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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 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. Close by we will make a stop where will we have a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem. Our next stop will be at the Hinnom Valley, at the Monastery of Saint Onoufrios. The area where the monastery is situated is also known as “Alkedama” (Field of Blood). It is the area that was purchased by the High Priest from the 30 pieces of silver that Judas acquired for betraying his Master, and where he hung himself. Our final stop of the day will be the the Church of Saint John the Baptist in the neighbourhood of Ein Karem (Orini, known in the New Testament). Orini was the place where Saint John was born, and also where the Virgin Mary stayed for 3 months when she visited her cousin Saint Elizabeth. Arrival at our hotel in the early evening where 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. Our first visit will be the Monastery of Martha and Mary where the sisters had met Christ before entering the town to go to raise Lazarus from the dead. Close by is the tomb of Saint Lazarus where we will also have the opportunity to visit. 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 threatened by King Ahaz and Queen Jezebel. 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. The monastery is an oasis in the desert. There 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 to buy souvenirs at its gift shop and have a snack. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 3:
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 were 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 (First Martyr). 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. 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. Before we return to our hotel, we will visit the holiest site of the Jewish people, the Wailing Wall. Arrival at our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 4:
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 Gospel 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 its grounds 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 houses 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. Close by 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. Arrival in the evening at our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 5:
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. 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 around the Kidron Valley. We will continue on to the city of Beit Jala, located beside Bethlehem. At Beit Jala we will visit the church of Saint Nicolas where it houses the cave he had once lived in, and the church of the Theotokos which houses the Holy rock, “The Kathisma”. From there we will head to the neighborhood of Katamon, where we will visit the monastery of Saint Symeon the Godbearer. 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. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 6:
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Before we head out to the airport for our return home, we will visit once again the Holy City of Jerusalem where we will have the opportunity to visit a few of its monasteries. Free time for coffee, last minute shopping and to visit one last time the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. During our ride to the airport we will make two stops. Our first will be the city of Ramla where we will visit the Monastery of Saint George. From there we will also stop at the Monastery of the Archangels located in the ancient port city of Jaffa. Arrival at the airport. Departure time for Athens at 19:50 pm. Destination time 22:00p.m.
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