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DAY 1:
Meeting time at Eleftherios International Airport at 04:00 am. After receiving all required documentation we board our plane and depart for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 06:10 am. Arrival at 08:10 am. Once we’ve received our luggage our bus will be waiting to pick us up to begin our trip. Our first stop will be the city of Lydda where we will visit the Church of Saint George the Great Martyr. The historic church which belongs to the Greek Orthodox, houses the tomb of the great saint. From there we will head for the holy city of Jerusalem where we will visit the monastery of Saint Symeon the Godbearer in the area of Katamon. Close by is the Monastery of the Holy Cross. This fortress like structure is believed to be built on the site where the nephew of Abraham, Lot, planted the three wooden staffs given to him by his uncle. The staffs eventually grew and combined to form one tree which was later used to create the cross for Christ’s crucifixion. The area of Ein Karem or as it is known among Christians, Orini, is our next stop. Ein Karem is the birthplace of Saint John the Baptist. There we will visit the church that belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. From there we will head for the summit of the Mount of Olives and visit the Monasteries of the Galilean Men and the Ascension. At the Monastery of the Ascension we will venerate the exact spot where the Lord last stood on earth before taken up to Heaven. The exact spot bears one of His footprints till this day. Before we end our day we will stop off at an observation point on the Mount of Olives where we will have a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, a great place for taking memorable photos. From there it’s off to our hotel were we will receive our rooms. Dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.
DAY 2:
After we have had our breakfast we will be going to Bethany, the town of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. First visit will be the Monastery of Martha and Mary where they meet Christ before entering the town to go and rise Lazarus from the dead. Next stop will be the Monastery of Saint George Chozeba in the Judean Desert. The monastery was founded in the 5th century but the history of the area goes back even further. The monastery houses the cave where the Prophet Elijah stayed in hiding after being threaten by King Ahaz and Queen Jezabel. In this cave Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary also stayed, fasting and praying to God to give him and his wife a child. God heard his cry and soon granted him and his wife the blessed Virgin Mary. From there we will descent to the Jordan River and visit the Baptismal Site of our Lord. During our stay, whoever wishes, will have the blessing of immersing in its sacred waters. Next stop will be the Monastery on the Mount of Temptations. This was the place were Christ stayed for 40 days, praying and fasting while being tempted by the devil. Nearby is the oldest city in the world, Jericho. In Jericho we will visit the Monastery of the Prophet Elisha. Inside the monastery, the tree in which the tax collector Zacheas climbed in order to see the Lord, is still standing. Our day cannot be completed without a visit to the Monastery of Saint Gerasimus. An oasis in the desert. At the monastery we will visit the church cave where the holy family stayed for one night before leaving for Egypt, in order to avoid Herod’s death sentence. As mentioned, the monastery is an oasis. During our stay we will also visit its grounds and also have the opportunity buy souvenirs at its gift shop and have a snack.
DAY 3:
Breakfast and an early start. Today we head for the northern part of the country, the area of Galilee. On our way we will first make a stop at the city of Nablus in Samaria. At Nablus we will visit of the Church of Saint Photinee. The sacred church houses the well of Isaac’s son Jacob. This location became a Christian holy shrine from the moment our Lord met the Samaritan woman (Saint Photinee) at the well, as mentioned in the Gosple of John. We will have the opportunity to also draw water from this sacred well and also venerate the holy relics of the New Martyr Filoumenos ,who served this shrine and sacrificed his life by being murdered on the spot in 1979. Our next stop of the day will be Mount Tabor in the region of Galilee, the place where the Transfiguration of our Lord took place. Close by is the home town of Jesus, Nazareth, were we will visit the Church of the Archangel Gabriel. The Church holds the town’s spring from the time of Jesus and was the place where the Archangel first appeared to the Virgin to give her the great tidings that she will give birth to the Son of God. Beside Nazareth is our next stop, the town of Cana. Cana was the place where Christ and His Mother attended a wedding in which He performed His first miracle. From Cana we will descend to the Monastery of the Twelve Apostles in Capernaum, located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was the place where Christ had lived for three years, after being ousted from Nazareth by his fellow countrymen. Capernaum was also the place where He summoned most of His Apostles. From there will head south of the Sea for the Israeli – Jordanian Boarder Crossing by the Jordan River. After having our visas stamped we will board our new bus and head for our hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 4:
Breakfast at the hotel and our first visit of the day will be the ancient city of Jerash. The ancient city of Jerash is one of the most popular attractions in Jordan after Petra. It is considered one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy and its history goes back more than 6,500 years. The earliest known inhabitants of this area named the village, Garshu. The name was then turned into Gerasa and later, Jerash. Jerash began to grow from a small village to a thriving city during the 4th century BC under the rule of Alexander the Great. It was conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC and under Roman rule it was named one of the great Roman cities of the Decapolis League. The city became Christian in the Byzantine period, when its 25,000 inhabitants had more than 20 churches and bishops who took part in early Church councils. Ruins of most of the churches can still be seen. Conquests by Persians and Muslims in the 7th century, followed by devastating earthquakes in the 8th century, caused the city to be abandoned. It was rediscovered only at the beginning of the 19th century, remarkably preserved after being buried in sand for centuries. From there we will head to “Bethany beyond the Jordan”, to the place where our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner. During our visit we will see the actual site where the Baptism of the Lord took place and also the Hill from where the Prophet Elijah was taken into heaven on a Chariot of fire. The hotel that we will be staying tonight will be in Petra. To reach it we will travel to the lowest part of the world, the Dead Sea. At the Dead Sea we will stop and have time for a refreshing drink and to sink our feet in its therapeutic waters. Towards the southern part of the sea we will see the Cave of Lot. The cave was used as refuge by Lot and his daughters during the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. During the Byzantine years a church was erected in front of the cave, which ruins of it still exist. Arrival in the evening at our hotel in Petra. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 5:
