Day 1 ~ February 21, Thursday – DEPART CANADA
8:15am Meet at Winnipeg airport in the departures hall to check in for your West Jet flight to Toronto departing at 10:45am. Arrive in Toronto’s Pearson International airport at 2:15pm. Depart for Tel Aviv at 5:45pm on a direct EL AL nonstop overnight flight from Toronto, meals served en route.
Day 2 ~ February 22, Friday – ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport at noon, clear passport control and customs, meet with your guide. Drive by air conditioned bus to Jaffa (Joppa) where Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner (Acts 9:43, 10:9-23). See the harbor on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea from where Jonah boarded a ship to run away from God (Jonah 1:1). Check into the Leonardo hotel in Bat Yam and spend the remainder of the day at leisure, walking along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea or relax in the hotel, recouping from the flight. 1 night Leonard hotel Bat Yam [Dinner]
Day 3 ~ February 23, Saturday – CARMEL / GALILEE
Drive north along the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea, where Paul defended himself before Festus and King Agrippa (Acts 25:6-26:32) and where Cornelius was baptized by Peter (Acts 10:1- 48). Continue north to Mt Carmel where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:1-46). Travel next to Megiddo, the fortress city of King Solomon (1 Kings 9:15; 10:26) and from there, view the fertile plains of the Jezreel Valley, where the future Battle of Armageddon will take place (Revelation 16:12-16). Travel on to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. First, go to the Mount of Precipice and see the traditional site of the cliff where Jesus was about to be thrown down by the hostile people of Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30). Then, visit Nazareth Village, which portrays what village life was like in the time of Jesus. Continue on to Tiberias, situated on the Sea of Galilee (John 6:22-24). 3 nights Leonardo Hotel Tiberias [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 4 ~ February 24, Sunday – GALILEE
Begin the day sailing across the Sea of Galilee then stop to see the 2000-year-old “Jesus Boat” discovered in 1986 now in the Museum at Gennasereth. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Stop to visit Chorazin one of the three villages Jesus condemned for not accepting Him and His teaching (Matthew 11:20-24), as well as the Primacy of Peter the site where Jesus served breakfast to His disciples after His Resurrection. Drive on to Capernaum, where Jesus chose to center His ministry and the site of many of His miracles (Luke 4:16-32). See the remains of St Peter’s house and the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught and worshipped. Drive to Magdala, the village of Mary Magdalene and see the archeological discovery of the very synagogue that Mary would have worshipped in (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:31). [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 5 ~ February 25, Monday – GALILEE
Begin the day driving to the top of Mount Arbel to view the beauty of the Galilee from that height. From there, drive north to visit Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do men say I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20). Continue on to Dan to visit the ancient biblical site where Jeroboam set up his altar for the golden calves he wanted Israel to worship (1 Kings 12:25-30) and the 4000-year-old mud brick gate of Dan that Abraham would have used to enter the city (Genesis 14:14). Stop at Hazor, “the head of all kingdoms” to visit this fascinating site with ancient layers that match Joshua’s destruction (Joshua 11: 10-11). End the day with baptism in the Jordan River [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 6 ~ February 26, Tuesday – GALILEE / JERUSALEM
Drive to the Spring of Gideon where Gideon selected the 300 men who would join him in fighting against the Midianites (Judges 7:1-7). From there, travel along the Jordan Valley to Beth Shan, the largest archaeological excavation in Israel, where the Philistines placed the bodies of King Saul and his sons on the city walls (1 Samuel 31:10). Enjoy a scenic drive down the Jordan Valley through the desert which now blooms with flowers and vegetation of every description (Isaiah 35:1-2). Visit Qumran where a shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 in a nearby cave. Travel through the Judean wilderness. En route stop at the Good Samaritan Inn, perhaps the “inn” in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). Continue to Jerusalem. Stop on Mount Scopus for your first view of Jerusalem the Holy city. 4 nights Caesar hotel Jerusalem [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 7 ~ February 27, Wednesday – JERUSALEM
