Day 11 – Jerash
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on your way to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be heard in the top row. Continue to Amman to check in for dinner and overnight.

Day 12 – Madaba & Mt. Nebo
Begin your journey south towards Petra today. Stop in Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint George with its sixth-century Byzantine, mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. End your day at the shore of the Dead Sea and check in to your hotel. 
 
Day 13 - Petra 
Explore the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback, or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliff sides of rose-colored rock. Return to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

Day 14 - Free Morning at the Dead Sea
Enjoy a free morning at your hotel. Cross the border back into Israel and enjoy dinner in Jerusalem. Afterward, you will travel to the airport in Tel Aviv to begin your journey home. 

Day 15 - Return to USA

Departure dates 
January 15
February 19
March 19
October 29
November 5
December 3
 

Day 11 (FRI) – Jerusalem to Mount Sinai
Travel in the footsteps of the Holy family as you travel along the ancient caravan route from Jerusalem to the Sinai desert. Cross the border and check in to your hotel near Mt. Sinai for dinner and rest. 

Day 12 (SAT) – St. Catherine’s Monastery
This morning, you can opt to climb Mt. Sinai, where tradition says that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Everyone will experience a visit to fortified St. Catherine’s Monastery, built in the 6th century, and one of the oldest working monasteries in the world with the world’s oldest continually operating library. Both the Codex Sinaiticus and Syriac Sinaiticus, important early Biblical manuscripts, were discovered here. Even Mohammed found refuge here, and the site is sacred to all three monotheistic religions. Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush, which tradition places inside the monastery. Continue to Sharm el Sheik for dinner and overnight at your hotel located on the shores of the Red Sea.

Day 13 – Route of the Exodus 
Trace the route of the Exodus along the eastern Sinai coast to Wadi Feiran, where the Children of Israel withstood the Amalekites. Travel to Elim, where the Children of Israel camped by the oasis of 70 palm trees. Your final stop of the day will be Marah by the Red Sea, where the “waters were bitter.” Continue to Cairo for dinner and a three-night stay.

Day 14 – Memphis, Saqqara, the Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
Tour the rural region of traditional Egyptian farming and stop at an old corn water mill. Travel as Abraham did to Memphis (Biblical Noph) and on to Sakkara, where you will see the Step Pyramid, the world’s oldest stone structure. Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

Day 15 - Cairo
This morning, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view the unique collection of Pharaonic art and the renowned treasures of King Tutankhamen. Tour the Old City and see the Citadel of Saladin, built in 1183 AD, and view the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. In Old Cairo, visit the Abu Serge Church, built over the traditional site of the house where the Holy Family lived during their stay in Egypt. Prepare for your return flight home.

Day 16 (WED) - Return to USA

Departure dates 
January 15
February 19
March 19
October 29
November 5
December 3

Day 11 (FRI) – Jerusalem to Mount Sinai
Travel in the footsteps of the Holy family as you travel along the ancient caravan route from Jerusalem to the Sinai desert. Cross the border and check in to your hotel at Sharm el Sheik for dinner and rest. 

Day 12 (SAT) – St. Catherine’s Monastery
This morning, you can opt to climb Mt. Sinai, where tradition says that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Everyone will experience a visit to the fortified St. Catherine’s Monastery, built in the 6th century, and one of the oldest working monasteries in the world with the world’s oldest continually operating library. Both the Codex Sinaiticus and Syriac Sinaiticus, important early Biblical manuscripts, were discovered here. Even Mohammed found refuge here, and the site is sacred to all three monotheistic religions. Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush, which tradition places inside the monastery. Continue to Sharm el Sheik for dinner and overnight at your hotel on the Red Sea’s shores.

Day 13 (SUN)  –Free Day in Sharm el Sheik
Enjoy a free day to relax in your resort by the beach in Sharm el Sheik.

Day 14 (MON) - Luxor
This morning, fly to Luxor and transfer to your Nile cruise ship. Ancient Thebes served as the Egyptian capital during the New Kingdom and the time of Moses. Visit the magnificent Temple of Luxor with its avenue of sphinx statues and mighty monumental columns. Continue to the Karnak Temple, which was built over 2,000 years ago and is the largest religious building ever constructed, and see the famed Hypostyle Hall, the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tutomosis III, the temple of Amon, the Granite Scarabeus and the Sacred Lake. Dinner and overnight on board

Day 15 –(TUE) Valley of the Kings and Queens
Enjoy the sunrise over the Nile River this morning before your visit to the Valley of the Kings. Tombs were constructed here for Egypt’s kings and powerful nobles for nearly 500 years. The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. See the Colossi of Memnon, made of sandstone brought from Gabal El Silselah. Each colossus, including the pedestal and the crown, is about 21m tall and represents King Amenhotep III. See the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of only a handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs. Enjoy lunch onboard as you sail through the Esna locks. The ship arrives in Edfu this evening. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 16 – (WED) Edfu
Visit the Edfu Temple on the west bank of the Nile. Dating to the Ptolemaic period, the temple was dedicated to the worship of god Horus, represented as a falcon. It is one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples, distinguished by its huge, splendid structure blending Pharaonic and Greek architecture. Scenic cruising to Kom Ombo and visit the Kom Ombo Temple. Built on a hillside, this temple was constructed in the Ptolemaic Roman era for the worship of the gods Haroeris and Sobek. It is noted for the relief engravings on its walls, which show ancient surgical tools, bone saws, and dentistry tools. Nearby, view the three mummified crocodiles in Hathor’s chapel.  Dinner and overnight on board

