Itinerary

DAY 01/NOV 04 MANILA-CAIRO
DEPART MANILA MIDNIGHT and take CONNECTING FLIGHT TO CAIRO, EGYPT.

DAY 02/NOV 05 CAIRO
ARRIVE CAIRO IN THE MORNING, MEET OUR AIRPORT ASSISTANT AND AFTER AIRPORT FORMALITIES PROCEED TO OUR COACH AND HAVE OUR CITY ORIENTATION. PROCEED FOR LUNCH THEN CONTINUE VISIT TO THE FAMOUS HANGING CHURCH, ABU SERGA CHURCH, AND THE EXACT PLACE WHERE JOSEPH, MARY AND THE CHILD JESUS STAYED DURING THEIR "FLIGHT TO EGYPT". HAVE OUR ARRIVAL THANKSGIVING MASS AT ST. JOSEPH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. CHECK IN AT OUR HOTEL FOR A LITTLE REST AND QUICK WARM SHOWER. THEN IN THE EVENING, PREPARE FOR THE NILE RIVER DINNER CRUISE. (L, D)

DAY 03/NOV 06 CAIRO
START OUR FULL DAY TOUR IN CAIRO WHICH INCLUDES VISIT TO THE GREAT PYRAMIDS FO GIZA, SPHINX, THE PAPYRUS FACTORY WHERE YOU CAN FIND EGYPT’S FINEST WORK OF ANCIENT PAPER ART. CAP THE DAY AT THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT OUR HOTEL. (B,L, D)

DAY 04/NOV 07 CAIRO - MT. SINAI
AFTER EARLY BREAKFAST, WE CHECK OUT AND CONTINUE DRIVE TO THE Suez Canal AREA TO CROSS UNDER THE WATER TUNNEL INTO SINAI. VISIT RAS SEDR SPRINGS ON OUR WAY TO ST. CATHERINE. UPON ARRIVAL AT ST. CATHERINE HOTEL, HAVE LATE LUNCH AND CONTINUE VISIT ST. CATHERINE MONASTERY AND GET AMAZED WITH THE BEAUTIFUL CHURCH AND THE PLACE OF THE BURNING BUSH. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L, D)

DAY 05 /NOV 08 MT. SINAI - TABA AND EILAT BORDER – DEAD SEA
EARLY WAKE UP FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CLIMB MT. SINAI AND DO WHAT MOSES EXACTLY DID AND TO SEE THE AMAZING SUNRISE. TO THOSE NOT CLIMBING, SHALL BE MET DURING BREAKFAST. AFTER BREAKFAST, WE CHECK OUT AND THEN PROCEED TO TABA BORDER TO CROSS TO ISRAEL. AS WE REACH THE BORDER, PREPARE FOR PASSPORT AND DEPARTURE CARD. AFTER BORDER FORMALITIES, MEET OUR LOCAL ISRAELI GUIDE AND DRIVE VIA EILAT AND ARAVA DESERT WHERE WE SHALL HAVE OUR LUNCH. CONTINUE DRIVE TO THE DEAD SEA SHORE AND CHECK IN AT OUR HOTEL. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L, D)

DAY 06/NOV 09 DEAD SEA-QUMRAN – CANA – NAZARETH - TIBERIAS
EARLY MORNING, WALK FROM YOUR HOTEL TO THE DEAD SEA. EXPERIENCE AND ENJOY THE “FLOAT” ON THE DEAD SEA, THE LOWEST POINT ON EARTH WHICH IS RICH IN MINERALS GOOD FOR THE SKIN. RETURN TO YOUR HOTEL TO HAVE BREAKFAST AND READY FOR CHECK OUT. DEPART DEAD SEA AREA AND VISIT QUMRAN WHERE THE SCROLLS OF THE DEAD SEA WERE FOUND. DRIVE TO THE CITY OF TIBERIAS TO VISIT CANA, THE SITE OF THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUS' CHANGING WATER INTO WINE ON A WEDDING FEAST. HERE WE WILL HAVE OUR THANKSGIVING MASS WITH THE RENEWAL OF MARRIAGE VOWS OF OUR COUPLE PILGRIMS. THEN VISIT NAZARETH, THE TOWN OF JOSEPH AND MARY TO SEE THE CHURCH OF ANNUNCIATION AND JOSEPH'S WORKSHOP. PROCEED TO TIBERIAS FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT (B, L,D)

