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After receiving all required documentation we board our plane and depart from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport for Cairo International Airport at 07:40 am. Arrival in Cairo at 09:40 pm. Once we pick up our luggage our bus will be waiting to take us to the Archeological Museum Cairo. Built in 1900 it houses over 120,000 exhibits. During our tour you will see and marvel exhibits such as the tombs found in the Valley of the Kings, the greatest one being that of the Pharoh Tutankhamun. From there our bus will take us to the Giza Plateau where we will see the Great Pyramids along with the famous Great Sphinx, which has stood for over 4,500 years and is considered one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Next stop will be the area of old Cairo, Babylon. Upon arrival we will visit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George. The Church of Saint George was originally constructed in the 8th century AD, at which time it was dedicated to Saint George. The church was destroyed by a major fire, and was later rebuilt. The church which you see today is built on top of an ancient Roman tower which connects to the monastery below, and construction was only completed just over 100 years ago in 1904. It is also one of the few round churches ever built in Egypt and for this reason it is all known as the Rotunda of the East. One of its jewels that have survived till this day is found deep in its basement, one of the first Nilometer of the Pharaohs which was used to measure the water level of the Nile River. The last visit of our day will be the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. Built in the 14th century it is considered the oldest and most important spiritual center for the once thriving Greek population of Cairo. During our visit we will venerate the Holy Skull of the Evangelist Mathew and relics of Saint Nektarios who once lived and performed the Holy Sacraments there. We will also visit his private residence. Arrival at our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast we depart for the Sinai Peninsula. We will take the 1640 meter long Ahmed Hamdi tunnel that will take us under the Suez Canal to the Sinai Peninsula. Once we get to the other side we will head south, having the red sea to our right. Our first stop will be Moses's Bath (Hammam Musa) near the city of El Tur (Raithu). El Tur, which is the South Sinai Governorate of Egypt, has been identified as the Biblical Elim, where Moses and the children of Israel came to seventy date palms and twelve springs of water (Exodus 15:27). Christian monks have dwelled in this area from the late 3rd century. At El Tur we will visit the historical monastery of Saint George which is a dependency of the great monastery of Saint Catherine. During our stay, the monastery will offer a complimentary lunch. Final stop of the day will be the monastery of Saint Catherine. Built between 548 and 565, the monastery is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world. The site contains the world's oldest continually operating library, possessing many unique books and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s location is at the footsteps of the Biblical Mount Sinai. Upon arrival we will take part in the vesper service. From there we will attend dinner at the Monastery’s Hospice. Overnight stay at the Hospice.
Before sunrise, for those who are willing , there will be an opportunity to ascend Mount Sinai. The summit is where the Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. The view over the Sinai Peninsula at sunrise will be an unforgettable experience. For those who can’t make the ascend you will be able to take part in the service of Holy Liturgy. Upon descent, you will also be in time to take part in morning service at the monastery. Breakfast will be offered at the Hospice after the service, and then our tour of the monastery begins. We will visit the well of Moses, the Burning Bush, the monastery’s treasury and also have the blessing of venerating many holy relics, including those of Saint Catherine. After our tour we will board our bus and head for the Egyptian – Israeli border. Once we’ve entered Israel we will head for our hotel in Jerusalem. To get there we will pass the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea. If time permits we will make a short stop at the Dead Sea to dip our feet in it’s therapeutic waters. Arrival at our hotel in Beit Sahour (Shepherd’s Field) near Bethlehem for dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast our day will be dedicated to the Holy City. 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 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 burial, where Queen Helena found the Cross of Christ, where Christ was temporarily held as preparations were being made for his crucifixion, and His tomb where 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 where events of that day occurred – Symeon of Cyrine helping to lift up Christ’s Cross, the Prison were Christ was held before being tried and sentenced to death, and 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 was once 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 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 48 steps lead us down to 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. From there our next stop will be the Mount of Olives where we will visit the monastery and the Shrine of the Ascension of the Lord. Inside the shrine we will venerate the last place Christ stepped on earth before ascending to Heaven. His footprint is still seen there today on the rock located inside. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Today we will have an early start. After breakfast we will board our bus and travel to the Northern part of the country, to the area of Galilee. In Galilee we will visit the summit of Mount Tabor, the place of the Transfiguration of our Lord. Close by is the hometown of Jesus, Nazareth, where we will visit the Church of Archangel Gabriel. The church holds the town’s spring in 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 Lake of Galilee. Capernaum was the place where Christ had lived for three years, after being ousted from Nazareth. Capernaum was also the place where He summoned most of his Apostles. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Early wakeup call in order to 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 minibus 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 out monastery grounds. For those who will be able to enter the monastery grounds, they will venerate the holy relic of the Lavra’s founder, Saint Saba. Besides the holy relics, 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 along the Kidron Valley. Next we will move on to the area of Ein Karem, the hometown of John the Baptist. From there, the monasteries of the Holy Cross and Saint Symeon the God Bearer. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast we will leave for 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 raise 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 threatened by King Ahaz and Queen Jezebel. In this cave Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary also stayed fasting and prayed 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 descend to the Jordan River and visit the Baptismal Site of our Lord. During our stay, whoever wishes, will have the blessing of immersing in the sacred waters. Next stop will be the Monastery on the Mount of Temptations. This was the place where 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 complete 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. During our stay we will also visit it’s grounds and have the opportunity to shop for souvenirs and have a snack. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Breakfast and hotel check out. Our final day will begin with Mount Sion, located just outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem. Mount Sion was where the Last Supper and the Miracle of Pentecost took place. Close by is the home of Saint John the Evangelist, where the Virgin Mary gave her spirit. During our visit to Sion we will have the opportunity to visit these holy sites. Free time for some last minute shopping in the Old City, and we’re off for the airport. Before arriving at the airport, we will stop at 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. Arrival at the airport. Departure from Israel at 19:50 pm. Arrival in Athens 22:00 p.m.
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