Christian Group Tours
Our Christian Group Tours are tailored to the specific interests of your group. More than two billion Christians in the world today share common beliefs but emphasize different priorities during a visit here. We respect those differences and insist on crafting your tour to your priorities.
Below is a sample itinerary which includes some of the more universally praised sites.
Christian 7 Night/9-10 Day Tour
DAY 1- SATURDAY
Departure from the United States.
DAY 2- SUNDAY
Arrive in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport where you will be met by a Water&Wine representative and transported to your hotel. Take some time to unpack and relax on one of Tel Aviv’s beaches which stretch out over more than 2.5 miles.
Overnight in Tel Aviv
Day 3- MONDAY
This morning we’ll head out from our hotel towards Jaffa, a city mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Later, modern Tel Aviv developed on sand dunes just north of Jaffa when Jaffa became overcrowded at the beginning of the 20th century. Jaffa’s history spans 4,000 years and includes periods of rule by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians.
As Jaffa represents entrance to the Holy Land there is a certain symmetry in the story of St. Peter’s vision taking place here in Jaffa. Because it is this vision which helps Peter understand that it is his mission to open up the teachings of Jesus to a world much broader then the Judean and Galilean audiences he had heretofore addressed. We will visit Simon the Tanner’s house, where Peter’s vision took place, overlooking the port of Jaffa (Acts 10: 9-47), then walk along the alleys of Jaffa’s artist quarter, amidst buildings constructed from the local sandstone. We’ll also descend under ground to a Roman and Greek era street to learn more about Jaffa’s importance as the gateway to the Holy Land and Jerusalem through the ages.
Now we are ready to strike out north and begin our tour of the Holy Land in earnest. We begin our journey north, along Israel’s coast and slowly the urban sprawl diminishes and agriculture begins to share the scenery.After 45 minutes we reach one of Israel’s most exclusive communities where the Caesarea National Park awaits our discovery. Here we’ll learn about the politics of Roman domination over the Holy Land, the back-drop to the story of Jesus. But it was also a Roman, the Centurion Cornelius, who requested Saint Peter come from Jaffa to teach him here, eventually resulting in his conversion to Christianity, the first pagan convert to the new faith.
Caesarea was a model Roman town built to the highest standards by Herod the Great who ruled at the will of the Romans. We’ll see the Roman amphitheatre, Herod’s sea-side palace, the Hippodrome and remains of the port itself where today Israeli brides come to have their pictures taken against the attractive sand-stone walls as the sun begins to set over the Sea.
It’s getting on towards lunchtime so we’ll take a break in a Druze restaurant in the beautiful hills of the Carmel range and experience Israeli felafel with unlimited salad refills.
We are now ready to learn about commitment and fealty to the one true God of Israel, so we drive two minutes to the Muhraka, site of one of the most dramatic confrontations in all of biblical history. Here the assembled Israelites were challenged by the prophet Elijah to give their complete faith to the God of Israel. In a contest with the priests of the local deity, Baal, Elijah emerges triumphant as he successfully calls upon the Israelite God to bring fire down from heaven to consume a sacrifice which the Israelites have prepared at the site. But the priests of Baal failed in their beseeching and Baal does not consume their sacrifice with flame. In the charged religious-nationalistic atmosphere that follows, Elijah commands the assembled Israelites to seize the 450 priests of Baal and carry them down to the flowing Kishon stream in the valley where the priests are slaughtered on command of Elijah himself.
We take a few moments in the small, intimate church here at the Muhraka before ascending to a spectacular view from the roof of the church where we over look the Jezreel Valley, Biblical Armageddon. From here we pivot slightly and take in the Mediterranean Sea. To our south lay the hills of Samaria and further east the mountains of Jordan.
We finally leave the monastery behind and spend the next half hour negotiating our way through the two Druze Villages on our way to Haifa, Israel’s third largest city, gateway to the north and home to Israel’s largest port, heavy industry, high-tech and two universities. Here the Bahai Garden’s Overlook, the jewel of the city, cascades down the slopes of the Carmel Mountains practically to the port. The views reach as far as the Lebanon and the chalky cliffs of Rosh HaNikra, to the Hermon on the Syrian border over 100 kilometers distant and far out to Sea.