Begin the day on the Mt of Olives (Acts 1:9-12) with a wonderful view of Jerusalem. Following the route of Jesus’s Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-40), walk down to Dominus Flevit, a church which commemorates the site where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). Continue down the mountain to spend some time in an olive grove at Gethsemane, where Jesus spent the night in prayer and was betrayed by Judas. (Matthew 26:36-46). Explore the fascinating ongoing excavations in the City of David (2 Samuel 5:6-10). Walk through either Hezekiah’s (2 Kings 20:20) or the Canaanite Tunnels to the Pool of Siloam (John 9:1-11). Enter the Old City, visit the Southern Wall Archaeological Park, and stand on the very steps Jesus walked on going in and out of the Holy Temple, where He drove out the buyers and sellers. (Matthew 21:12-13). Stop to pray at the Western Wall. Continue through the Old City to the Cardo (Main Street from 2000 years ago), see the Broad Wall built by Hezekiah (Isaiah 22:9-11, Nehemiah 3:8). Proceed to Mt Zion, visit King David’s Tomb (Acts 2:29) and the Upper Room where Jesus had His final Passover with His disciples (Luke 22:7-38). Then stop at the House of the High Priest Caiaphas at St. Peter in Gallicantu church, where Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin and imprisoned for a night (Matthew 26:57-75, John 18:12-14) and view the ancient stairs Jesus might have walked on. [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 8 ~ February 28, Thursday – JERUSALEM
Travel through the Jerusalem mountains and the Elah Valley where David fought Goliath (1 Samuel 17) to Lachish, where you can witness the extent of Sennacherib’s destruction in 701 BC (2 Kings 18:12-17). Continue to Maresha (2 Chronicles 14:9-12, Micah 1:15) and walk through the unique manmade caves. Proceed to Yad Vashem, Museum of the Shoah (Holocaust). Stop at the Israel Museum to see the Model City of Jerusalem, describing Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. End the day visiting Golgotha, where many scholars believe Jesus was crucified (Luke 23:26-49) at the Garden Tomb, where He was buried and from which He rose again. Conclude the visit there by celebrating a communion service (Luke 23:50-24:12). [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 9 ~ March 1, Friday – DEAD SEA
Leave Jerusalem and drive through the Judean Wilderness to Genesis Land, where we will ride on camels to visit “Abraham”, some 4000 years later (Genesis 18:1-8) and enjoy Biblical hospitality in his tent overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Descend via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth (1200 feet below sea level). Visit the oasis at Ein Gedi – where David hid from the wrath of King Saul (1 Samuel 23:29) and see the waterfalls there. Continue to Masada. Tour the impressive ruins of King Herod the Great’s mountaintop fortress, later the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome (73 AD). For the remainder of the day enjoy the unique experience of floating in the Dead Sea – you cannot sink! [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 10 ~ March 2, Saturday – JERUSALEM
Spend your final day at leisure in this fascinating city. An option is available to join Dr Ozirney for a tour of the Old City, including: Walking the Ramparts on the top of the wall surrounding Jerusalem; Walk through the markets of the Old City and visit Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Check out of the hotel is at 11am. Farewell dinner in the hotel then transfer to the airport for the return flight. [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 11 ~ March 3, Sunday – RETURN TO CANADA
Leave Tel Aviv for Toronto at 00:35am on the nonstop direct EL AL flight, meals served on board. Arrive in Toronto at 6:25am. Continue on the West Jet flight to Winnipeg at noon arriving at 1:42pm.
OPTIONAL 2 day EXTENSION IN JERUSALEM – mark this option on the Application please.
Rates per person $388 Single supplement $173 Based on: Minimum of 15 participants & 2 people sharing a room.
Day 11 ~ March 3 Sunday & Day 12 ~ March 5, Monday
Enjoy an additional two days in Jerusalem. On Sunday, March 3 roam and explore this fantastic city on your own or join Dr Ozirney, visiting a variety of sites and locations in Jerusalem. Modest additional entry fees might apply. Some of these sites include Temple Institute where preparations for the Third Temple are now being made, the Burnt House Museum, the Western Wall Tunnels and the Tower of David Museum.
Monday, March 5 is your final day at leisure. Check out of the hotel on that day is at 11am (you can leave your luggage with security). Optional late check out on March 5 is $108 per person, please mark yes to late check out on the Application. Final dinner in the hotel then transfer to the airport for the return flight. [Breakfast/dinner]
Day 13 March 6, Tuesday – RETURN TO CANADA
Leave Tel Aviv for Toronto at 00:35am on the direct nonstop EL AL flight, meals
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