RICC CROYDON
Led by Rev’d Ian Patterson-Sharpe
Day 1 UK – ISRAEL- Friday, October 23rd
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in the late evening on El Al flight LY 316 ETA 21:25 hr., where you will be met and given assistance by Diesenhaus Unitours representative.
Meet your guide and driver. Transfer to Netanya for overnight stay at the Blue Bay hotel with cold plate dinner buffet.
Day 2 NAZARETH – TIBERIAS Saturday, October 24th
Drive on to Caesarea; see the excavations of the Crusader City, the Herodian Port. Proceed to Mount Carmel, the site of the encounter between the Prophet Elijah and the Baal priests, proceed to Zippori the 2nd century BCE capital of the Galilee. Continue to Nazareth where Jesus spent his early years and visit Mary’s well and the Church of the Annunciation. Just north of Nazareth is the village of Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle. Drive to Tiberias for dinner and over night stay at the Prima Galil.
Day 3 SEA OF GALILEE Sunday, October 25th
Start the day with a visit to Yardenit on the shores of the Jordan River Continue to Kursi (The Land of the Geraseenes) where Jesus healed the two demon possessed men. Onwards to Capernaum, centre of Jesus' Ministry, - located here are the ruins of an ancient synagogue and the site of Peter's House. Visit Tabgha, Mensa Christi in the afternoon. We will visit the Mount of Beatitudes- the site of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. Drive to Nof Ginossar and see the ancient Jesus boat and end the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
Day 4 TIBERIAS – JERUSALEM Monday, October 26th
After checking out of the hotel, drive to Mt Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. Proceed through the Jordan River rift valley, passing the city of Beit Shean, a Roman city of the Decapolis. Continue to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world and ascend by cable car the Mount of Temptation. Climb the Judean Hills towards Jerusalem. Visit Bethany and the Tomb of Lazarus. Continue to your hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight stay at the Jerusalem Gate.
Day 5 CITY TOUR JERUSALEM & BETHLEHEM Tuesday, October 27th
Begin the day’s tour on the Mount of Olives for a breathtaking view of the entire city. Walk down the traditional Palm Sunday route to the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane. Proceed to the Israel Museum and visit the Model of the ancient Jerusalem in the time of the Second Temple and the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. In the Afternoon we drive to the Manager Square in Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity.
Day 6 DEAD SEA & MASADA Wednesday, October 28th
Depart Jerusalem and descend the Judean Wilderness, via the Inn of the Good Samaritan, to the lowest place on earth-the Dead Sea. Drive along the shore to Masada and ascend by cable car. Tour this mountain top fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jews against the Romans. Drive to a nearby oasis and relax and enjoy an opportunity to “ float” in the Dead Sea. Before returning to Jerusalem, visit the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
Day 7 VIA DOLOROSA Thursday, October 29th
We will start our day with visit of the excavations at the City of David, Proceed to the Davidson Centre- The Jerusalem Archaeological Park - that reveals the most amazing discoveries of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. At the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount, in the area known as the Ophel, the visitor can climb up the original steps of the Hulda Gates that led to the Temple Mount. Continue our visit in the Christian Quarter; visit St Ann’s Crusader Church, Ecce Homo, Antonia Fortress and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On the last day at the Holy Land we will visit the Garden Tomb. Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Day 8 Israel – UK Friday, October 30th
Early departure and transfer to Airport for El Al flight LY 315 ETD 09:05 must be at the airport for security and check in by 06:00 hr. depart the hotel at 05:00 hr. Coffee and cake in lieu of breakfast.