Day 2:  Arrival:  Amman

Upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, proceed to Customs and  Baggage Claim.  Outside the Arrivals Hall,  you will be warmly greeted by our local Trinity Tour Travels guide and driver who will accompany you throughout the pilgrimage.  Upon arrival, you will be provided an overview of Jordan’s Old Testament biblical significance: from the lands of Moab and Edom to sites associated with Moses and Elijah!  *Contingent on arrival time and schedule permitting, a Mass of Thanksgiving is celebrated.

Check-in and Welcome Dinner in Amman.

Amman | Petra

Following breakfast at the hotel, we journey along the King’s Highway – the ancient trade route that has been used for over 4000 years – to Petra.  This route is the path Moses traversed during the Exodus (Numbers 20 & 21) .  Having been excavated from the magnificent pink sandstone of the mountains nearby, it is also known as the Rose City, and today serves as a scenic passage through Jordan’s rich tapestry of history and faith.  We begin our city day tour entering the Siq, a narrow gorge flanked by towering cliffs, and see the iconic Treasury Temple, once believed to hold the Pharoah’s treasure but now a significant site for pilgrims who walk this same path used by early Christians.  We see the Royal Tombs, the Roman Theatre, the Street of Facades, and the House of Justice.  We visit the Byzantine Church located near the city center which is noted for its well-preserved mosaics and the discovery of the Petra Papyri – over 140 scrolls that provide insight into the lives of early Christian inhabitants of Petra.  Lunch on your own nearby with Mass time and location to be confirmed.

Dinner & overnight in Amman.

Amman | Madaba | Mount Nebo | Jordan River | Qumran

Early check-out and breakfast at the hotel prior to our travel to Madaba, the “City of Mosaics”.  We visit St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church which houses the oldest known geographic floor mosaic in the world of  Christian art.  This 6th-century floor mosaic, crafted with over two million tiles, depicts a detailed map of the Holy Land, including Jerusalem. It is an invaluable artifact that has guided pilgrims for centuries and remains a powerful visual testimony to early Christian devotion to the sacred geography of Scripture.  We visit the Church of the Apostles, another ancient site featuring exquisite mosaics that reflect early Christian iconography and theology.  We travel to nearby Mount Nebo, one of the most sacred Christian pilgrimage destinations in the world.   It is here where Moses was granted a glimpse of  the Promised Land before his death (Deut: 34).  Today, the site is marked by a Franciscan memorial (The Franciscan Memorial of Moses), built over the ruins of a 4th century Byzantine Basilica.  Maintained by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, this holy site is home to many treasures of the faith.  From here, we enjoy panoramic views of the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea, and on clear days, even Jerusalem and Bethlehem can be seen from this vantage point!  This afternoon, we cross the Jordan River into The Holy Land!  Here, salvation history flows gently past where our Lord stepped into the waters to be baptized by John, sanctifying the waters, and where Jesus is revealed by God as the Beloved Son (Luke 3:21-22).  Baptismal promises are renewed here, remembering that each of us has been claimed by God, called by name, and sent forth in the light of Jesus.  Lunch on your own as we travel a short way to Qumran, Israel. Among the stark desert cliffs are the quiet caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden for centuries.  Mass time and location to be confirmed.  An unforgettable day as we transition from the Old to the New Testament!

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem | Beit Sahour | Ein Karem

Breakfast at the hotel in Bethlehem prior to a short drive to Ein Karem to visit the Church of the Visitation where The Blessed Mother visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Here, we also visit The Church of John the Baptist, built on the site of his birth (Luke1:5).  We drive to the town of Beit Sahour to visit The Shepherds’ Field where the angel announced the birth of Christ to the humble shepherds. Returning to Bethlehem, we visit the actual site of the birthplace of Jesus at the majestic Church of the Nativity.  Mass time and location to be confirmed. Lunch on your own in Bethlehem. Schedule allowing, a visit to the Convent of the Carmelite Sisters and Betharam established by St. Mariam Baouardy, “The Little Arab”, patroness of Peace for the Holy Land, late this afternoon.

Dinner & overnight in Bethlehem.

