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Christmas in the Holy Land Dec 2013 |
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DON'T BE FOOLED BY OTHER TOUR COMPANIES THAT SHOWS YOU A LOW ADVERTISED PRICE AND THEN ADDS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO THAT TOUR PRICE.
This tour offers a DISCOUNT for paying with cash and includes breakfast AND dinner daily, all admissions, travel insurance, study material and tipping.
Celebrate an unforgettable Christmas in the Holy Land. Your experience in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Galilee area will give an added spiritual dimension to your holiday season this year and in the future.
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From: |
$2140
per-person for 10 days |
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Date: |
Dec.20-Jan.1, 2014 |
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Tour ID: |
Graph Definitions(?)
Religious Focus:
Sightseeing:
Activity Level:
• Deluxe motor coach transportation
• Local guides
• Experienced Holy land guide, led by a teacher of religion
• Hotel accommodations in moderate-class hotels
• Sightseeing tours as outlined on the itinerary
• Entrance fees
• Gratuities
• Visa (Jordan option)
• Medical and Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance
• Breakfasts and dinners
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Not Included:
• Airfare to and from Tel Aviv/Jordan:TBA
• Additional air from other cities other than Salt Lake City
• Sightseeing not included on the itinerary
• Additional hotel accommodations
• Items of a personal nature (i.e., phone calls, room service, internet, etc.)
• Additional travel insurance and cancellation waiver
• Lunches
• Single supplement (for those with their own room) Israel-$2755; Jordan-$1450
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Optional Pricing:
Jordan $1275 per person, based on double
Single occupancy - $1450 (for those with their own room)
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Payment Terms:
• $500 deposit upon booking
• Final payment due Sept.21, 2013
• Cash Discount - $75 per person
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Contact Information:
Contact Karen: 801-483-6152
kgerlach@ldstravelstudy.com
Haws Marble: 801-815-1387
marble761@comcast.net
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Dec.20-21/Days 1–2
U.S.A. • Transatlantic Flight • Tel Aviv, Israel
This morning our flights from our various North American homes and will change planes and continue on to Israel and arrive the following day in the afternoon at the Ben Gurion Airport near New Testament Lydda, where Peter healed Aeneas. We will drive to Tel Aviv and check in our hotel for the night.
Day 3
Sunday, December 22 Masada • Dead Sea • Qumran • Judean Wilderness
We will have an early departure from Jerusalem to Masada. A cable car will take us to the top, where we will see the ruins of the palace fortress built by King Herod and recall the story of the Zealots’ last stand against the Romans. Afterward, we will drive to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. After stopping for a float in the Dead Sea, we will drive on to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, beginning in 1947. We will ascend to Jerusalem through the Judean Wilderness (where Jesus went to be with His Father), partly following the old Roman Road along the Wadi Kelt. If time allows, we will stop in Bethany to discuss Lazarus and other events related to Jesus.
Day 4
Monday, December 23 New City of Jerusalem • Bethlehem
The day begins at the Mount of Olives for a view of the Old City of Jerusalem to start orienting ourselves to this historic location. To understand the connection between biblical and modern Jerusalem, we will visit the famous Model City of Jerusalem (at the Israel Museum), which is a scale model of Jerusalem as it looked near the time of the Savior, and then visit the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls). We will drive by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on the way to visit the display. We will drive to Bethlehem (conditions permitting) to see the Church of the Nativityincluding St. Jerome’s Grotto, where the Latin Vulgate Bible was completed. We will stop at Shepherds’ Field to recall the events of the Nativity and the scriptural events that occurred in the area, and sing some Christmas hymns. Before ending the day at the BYU Jerusalem Center with a tour of the facility, we stop at the Haas pavilion to get another perspective of Old Jerusalem.
Day 5
Tuesday, December 24 Old City of Jerusalem
We will enter the Old City through the Dung Gate to tour the Temple Mount or Mount Moriahsite of the temples of Solomon and Herod, the magnificent Dome of the Rock, and the El Aksa Mosque (if conditions permit). Then we will visit the Western Wall, a site sacred to Jews today, before visiting the Mount Ophel ruins. We will then visit the Jewish Quarter, including the Roman Cardo, and Hezekiah’s eighth-century BC Broad Wall. We will go down to the City of David that includes Hezekiah’s Tunnel, wading through this exciting third-of-a-mile historic marvel, and then visiting the true Pool of Siloam.
Day 6
Wednesday, December 25 Jericho • Beit Shean • Megiddo • Nazareth • Galilee
After checking out of the hotel, we will drive east down to the Jordan River Valley. If conditions permit, we will see the tel of Old Testament Jericho, where we will discuss the prophets Joshua and Elisha. We will stop at Qasr El Yehud to discuss the Savior’s baptism before driving north up the Jordan River Valley to Beit Shean, where we will see the impressive ruins of the New Testament and later periods as well as an Old Testament tel. We will then drive up the Ein Herod Valley to the historic Jezreel Valley on our way to Nazareththe boyhood home of Jesuswhere we will reflect on the Savior’s early life as we visit the Nazareth Village. Departing from Nazareth, we will travel through the hill country of Galilee, passing Cana on our way to the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) area. As we pass through Tiberiasbuilt by Herod Antipas and named in honor of the Roman emperorwe will make a brief stop at the Galilee Branch House, then continue on our way to Kibbutz Ein Gev, where we will stay for the next two nights.
