Float on the waters of the Dead Sea, pause in prayer and reflection at the Mount of Beatitudes, and explore Bethany beyond the Jordan. These inspiring experiences are just a few of the ways in which you’ll be awed by the places where the origin of Christianity was born.
Today we spend the day in the Old City of Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of the Passion of Christ. We begin with an early rise before dawn to trace the footsteps of Christ on the Via Dolorosa, participating in the Stations of the Cross. We start at the location of the former Praetorian Palace of Pilate where Jesus was condemned to die (John 18:28-40), also the location of the scourging and the crowning with thorns. We follow all 14 Stations through the quiet pre-dawn streets of Jerusalem, leading finally to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Here we will visit where Christ died on Mt. Calvary and have Mass there as the sun rises. The culmination of our pilgrimage will be visiting the empty tomb of Christ, the true highlight of our time in the Holy Land. Next we will return to our hotel for breakfast and a rest. After lunch we will visit St. Stephen’s Gate, where the first martyr was killed (Acts 7:54-60) and St. Anne’s church built by the Crusaders in 1138 at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2). We conclude the day with a visit to the Wailing Wall. Group dinner at our hotel. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, L, D)
ETA-IL Travel Authorization
All pilgrims traveling to Israel are required to apply for the ETA-IL (electronic travel authorization):