PRE-EXTENSION TO GREECE
DAY 1 - Sunday: NEW YORK / ATHENS Tour members are welcomed at JFK International Airport for our departing flight to Athens via widebody aircraft arriving the next day in Athens. Meals served on board.
DAY 2 - Monday: ATHENS Arriving in beautiful Athens this afternoon, we are met by a courier and transferred to the hotel.
DAY 3 - Tuesday: ATHENS / CORINTH / TEL AVIV / NETANYA This morning we start our tour of Athens by visiting the important modern and archaeological sites in the city of Athens, the Acropolis and neighboring monuments. While driving through the main streets of Athens, we have an opportunity to see other places of interest such as the Temple of Zeus, the Panathenian Stadium, Omonia Square, Constitution Square and the Royal Palace. This afternoon we drive along the coastal road to Corinth. Continue along the wonderful beach of Kinetta, make a brief stop at the Corinth Canal, then on to ancient Corinth to visit the Museam, the Bema of St. Paul, the Doric Temple of Apollo, the Askeleion, Agora, Lechaion Road, and the Peirene Fountain. This evening we will be taken for a leisure dinner in Athens. After dinner wel will head to the airport for our flight to Tel Aviv. Upon Arrival we are met and taken to our hotel by the sea for overnight.
BASIC TOUR BEGINS HERE:
DAY 1 - Monday: NEW YORK / ATHENS Tour members are welcomed this evening at JFK International Airport, departing via widebody aircraft arriving in Athens the next day. Meals served on board.
DAY 2 - Tuesday: TEL AVIV / NETANYA Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we are met and taken on a tour of Jaffa (Joppa), the city of Jonah, where Peter had his housetop experience at the home of Simon the Tanner. Continue along the Mediterranean coast through the largest city in Israel, Tel Aviv. We proceed north to Netanya where we will check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3 - Wednesday: NETANYA / CAESAREA / NAZARETH / TIBERIAS This morning we proceed to Caesarea, capital of the Roman procurators of Judea. Visit the Roman port, Crusader's Moat, Roman theater and aqueduct. Continue Muhraka on Mount Carmel. Proceed to Megiddo to visit the excavations that unearthed 20 different civilizations. Traveling through the Plain of Jezreel, we visit Nazareth, boyhood home of Jesus. Transfer to the hotel in Tiberias for dinner.
DAY 4 - Thursday: TIBERIAS / UPPER GALILEE This morning we leave Tiberias and head north via Magdala into the valley of Gennesareth to Ginossar to view the New Testament boat found below the sea and visit the kibbutz. Then on to Chorazin, through the Hula Valley to Hazor, ruins of the powerful Canaanite city destroyed by Joshua and rebuilt by Solomon to command upper Galilee. We continue to the northern limits of Jesus' travel as we cross the River Hatzbani to Dan and Banjas (Caesarea Philippi), dedicated to Pan, Greek god of pastures, flocks and shepherds; here Peter made his great profession of faith. Driving to the foot of Mount Hermon, we ascent onto the Holan Plateau for a magnificent view of upper Israel. Return to the hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
DAY 5 - Friday: SEA OF GALILEE / BET SHEAN / JERUSALEM This morning we take a relaxing boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where we will be able to look to the shore where so many miracles occurred. We continue to Capernaum, then visit Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes and continue to the River Jordan where those that wish may be baptized.
This afternoon we travel via the Crusader fortress of Belvoir along the Rift Valley to Bet Shean, where King Saul and his sons were pinned to the walls. It became the Decapolis Capital and was traveled by Jesus and known as Scythopolis. See the ancient theater, Circus Maximus and Cardo Maximo. On our way up to Jerusalem our next stop is at Jacob's Well, then continue through the Old Testament town of Bethel and Shilo.We enter Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives with its beauty before us. Continuing to our hotel for dinner.
