Travel Back in Time

Printable Itinerary (PDF)*

• Departure from U.S. gateway city to be announced to our destination, Tel Aviv, Israel. Meals will be served on board. We'll be met by our guide at the airport. Depending on arrival time, we will tour Jaffa (the ancient port city of Joppa). Dinner and overnight at the hotel (hotel TBA).

• We drive along the Mediterranean to the coastal city ruins of Caesarea, the ancient capital of Roman Palestine, where we see the theater, aqueduct, recently excavated hippodrome, and Crusader fortress.
• At Mount Carmel, we visit the traditional site of Elijah's battle with the prophets of Baal and enjoy the sweeping panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley from atop the mountain.
• We drive by Megiddo, the Biblical Armageddon on the way to Sepphoris.
• We proceed to Sepphoris, the traditional home of Anna and Joachim (the parents of Mary, mother of Jesus), and Mary's birthplace.
• Our destination this evening is the Kibbutz Nof Ginosar along the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Dinner at the Kibbutz.

• After a visit to the Mount of Beatitudes, we travel north to the foothills of Mount Hermon and Banias (Caesarea Philippi), where Jesus said, "I will build my church..."
• We travel back through the Golan Heights past Gadara, one of the Decapolis cities. Matthew describes the miracle of Jesus delivering demon-possessed men who were "of the country of the Gadarenes." We take some time to enjoy a lunch of St. Peter's fish near the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
• A highlight of the day will be a memorable boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
• This afternoon we visit the ruins of ancient Capernaum where the greater part of Jesus' ministry of teaching and healing took place. There we see the ancient synagogue and the excavations of Peter's house.
• From there we continue to Tabgha, the traditional site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes; nearby we see the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.
• We drive past Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene.
• We stop at the Kibbutz Ginosar to see the 1st-century "Jesus Boat," which was discovered in 1986 partially buried in the muddy shores of the Sea of Galilee. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

• We begin our day at Nazareth, the site of the boyhood of Jesus, for a visit to Mary's Well at St. Gabriel's Church, commemorating the location where Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel.
• From there, we travel south to Bet She'an, Israel's largest active archaeological dig site, to see the entire city and the Roman theater, built in the second century. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient theaters in the entire Middle East.
• Continue south to visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
• Drive to Ein Gedi to visit the oasis and reserve park.
• Hotel (TBA), dinner and overnight by Dead Sea with opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea.

• To visit Masada we ascend by cable car to the magnificent ruins of the fortress where Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean revolt against the Romans.
• Drive by New Testament Jericho, believed to have been at the mouth of the Wadi Kelt, where Herod had his winter palace.
• Drive by the Mount of Temptation mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
• We go to Bethlehem (political situation permitting) and visit the Church of the Nativity, built over the traditional site of the birth of Christ.
• We drive by the Field of Shepherds, where the angel announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds.
• We continue up to Jerusalem, the Holy City, for dinner and overnight at the Dan Hotel.

• We drive past the Hebrew University campus and onto the Mount of Olives.
• We walk down the traditional Palm Sunday Walk where Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, stopping at the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and the Church of All Nations.
• At Mount Zion, we see the traditional Room of the Last Supper.
• Then we go to Caiaphas' palace, where Jesus was first brought before the high priest.
• We then visit the City of David, the narrow hill near the Western Wall where Jerusalem "began." Here we view walls, towers, and fortifications that protected the city from enemies, pass through the water systems, see the Gihon Spring, and encounter the personalities and dwelling places of the city as reflected by archaeological discoveries and in the Bible.
• We conclude our afternoon driving past the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament building, to visit the Shrine of the Book, which houses the original Dead Sea Scrolls.
• We also take some time to view the scale model of Jerusalem in the 1st century.
• Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

• We check out of our hotel this morning and in the Old City, we follow the Via Dolorosa, seeing Pilate's Judgment Hall in the Antonia Fortress where Jesus was imprisoned and concluding at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditional site of Golgotha..
• We visit the Temple Mount (political situation permitting), the holiest site in Judaism, for a closer look at the Dome of the Rock.
• Nearby, we view the Western Wall and pass through its tunnels, taking an awe-inspiring journey through time and gaining further insight into the complexities inherent in the relationship between Jews and Muslims.
• We then visit the Davidson Center at the entrance to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, one of the largest and most significant archaeological sites in the country.
• Nearby are the Southern Steps, leading to the original main entrance of the Temple Mount in the Second Temple period. It is certain that Jesus climbed these steps when he visited the temple in Jerusalem.
• We end our day at Gordon's Calvary and the Garden Tomb, for an inspiring service celebrating the resurrection of our Lord.
• Evening flight to Cairo. Transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight in Cairo (hotel TBA)