Once we’ve had our breakfast we will begin our day with a tour of the world famous city of Petra. Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea and inhabited since prehistoric times, the rock-cut capital city of the Nabateans, became during Hellenistic and Roman times a major caravan center for the incense of Arabia, the silks of China and the spices of India, a crossroad between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. An ingenious water management system allowed extensive settlement of an essentially arid area during the Nabataean, Roman and Byzantine periods. It is one of the worlds richest and largest archaeological sites set in a dominating red sandstone landscape. During our visit we will pass through the Siq canyon where we will meet the famous Treasury, one of Jordan’s most intricate temples, with a design influenced by Greek architecture. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by statues of Castor and Pollux, Zeus’ mythological twins, who are believed to have spent half of their time in heaven and the other half in the underworld. Glance up and you’ll spy two enormous eagles symbolizing Dushara, a deity linked to Zeus and worshipped by the Nabateans. There is also an urn at the top, one believed to have once been filled with a Pharaoh’s treasure and covered in bullet marks said to have been from Bedouins wanting the urn for themselves. Peek inside the Treasury to see a chamber with attached rooms and uniquely rounded windows. We will also see the Monastery (Ad Dier). The Monastery is only matched in magnificence by the Treasury. Built during the first century, the structure carved into the mountain was not a monastery at all, but rather served as either a tomb or a temple for members of the cult of Obodas. While less ornate than the Treasury, the Monastery is significantly larger, measuring 45 meters high and 50 meters across. Another must see on the list will be the Roman Theater. Despite its name, Petra Roman Theater was actually built by the Nabataeans over 2,000 years ago. This massive and impressive theater in the ancient city of Petra was carved out of rock into the side of a mountain, destroying existing caves and tombs in the process, though you can still see some tombs above the theater. Once we’ve finishing taking our pictures and absorbing this great world treasure, we’ll head up to the town of Madaba. At Madaba we will visit the church of Saint George where we will see the world famous mosaic map of Madaba located on the floor of the church. The map, dated in the 6th century AD, is the oldest completed map of the bible. From there we will drive up to the summit of Mount Nebo. The mountain was the place where the Prophet Moses stood and looked over to the Promised Land just before the Israelites entered it, since God did not allow him to enter. From the summit the view is breathtaking. From there we will see what the Prophets’ eyes saw when he saw the Promise Land for the first time. On a clear day you can even see the Mount of Olives. Return to Israel. Arrival at our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 6:
Breakfast at the hotel and we depart for the Holy City of Jerusalem. First stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most sacred church in Christendom. Inside the walls of this complex we will be visiting places such as the exact place were Christ was crucified (Golgotha), the Stone of Unction, also known as the Stone of Anointing where the body of the Lord was prepared for it’s burial. The place were Queen Helena found the Cross of Christ, the place were Christ was temporarily held as preparations were being made for His crucifixion, and last but not least His Tomb were after three days he rose from the dead. Upon exiting the Church we will travel back in time to the day our Lord took up his Cross from Pontius Pilate’s residence and went up to Cavalry. We will walk the Via Dolorosa (The Way of Sorrows). As we walk down to where Christ was sentenced to be crucified, we will make stops at some of the places were events of that day occurred – Symeon of Cyrene helping to lift up Christ’s Cross, the Prison were Christ was held before being tried and sentenced to death and the place where his trial had taken place. Next stop will be the Church of Saint Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary. This church once was their home and the place where the Virgin Mary was born. Beside the church is Lion’s Gate, one of the eight gates of the old city in which we will take to exit the city and go down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. First stop will be the Church of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr. There we will visit the actual place where he was led by the High Priests and stoned to death. At a very close distance is the sacred tomb of the Virgin Mary in Gethsemane. Once we enter the doors of the church, 48 steps lead us down to the place where she was buried by the Apostles and three days later taken up to heaven by her Son. At a stone’s throw away is the Church of All Nations. Inside the church is the rock on which the Lord kneeled down and prayed on the night he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by order of the High Priests. Our last visit of the day will be Mount Sion located just outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem. Mount Sion was where events like the Last Supper, the appearance of the Lord after His resurrection, and the miracle of Pentecost took place. Close by is also the home of Saint John the Evangelist, where the Virgin Mary gave her spirit. Arrival at our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 7:
Early wakeup call in which we will attend the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem. Service is held in the Grotto of the Church, over the spot our Lord was born. A few meters away is the manger. After the service we will have the opportunity to venerate these areas and also tour the historic church. Return to our hotel for breakfast and to check out. Our tour will continue with a visit to the Monastery of Abba Theodosius the Cenobiarch. From there we will board a mini bus and descend deep into the Judean desert to the Lavra of Saint Saba. The monastery is forbidden for women. During our visit there women will be greeted by a monk at the entrance where he will bring out holy relics for them to venerate and also will have the opportunity to visit the outer monastery grounds. For those how will be able to enter the monastery grounds, they will venerate the holy relic of the Lavra’s founder, Saint Saba. Besides the holy relic pilgrims will visit the God built Church which was prepared by God for Saint Saba, and the cave of Saint John Damascus. From there we will go out to the balcony of the Lavra and see the many caves that were once inhabited by monks across the Kidron Valley. From there we will be heading out to the airport for our return flight to Athens. Before arriving there we will make a stop at the ancient port city of Joppa. The city was were the Apostle Peter brought back to life Tabitha and where he later say the vision of the sheet with unclean animals that symbolized that he should also preach to the Gentiles. During our stay we will visit the Monastery of the Archangels. Arrival at the airport. Departure time for Athens at 19:50 pm. Destination time 22:00p.m.
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