Visit Christian related sites in the beautiful scenery of the Galilee region, followed by a comprehensive tour of Jerusalem

• Old City of Jerusalem – Jewish, Christian and Muslim Quarters.
• Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
• Wailing Wall (Kotel).
• The ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Mea’ Shearim (Drive-By).
• Israeli Parliament (Drive-By).
• Israeli Museum – Ancient Jerusalem Model.
• Shrine of the Book – The Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Nazareth – The Church of Annunciation, St. Joseph Church.
• Valley of Armageddon (Megiddo).
• Mount of Beatitudes.
• Capernaum.
• Tabgha.
• Jordan River – Yardenit baptistic site.

Overview

If your cruise ship docks in Israel for more than one day, this is the shore excursion we recommend you to take. Not only will you be able to visit and see the most important sites in Israel, but you will get the chance to experience the country, its people and its unique atmosphere.

Both the visit to Jerusalem and to the Galilee region is planned so you have enough time at each site and still see and experience more than any other tour.

The overnight stay in Jerusalem will enable you to enjoy a remarkable night in one of the most diverse, beautiful and interesting cities in the world.

Tour Description

Day 1 – Jerusalem Old and New

From the port of Haifa, we will drive to Jerusalem and begin our tour on the Mountain of Olives with a truly magnificent panoramic view of the Old City, Temple Mount and the entire city of Jerusalem.

Next, we will visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. From there we will drive through the Valley of Kidron and enter the Old City through the Jaffo (Jaffa) Gate.

We will walk through the Via Dolorosa, also known as the Way of Agony – the path Jesus walked through while carrying the cross.

We will follow the stations of the cross coming to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, also known as the Church of Resurrection – the site described in the New Testament as Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and later buried.

At about this time we will have a lunch break at any of the various delicious oriental restaurants in the Christian quarter.

After lunch, we will head to the Jewish quarter and explore its two levels – the current level which was mainly restored after the 1967 war and the ancient 2000-year-old level which consists of fascinating ruins from the second temple period that was mostly destroyed during the Roman siege of 70 AC.

Our next stop will be the Wailing Wall (Kotel), the holiest site for the Jewish people and the last remain from the once magnificent second temple that was located on top of the temple mount.

We will head back to the Jaffa Gate where you will have some free time to shop for art crafts at the local market.

The second part of the day will include site seeing in the new city. We will begin with a drive through the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Neighborhood of Mea’ Shearim. We will pass by the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and Supreme Court of Israel until we will arrive at the Israeli Museum. Here we will visit a model of ancient Jerusalem and pay a visit to the Shrine of the Book – the home of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.

At the end of the day, we will check-in to the hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure where you will be able to stroll around the center of Jerusalem, enjoy its various restaurants and bars and absorb its unique atmosphere.

Day 2 – Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Jordan River and overnight in Jerusalem

After breakfast, we will head up north to Nazareth – Jesus’ hometown and where according to Christians, Mary received the Annunciation from the Angel Gabriel that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus.

We will visit the Church of Annunciation, the Grotto (Mary’s house) and the Church of St. Joseph where according to tradition, used to be the carpentry workshop of Joseph. In the lower part of the church, there are 2000 years old archaeological remains from ancient Nazareth.

From Nazareth, we will head north to a beautiful observation over the Valley of Armageddon (Megiddo) where, according to the scripts, the site of the final battle of Armageddon will take place.

Our next stop will be on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where we will visit Mt. of the Beatitudes overlooking the lake. From there we will head to Capernaum – where Jesus spent most of his adult life and where he began preaching.

Next, we will visit Tabgha where it is believed that Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

For the last stop of the day, we will drive along the shore of the Sea of Galilee to the origin of the Jordan River and visit the Baptismal site where you will have the chance to get baptized.

Finally, we will head back to the port in time for your departure.