After arrival in Tel Aviv, collect your luggage and meet your field instructor and driver. Continue to your hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Have dinner and stay overnight in Netanya.

Begin this first full day in-country at the ruins and harbor at Caesareaby- the-Sea, the imperial center for the Roman government in the land and a centerpiece of Christian origins. Climb to the top of Mount Carmel and relive the famous contest between Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. Roll into Galilee and climb to the top of Mount Arbel. From there, take in the glory of Galilee and its famous sea. Have dinner and stay overnight in Tiberius.

Travel to Sepphoris, the “ornament of all Galilee” and Roman capital of the region in the time of Christ. Continue to Nazareth Village to contemplate a “living museum” of life in the first century. Visit the Church of the Annunciation, built over the boyhood home of Jesus. Stroll through the shops of modern Nazareth before returning to Tiberias for dinner and your overnight stay.

Dawn comes early at Magdala, an industrial site on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. View impressive remains that illustrate the fishing industry from the time of Christ. From Magdala, travel to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered a most memorable sermon. Continue to sites associated with the ministry of Jesus, including the Primacy of Peter, Tabgha, and Capernaum. Conclude this relaxing day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.Have dinner and stay overnight in Tiberius.

Experience the beauty of the far north. Leave the Sea of Galilee behind and travel to the site of Dan. Here, an Israelite “high place,” gate complex, and fortification walls are visible. Continue to the birthplace of the Jordan River at Panias, named after the goat-god, Pan. Consider the nearby site of Caesarea Philippi, where Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ. Finally, climb into the heights of Mount Hermon, a snowy peak that marks the highest spot in all the Heartland. From Nimrod’s Fortress, built in the Crusader period, take in an impressive view of the Upper Jordan Valley.Have dinner and stay overnight in Tiberius.

Travel to Qasr el-Yehud for a personal experience with the Jordan River. Contemplate how the Israelites crossed this body of water on their way into Canaan. Jesus was baptized in this river by John. Travel to the ruins of Jericho, where the walls came tumbling down! Think about the faith put on display in this amazing place. After lunch, peek toward caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at the site of Qumran. Finally, drive deep into the desert for dinner, a swim in the Dead Sea, and a memorable overnight stay in Ein Boqeq (Dead Sea).

Rise to a morning view from Masada, a mountain fortress of Herod the Great and contemplate its remarkable story. Continue to Shepherds’ Field, sing a Christmas carol, and remember that somewhere in these hills, the angels appeared to the frightened shepherds with an announcement of Good News. Travel to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built over the site honored as the birthplace of Jesus. Have dinner and stay overnight in Bethlehem.

Enter one of Jerusalem’s gates and consider the role of this famous place as sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Walk on the Temple Mount where Solomon’s glorious temple once stood, and Muslims continue to pray today. Experience the Western Wall, a place of meditation and celebration. Walk up the stairs that Jesus and the Apostles undoubtedly traveled as they visited the temple. Go underground and witness Jerusalem’s earliest remains, including a Canaanite wall, the possible site of David’s palace, and a spectacular water system (conditions permitting) that terminates in the Pool of Siloam. Return to the hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Spend this relaxing last day putting it all together at the model of Jerusalem from the time of Jesus. Make a morning stop at the Garden Tomb for a special time of worship. Continue to the Israel Museum, the largest collection of archaeological artifacts in the country and home to a spectacular model of Jerusalem from the time of Christ. After lunch, travel back to the Old City for some free time of your own, drinking coffee, shopping, and sightseeing in Jerusalem’s narrow streets. In the evening, pack, eat dinner, and prepare for your transfer to the Tel Aviv airport.