DAY 07/NOV 10 SEA OF GALILEE - MT. OF BEATITUDES-CAPERNAUM – TABGHA - MT. TABOR
AFTER BREAKFAST BEGIN THE DAY WITH A BOAT RIDE OVER THE SEA OF GALILEE. ENJOY THE SERENITY OF THE LAKE AND FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD AS WE VIEW THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF TIBERIAS. OFF TO NOF GINOSAR, ONE OF THE FAMOUS KIBBUTZS COMMUNITIES AND CONTINUE DRIVE TO CAPERNAUM, THE TOWN OF JESUS WHERE HE SPENT MOST OF THE TIME FOR HIS PREACHINGS. ON TO TABGHA, THE PLACE OF THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES AND FISHES AND TO THE PRIMACY OF PETER CHIURCH WHERE JESUS REFERRED TO PETER AS THE ROCK. VISIT MT.OF BEATITUDES, SITE WHERE THE FAMOUS SERMON ON THE MOUNT WAS GIVEN. ASCEND TO MT. TABOR WHERE WE WILL VISIT THE CHURCH OF TRANSFIGURATION AND WE SHALL HAVE OUR EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION. SEE THE CHAPELS OF MOSES AND ELIJAH AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH ON THE EXTENDED VERANDAH, VIEW THE BEAUTIFUL JEZREEL VALLEY. DRIVE BACK TO OUR HOTEL IN TIBERIAS FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L, D)

DAY 08/NOV 11 YARDENIT – HAIFA - MT.CARMEL – CAESAREA - JAFFA- JERUSALEM
THIS MORNING, DEPART TIBERIAS AND DRIVE TO YARDENIT AND SEE THE HEADWATERS OF THE JORDAN RIVER FOR OUR RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS. ON TO THE LOWER GALILEE TO HAIFA, WHERE ISRAEL’S PORTS ARE FOUND. VISIT MT. CARMEL AND CHURCH OF MUHRAKA. THEN ALONG THE COASTAL ROAD TO CAESAREA VISIT THE ANCIENT ROMAN CITY. PRECEDE TO A SHORT VISIT TO TELAVIV, ISRAEL’S FINANCIAL CAPITAL AND FINALLY TO JAFFA, TO VISIT ST. PETER’S CHURCH AND THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE TANNER. CONTINUE TO JERUSALEM FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L,D)

DAY 09/NOV 12 JERUSALEM–BETHLEHEM–EIN KAREM-JERUSALEM
TODAY, DRIVE TO BETHLEHEM TO VISIT THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY AND HAVE OUR EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION; VIEW THE MANGER SQUARE INSIDE THE GROTTO AND A SILVER STAR WHICH TRADITIONALLY MARKS THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BORN. SEE THE CHAPEL OF ST. JEROME, FORMERLY A CAVE WHERE HE TRANSLATED THE HOLY BIBLE TO LATIN. VISIT EIN KAREM AND SEE THE CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE VISITATION CHURCH OR CHURCH OF THE MAGNIFICAT, WHERE THE VIRGIN MARY VISITED HER COUSIN ELIZABETH. IN THE AFTERNOON, STROLL THROUGH THE CITY OF DAVID AND VISIT HIS TOMB AT MT. ZION. VISIT THE CENACULUM HALL OF THE LAST SUPPER AND ON TO THE DORMITION ABBEY, TRADITIONAL SITE OF MARY’S ASSUMPTION TO HEAVEN. STOP AT THE WAILING WALL, THE MOST SACRED PLACE FOR THE JEWS. VIEW THE DOME OF THE ROCK, THE ORIGINAL SITE OF THE TEMPLE WHERE JESUS WAS PRESENTED TO THE FATHER. (B,L, D)