• The Pyramids and the Sphinx are among the wonders of the world, and a highlight of any visit to Egypt.
• We will visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization which houses many of the most significant royal mummies as well as Egyptian artifacts from the beginning of civilization to the present. (NOTE: if the new Grand Egyptian Museum is open, we will visit it). Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

• At Sakkara, we can see the first pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser.
• The Dahshur Pyramids precede the Giza group and allow one to see the evolution of the pyramid. These necropoli were the burial grounds for the kings and elite of the nearby capital, Memphis.
• We drive to Memphis to visit an outdoor museum that includes a colossal statue of Ramesses II.
• Dinner and flight to Luxor (hotel TBA).

• We start the day at the Karnak Temple the cult center of Amun, No-Amon (Thebes) of the Bible. Here Thutmose III’s annals record his famous battle at Megiddo and Shishak’s relief records the campaign of 925 BC against Israel and Judah. The temple is also home to the Egyptian text of the treaty of Ramesses and Hatusili the Hittite ruler and the classic Hypostyle Hall.
• After lunch and some time to relax, we will visit the Luxor Temple which was built during the New Kingdom and dedicated to the Theban Triad. Luxor is a temple dedicated to the divine Egyptian ruler. The Pylon at Luxor contains reliefs of Ramesses II’s battle of Kadesh and a portrayal of his tabernacle-like camp.
• Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

• We start out traveling to the western side of Luxor the burial ground of Thebes which includes the Valley of Kings where, among others, is Tutankhamun’s tomb, Deir el-Bahri (Queen Hatshepsut’s funerary temple), the Ramesseum, which features Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias,” and the mud-brick storage facilities like those for which the Hebrews made bricks (Exodus 1:11)
• The Tombs of the Nobles include remarkable painted and carved scenes. Medinet Habu is one of the best preserved temples of the New Kingdom and contains the renowned panorama of the Sea Peoples (including the Philistines) invasion of Egypt.
• Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

• Morning flight to Cairo
• In Medieval Cairo, we will visit some of the earliest churches, including the Church of St. Sergius where tradition says Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus hid, and the Ibn Ezra Synagogue, where the famous Cairo Geniza manuscripts were found.
• Shopping in Cairo; dinner and overnight in Cairo. (hotel TBA)

• We will visit the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt and was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848. It is lavishly decorated with Islamic motifs.
• Khan el-Khalili is a famous bazaar and souk (think medieval shopping center) in the historic center of Cairo, Egypt. Established as a center of trade in the Mamluk era and named for one of its several historic caravanserais, the bazaar district has since become one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.
• Shopping in Cairo and packing for the return trip. Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

• After an early pick-up from the hotel, we are transferred to Cairo International Airport to fly back to the U.S.A.
• Meals will be served on board.

Cost: Figures reflect anticipated rates*

• Projected tour cost: $5,700 per person (double occupancy).
• Single room fee $1,650

Includes:

• Roundtrip airfare between Columbus, Ohio - Tel Aviv, Israel and return via Cairo, Egypt
• Flight from Tel Aviv, Israel to Cairo, Egypt
• Roundtrip airfare from Cairo to Luxor, Egypt
• 14 nights in 3-5 star hotels in Israel and Egypt
• Sightseeing as per the itinerary
• All escorted transfers
• Daily breakfasts and dinners (plus 1 lunch at the Sea of Galilee)
• Transportation by private, climate controlled, bus with driver throughout the tour
• English speaking professional tour guides
• Entry fees to all scheduled sites and museums
• Service charges and local taxes and tips to hotel and restaurant staff, portage for one piece of luggage
• Minimum tips for tour guides and drivers

Excludes:

• Egyptian Visa Fee - $25 for US citizens to be obtained upon arrival.
• Lunches and all drinks (approx. $6-15 per meal), snacks or any drinks for lunch or dinner (approx. $3-5 per meal). Coffee, milk and juice are included in the breakfasts.
• Personal expenses, such as souvenirs, snacks, and in-room Wi-Fi service (some hotels may charge extra).
• Additional travel and health insurance (beyond MVNU’s group travel insurance).
• Any other service which is not mentioned above.

*Cost may vary depending on departure/arrival airports. Advertised cost is for trips originating and ending in Columbus, Ohio. Please contact us for departure and arrival from airports other than Columbus, Ohio.

Important Note: Tour prices based on group minimum of 30 passengers, projected 2024 airfare rates, and cost of land arrangements as of September 2022. These are subject to any changes that may be imposed prior to departure.