Orthodox Israel & Sinai Egypt

Upon your arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, our representative will greet you and provide assistance. You will then proceed to Lod, the historic city of Lydda, to pay your respects at the Tomb of St. George located within the Church of St. George. Afterward, depart for Jerusalem to explore the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the holiest site in Christianity, where you will honor the Tomb of Christ, the location of His Resurrection, and ascend the stairs to Golgotha, the site of His Crucifixion. Walk along the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus Christ took on His way to the Cross, and visit the Prison of Christ situated in the Monastery of the Praetorium, located between the Second and Third Stations. Your journey will continue to the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the healing of the paralytic. Dinner & Overnight in Bethlehem.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Continue your biblical tour experience in Egypt. Depart early in the morning for a lengthy drive of about 5 hours to Taba Border Crossing. After completing passport control, you will be welcomed and assisted with the necessary formalities on the Egyptian side. Proceed to St. Catherine's Monastery, located at the base of Mt Sinai, where Moses witnessed the Burning Bush before receiving the Ten Commandments from God. Depending on your arrival time, you may attend Vespers. Check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner.

Embark on a very early morning ascent (departure at 1 am) to reach the summit of Mount Sinai. The climb to the Holy Mountain (Mt Horeb) will take you about 3 hours, with another 3 hours required for the descent, depending on the weather conditions. Participate in the Divine Liturgy. Enjoy breakfast. Take a guided tour of the Monastery, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, to view its renowned collection of icons and ancient manuscripts, the Burning Bush, and to pay respects to the relics of St. Catherine. Dinner & Overnight stay in St. Catherine.

Following breakfast, leave for the Taba Border Crossing. Cross the border on foot back into Israel and then drive back to Bethlehem.

Start your day with breakfast at the hotel. Then, visit the stunning cliffside Monastery of St. George of Choziba located in Wadi Qelt. Afterward, cross into Jericho, recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, to view the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus. Next, explore the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation, perched atop the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and faced temptation from Satan. Continue your journey to Qasr al-Jahud, the traditional site where St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Visit the 5th-century Monastery of St. Gerasimos of the Jordan situated in the Judean Desert, and then depart for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, lying approximately 420 meters below sea level. Enjoy some free time before dinner and an overnight stay in Bethlehem.

Begin the day with worship at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, recognized as one of the oldest churches globally, constructed over the site where Jesus Christ was born. Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Next, visit the 5th-century Monastery of St. Theodosius the Great, the first cenobitic monastery in Palestine, which houses the tomb of the saint and the cave where the Three Wise Men rested on their return from Bethlehem. Afterward, transfer via mini buses to the Monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified (entry is restricted to men; women can observe from the Women's Tower and pay homage to the exported relics). Proceed to Jerusalem to explore the Mount of Olives, the site of the Lord's ascension into Heaven, and take in the stunning panoramic views of the Old City. Stroll to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed prior to His betrayal by Judas and subsequent arrest. Pay your respects at the Tomb of the Holy Mother of God and view the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary of Jerusalem (Panaghia Ierosolymitissa) located within a 12th-century Greek Orthodox Church at the base of the Mount of Olives. Dinner and overnight accommodations will be in Nazareth.

Start your day with breakfast at the hotel. Then, visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, which is constructed over the spring known as Mary's Well, where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear Our Lord Jesus Christ. Explore the Latin Church of the Annunciation, located at the site of what was once Mary's home and Joseph’s workshop. Next, travel to Cana of Galilee to see the Greek Orthodox Church and Monastery of St. George, recognized as the location of Christ's first miracle. Continue your journey to Capernaum, the focal point of Christ's public ministry in Galilee, where you will visit the Monastery of the Holy Apostles and the remnants of St. Peter's house. Finally, head to Tabgha, the site of the miraculous Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Enjoy dinner and spend the night in Nazareth.

Savor breakfast and check out from the hotel. Visit the historic site of Ancient Joppa (Jaffa) to explore the house of Simon the tanner (Acts 10:9-16) and the location where St. Peter brought Tabitha back to life, a woman celebrated for her goodness (Acts 9:36-43). Take in the views of the ancient port of Old Jaffa. After a brief bus journey through Tel Aviv, Israel's vibrant metropolis, proceed to the airport for our return flight home. We come back with cherished memories of the Holy Land.