Not far from Haifa we ride along the Kishon stream as it travels between the beginnings of the Galilee to our left, and the Carmel mountains above us to our right. We traverse a small pass between the two and find ourselves on the edge of the crossroads of the land, the Jezreel Valley. We are traveling to Megiddo, located on the side of the valley and the site of Armageddon (Revelations 16:16). Here the armies of might empires squared off against one another in ancient times. No wonder the Gospel of John describes this as the place for the final battle to usher in the Messiah. During our time here we will see the evidence of the 26 successive civilizations that called this hill their home over several millenia.
We now head northeast aiming for the hills of the Galilee and the boyhood home of Jesus, Nazareth. While here we will visit the Virgin Mary’s home at the Church of the Annunciation. It was here, a Byzantine tradition says, that the Angel Gabriel visited Mary to inform her of the birth of Jesus. This is the largest church in the entire Middle East, and the largest Christian community anywhere in the Holy Land.
Just outside of Nazareth we will take a walk up a winding path to gain insight into the outlook of the young Jesus, the view from a backwater village towards an international highway hinting at the enormity of the world. We will also recall the events which took place here on the Mt. Precipice where Jesus was brought by his irate neighbors after he preached to them in their synagogue.
We’ve had a long, intense day learning about the Land of Jesus, the backdrop to the biblical stories which are familiar to us. Now as we approach our hotel in the lakeside town of Tiberias we get our first glimpse of the Sea of Galilee which we will become more familiar with tomorrow.
Overnight in Tiberias
DAY 4- TUESDAY
This morning we’ll start with a short ride north along the lake and approach the region where Jesus spent much of his three year ministry. We’ll begin the day out on the water itself on a Sea of Galilee Boat Ride. From here we can see important sites: Capernium, Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes and Magdal. Upon return to land we’ll get a glimpse of the Jesus Boat (Ginosar), a small boat raised from the mud of the bottom of the lake.
It will take us some time (55 minutes) to reach our next destintion, Baniyas (Caesarea Philippi). Fortunately on our way there we get to enjoy some of Israel’s most beautiful vistas as the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights gradually unfold in front of us, with Mount Hermon in the distance, the holy mountain, towering above the region. The name Baniyas is an Arabic corruption of the Greek word Panias, a place named after the Greek God Pan who was worshiped here over 2,000 years ago. Today we celebrate the place for two reasons: it’s life giving waters, a source of the Jordan River, and the place where Saint Peter comes to prominence in the Gospels, declaring that Jesus was the Christ.
If you ask most if not all pilgrims where they went to celebrate the transfiguration of Jesus chances are they’ll point you towards Mount Tabor. But scholars almost uniformly agree that the events in question actually took place on the universally recognized holy mountain of Jesus’ time, Mt. of Transfiguration (Mt. Hermon). The Hermon is Israel’s tallest peak and dozens of temple remains have been found by archeologists on its windy summits.
At this point we’ve worked up quite an appetite and we’ll utilize the Druze hospitality and culinary excellence for lunch in the largest of the four Druze villages here in the Golan Heights, Majdal Shams.
We will begin our return south toward Tiberias by driving along the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights and ascending to a lookout facing Syria on Mt. Bental. Our motto is “You’re never having a bad day when you’re on the Golan” and Bental is one of the reasons for that. It’s one of the most important places for pilgrims to come because it is here overlooking the Syrian plane below that we come to understand as never before the blessings bestowed upon the Holy Land which is surrounded by strife.
We have learned a great deal today about Biblical geography and security. Tomorrow we will delve into the roots of Christianity.
Overnight in Tiberias.
