Tours

Holy Land with Rev. Chris Hayes & First UMC Arlington | May 28, 2024

10 days
The Holy Land
Starting from $4196* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join Rev. Chris Hayes & First UMC Arlington for a Holy Land tour starting at $4,196* from Dallas on May 28, 2024.  You will see Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, Shepherds’ Field, Herodion, Qumran, Jericho, Qasr El Yehud, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Chapel of the Primacy, Capernaum, Magdala, the Valley of the Doves, Sepphoris, Cana, Shechem, Jacob’s Well, and much more!

Register Early & Save
$50 Register by October 28, 2023
$25 Register by November 28, 2023
Full deposit required. Savings deducted from balance.

What’s Included

  • All Inclusive Pricing
  • Breakfast and Dinner Daily
  • Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
  • Domestic Airfare
  • Entrance and Program Fees
  • First Class Hotels
  • Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
  • Guided Tours
  • Hotel Gratuities
  • International Airfare
  • Administrative fees

^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 May 28 - Depart the USA & Arrive in Israel

Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

Day 2 May 29 - Welcome to the Holy Land

Arrive in Tel Aviv. Upon arrival, be greeted by your guide at Ben Gurion and transfer to Bethlehem for dinner and overnight.  

Day 3 May 30 - Bethlehem & Herodion

In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace and see the Church of the Nativity constructed over the site (Matthew 1: 18-25).  Gaze out over the Shepherds’ Field, where angels first proclaimed the Good News.  Explore one of the most exciting archeological digs in Israel, the Herodion, the palace-fortress and final resting place of Herod the Great.  This evening, partake in a lecture on the Palestinian perspective of the Middle East conflict. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 May 31 - Qumran, Jericho & Qasr El Yehud

Begin today at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.  Journey to Jericho (considered the oldest city in the world) to visit the ruins of the ancient city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1).   From Jericho, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4). Visit the baptismal site of Qasr el Yehud, where tradition says Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.  Travel the Jordan River Valley north to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.  Check into your Galilee hotel for dinner and overnight.  

Day 5 June 1 - Sea of Galilee

Sail across the Sea of Galilee and experience a special onboard worship service. On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5-7). See the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion three times to the risen Christ (John 21). Travel to Capernaum, where Jesus spoke in the synagogue here and healed Peter’s mother-in-law. In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene, visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue. Walk a portion of the Valley of the Doves, a major pathway in the time of Christ, between Nazareth and Galilee.  He and his disciples passed through this valley as they walked the Galilee. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.  

Day 6 June 2 - Sepphoris, Cana, Shechem, Jacob’s Well & Jerusalem

Visit Sepphoris, the cosmopolitan Roman capital of Galilee until Herod Antipas built Tiberias. It is heralded as the traditional birthplace of Mary.  Visit the Franciscan Wedding Chapel in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, before continuing on to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23).  In modern-day Nablus (ancient Shechem), see where the Samaritan woman encountered Christ (John 4) at Jacob’s Well.  Check into your Jerusalem hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 June 3 - Jerusalem

Look out over the city from Mount Scopus. Be inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Jerusalem (“the Golden City”) as you stand on the Mount of Olives, the place from which Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9 -12).  Walk the Palm Sunday Path to Dominus Flevit (the Tear Drop Church), where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Continue to the Garden of Gethsemane and pray beneath the ancient olive trees (Matthew 26:36 -44). Step inside the Church of All Nations.  On Mount Zion, see the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned the night of His arrest (Matthew 26:57 -65).  Nearby is the Upper Room, revered as the location of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12 -26).  Visit the Southern Wall Excavations of the Temple, including the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall.  Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 June 4 - Masada & the Dead Sea

Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress, which became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans.  Enjoy an opportunity to take a dip in the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea.  Enjoy dinner tonight with a local Palestinian family.  

Day 9 June 5 - Jerusalem

This morning, conditions permitting, stand on the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood and the Dome of the Rock now stands. View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5: 1 -31). At Herod’s Antonia Fortress (Luke 23:1), see where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate. Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross,” and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Remember the Lord’s sacrificial love at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion. 

Day 10 June 6 - Return Home

Return Home

Departure Dates

  1. Tuesday, May 28, 2024
    From $4196* Register Now!
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions