. We stop at the 10,000-year-old city of Jericho, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, at the base of the Mount of Temptation. We visit Old Jericho, with some time for shopping, before continuing along the shores of the Dead Sea for a visit to ancient Masada, Herod’s luxurious winter palace and place where the Zealots withstood the Roman army for so long. We take a cable car to its summit to explore the area. Here we see the ruins of the first synagogue, the temple, palaces, bathhouses, and water systems. We continue to Qumran, where we learn about the Essenes and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, before taking the Old Roman road thru Wadi Qelt to Jerusalem for the night.
Day 8 • Jerusalem/Bethlehem
The day begins with a drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the entire city. We walk the traditional Hosanna Road to the Garden of Gethsemane. Olive trees, dating from 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 on before He was taken to be crucified. We cross the Kidron Valley to visit Mount Zion to see the traditional site of the Upper Room, David’s Tomb, and Caiaphas’ House. This afternoon we visit the Shrine of the Book and view the Dead Sea Scrolls. There we also survey the 2nd temple model of Jerusalem, representing the city on the eve of the first revolt, 36 years after the Passion of Jesus. We then continue to Bethlehem to visit Manger Square, Shepherd’s Fields, and the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born. There is time for olivewood shopping before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 9 • 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 the 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 where we stand on stones where Jesus stood. We see the Ecce Homo Arch and walk the Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulchre Church. After lunch and a candle-light visit inside an 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 10 • Yad Vashem
Day 10 • Jerusalem/Tel Aviv/Zurich/Lucerne
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. We are met by Signature Tours International representatives on arrival and they assist us in our transfer. Our motor coach takes us through magnificent scenery on our way to Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s loveliest cities, famous for the medieval wooden bridge with the painted roof. Hopefully we have time to walk through the streets and enjoy some refreshments before going to our hotel for the night.
Day 11 • Lucerne/Fussen/Oberammergau
Today we pass through stunningly beautiful scenery, so sit back and relax. We drive through the lovely Bavarian forest near Fussen, where we will take a tour of the Cinderella-style Neuschwanstein Castle of King Ludwig, before continuing to the little woodcarving village of Oberammergau for the night.
Day 12 • Passion Play
Day 12 • 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 spend the night in Oberammergau.
Day 13 • Oberammergau/Innsbruck
Our drive today takes us through beautiful and unforgettable scenery. Our first stop is King Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle, where gilded splendor begins at the famous fountain and continues through every room. We continue to Innsbruck, an 800-year-old city with great charm and vitality. Here we see Maria Theresa’s famous Golden Roof, the court palace, and the church. We spend the night in Innsbruck.
Day 14 • Zurich
Day 14 • Innsbruck/Schaffhausen/Zurich
Our drive today takes us through more beautiful scenery on our way to Schaffhausen to see the Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall. We continue to Zurich to visit the church and canal associated with Zwingli as he helped spark the fires on the Reformation. We stay overnight in Zurich.
Day 15 • Zurich/Hometown, U.S.A.
Today our tour comes to an end as we board the flight that takes us home. We will re-live these exciting and inspiring experiences often in the days and years to come.