Egypt / Israel  « back

THE HOLY LANDS (ISRAEL & EGYPT)

PILGRIMAGE

Israel: Land of the Bible

“There’s only one place in the world where every direction you look and every step you take, you find beauty, reveal meaning and connect with your spiritual roots.

Israel is the land of the Bible and the cradle of Christianity where it all begun – the place where you can touch the past and be inspired for the future.”

When you visit Israel, God’s Word becomes clearer, your faith becomes deeper, and your passion for Christ becomes stronger. We believe that once you visit Israel, you’ll never be the same again!

When Christian tourists return from a trip to Israel, invariably the single most heard expression is: “I’ll never be the same again….”

The itinerary

DAY ONE: NAIROBI - EGYPT

Flight Nairobi – Cairo

Upon arrival at Cairo International airport, you will be welcomed and assisted through immigration and customs by our representative, then escorted to your hotel for check-in.

After lunch, visit the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We will also visit an Oriental perfumery. Then proceed to Kardassa, one of the largest markets for textile shopping, offering cotton and linen products. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight

Overnight: Cairo.
Meal plan: Lunch at a local restaurant / Dinner at the Hotel

DAY TWO: EGYPT

After breakfast check our of the hotel and depart for a morning visit to the Old / Coptic Cairo. Here, we visit The hanging church (AL MUALLAQA) - built in the 4th century over southern gate of the fortress of Babylon. Dedicated to Virgin Mary, its treasures include a 14th century wall painting of the Nativity. We also visit The Church of St.Sergius (ABU SERGA) - A 5th century basilica built over crypt where the Holy Family is believed to have stayed during their flight into Egypt; Church of St.Mercurius (ABU SEFEIN) - boasts a unique collection of Coptic art including 175 icons that depict scenes from the old and new testaments, wall paintings, etching and stained glass, and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Transfer thereafter to Nuweiba / Taba (approx 6 hrs). Check in to a hotel. Rest of the evening at leisure.

Overnight: Nuweiba / Taba
Meal plan: Breakfast/Dinner

DAY THREE: ISRAEL

After breakfast, transfer to the border town / post of Taba and cross over to Eilat to enter Israel. Here, you will be met and assisted by our representative in Israel. Proceed to Kibbutz Yotvata which is the largest kibbutz in Israel, where you can sample the milk and cheese products by goats bred there. In addition, witness their experience in deserted organic agriculture. We will take a trip over there to know how the ecological vegetables are grown. The tour takes approx 3 - 4 hours.

We then drive down to the Dead Sea, the deepest / lowest place on earth. We walk through the Oasis of Ein Gedi, known since the days of King David.

Continue to Jerusalem to see it at night from Mount Olives. We then drive to our hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and overnight

Overnight: Bethlehem
Meal plan: Breakfast / Dinner

DAY FOUR: ISRAEL

Breakfast at your Hotel

We begin our day by a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, and also the "Wailing Wall" - the last remnants of the Temple in Jerusalem. We will also try to visit the Temple Mount as well. We continue in the footsteps of Jesus along the Stations of the Via Dolorosa, Jesus' "Way of Suffering", and unto the Church of the Holy Sepulture, where Jesus was crucified and buried. (We will have a brief lunch stop in the old city). The Via Dolorosa passes through the Old City's oriental "Suq" (Bazaar). At 1700 hrs will be back to the hotel.

Overnight: Bethlehem.
Meal plan: Breakfast / Dinner

DAY FIVE: ISRAEL

In the morning, we visit the ancient Church of the Nativity, where we can really touch the very place where Jesus was born. Built by St. Helena already in the 4th century, it has been an active church and never destroyed ever since! Here St. Hieronymus wrote the first Latin translation of the Bible – the "Volgata". We shall also visit the "Milk Grotto" and, the "Shepherds Fields” in Beth-Sahour. After a lunch-stop, we will drive to Ein Karem, the place where John the Baptist was born. We will visit the "St. John in the Mountains" church, built on the place where the house of St. John was standing. We will also visit the Church of Visitation, where St. Mary visited Elizabeth, and continue to visit the new city of Jerusalem before returning to our Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Over night: Bethlehem.
Meal plan: Breakfast / Dinner

DAY SIX: ISRAEL

After Breakfast we will leave Bethlehem and driver to visit the old city of Jaffa, one of the ancient gateways to the Holy Land: Through it's port, the Cedar trees for Solomon's Temple were brought. It is also here that Jonah tried to flee God, but most important; It was in Jaffa where Christianity began to be spread among the nations. Here St. Peter lived in the house of Simon the Tanner and had the "Vision of the Flesh", and here he made his first miracle by healing the little girl. Today Jaffa's renovated alley-ways attract many artists, who have their galleries there. We drive to Caesarea Maritima, the magnificent port-city built by King Herod the Great. From here St. Peter went to Rome and started with his first miracles. In Caesarea's, a well-preserved theater, an inscription of the procurator Pontius Pilate was found. We continue to Tel Megiddo, one of Israel's most ancient cities, where we can find traces of fortifications left by the Canaanites, King Solomon, King Ahab, and more, as well as a very sophisticated water system, some claim was built by King

Solomon. This strategic place has always been the scenery of war, and according to John's Revelation, it is here where the last battle shall take place – the battle of Armageddon. We continue to Haifa to Mt. Carmel & Stella Mary's. We then to Nazareth for lunch and, visit there the basilica and the Qotto of the annunciation - the old Synaqoque and Mary's well.

