“What a trip! Leading up to visiting Israel we were excited with anticipation, but boy did it exceed anything we had imagined. Our tour guide CJ was outstanding. He broke down the Jewish culture, past and modern history, biblical connections/application, and geography of Israel at every site. It was just so awesome with how many sites and artifacts we were shown and how seamlessly our trip was organized. Throughout the week we were taken well care of. We stayed in very nice hotels, ate great food, and enjoyed a comfortable, air-conditioned bus driven by our expert driver, Happy. Happy made sure we stayed hydrated and took extra special care of us in keeping us safe. CJ and Happy complemented each other wonderfully. With packed days of touring, we enjoyed restful evenings. We also felt safe and secure throughout our travels, allowing us to delve fully into what we were learning and what God was teaching us about Himself.
Besides enjoying CJ and Happys sense of humor, we quickly experienced camaraderie between the rest of our group, which made little things like traveling, eating, and taking pictures fun. Thank you all for loving on us; we thank God for you and this short time we were able to connect. And most importantly we thank God as we recognize all the lessons we learned along the way. He definitely used this trip to reveal new things to us as we learned more about the Bible, God, and ourselves.
Thank you and many Blessings,
Jeanne Jackson
Join Pastors Dan & Terry Hammer For the Trip of a Lifetime
What’s Included
- Airfare from group departure city
- All Transfers
- Baggage Handling
- Breakfast & Dinner Daily
- Entrance Fees to all Sites
- Gratuities
- Itinerary as per Description
- Premium Accommodations
- Professional Tour Guides
- Transportation by Deluxe Motor Coach
Schedule
Day 1 Depart USA
Today our tour members meet at our International Airport for check-in-formalities. After we board our flight, dinner and breakfast are served aloft and we have time to rest.
Day 2 Arrive in Israel
Arrive in Tel Aviv and get on our motor coach and proceed to our hotel in Tel Aviv where we will rest.
Day 3 Museum/ Caesarea/ Megiddo/ Nazareth/ Tiberias
In the morning go to the museum where the Declaration of the State of Israel took place. Then we explore along the coastal plain and the Meditteranean Sea to Caesarea. This ancient port was built by Herod the Great. We will tour the fortress used by the Crusaders. It was here that the first Gentile, Cornelius the Centurion, and his household were baptized. Next, we are off to visit Mt Carmel, and Nazareth! The Galilee is where we will stay the night and enjoy dinner.
Day 4 Sea of Galilee/ Boat Ride/ Capernaum/ Jordan River/ Magdala
Visit the excavated city of Magdala. We rise early this morning to view the beautiful shore of the Sea of Galilee. After breakfast, we travel to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. We will cruise across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. After our visit to the ruins of the 3rd century synagogue, we will proceed to Tabgha, the place of multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. A delicious St. Peter’s fish luncheon will be waiting for us at a famous resort along the Galilean seashore. Immediately following this meal we proceed to the Jordan River where we will experience a time of spiritual blessing. We return to our hotel for dinner and another overnight stay.
Day 5 Beit Shean/ Jericho/ Jerusalem
Go to the springs of Gideon before going to the Jordan Valley to visit Beit Shean, one of the Decapolis cities and the biggest remains of a complete Roman city. We continue through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest known inhabited city in the world; there you will see the ancient Tell of Jericho and Mount of Temptation before traveling to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Our first sight of the Golden City will be from the Mt. Of Olives. Visit the Valley of Elah. Tonight, we will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay in Jerusalem.
Day 6 Jerusalem/ Bethlehem
Today we will begin our day of touring at the Mount of Olives and descend on foot to the Garden of Gethsemane. Ancient olive trees stand there, some for more than 2000 years old. Next we visit the House of Caiaphas, where Jesus was held the night before his crucifixion. Afterwards, we travel on to Mount Zion and the Upper Room where we will have time for devotion and worship. This afternoon we will visit Bethlehem, where you will see the Church of the Nativity, the Shepherd’s Field, and the fields of Boaz and Ruth. We travel back to our hotel for dinner and another overnight stay in Jerusalem.
Day 7 Jerusalem
Today we will travel back 2000 years as we take a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. We begin at the Lions Gate where we will see the old Crusader’s Church of St. Anne, the pool of Bethesda and the remains of Antonia Fortress, the site of the trial of Jesus. We will walk the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After lunch, we visit the Jewish Quarter; then on to the “Wailing Wall” and Mount Moriah which is called Temple Mount. Here on the site of Solomon’s Temple stands the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Mt. Moriah was the site of Abraham’s offering of Isaac as a sacrifice. We will also visit Yad Vashem. Dinner will be served at your hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 8 Dead Sea/ Masada/ Qumran
This morning we travel to Herod’s ancient fortress of Masada, which was built high atop a mountain on the edge of the Dead Sea. This afternoon we visit Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Visit the Valley of Elah. Today’s journey will end with time and relaxation on the shore of the Dead Sea. Dinner will be served at your hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 9 Jerusalem
Enjoy a free morning exploring the magnificence of this historic city. In the afternoon we will visit Bethany, the town of Mary, Martha, and Larazus. Afterwards we will travel to the Garden Tomb where you will have a worship service and communion. A farewell dinner will be served; then we travel to Tel Aviv to board the overnight flight to the U.S.A.
Day 10 Return Home
Contact Info
Bill Whiddon
(425) 508-2525
whiddon.bill@gmail.com
Jeanne Jackson
This was my first time to Isreal, and it was such a fantastic trip due to our guide Adam and our driver Money Mike! Adam is so knowledgeable and was really able to make each site come alive for me. We had a really large group, and I am sure that Adam felt like he was “herding cats” all week, but he kept us together and moving through the areas while sharing so much information. With Mike’s driving and sense of humor, I felt very safe even though the streets sometimes seemed way too narrow for all of the buses and cars! The team of Adam and Money Mike were fabulous, and I would highly recommend them!!
Adrienne Carter
If you’re doing the Holy Land Tour, there’s no question in which company to choose - it’s Travel With Friends! The entire trip was very well planned and wasted no time in getting us in and out of sites while beating the crowds. Ibrahim was a phenomenal guide! He was personable, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable in the Bible and history of the land. Will definitely do this trip again and go through Travel With Friends!
Ellie Hill