Biblical Lands - 8 Days

Monday. Welcome to Israel and the start of your Biblical adventure. We’ll be there to meet you at Ben Gurion Airport and transfer you to our hotel in greater Jerusalem (West Bank). The remainder of today is at your leisure.

Begin the day with a trip to the Mount of Olives for impressive views of Jerusalem. See some of the world’s oldest olives trees at the Garden of Gethsemane and discover the glistening mosaics of the nearby Church of Agony. Continue to the Israel Museum’s, Shrine of the Book to see the famous Dead Sea Scrolls and the beautifully renovated Model of the Herodian City of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple (515 BCE – 70 CE). Scattered over 45 acres of the Mount of Remembrance is Yad Vashem, a vast, landscaped complex with a fascinating museum and a dozen memorials built to honour the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust. We pay our respects and learn more about how this tragedy shaped the modern State of Israel. Later, we visit the picturesque village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Spend the rest of the day in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We'll be visiting the Church of the Nativity and enjoying the views of Shepherds’ Fields.

After breakfast today we head to the spectacular Old City through one of the fabled gates. Within its mighty walls we explore the renewed Jewish Quarter, the 2,000-year-old Western Wall, Via Dolorosa – the route that Jesus is believed to have taken as he carried his cross to Calvary, and the Stations of the Cross ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest Christian site in the Old City. We’ll also have time to wander the colourful bazaars and pick up some souvenirs. Later, we make our way to Mount Zion to visit the tomb of King David, the Room of the Last Supper and Dormition Abbey. This afternoon we visit Mahane Yehuda, this bustling market showcases incredible flavours, aromas and colours and is fantastically noisy and exciting place to explore.