DAY 6 - Saturday: JERUSALEM / MASADA / JERICO We begin our day with a stop at Bethany, home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Drive to Masada and ascend by cable car to the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70 to 73 AD Jewish defender made their last stand in the Judean revolt against Rome. We see the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth-century Byzantine church. Continuing alongside the Dead Sea, 1300 ft. below sea level -- the lowest spot on earth-- we proceed to Cumran and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. This afternoon we travel to Jericho, the world's oldest city. From the excavated tel atop the ruins of ancient Jericho we view the lush green Jordan Valley, Elisha's spring and Qarantal, the Mount of Temptation. We will head up to Jerusalem and return to the hotel for dinner.
DAY 7 - Sunday: JERUSALEM/NEW CITY BETHLEHEM This morning we visit the New City of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, the Upper Room, the tomb of King David and Dormition Abbey. We enter the Jewish Quarter of the Old City to visit the Wohl Archaeological Museum, displaying the newly restored Herodian Quarter. Remains of this area of Jerusalem date back to the time of the Herodian Dynasty (37 BC to 70 AD). Proceed to the Shrine of the Book where we see the Dead Sea Scrolls on display then view the Knesset (Israeli parliament) building. Continue to visit Yad Vashem, a memorial of the Holocaust then visit the Model City. This afternoon we continue to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity, the Manger, Crusader's Cloister and the Grotto of St. Jerome. We then visit the cave in Shepherds' Field and view the Fields of Boaz. En route to Jerusalem we see the Tomb of Rachel and other antiquities before returning to the hotel for dinner.
DAY 8 - Monday: JERUSALEM / MT. OF OLIVES / OLD CITY Today we drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem, visit the Church of Pater Noster and the Chapel of Ascension, then proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane. Crossing the Kidron Valley, we pass the tombs of Absalom, Zechariah and St. James, then visit the Pool of Siloam and the Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu (Caiaphas' House). We enter the Old City this afternoon through the Zion Gate and see the Cardo and the remains of Nehemiah's Wall on the way to the Western (Wailing) Wall. We visit the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, the Church of St. Anne, the Pool of Bethesda, Pilate's Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, and the Arch of Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"). We follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and end our day in the Garden Tomb before returning to the hotel for dinner and overnight..
DAY 9 - Tuesday: JERUSALEM / ATHENS / NEW YORK This morning we will transfer to the Airport where we will board our flight to Istanbul. We will connect for our flight to New York. Upon arrival in New York we will transfer to our flight home with many great memories.
POST EXTENSION TO EGYPT
DAY 9 - JERUSALEM / TABA / ST. KATHERINES This morning we leave Jerusalem and pass through the Valley of Elah, the site of David and Goliath's battle, through the region of Adullom, where David took refuge from Saul, and on to Beersheba, ancient city of Judah, a watering hole and trading post for thousands of years. In the center of desert traffice and located on the edge of the vast Negev Desert, it allows us to glimpse the life of a Bedouin. Then on to Eliat on the Red Sea, and cross into Egypt at Taba. Continuing through the desert, we come to St. Katherines Monastery and Mt. Sinai, traditional site of Moses' receiving the 10 commandments. We will check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10 - ST. KATHERINE'S / MT. SINAI / CAIRO Those who desire, may climb Mount Sinai for the sunrise. Continue to St. Katherine's Monastery, where we visit the Chapel, then go to the traditional site of the Burning Bush and the Chamber of the Skulls. We then head north to the Suez Canal and cross it to Ismailia and the desert route to Cairo, where we check into our hotel for dinner.
DAY 11 - CAIRO- MUSEUM & PYRAMIDS This morning we visit the Egyptian Museum with its priceless gems from the tomb of Tutankhamen and other world-famous relics. We tour Old Cairo, including the Coptic church of "El Moallaka", dating from the early fourth century and the Mohamed Ali Mosque. This afternoon's excursion includes an exciting camel ride to the Pyramids and visit the Sphinx. Returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 12 - CAIRO / NEW YORK This morning wetransfer to the airport for our flight back home. Once we arrive in New York we will be on our way home, with cameras full of wonderful pictures and minds full of wonderful images of the trip of a lifetime and will bring new meaning to our Bible reading.