Day 17 – (THU) Aswan
Cruise to Aswan, where you will sail on a smaller boat across the Nile to visit the temples at Philae, including the Temple of Isis, one of the greatest Temples in Egypt occupying a quarter of the island. Next, visit the High Dam, one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of the twentieth century. It was constructed to replace the old Aswan dam built in 1902. The 3600-meter-long dam was constructed to protect Egypt from floods and provide its citizens with irrigation and electricity. View the Unfinished Obelisk, made of red granites from Aswan’s quarries. Lunch and dinner onboard.

Day 18 – (FRI) Egyptian Museum, the Great Pyramids & the Sphinx
Depart Aswan by flight to Cairo. Visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view the unique collection of Pharaonic art and the renowned treasures of King Tutankhamun. Continue for a visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

Day 19 - (SAT) Cairo
Tour the Old City and see the Citadel of Saladin, built in 1183 AD, and view the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. In Old Cairo, visit the Abu Serge Church, built over the traditional site of the house where the Holy Family lived during their stay in Egypt. Enjoy some time to rest as you prepare for your return flight home.

Day 20 (SUN) - Return to USA

Departure dates 
January 15
February 19
March 19
October 29
November 5
December 3

Optional Extension | Starting at $2,199*

Day 10 – Fly from Tel Aviv to Rome
Transfer to Tel Aviv to fly to Rome. Your guide in Rome will greet you at the airport and escort you into the city for a driving tour to help you acclimate to where things are. Check into your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay. (D)

Day 11 - Vatican
Enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican’s Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Built by connecting portions of the old papal residence with newer structures, the museum houses a world-renowned collection of art and antiquities. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512 and later painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 for Pope Clement VII and Paul III. The primary function of the chapel is the Papal Conclave, providing the place where the College of Cardinals of the church gathers to elect a new pope. Then, walk through St. Peter’s Basilica and celebrate Mass here. The present structure, completed in 1590, was built over the Byzantine and Middle Ages structures that marked the tomb of Saint Peter. More than 100 tombs are within the basilica, including most recently, Saint John Paul II. Finish the day at the Pantheon, built by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC to 14 AD). Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it around 126 AD. The building was given to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a church - Saint Mary and the Martyrs (Santa Maria Rotunda). Mass continues to be celebrated here. Dinner is on your own tonight. (B)

Day 12 – Rome
Begin your afternoon with a visit to the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Six popes are entombed here. Next door is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa), brought from Pilate’s Palace in Jerusalem by Saint Helena in the 4th century. Climbing the stairs on your knees is a devotion that many pilgrims perform, and a plenary indulgence is granted for completing this feat. Next is the Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls (San Lorenzo). Saint Lawrence was one of the first seven deacons of Rome, martyred in 258. The church is built next to catacombs that lead down to his grave. The relics of Saints Justin Martyr and Stephen are also enshrined here. Continue your pilgrim journey to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore). This is the largest Marian church in Rome. Its construction began after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed that Mary was the Mother of God. Saint Jerome, translator of the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, is buried here. Celebrate Mass in one of the churches here. Dinner is on your own tonight. (B)

Day 13 – Pilgrimage in Rome
You will begin your day at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls this morning. The present structure stands over the place where Constantine built the first church over Saint Paul’s grave. The church features a portrait of every pope who has served the church, with the face of Pope Francis I illuminated as the present pontiff. Step beneath the surface into the Catacombs of Callixtus, built along the Appian Way. Here, sixteen popes from the 2nd through 4th centuries were interred, though they have been removed to various churches over the centuries. San Sebastian Outside the Walls is another of the seven Pilgrimage churches, built over the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. The remains of Peter and Paul were temporarily protected here during the Valerian Persecution of 258. Our seventh and final pilgrimage stop is the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Saint Helena brought Passion relics here, and the floor was covered with soil from Jerusalem. Relics here include Thomas’s index finger that touched Christ’s wounds after His resurrection and a piece of the Good Thief’s Cross. Those who want to complete the seven-church pilgrimage as declared by Saint John Paul II in 2000 can continue to one more stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love. Here, a pilgrim pursued by dogs appealed to Our Lady, and she intervened for his safety. Pilgrims began to frequent the site, and a chapel was built here in 1745. Celebrate Mass in one of the churches. Dinner is on your own tonight. (B)

Day 14 - Return to the USA

Departure dates 
January 15
February 19
March 19
October 29
November 5
December 3