

Holy Land - Rome - Istanbul
PLAN
PROGRAM:
Day 1: Italy - Tel Aviv - Nazareth -
Meeting of the Participants and departure from the Italian airports to Tel Aviv with a direct scheduled flight.
Day 2: Nazareth - Cana of Galilee
Morning: visit of Nazareth: basilica of the Annunciation, place where the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary the imminent birth of Jesus. Church of San Giuseppe, Franciscan museum, Fountain of the Virgin. Lunch at the hotel.
Afternoon: stop at Cana in Galilee, the place of the Cana's wedding (the first Miracle) and continuation to Mount Tabor, Mount of the Transfiguration. Free time for visit and prayer.
Day 3: Lake of Galilee
Breakfast, dinner and overnight in the hotel. Lunch at the restaurant.
Day dedicated to visiting the places of Jesus' public life around the lake of Galilee. We reach the Mount of Beatitudes (where the Lord Jesus taught the eight evangelical Beatitudes); continue to Tabgha: visit of the Churches of the Primacy of Peter and of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Arrival in Capernaum for a visit to the excavations of the ancient city with the synagogue and Peter's house. Boat crossing of Lake Tiberias. Lunch in the restaurant. After the visits we continue to Bethlehem.
Check-in, hotel accommodation in Bethlehem, dinner.
Day 4: Jericho - Qumran- Dead Sea
Breakfast in the hotel. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. Lunch in a restaurant.
Morning: visit to Jericho, the oldest city in the world with a stop on the west bank of the Jordan River, in Qars al Yahud the place that commemorates the baptism received by Jesus at the hand of John the Baptist. Lunch in a restaurant in Jericho
Afternoon: Visit to Qumran (place that became famous for the discovery of the manuscripts of the Community of the Essenes). Continue to the Dead Sea, the deepest place on earth, 400m below sea level.
I'm going back to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 5: Bethlehem – Ain Karem.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: visit of the Basilica of the Nativity (The Grotto of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ) and of the Shepherds' Field (the place where the Angel appears to the shepherds of Bethlehem). Lunch in the restaurant.
Afternoon: departure for Ain Karem visit to the church of the Visitation (the place where the visit of Mary to her relative Elizabeth takes place) and the Church of the birth of St. John.
Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 6: Jerusalem.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: visit of the city of Jerusalem. Mount of Olives: (on foot) Beit Fagi, shrine of the Ascension, cave of the Our Father, Dominus Flevit, basilica of Gethsemane. The morning ends with a visit to the tomb of the Madonna and the grotto where Jesus was arrested. Lunch.
Afternoon: Church of S. Anna and Probatic Pool (the place which according to Crusade tradition commemorates the birth of Mary and also the place where the paralytic was healed). Church of the Flagellation Visit to the Basilica of the Resurrection with the Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre. Way of the cross.
Check-in, hotel accommodation, dinner.
Overnight in Jerusalem
Day 7: Jerusalem.
Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: visit the Wailing Wall and the temple esplanade (Mosque of the Rock, also called Omar Mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque, closed for non-Muslims to visit inside). Christian Zion with the Upper Room (the place where the Lord Jesus Christ held his last Supper with the Apostles), the Last Supper (The Franciscan church) and the Church of the Dormition of Mary (the place which commemorates the passing of Mary). Lunch at the restaurant.
Afternoon: free time in Jerusalem
Day 8: Jerusalem - Tel Aviv - Rome
Arrival in Rome Transfer to hotel, check-in, free time, dinner and overnight.
Day 9: San Pietro - Classical Rome
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to St. Peter's for a private Eucharistic celebration. Free time to visit St. Peter's Basilica and have lunch. Afternoon: guided tour of the Vatican Museums.
Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 10:: Christian Rome
Breakfast, transfer to St. Peter's Square to participate in the General Audience with Pope Francis. Lunch. In the afternoon, visit to the major basilicas of San Paolo fuori le Mura, San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore, Eucharistic celebration.
Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
CONDITIONS
Our Tours are fully customizable, i.e. planned according to the needs and preferences of the group.
The rates for this specific tour may vary considerably, according to the choice of the trails and stages desired by the group and due to the fluctuation in the cost of fuel and airport or security taxes. Contact us to get a quote for your group if you are interested in this tour.
Day 11: Rome "eternal city"
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the visit of the Eternal City, which we will do on foot to enjoy the beauty of its narrow streets, we will know its history, we will admire its monuments, we will enjoy the charm of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Our tour starts in San Pietro in Vincoli, where we will have the Eucharistic Celebration We will admire the Colosseum and Roman Forum outside, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon transfer to the Catacombs of San Callisto.
Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Rome - Istanbul
Transfer to the airport. Flight to Istanbul. Meeting with the guide at the airport, city tour and transfer to the hotel, check-in, dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Istanbul
After breakfast we will visit the Grand Bazaar, a building that houses more than 4000 shops inside, then we will take a boat trip on the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia where we will be able to admire the great beauty of the forests of Istanbul , its palaces and wooden mansions built on both banks. Lunch included. In the afternoon we will visit the Sultanahmet district with the Roman Hippodrome square, the Blue Mosque, unique among all the Ottoman mosques to have 6 minarets and the splendid 6th century Hagia Sophia. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel to the Asian side of the city, crossing the Bosphorus intercontinental bridge. We will start our tour with a visit to the Beylerbeyi Palace, built in white marble by Sultan Abdulaziz in the 19th century. It has a magnificent garden with magnolias. The palace was used as a summer residence for the sultans and as a guest house for foreign dignitaries. Returning to the European side we will continue to visit the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan) or the 1001Direk Cistern (in case the cisterns are closed, this visit will be replaced by the visit of the Suleiman the Magnificent Mosque).
Lunch included. In the afternoon we will take a panoramic tour of the city, passing through the important districts of the historical and modern part of the city, including a walk along the pedestrian street of İstiklal. We will visit the Egyptian Bazaar (spice market). Return to hotel, dinner and overnight
Day 15: Istanbul - Italy - Final destination
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