DAY 5- WEDNESDAY
Today we’ll spend half the day around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent much of his ministry and where so many of the familiar biblical stories take place. We’ll begin our day at The Beatitudes where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, which came to be called the basis of western civilization by St. Augustine. Here the inspiring Italian architect, Antonio Barluzzi, designed a simple yet meaningful church, set amidst one of the most beautiful sites in the country. The views here take in the entire Sea of Galilee, and the hills of the lower Galilee and Golan Heights which surround the lake. Closer at hand we view orchards. As we walk about the grounds we spy shaded areas suitable for contemplation or groups celebrating the mass.
We now return to lakeside to learn about early Christian development at the two sites of Tabgha, separated by just a five minute walk, Tabgha’s Peters Primacy and Tabgha’s Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes Church. At the Church of the Miracle of the Multiplication we’ll visit a simple modern church, built over an ancient one, the site of the miracle alluded to in Matthew 14:14-22. Further on at Peter’s Primacy we walk down to the water’s edge and visit a church in which sits a stone upon which Jesus roasted the fish caught by Peter and the disciples as described in John 21:15-17.
Just a couple of minutes down the road from Tabgha we enter Capernium, the town where Jesus lived for three years during his Galilean ministry. The antiquities at Capernium require some time to contemplate and understand. They include the home of St. Peter and Jesus, the ancient Jewish synagogue and its art work, and the remains of neighborhoods from those times.
Let’s get back on the road now and cross the Upper Jordan River. But don’t blink or you’ll miss it! We drive around the Sea of Galilee east and then south with the Golan Heights soon towering above us. Along the way we’ll pass by Kursi, where Jesus exorcised an evil spirit and the team of hogs were chased into the lake. The reference to pigs alerts us to the non-Jewish character of the people on this part of the lake. A half hour from Capernium we pass the site where the Sea of Galilee empties out into the Lower Jordan River and we will pause here at the Jordan River Baptism Site (Yardenit).
We now prepare to travel down the Jordan Valley, much as Jesus would have done three times a year during the festival pilrimages of Passover, The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) and the Feast of Booths (Sukkot). We follow the meandering course of the Jordan and arrive at Bet Shean, one of the ten cities of the Roman Decapolis, which are mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels as the region of Jesus’ ministry. Here the majority of residents were non-Jews.
Now we’ll take one of our longest drives of our pilgrimage, driving further down the Jordan Valley until we see the Jordan River emptying into the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth. Notice how the landscape changes slowly from the rich greens of the Sea of Galilee region to the barrenness of the Judean Desert. We’ll be spending some time at the beach here, experiencing floating in the Dead Sea and availing ourselves of the mineral products produced from the natural resources of the Sea.
Overnight at Dead Sea
DAY 6- THURSDAY
We’ll begin the morning ascending the famed desert fortress of Masada. Masada combines a powerful story with a stunning physical backdrop. As we approach Masada we begin to see a slivery path below the plateau. That’s the Snake Path, the only way to the top until the Israel Park’s Authority installed the cable car in 1971. Here we’ll see the remnants of Kind Herod’s building projects and contemplate whether the decisions made by the rebels here were heroic or merely suicidal. Masada features strongly as a part of the Israeli psyche. When you learn about this place and what it says about commitment to faith you may begin to examine the limits of our faith today.
We are now returning north and headed for holy Jerusalem. But on the way we’ll stop to explore the highest quality waters in Israel at Ein Gedi, where King David came to escape the wrath of King Saul. Here too we’ll learn about secret formulas which still puzzle scientists to this day.
We’re one stop from Jerusalem now but this is an important place. How important? It was here at Qumran in 1947 that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and those scrolls are credited by scholars as being the most important discovery for the understanding of both Judaism and Christianity.
We now begin our true pilgrimage, following in the footsteps of millions before us, to Jerusalem (Mt. Scopus). From here we’ll overlook the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and thank God we have arrived at this momentous occasion.
Overnight in Jerusalem
DAY 7- FRIDAY
The view from the Mt of Olives of the Temple Mount and the Old City is unparalleled. This is the perfect place to sum up 3,800 years of Jerusalem’s history. You should begin your discovery of Jerusalem from here.