DAY 10/NOV 13 OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM
THIS MORNING VISIT THE PATER NOSTER CHURCH WHERE JESUS TAUGHT THE “OUR FATHER” WRITTEN IN MANY LANGUAGES. NEXT TO IT IS THE CHURCH OF ASCENCION WHICH TRADITIONALLY MARKS THE PLACE WHERE JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN, WALK THROUGH THE PALM SUNDAY ROAD AND ARRIVE AT THE CHAPEL OF DOMINUS FLEVIT WHERE THE LORD WEPT AFTER SEEING THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. CONTINUE TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE WHERE JESUS PRAYED ON THE NIGHT OF HIS ARREST. PROCEED TO THE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS OR CHURCH OF AGONY WHERE WE SHALL HAVE OUR MASS. CONTINUE TO THE CHURCH OF ST. PETER IN GALLICANTU WHERE JESUS WAS TRIED AND DENIED THREE TIMES. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY THE HOUSE OF CAIPHAS WHERE JESUS WAS PLACED IN A PIT. ENTER THE OLD CITY TO VISIT THE POOL OF BETHESDA WHERE JESUS HEALED A BLIND MAN. SEE THE CHURCH OF ST. ANNE, TRADITIONAL SITE OF THE HOUSE OF MARY’S PARENTS, ST. ANNE AND ST. JOACHIM. FOLLOW THE STATIONS ALONG THE VIA DOLOROSA FROM THE CHAPEL OF FLAGELLATION TO THE CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHRE WHICH WAS BUILT OVER THE SITE OF THE CALVARY AND FINALLY TO THE TOMB OF JESUS. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L, D)

DAY 11/NOV 14 JERSUALEM- ALLENBY BRIDGE-AMMAN-PETRA
AFTER BREAKFAST WE BID ISRAEL GOODBYE AS WE CROSS THE ALLENBY BRIDGE TO ENTER JORDAN. AFTER BORDER FORMALITIES AND CLEARANCE, MEET OUR TOUR GUIDE AND TRAVEL DOWN THE DESERT ROAD TO WADI MOUSA TOWARDS THE “RED ROSE CITY” CALLED PETRA (ONE OF THE NEWEST SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD), AND WHICH WAS INHABITED BY THE NABATEANS FROM 300 B.C. TAKE A HORSE RIDE THROUGHT THE “CIQ” (CANYON) AND SEE THE TREASURY CARVED IN PINK STONES AND CONTINUE TO THE ROMAN THEATER, THE CORINTHIAN TOMB AND THE PALACE TOMB TO THE ROMAN ROAD. CHECK IN AT OUR HOTEL FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT. (B,L, D)

DAY12/NOV 15 PETRA-AMMAN
TODAY WE CHECK OUT AND DRIVE ALONG KING’S HIGHWAY TO THE CHRISTAIN VILLAGE OF MADABA AND SEE THE MOSAIC OF THE HOLYLAND CONTINUE WITH OUR ROMAN EXPERIENCE AS WE VISIT JERASH, KNOWN TO BE THE LARGEST AND WELL PRESERVED SITES OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE WITH ITS COLLONADED STREETS, HILLTOP TEMPLES, ROMAN BATHS, AND THEATERS.

DAY 13/NOV 16 JERASH-AMMAN-DEPARTURE
CONTINUE TO MT. NEBO FROM WHERE MOSES VIEWED THE PROMISED LAND. HERE WE CAN SEE THE JORDAN VALLEY, JERICHO AND THE JUDEAN HILLS. HAVE OUR REFLECTION AND HAVE OUR THANKSGIVING MASS. SEE THE REMAINS OF THE BYZANTINE CHURCH WITH MOSAIC FLOORS.PROCEED TO THE AIRPORT FOR DEPARTURE.

DAY 14/NOV 17 ARRIVE MANILA OR OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO DUBAI…