Old Jerusalem | Dead Sea | Jericho | Mount of Temptation

A VERY early wake -up call.  Breakfast this day will be prepared and boxed and will await you on the bus following a full, very early morning.  We begin in Old Jerusalem at The Via Dolorosa where before dawn, we walk and pray The Stations of the Cross. This ancient road leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, site of Jesus’ Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection (John 19: 17-41, John 20).  We pause to venerate The Stone of Unction where Jesus’ body was cleaned and anointed for His burial. We visit Jesus’ tomb inside a small cave.  Mass time and location to be confirmed.  We proceed to visit the Church of the Flagellation, the site where Jesus was flogged and scourged prior to His crucifixion.  We visit the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Church of St Ann. This beautiful and acoustically sound structure stands just across the way from The Pools of Bethesda where the paralytic waited 38 years for his healing (John 5: 2-6).  Lunch on your own in Old Jerusalem this day and we travel east toward the Dead Sea and Jericho!  Modest swimwear required  for those choosing to enter the most deep, hypersaline, and therapeutic lake in the world – towels provided.  Here, those who choose not to swim may enjoy relaxation and snacks at the lovely beachside Snack Bar.  Our day ends with a visit to Jericho, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world (Joshua 6: 12-24), and where Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, climbed a tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:1-10).  We stop at the foothills of the Mount of Temptation to view where Jesus was tempted while in the wilderness for 40 days (Luke 4:1).

Dinner & overnight in Bethlehem.

Jerusalem: Mount of Olives | Mount Zion

Breakfast at the hotel followed by an unforgettable day visiting The Mount of Olives, The Pater Noster (where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6: 9-13) and where the Ascension of our Lord is commemorated), The Psalm Sunday Road, Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), and The Garden of Gethsemane (The Basilica of the Agony), where Jesus prayed to The Father for the chalice to pass from Him (Matt 26:39).  Mass time and location to be confirmed. We proceed to Mount Zion, The Wailing Wall, The Dormition Abbey (final resting place of The Blessed Virgin Mary), The Cenacle (The Upper Room: Last Supper - Luke 22:7-23 and Pentecost - Acts 2: 1-4)), and King David’s Memorial.  We end this evening where Jesus climbed to meet his trial at the palace of Caiaphas, also known as Peter in Gallicantu.   This is also where Peter denied Jesus 3 times (Luke 22: 54-62). We have time for prayer in the prison pit where Jesus was held overnight. Lunch on your own in Jerusalem this day.

Special Bedouin Dinner & overnight in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem | Haifa | Cana | Nazareth

Breakfast and check-out, and we travel to Haifa to visit Mt. Carmel and the cave of Elijah, where the great prophet hid and lived before his fateful encounter with the priests of Baal (1Kings18).  From the top of Mt Carmel, we enjoy a breathtaking view of the Haifa Port and the Mediterranean Sea.  We visit the Stella Maris Monastery, site of the first Carmelite Order of the Catholic Church.  We continue a short way to Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle at His mother’s request (John 2:3-5) and where a most special vow renewal awaits married couples at The Wedding Church of Cana. We proceed to nearby Nazareth to visit The Basilica of the Annunciation.  Here, we see the home of The Blessed Virgin Mary, The Grotto, where the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and exclaimed, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28).   Nearby, we visit St Joseph’s Workshop where men will have the opportunity to consecrate their families to the patron saint of holy families, St Joseph!  Mass time and location to be confirmed.

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Nazareth.

Tiberias | Sea of Galilee | Mount of Beatitudes  | Capernaum

Breakfast at the hotel followed by a drive toward Tiberias, along the Sea of Galilee.  We arrive at the peaceful and pristine Mount of Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-16) where we recall the Sermon on the Mount.  Mass time and location to be confirmed.  We travel to nearby Tabgha to visit The Church of the Multiplication where Jesus fed the crowds who came to hear Him (John 6:1-13).  We then board for a sail across the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on water after feeding the 5000 (Mark 6: 45-51).  A most memorable lunch (St. Peter’s Fish- approx. $30 per person) before we continue to The Church of Peter’s Primacy, where Peter declared his love for Jesus 3 times and where Jesus anointed Peter to lead His church and become the first pope (John 15: 15-17).  This magnificent day ends in Capernaum to visit the spectacular ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus gave the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6), and The Church of St. Peter which is built over the ruins of his house near the sea. 

Dinner & overnight in Nazareth.

Galilee: Mount Tabor | Amman

Breakfast and check-out ad we travel nearby to Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, where we stand near the site where Peter, James and John stood to witness where the glorified Lord appeared with Moses and Elijah (Luke 28-36).  Mass time and location to be confirmed.  We begin our travel back to Amman, Jordan.  Lunch on your own, and several rest stops en route.

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Amman.

Departure

Breakfast, check-out, and transfer to Queen Alia International Airport. As our pilgrimage comes full circle, we return home not as tourists, but as pilgrims and witnesses. Hearts transformed, faith renewed, and spirits lifted, we are sent forth to live the Gospel as we have encountered in sacred stone and Living Word.