JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND – Egypt-Israel-Jordan - 12 Days

ITINERARY:

DAY 01 – MANILA AIRPORT (MEALS ON OWN)

Meet and Greet with the group at the International Airport, distribution of embarkation cards before proceeding to a special check-in counter provided exclusively for the group. Proceed to immigration and finally board for your flight to Cairo.

After Immigration purposes, meet and assist at the airport, then transfer to your hotel for check-in. Proceed to Lunch, In the afternoon visit St. Simon the Tanner, a Coptic Orthodox Church made famous of the story the moving of the Mokkatam mountain. Proceed to your hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel, today we will have FULL DAY SIGHTSEEING TOUR at the GREAT PYRAMIDS “, it was constructed over 4,500 years ago which shows the power & wealth of the pharaoh in the Old Kingdom, then the SPHINX OF GIZA “, was believed to be a form of a Sun God & was worshipped in ancient days. On to the EGYPTIAN MUSEUM “ where you will find artifacts, relics, statues and Jewelry from all of the Pharaohs that reign. Proceed to lunch, in the afternoon, Visit the Hanging Church, the most famous Coptic church in Cairo which was built dedicated to Mary in the 7th century, then to the CHURCH OF ABU SERGA “. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian. The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus are said to have rested. The crypt is 10 meters deep and, when Nile levels are high, is often flooded, visit ST. SERGIUS CHURCH ending with a Nile Dinner Cruise with Belly Dancing Show. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast at hotel, then check out for a drive towards ST. CATHERINE passing by Suez Canal for crossing under the water Tunnel into Sinai. Visit Moses Springs on your way to ST.CATHERINE. Check-in upon arrival, Dinner & Overnight @ hotel or take the afternoon climb to Mt. Sinai ( Optional)

Breakfast at hotel. Check-out, then visit the Monastery of St. Catherine and the burning bush before your transfer to Taba border to cross Israel. After Immigration customs, meet and greet with your guide, then drive through the Arava desert with their rocks and mountains in red, gray, yellow and white. Drive to the Jordan valley, down to the dead sea, the lowest point on earth, swim and enjoy the healing waters, afterward proceed to Bethlehem for your Three (3) nights sojourn.

Breakfast at hotel then, today, we will visit to JERICHO and ride a cable car up to the Mountain of Temptation, where Jesus stayed 40days and 40nights and then go to the SYCAMORE TREE where Zacchaeus climb up at a tree to view Jesus while he is preaching not knowing that our Savior will be his guest for dinner at his home. Drive towards JERUSALEM passing by Ein Karem the birthplace of St. John the Baptist (now the Church of St. John the Baptist) and the Church of Visitation – where Mary came after the angel Gabriel informed her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant despite her advanced years. In the afternoon, drive to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and visit the Church of the Nativity, where we find the Grotto of Nativity and Altar of Christ’s Birth and Manger’s Square. Last stop will be at BOOK OF THE SHRINE where the remains of the Dead Sea Scrolls are now preserved before going back to Bethlehem for dinner & Overnight.

Start our appreciation of the Holy City of Jerusalem with a visit to the Mount Of Olives, for a panoramic view of the city, Ascension Chapel – traditional place where Jesus ascended into heaven; then Pater Noster Church traditionally the site where Jesus taught the disciples how to pray “Our Father”; then Dominus Flevit Church in memory of Jesus weeping over the fate of Jerusalem. Visit the Church of Ascension and walk the Palm Sunday route down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane for an intercessory prayer; it was here where Jesus spent His last night before He was arrested; Basilica of Agony, stopping along the way at the Maria Magdalena Church. Visit the Church of All Nations at the Garden of Gethsemane. Drive to Nearby Mount Zion and visit the Last Supper’s Room and the Tomb of King David. Visit the Dormition Abbey – traditionally the site where the Virgin Mary slept last; and St. Peter’s Church in Gallicantu – a traditional site where St. Peter denied Jesus for 3 times. Drive to Emmaus, an old town on the eastern edge of the Ajalon Valley. Here, the resurrected Jesus walked, talked and dined with two of his disciples, Cleophas and Simon. Visit Via Dolorosa – an opportunity to carry a cross while performing meditations on the 14 STATIONS OF THE CROSS then visit the CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE “ the burial place and resurrection of JESUS. It was built over the site of the place called Golgotha which means “a place of skull”, proceed your tour of the Old City, starting from the St. Stephen’s Gate (the Lion’s Gate), stopping at St. Anne’s Church – regarded as the birthplace of the Virgin Mary and the home of St. Anne and Joachim, the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus told the lame man to take up his bed and walk. Visit the Cardo and the Jewish Quarter before arriving at the Western (Wailing) Wall, the last vestige of the second temple, where Jews all over the world gather to commemorate the destruction of the first & second temple and pray for Israel’s restoration. Time for some last minute gift shopping at one of the Church stores around before return to Hotel in Bethlehem for dinner & overnight

Breakfast at hotel then check-out & drive to Mt. Carmel, where Elijah prayed down the fire of the lord & defeated the 450 prophets of Baal. Then stop for a panoramic view of the city and view the Bahai Shrine and its Persians Garden. Proceed to the high Galilean mountains to visit NAZARETH, the Church of the Annunciation & Mary’s Well, to Cana – the Church of the FIRST MIRACLE known also as THE MARRIAGE CHURCH. Cross the Valley to MOUNT

Breakfast at hotel. Will have whole day activities starting by the boat ride at the Sea of Galilee, then proceed to see the old boat which was excavated and it has believed. Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah near Caesarea Philippi. Visit TABGHA, then after Lunch proceeds to CAPERNAUM – JESUS hometown, where he performed more miracles than any other places. Then ascend to MT. BEATITUDES – site of Jesus sermon on the Mount, then drive to the RIVER OF JORDAN for Baptismal service at YARDENIT. Dinner & Overnight accommodation in Nazareth

After breakfast, check out & drive to the border to cross to JORDAN. Visit the Church of Our Lady of the Mountains in Anjara and Beyond Bethany – the baptismal place of Jesus. Then proceed to Amman, Jordan for a city orientation tour with a view of the Citadel and the Roman Amphitheater. Then proceed to your hotel in Amman for check in and overnight.

After breakfast, drive to PETRA. Following a short ride on horseback to reach the CANYON LIKE SIQ , walk through to reach THE LOST CITY OF PETRA. Spend the morning exploring some of the places, TOMBS & SORE ROOMS CARVED OUT OF CLIFFS. Return to hotel in AMMAN for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, check-out & visit the Christian Village of Madaba & see THE ANCIENT MOSAIC OF THE HOLY LAND, then visit Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land before transfer to AMMAN AIRPORT for an afternoon flight back to MANILA. END OF TOUR. HOME SWEET HOME.