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Day 3 • Church of Dominus Flevit
Day 4 • Massada
Day 6 • Bet Shean
Day 9 •The Schönbrunn Palace
Day 13 •Nymphenburg Palace
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
Today we begin our adventure as we board a giant jet for an evening flight over the Atlantic. The night is short as we fly towards the rising sun.
Day 2 • Arrival Tel Aviv/Jerusalem
We arrive in Tel Aviv and are met by representatives of Signature Tours International who take us to the hotel in Jerusalem for our first night in the Holy Land.
Day 3 • Jerusalem/Bethlehem/Jerusalem
Today, we drive up the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem, the same view that Jesus saw when he looked out over the city so long ago. We continue down the Palm Sunday walk to the Church of Dominus Flevit. Then on to the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and the Church of All Nations. We cross the Kidron Valley to go to the Mount of Olives to visit King David’s tomb and the Upper Room. In the afternoon, on our drive to West Jerusalem we pass by the Israeli Parliament, called the Knesset, on our way to the Shrine of the Book to view the Dead Sea Scrolls. There we also survey the newly relocated open-air model of Jerusalem, representing the city on the eve of the first revolt, 36 years after the Passion of Jesus, before driving to Bethlehem. Here we visit Shepherds’ Fields and the Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where Jesus was born. We have time for olivewood shopping before returning to Jerusalem for the night.
Day 4 • Jerusalem/Jericho/Massada/Dead Sea/Qumran/
Bethany/Jerusalem
This morning we proceed north along the Jordan Valley to visit the 10,000-year-old city of Jericho and Elisha’s Springs. We then drive through the Judean Desert to the lowest point on the face of the earth, the Dead Sea. Here we ride a cable car to the summit of Massada, Herod’s luxurious winter palace and the site of the Zealots’ heroic last stand against the Romans. There is time for a dip in the Dead Sea before continuing to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Here we also view the ruins of the community of Essenes, who prepared themselves in the desert for the coming of the end-times. We conclude our day at Bethany, visiting the Tomb of Lazarus and the House of Mary and Martha.
Day 5 • Dome of the Rock
Day 5 • Jerusalem
This morning begins one of the high points of our trip as we take a walking tour in the Old City of Jerusalem. As we enter, we visit the Western (Wailing) Wall and see the original stairs where Jesus once preached. We continue up the Temple Mount to view the Dome of the Rock and the Mosque of El Aqsa. Proceeding through St. Stephen’s Gate, we visit the Pools of Betheseda and St. Anne’s Church. We also stand on stones where Jesus stood at Pilate’s Judgment Hall under the Ecce Homo Arch. We then walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. After lunch and a candlelight visit inside an authentic rolling stone tomb from the time of Jesus (“Tomb of the Kings”), we conclude our day with a communion service at the Garden Tomb to commemorate Our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Day 6 • Jerusalem/Bet Shean/Jordan River/Tiberius
Our next stop is Bet Shean, to view the magnificent remains of the ancient Roman City. We conclude our day at the baptismal site of the Jordan River, before going to our hotel in Tiberius.
Day 7 • Tiberius/ Nazareth
Day 7 • Tiberius/Nazareth
Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we board a boat for the “other side” of the Sea of Galilee. Crossing the Jordan River near the site of Bethsaida, we arrive in Capernaum, the city of Jesus. We stop at the House of Peter and the synagogue where Jesus taught. We read the Sermon on the Mount at the Mount of Beatitudes and go to the Tabgha where Jesus performed His miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. This afternoon, we drive to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, to see Mary’s Well and the Churches of Annunciation and St. Joseph. Then we return to Tiberias for the night.
Day 8 • Tiberius/Tel Aviv/Vienna
This morning we drive to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. We conclude our visit to the Holy Land as we board our flight to Vienna. We transfer to our hotel and have some free time on our own. Dinner and overnight are in Vienna.
Day 9 • Vienna/Mariazell
This morning we have a guided sightseeing tour of Vienna that includes entrance to the Schönbrunn Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The Schönbrunn Palace was built by Emperor Leopold I for his son, Josef I. Marie-Antoinette spent her childhood here. It was in the concert room that Mozart, at the age of 6, astonished the empress and her courtiers with his amazing talents. Later, in the castle’s little theater, the prodigy directed his opera Der Schauspieldirecktor in 1786. In 1805 and 1809, Napoleon I set up his headquarters in Schönbrunn. We have time for lunch on our own and then travel to Marizell for dinner and the night.
Day 10 • Mariazell/Salzburg
This morning we visit the Shrine and Basilica of Mariazell before traveling to Salzburg. Dinner and overnight are in Salzburg.
Day 11 •Salzburg/Berchtesgaden/Oberammergau
We have a half day guided sightseeing tour of Salzburg, including entrance to Mozart’s Birthplace. Time permitting, we see the Cathedral, Mirabell Palace and Gardens, and of course, all the places associated with the “Sound of Music”. Then we continue to nearby Berchtesgaden, located in, what is for many, one of the most stunningly beautiful corners of Europe. Nearby is the village of Au, with the Salzburgwerk (salt mines) and where the citizens dress in delightful old-time costumes. We then drive to Oberammergau, a charming wood carving village, for the night.
Day 12 • Passion Play
Day 12 • Oberammergau/PASSION PLAY
Today we attend the world-renowned Passion Play. This spectacle has been performed almost every decade without interruption since 1634. It is a perpetual sign of gratitude to God for the cessation of the Black Plague, which took so many lives but stopped just short of this village. Overnight is in Oberammergau.
Day 13 • Oberammergau/Munich
Today, we travel to Munich. Upon arrival, we visit the gorgeously decorated baroque Nymphenburg Palace, the Frauenkirche, and Old Peter, Munich’s oldest parish church, founded in 1169. We conclude our visit at the historic Glockenspiel on the Marienplatz
Day 14 • Munich/Hometown, U.S.A.
Today our tour ends as we board the plane for our flight back to the U.S. We return with memories of exciting experiences that will last a lifetime!