Day 7
Thursday, December 26 Capernaum • Mount of Beatitudes • Banias • Golan Heights
Today begins with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Nof Ginosar. After seeing the Galilee boat, we will visit the ancient city of Capernaum, which Jesus called “his own city” after His rejection in Nazareth. We’ll then drive to the Mount of Beatitudes, where we will give peaceful consideration to the Sermon on the Mount while we overlook the Sea of Galilee. Our next stop will be Tel Dan, where we will walk through a beautiful nature reserve to the headwaters of the Jordan River. A high point of the day will be at Banias, ancient Caesarea Philippi. Near this site Peter made his dramatic declarations, and the Savior promised to give the “keys of the kingdom” to the Twelve.
We will then ascend the Golan Heights, home of many Druze people and scene of fierce fighting between Israel and Syria in 1967 and again in 1973. While there, we will view majestic Mount Hermon and then drive to where we have a view of the border between Israel and Syria. On our return to Ein Gev, we will stop at the possible site of Jesus’ confrontation with evil spirits that entered the swineherd. Dinner and overnight on the shores of the sea will help us remember the peaceful atmosphere of the Galilee. We will have a lecture in the evening.
Day 8
Day 8: Friday, December 27 Mount Tabor • Muhraka • Haifa • Caesarea • Jerusalem
After checking out of our lodging, we will circle the southern end of the Sea of Galilee as we drive to Mount Tabor. We will take taxis to the top to hear an account of sacred events of the Transfiguration. We’ll stop at Nain, where Jesus brought the widow’s son back to life. We will then drive to Muhraka, the traditional site of Elijah’s confrontation with the priests of Baal on Mount Carmelwhich offers a magnificent overview of the Jezreel Valley, the valley of Armageddon. We will continue along the top of Mount Carmel to Haifa, a modern port of Israel and center of the Baha’i faith. We will discuss some interesting LDS Church historical events that occurred here and enjoy a panoramic view of Haifa and its harbor before going down to the old German Cemetery. Next we will drive along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea, established by Herod the Great and home of Pilate, where Paul was imprisoned for two years before being sent to Rome. We will drive by Tel Aviv, the largest, mostly Jewish city in the world, on our way to Jerusalem. We will check in to the Olive Tree Hotel for our last two nights in the Holy Land. The day will end with a visit to the Western Wall to watch the Jewish people welcome in the Sabbath.
Day 9
Saturday, December 28 Jerusalem • Last 24 Hours of the Savior’s Ministry
This morning we will begin to visit places significant during the last week of Jesus’ life. Then we will visit the traditional Upper Roompossible scene of the Last Supper, washing of feet, and the last teachings of Jesus to His disciples. Our next stop is the BYU Jerusalem Center for sacrament meeting. At St. Peter’s in Gallicantupossible site of the cock’s crowing and palace of Caiaphas, we will discuss the Last Supper. After lunch on our own, we will visit the beautiful Orson Hyde Memorial Garden for a review of some of the fascinating history of Jerusalem as we look out over the Old City, followed by our visit to Gethsemane, where the great atoning sacrifice took place as well as the arrest of Jesus. We will then walk to Golgotha, where He was crucified, and then see the Garden Tomb where we will discuss the Savior’s appearances following His resurrection. We will have a late evening departure for the U.S.A. from the Ben Gurion Airport.
Day 10
Sunday, December 29 Ben Gurion Airport • U.S.A.
We will take our transatlantic flight from Tel Aviv to the U.S.A. Most of the group should arrive home midday, ending 10 days of travel but taking with us a lifetime of memories and friendships.
** JORDAN OPTION **
Day 10
Sunday, December 29 Israel • Jordan-Petra
We will begin our Jordan experience by traveling east, down through the Judean Wilderness, past Jericho to the King Hussein Bridge where we will cross the border into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. We will turn south along the general route of the Old Testament King’s Highway through the areas of Moab and Edom. We will check into the Taybet Zaman Hotel at Petra for two nights.
Day 11:
Monday, December 30 Petra
We will begin our day by going through a one-kilometer-long fissure in the “rose red” cliffs over three hundred feet high. Petra is a unique city which was carved out of sandstone by the nomadic Nabataean Arabs. We will visit its beautiful temples, tombs, dwellings, banquet halls, water channels, monumental staircases and a theater carved out of the cliffs which surround the hidden valley. Following our tour of Petra we will return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 12:
Tuesday, December 31 Amman
As we drive north toward Amman, the Capital of the Kingdom of Jordan, we will trace the route of Moses and ancient Israel from the Sinai Wilderness. Along the way we will visit Madeba with its interesting mosaic map of the area from the sixth century. We will also make a stop at Mount Nebo to discuss the view that Moses had of the “Promised Land.” In Amman we will visit the Citadel and the Roman Theater and then check in to the Geneva Hotel for the night.
Day 13:
Wednesday, January 1 Amman • Ben Gurion Airport
We will begin our day with a visit to the New Testament site of Jerash, one of the ten cities of the Decapolis, and explore its spectacular ruins. We will continue north for a stop at Umm Qais or ancient Gadara which boasts of more examples of the Roman/Byzantine influence in this area. We will stop at Pella, the Christian refuge from the Roman attack on Jerusalem in AD 70. We will then cross the Jabbok River, near where Jacob wrestled with the angel, on our way to cross back into Israel to catch our flight to the U.S.A. and our homes.
Day 14:
Thursday, January 2 Ben Gurion Airport • U.S.A.
Our flight to our homes in the U.S.A will begin around midnight, and we will arrive home sometime in the early afternoon.
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All pricing and information is subject to change for any reason at any time. |
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