Overnight: Nazareth
Meal plan: Breakfast / Dinner

DAY SEVEN: ISRAEL

At 7:30 we drive to visit the places where Jesus acted around the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum, with Peter’s House and the famous Synagogue, enjoy the view from Mt. of the Beatitudes, where the "Sermon on the Mount" was given, and the reconstructed church in Tabgha, where tradition puts the miracle of the Bread and The Fish. After a lunch-stop, we will sail on the Galilee in a boat similar to the boat used by Jesus and his disciples. Visit the Baptismal Site on the Holy River Jordan. Return back to visit Cana on Galillee and then to the hotel

Overnight: Nazareth
. Meal plan: Breakfast/Dinner

DAY EIGHT: EGYPT

Early (at 6 :30) in the morning we move to visit Ein Hashofet for 2 hours. It's members work in both agriculture and industry, and Their agricultural branches include poultry, dairy and beef cattle, field crops and avocado orchards. Continue to visit Qumran for rest and, at 13:00, we continue to Eilat / Taba border post. Cross over to Egypt and continue to St Catherine in Sinai. Check in to your Hotel and after dinner, retire early to be ready for the early morning climb.

Overnight: St Catherine
Meal plan: Breakfast / Dinner

DAY NINE: EGYPT

Leave your Hotel at 0100 hrs and transfer to the Mountain climb base at the base of Mt. Sinai. At 0200 hrs start the climb of the Mountain of St. Catherine On this day, we will visit sites in St. Catherine which is the place where Moses climbed up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. In the same area, there is the famous Greek Orthodox Monastery which is built around the Burning Bush and the well where Moses met his wife Zebura (daughter of Jethro, the priest of Median). We will also visit the place where the Israelites camped when Moses went to receive the Ten Commandments. There will be an optional Walking tour around the mountain in the valley of Arbien. Return to hotel for rest and breakfast. Check out.Then we cross the famous Suez Canal that separates Asia and Africa. We drive via the Springs of Moses where Moses hit the rock and twelve water springs appeared. Here, there are remnants of the springs and a group of Bedouins still live there. We will then continue to the Wilderness of Sin where the miracle of Manna and Quails took place and there we will view the seventy-two palm trees. Our next stop is in Rephidim where the Israelites fought the Amalekites. During this battle, whenever Moses put his arms down, the Israelites lost and whenever he put his arms up, the Israelites were winning. (Aaron and Hur held Moses' arms up as he started getting tired.). Continue to Cairo and check in to your hotel for dinner and overnight

Overnight: Cairo
Meal plan: Breakfast/Dinner

DAY TEN: EGYPT / DEP

Breakfast at your hotel; Rest of day at leisure (possible is a shopping trip to Cairo’s down town or one of the main shopping malls at an extra minimal transport cost). Transfer later to airport for your final departure for Nairobi

Meal plan: Breakfast
Departure

***END OF SERVICES

PRICES:

Based on 41 – 50 people in a group

• US$ 1,600 PER PERSON SHARING (approx. Kes. 125,000 at the current rate of exchange)
• US$ 1,900 PER PERSON IN A SINGLE ROOM (approx. Kes. 150,000 at the current rate of exchange)

HIGH SEASON SUPPLEMENT:

US$ 150 PER PERSON

SCHEDULED DEPARTURE DATES

May 29th & 31st, August 28th & 30th & November 27 & 29th

Included in the above rates:

1. Flight Nairobi – Cairo – Nairobi
2. Airport departure tax
3. Meet & Assist upon arrival & departure
4. Daily touring as per the itinerary
5. Buffet Breakfast & Dinner Daily
6. Accommodation for 9 nights at the above mentioned hotels or similar
7. Double Entry Visa to Egypt (please note that the costs once visa application is launched are non-refundable)
8. Single Entry Visa to Israel (Please note that the fee once Visas application has been launched is non-refundable)
9. Professional English-speaking guide.
10. Transportation in a deluxe air conditioned motor-coach as per the itinerary
11. Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary
12. Portage
13. Departure tax ex Israel

Not included in above rates

1. Any item of Personal Nature
2. Lunches
3. Tips (please note that these in Israel & Egypt are mandatory, including bathrooms usage)
4. Traveler insurance & personal expenses
5. Land tax – Egypt
6. Any other item not indicated as ‘included’ on the list above

HIGH SEASON GUIDELINE

01 APRIL 2009 TO 30 APRIL 2009
01 OCTOBER 2009 TO 25 OCTBER 2009
15 DECEMBER 2009 TO 15 JANUARY 2010

Click to view Israel :
Israel – The land of the Bible
THE HOLYLANDS - Trip hightlights /p>

top