November 04 – 17, 2023
ITINERARY: ITINERARY: ZAGREB / SLAVONSKI BROD / SARAJEVO / MEDJUGORJE / DUBROVNIK / KOTOR & BUDVA / TROGIR / SPLIT / SIBENIK / PLITVICE / LJUBLJANA / BLED
NOV 04 CHECK-IN AT NAIA TERMINAL 1 AT 1830HRS / DEPARTURE FROM MANILA TO TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
NOV 05 TEL AVIV / BETHLEHEM
Morning arrival in Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. Meet and assist by a local guide. Drive to Bethlehem. Visit the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity and the Church of Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, and the Manger Square. Celebrate private Mass. Transfer to the hotel for check-in, dinner and overnight.
NOV 06 JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the full day tour at the Pool of Bethesda and Church of St. Anne. Then proceed to Via Dolorosa starting at Ecce Homo where Pontius Pilate washed his hands. Proceed to the Flagellation until you reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead. Then continue to the Wailing Wall. Visit the Shepherds Field, the site where the star appeared to the shepherds which lead them to the manger where baby Jesus was born. Proceed to Milk Grotto. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
NOV 07 JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Mount Zion area to see the Dormition Abbey. Then visit the Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples had their last supper. See also King David’s tomb. Proceed to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Proceed to the Shrine of the Book and see the scale model of Jerusalem. Return to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.
NOV 08 JERUSALEM
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the Mount of Olives to visit the Ascension Chapel where Jesus ascended into Heaven. Visit the Church of Pater Noster to see the “Lord’s Prayer” written in several languages. Proceed to the Church of Dominus Flevit (God Wept) where God wept over Jerusalem. Move on and continue by walking down the Palm Sunday Road to the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane to see the Rock of Agony, the place where Jesus prayed before the Roman soldiers came for Him. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
NOV 09 JERUSALEM / EIN KAREM
Breakfast at the hotel. We will go up to Mt. Tabor to see Basilica of Transfiguration. Then, we will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in the morning. Continue on to Ein Karem to visit St. John the Baptist Church and Church of Visitation (Magnificat) where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.
NOV 10 BETHLEHEM / CAESAREA / HAIFA / NAZARETH
Breakfast and check-out. Drive down to Caesarea, which was built by Herod the Great, to catch sight of the Aqueducts and the Roman Theater. Enroute to Mt. Carmel to visit Stella Maris Church and pass by Haifa where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Bahai Gardens. Continue to Nazareth to visit the Basilica of Annunciation where the Archangel Gabriel announced to Virgin Mary the birth of Jesus Christ. Visit also St. Joseph’s workshop and Home of the Holy Family. Transfer to the hotel for check-in, dinner and overnight.
NOV 11 TIBERIAS / CAPERNAUM / TABGHA / CANA
Breakfast at the hotel. Have a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Drive to Capernaum, the town where Jesus made His home after leaving Nazareth. View the remains of the ancient Synagogue in which He taught, and on to Tabgha, where the Miracle of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes took place. Drive to Mount of Beatitudes; this is the site of the Sermon on the Mount and St. Peter’s Primacy Church. Then proceed to Cana, where Jesus performed His first miracle. He turned the water into wine at the Wedding in Cana. (Those who wish may renew their wedding vows at the Church). Visit the diamond store Caprice in Tiberias. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
NOV 12 BETHANY/ JERICHO / DEAD SEA
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Drive to Bethany to visit the Church of Lazarus. Then drive on to Jericho, pass by to see the “Sycamore Tree”, where Zaccheus, the tax collector who climbed the tree to see Jesus who was passing by. After lunch, view the Mount of Temptation. It is a high mountain west of Jericho where satan tempted Jesus. Proceed to Dead Sea hotel for check-in. You may spend the rest of the time for your dip in the lowest and saltiest sea on earth. Have dinner and overnight at the hotel.
NOV 13 QUMRAN / MASSADA / QASR EL YAHUD / TEL AVIV
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Drive to Qumran, the caves of the Essenes where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a wandering shepherd boy. Continue on to Massada. Experience the cable car ride going to the peak of the ancient fortress, overlooking the Dead Sea. Proceed to Qasr El Yahud for the renewal of baptism. Then continue to Tel Aviv. Transfer to the hotel for check-in, dinner and overnight.
NOV 14 TEL AVIV/ ISTANBUL (fly)
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Transfer to Tel Aviv Airport to catch the flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, have dinner at a local restaurant. Proceed to the hotel for check-in and overnight.
NOV 15 ISTANBUL / IZMIR (fly) / EPHESUS / KUSADASI
Early check-out at the hotell. Transfer to Istanbul airport to catch the flight to Izmir. Upon arrival, we will start our guided tour with major Roman City, on the west coast of Asia Minor, which is Ephesus – the once thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today, you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city including the view of the Library of Celcius, Agora, Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan, the Theatre, colorful mosaics. You can also see the panoramic view of the surrounding ancient port area including a wealth of church history and cultural insight. After lunch, we will visit the carpet cooperative to see how the Turkish carpets are made by hand. Then we will visit the Baslica of St. John, housing an immersion baptismal and believed to be the resting place of John. Proceed to St. Policarp Church in Izmir. Transfer to the hotel in Kusadasi for check-in, dinner and overnight.
NOV 16 KUSADASI / IZMIR / ISTANBUL (fly) / MANILA
After an early breakfast and check-out at the hotel, we will travel to Selcuk for a visit to the Shrine of Mother Mary (House of Virgin Mary) on top of Mt. Coressos. It is believed that she spent years in this area. On August 18, 1961, Pope John XXII proclaimed this place as sacred. We will also visit the carpet cooperative to see how the Turkish carpets are made by hand. After lunch, transfer to Izmir airport for our flight back to Manila via Istanbul.
NOV 17 MANILA
HOME SWEET HOME!!!
