Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

June 2-10, 2027

We are excited to invite our congregation to join a meticulously crafted pilgrimage tour to the Holy Land encompassing the biblical sites of Israel and Palestine, offered and co-led by Bshara Nassar (a congregant at Grantham) and Sacred Travel Paths. Including the revered streets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the serene shores of the Sea of Galilee, and the historic town of Nazareth, each destination holds a unique place in the tapestry of Christian history. These sacred sites offer deep spiritual experiences and unforgettable memories, inviting you to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and the early Christian community. 

Holy Land Itinerary

  • Welcome from tour guide and driver at the airport
  • Drive to Bethlehem for hotel check in
  • Eat dinner and spend night at hotel

  • Bethlehem and the birthplace of Jesus (The Basilica of the Nativity)
  • Grotto of the nativity 
  • Catholic Church of Saint Catherine
  • Grotto of Saint Jerome, where he lived and translated the Bible from Greek to Latin (which was used to translate into all other languages)
  • Chapel of the Shepherd's Field, over a cave which is believed to be the site where angels appeared to the shepherds telling them of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:8-20)
  • Visit with Palestinian Christian theologian and pastor Muther Isaac, who will share about life under Israeli occupation
  • Tent of Nations, where we will meet members of the Nassar family and hear their testimony
  • Eat dinner and spend the night at our hotel
  • Old city of Jerusalem
  • Enter the Dung Gate and visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound through the Moroccan Gate
  • Dome of the Rock
  • Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the paralyzed man (John 5:15)
  • Walk the Via Do Lo Rosa (14 stations of the cross)
  • Visit the Church of Sainte Anne, Mary's birthplace
  • Holy Sepulcher, the place of Jesus' crucifixion
  • Western Wall
  • Eat lunch in the old city of Jerusalem or somewhere nearby
  • Mount Zion, and see the room of the last supper and Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13)
  • Abbey of Dormition, the place where Mary went into eternal sleep
  • Tomb of King David
  • Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, where Jesus stood in front of Caiaphas/The Sanhedrin
  • Dungeon under Caiaphas' house where Jesus was imprisoned
  • Possibly organize a meeting in Jerusalem with reconciliation organization, then dinner and overnight at the hotel
  • Mount of Olives
  • Walk the Palm Sunday Road, which Jesus rode on a colt
  • Chapel of the Ascension
  • Church of Pater Noster, site where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer
  • Chapel of Dominus Flevit
  • Garden of Gethsemane
  • Church of All Nations, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas
  • Lunch on Mount Scopus
  • Hike down to the Palestinian village of Lifta (depopulated in 1948)
  • Palestinian village of Ein Karem
  • Church of John the Baptist (his birthplace)
  • Church of the Visitation (site of Mary's Magnificat)
  • Dead Sea
  • Jericho
  • Mount Temptation and Ancient Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Temptation (site of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4)
  • Sycamore tree Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus
  • Lunch at Qumran, site of Dead Sea Scrolls discovery
  • Dinner at the hotel in Bethlehem (last night there)
  • Coastal city of Caesarea (Maritime): the Roman port that was built by King Herod the Great in 22 BCE, the place where Cornelius met with Peter and accepted the Lord Jesus (Acts 10), and also the place where Paul was imprisoned for two years before being sent to Rome. 
  • Lunch on Mount Carmel, where Elijah competed with worshippers of Baal (1 Kings 18)
  • Coastal city of Haifa
  • Carmelite Monastery of Stella Maris
  • Bahai Gardens
  • Nazareth
  • Church of the Annunciation, built over the house where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary
  • Church of Saint Joseph, his workshop and their house
  • Check in at hotel in Nazareth where we will eat dinner and spend the night
  • Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle (John 2:1-11). There is a possibility for couples to renew their wedding vows here.
  • Tiberias
  • Mount of Beatitudes, Catholic Church built over the hill where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
  • Church of Tabgha/Church of the Multiplication, where Jesus fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fish and also where Jesus appeared to the disciples for the third time after his resurrection (John 21)
  • Capernaum
  • Lunch at Tanureen restaurant, where we will eat Saint Peter's fish ($25/person)
  • Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee
  • Eat dinner and spend the night at our hotel in Nazareth
  • Mount Tabor/Mount of the Transfiguration
  • Golan Heights
  • Banias (Caesarea Philippi)
  • Mount Bental lookout (Jabal Al-Jarmak), where a clear view of the border controlled by the UN and the Southern Syrian city of Quneitra could be seen
  • Eat dinner and spend the night at our hotel
  • Depart for the airport
  • Fly back to the U.S.

Pricing

16-20 people: $2,150 per person

21-25 people: $2,050 per person

Single room supplement: $ 850

tour company information

Rates include:

  • Accommodation on HB basis (Breakfast and dinner) at above mentioned hotels (3 nights in Nazareth, 5 nights in Bethlehem), Sunrise hotel in Bethlehem, and Golden Crown hotel in Nazareth or equivalent. 
  • Transportation in Tourist class coach throughout
  • Licensed Tour guide throughout
  • Entrance fees as per program
  • 1 Free (based on double occupancy) for every 20 full paying

Rates do not include:

  • Flights to and from Washington DC or any other destination 
  • Daily lunches enroute
  • Entrances not mentioned in program
  • Instance of any kind
  • Personal shopping or purchasing souvenirs
  • Tips for guide and driver

Interest form

Please fill out this form to confirm your interest in the trip. An interest meeting will be held in the near future.