The Holy Land & Medjugorje
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:Round-trip air from New York 14 nights accommodations at 4-star or superior tourist class hotels in Israel and Italy: 1 night: Mercure Suites, Bat Yam 4 nights: A modern home/hotel with private baths in Medjugorje Not Included: Lunches, Beverages with dinners, Airport tax (approx. $200-$380 depending on departure city and routing, when inter-itinerary flights occur taxes can be higher). Travel Insurance optional at $99-$219. Tips to your hotel staff, guide & driver ($7 per day). Items of a personal nature. Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary: Day 1 – USA - Tel Aviv Begin your spiritual journey as we depart for the overnight flights to Tel Aviv. Day 2 – Tel Aviv – Mediterranean Coast Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. Exit terminal at the sign marked "groups" and meet your local guide who will escort you to our hotel in on the coast. Dinner and overnight. Day 3 – Galilee Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Stella Maris, Carmelites, Cana, Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation We travel via the coast to Caesarea, where the Romans held Paul prisoner. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins. Drive through the Carmel Mountains heading for the Galilee. In Haifa, visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery with the Madonna of Mt Carmel. Continue to Mukhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order was started. Drive to Cana, the village of Jesus’ first miracle of changing water into wine; here couples may renew their wedding vows. Continue to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth where we will celebrate Mass and visit Mary’s Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. Dinner and overnight in the Galilee. Day 4 – The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee: Tiberias, Boat ride, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitudes, Caesarea Philippi Some of today’s highlights are a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St Peter’s house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given, to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and to the nearby Church of Peter’s Primacy where Peter was told " Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt Beatitudes. In the afternoon we visit Caesarea Philippi, location of the testimony of St. Peter and where Jesus answered him “You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Dinner and overnight at your hotel in the Galilee. Day 5 – Jordan River, Mt Tabor, Sepphoris We start the day by going remembering our Baptism at the Jordan River. Continue to Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration, where we will have Mass. We proceed to Sepphoris, a regional city at the time of Jesus. Drive down the Jordan Valley and head towards Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem. Day 6 – Jerusalem and Bethlehem: Mt Olives, Church of Visitation, Shepherd’s Fields, Church of the Nativity On the first day in Jerusalem we present an overview for a better understanding of its geography and some of the key sites surrounding the area. This includes a dramatic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives, revealing a city with 4000 years of history. From this vantage point see much of what makes Jerusalem such a unique city to the three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We then head to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St John the Baptist and to the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the ‘Magnificat’. In the afternoon we drive to the Shepherd’s Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds Fields. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem. Day 7 – Jerusalem, The Passion of Jesus’ Last Hours: Bethany, Mt Olives, Palm Sunday, Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, Cave of Betrayal, Cave of Assumption, Pater Noster We begin our day with a visit to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Then onto the Mt. of Olives to walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. Visit the cave of betrayal then the cave of Assumption of Mary to heaven. Back on the Mt of Olives we visit the Pater Noster with the Lords Prayer in many languages, and the Ascension from where ascended to Heaven. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem. Day 8 – Stations of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, St Anne’s Church, Ecce Homo, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Wailing Wall, Upper Room, Dormition Early in the morning we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice. Finally we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. After breakfast at our hotel we return to the Old City of Jerusalem to visit St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We pass the Ecce Homo where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; then the Wailing Wall, the most holy place for Jews. Nearby is the Dome of the Rock and the Haram al Sharif or Temple Mount. We exit at Mt Zion. At the Cenacle we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Next we go to Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Him thrice. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem. Day 9 – The Wilderness: Bethany, Jericho, Mt Temptation, Dead Sea The desert east of Jerusalem is rich in Christian tradition. Further east, just off the Roman road that Jesus ‘walked’, is Wadi Qelt gorge, site of the Monastery of St George. At the oasis town of Jericho, visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and view Mt. Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. On the way back there is time for a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its healing properties. In the afternoon, there will be time for you to revisit some of your favorite sites and time for last minute buying of gifts for your loved ones. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem. Day 10 – Jerusalem – Tel Aviv – Medjugorje Early morning departure from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv Airport where you will take a short flights to Medjugorje. Upon arrival, you’ll also be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver who will then take you on the 2 1/2 hour drive by private coach to the village of Medjugorje. Guide will be with your throughout your stay. Once there, you’ll meet your fellow pilgrims and your spiritual leader and be introduced to your host family in whose modern and comfortable house you will be staying for the next four nights. Days 11 to 13 – Medjugorje The balance of your trip in Medjugorje is meant to provide you with time for a personal retreat. As such, your time in Medjugorje is not designed to be a “tour”, but rather to provide you with time to pray, reflect, and explore on your own as you feel called. On arrival, you will have an orientation tour after which a representative of 206 Tours will be available should you have any questions or requests, however, you will not have a guide with you through out your stay. Daily Mass in English, as well as English confessions are available at St. James Church. During your stay in Medjugorje you will have full discretion over how your time is spent, in order to have the fullest spiritual experience possible. Experience the beauty and peace of this simple village. During your stay in Medjugorje you will have the opportunity to share faith with pilgrims from all over the world. Each evening at 5pm or 6pm daylight savings time, we will join the villagers and pilgrims to pray the rosary. The apparition takes place at 5:40pm or 6:40 daylight savings time, and then stay on for Croatian Mass. Don’t miss on Tuesdays and Saturdays Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and on Fridays Veneration of the Cross in the Church. Each evening during Croatian Mass, there is the Blessing of the Sick and blessing of the items you have with you. Our guide will arrange meetings with the visionaries at their own homes provided that they are in Medjugorje during your trip, and pending their availability. We will have the opportunity to climb Krizevac Mountain, where in 1933 the villagers built a 30’ high cross on the anniversary of Jesus’ crucifixion. Visit and pray at "Blue Cross", which is a place of great healings and graces- a very special place at the base of Apparition Hill. We will visit the Oasis of Peace, which has an incredible 24-hour Adoration Chapel. Day 14 – Medjugorje – USA After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we leave by motor coach for Dubrovnik Airport (Split or Sarajevo) for return flights home. Note:Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication of the tour, rather than a contract of places to be visited. Occasionally local religious holidays, national days, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of visits or the missing of certain visits.
*2009 Travel Dates Feb 01-24 2010 Travel Dates Jan 31-Feb 13 In categories: Tours for Groups Book this trip |
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