We will now begin to walk down the Mount and our first stop will be Dominus Flevit. Dominus Flevit means “The Lord Wept” in Latin. The great Italian architect designed the church in the shape of a tear drop drawing inspiration from the biblical text noting Jesus’ reaction to viewing the great temple from this vantage point. The church features an unusual feature. The apse in churches is usually located in the East, direction of the rising sun. But here it is placed in the direction of the Temple Mount. Judge for yourself the effect.
Finally we have come down into the valley and arrived at The Garden of Getsemane where Jesus enters into his time of travail. Here, at the adjacent Church of All Nations Jesus prayed upon the rock of agony, asking his father to spare him, then accepted his fate as necessary.
We are finally ready to explore the Old City of Jerusalem and our first stop will be the Western Wall and the Western Wall Tunnel Tour. An 18th century scholar wrote: “After the destruction of the Temple, God removed His Presence from His sanctuary and placed it upon the Western Wall where it remains in its holiness and honour”. This is the only surviving wall from the Temple built a generation before Jesus walked and taught in the temple precincts.
Upon our exit from the Tunnel Tour we’ll be at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa but before beginning to trace the path of Jesus final journey to Golgotha/Calvary we’ll turn right and visit the site of one of Jesus’ miraculous healings, at St Anne’s Church, the traditional site of the Virgin Mary’s birth and one of the only surviving Crusader era churches. This is the place to let loose with praise to God in song, for the acoustics here are unparalleled.
Now we prepare to walk the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Suffering, where Jesus bore the crown of thorns and impossibly heavy cross, on his way to the hill called Golgotha, just outside the gates of ancient Jerusalem.
At the end of the Via Dolorosa we shall enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the last five stations of the cross are located. We will spend considerable time here in the Church, understanding Christ’s ordeal and the actions of his earliest followers in this place.
In the evening we will join in prayer with thousands of others, welcoming the Jewish sabbath at the Western Wall (optional).
DAY 8- SATURDAY
Today we will continue our exploration of Old Jerusalem and other sites related to the New Testament. We begin the morning on Mount Zion where we will visit the site of the Last Supper in the Upper Room (e.g. Luke 22:7-23).
The Upper Room is literally above King David’s Tomb. We will spend some time here learning about Jesus’ relationship to the Pharisees and subsequent Pharisaic domination of Jewish law and the holy books which were written as a result of the destruction of the Temple which Jesus foresaw.
Now we turn back to the Old City and enter it through one of its eight gates, the Lion’s Gate. After skirting the edge of the Armenian Quarter we enter the Jewish Quarter. Although physically a small place, what makes it a rich space for pilgrimss is it’s depth, literally. In several locations we’ll discover an uncovered city under the modern quarters, places where archeologists have been permitted to explore Jerusalem’s hidden underground treasures including the ancient Roman Cardo.
Upon departure from the Old City we head across town, passing the Knesset, modern Israel’s parliament. We continue to what was, in biblical times, the countryside outside of Jerusalem where Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist was born and where Mary met John’s mother, her cousin Elizabeth, at the village well in Ein Karem . In addition to the well we’ll visit the Church of the Visitation, where John’s parents lived.
Our visit to Jerusalem cannot be complete without spending part of an afternoon in the town where Jesus was born, Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, the actual site of the birth. We’ll also head down the hill into the valley of the Shepherd’s Field and get a more pastoral sense of the area there.
We conclude our day in Jerusalem visiting a site holy for Protestant’s, the Garden Tomb, where it is believed the events of Golgotha occurred. Here British guides take us through the inspiring site and explain the significance of the resurrection.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
DAY 9- SUNDAY
We now have a free day in Jerusalem to sew up loose ends, get over to special Middle Eastern food markets we want to visit and contemplate our spiritual journey. If your flight departs in morning you will arrive the same day in the United States. If your flight departs in evening you will arrive the next day in the United States, on Day 10 (MONDAY) of your trip.
Trip Extensions
One doesn’t get out to this part of the world very often and a lot of people want to take advantage of the relative proximity of Israel to other fascinating destinations such as Petra in Jordan and Egypt. We can help you make travel arrangements to these locations.