Embark On a Catholic Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Your journey begins today as you depart on your international flight to Israel. Meals and drinks will be served aloft.

• Arrive in Ben Gurion Airport and be received by a Glimmer Tours representative
• You will be escorted and driven to your hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and a restful overnight stay.

• Luke’s Gospel places the birth of St. John the Baptist in the picturesque village of Ein Karem. One of our stops is in the Church of the Visitation where the Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth upon learning of her pregnancy from the Angel Gabriel. 
• We are also sure to visit the Church of St. John — the birthplace of St. John the Baptist.
• As Christians, one of the most important sites of our pilgrimage is the Nativity Church. Not only is it the oldest complete church in the world, this site marks the birthplace of Jesus.  Within the church, we visit the Grotto of the Nativity.
• Another important site we will visit is St. Jerome’s Cave which is accessed from St. Catherine’s Church. The cave is where St. Jerome spent 30 years creating the first official version of the Bible.
• We will later head to the Milk Grotto where the Virgin Mary nursed Baby Jesus. Here, a drop of her milk fell upon the stone and turned it white.
• Shepherd’s Field is known from the stories we tell our children every Christmas. This is the field where an angel appeared to a group of shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus.

• In the morning, we leave our hotel and drive along the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea Maritima, the headquarters of Pontius Pilate. This ancient city is where Apostle Peter baptized the first gentile to Christianity. 
• From Caesarea, we travel to the beautiful Port City of Haifa, Israel’s largest seaport and third-largest city. We ascend Mt. Carmel where we can take in a spectacular view of Haifa Bay. 
• Mt. Carmel is the home of the prophets Elisha and Elijah. This mountain is well recognized from the story of the Prophet Elijah’s fire-lighting challenges. 
• To conclude day 4, we head over to the Wedding Church of Cana in Galilee. Here, Jesus performed his first miracle of changing water into wine. Couples traveling together will have the extraordinary opportunity to renew their wedding vows in this church should they wish to do so.

• Tabgha is the site of the miracle of the multiplication of fish and bread. From a few pieces of fish and bread, Jesus provided enough food to feed a flock of 4,000 people.
• We then visit the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus began his public ministry.  Here, Jesus recruited His first four disciples.
• Capernaum is Jesus’ hometown and is where many of His miracles took place. He worshiped and taught in the synagogue and promised the Eucharist saying, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
• We’ll also visit the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus sat with His disciples and began to teach them. This is where Jesus gave His most famous discourse, the Sermon on the Mount.
• In Magdala, we will have a scenic, relaxing boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to wind down the day.

• The morning of day 6, we travel to the site of the transfiguration of Jesus. At the summit of Mt. Tabor, Jesus’ disciples witnessed Jesus begin to shine with bright rays of light. From the sky, a voice came down and said, “This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him.”
• We then head to Nazareth, the home of the Holy Family. We first stop at the Church of St. Joseph which is also known as Joseph’s Workshop. This beautiful church is built over the carpentry workshop where St. Joseph once worked.
• At the Basilica of the Annunciation, we visit the sacred space where the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God.

• Jericho is a stunning sight to behold as it is the oldest known city in the world. Travel backwards in time simply by walking through these ancient pathways.
• We will later visit the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist. 
• Continuing along the shores of the Dead Sea, we arrive in Qumran. This famous site is known as the hiding place of the Dead Sea Scrolls — a treasure hidden since shortly after the time of Christ.
• Our next stop is a bucket list item for many. You’ll have a chance to swim in the salty, mineral-laden and unsinkable waters of the Dead Sea.

• We begin day 8 by visiting the most sacred place in the world for Jews —  the Wailing Wall. It is so named because it was once a place of mourning for the loss of the Jewish Temple. Today, the Wailing Wall receives thousands of annual visitors who come to pray.
• We will then proceed to Mt. Zion to stand in the Upper Room where Jesus ate His Last Supper with his disciples. The solemn atmosphere in this room is a reminder of Jesus' betrayal by Judas the night before His crucifixion. 
• Later, we will visit the Abbey of the Dormition. This is where the Virgin Mary “fell asleep” before her assumption into Heaven.
• We continue to one of the most stunning churches in Jerusalem, the Church of St. Peter. This location is known as the place where the apostle Peter denied Jesus three times.

• We kick off day 9 with a morning drive to the top of the Mount of Olives where we will visit the Church of Pater Noster. This church is where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer.
• From the church, we will walk down Palm Sunday Road — the same road Jesus followed when He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
• Further down the road, we will arrive at the Chapel of Dominus Flevit. The church is shaped like a teardrop to symbolize how Jesus wept over the future fate of Jerusalem. 40 years from that moment, the prophecy was fulfilled when the Romans attacked the city and burned down the temple.
• We then continue to the Church of All Nations. This church is built over the rock where Jesus prayed in agony the night before He was crucified. We will also visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray with His disciples and where Judas betrayed Him.
• In Bethany, we will visit the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus —  the friends whom Jesus would visit during his trips to Jerusalem.

• We start day 10 with a walk through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the Old City. Our first stop is at the Church of St. Anne, the birthplace of the Virgin Mary and the home of her parents Anne and Joachim.
• Next, we will stop at the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralyzed man and told him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.”
• We then head to the Via Dolorosa where we will follow Jesus on the Way of the Cross. As we walk, we will visit each station where Jesus walked on the way to His crucifixion. 
• The Via Dolorosa, will lead us to the Holy Sepulcher Church. Some people consider this the holiest place on Earth, as it is the holy site of Jesus’ crucifixion and where the cross stood. Also within the church is the Stone of the Anointing — where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. We will then move to the Empty Tomb of Jesus —  the tomb in which Jesus was buried and resurrected from the dead.

• Transportation will be waiting for you at your hotel and will transfer you to the airport in time to catch your international flight home.
• You will arrive back home with unforgettable memories, knowing that you have walked in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.