Actual Itinerary/Holy Land Tour
May 25-June 6, 2013
PSI Tours, Lyle and Sherrie Smith
Because we left two days later than originally scheduled (see post of May 26), our itinerary changed. We flipped the first three days we were to be in Tiberias with the last five days in Jerusalem. This, of course, scrambled all the places on the prior itinerary, and although the sites were in a different order, we managed to fit them all in. And—we had some “bonus” places. The days were so full and different from our printed itinerary that we wanted an updated one to help us remember where we had been on what day and in what sequence. So I prepared the new version and sent it to the group after getting home. Below is the “actual” itinerary.
May 25 (Saturday)
Departed Kansas City for Philadelphia where we spent the night.
Departed Kansas City for Philadelphia where we spent the night.
May 26 (Sunday)
Enjoyed a guided bus tour of historic and cultural sites in Philly before departing for Tel Aviv at 9:30 pm.
May 27 (Monday)
Arrived in Tel Aviv at 3:15 pm. Drove through Tel Aviv and then to hotel in Netanya.
May 28 (Tuesday)
Toured Caesarea, seeing the Roman aqueduct on the way north; drove through Haifa to see Baha'i headquarters. Lunched at a pleasant place on Mt. Carmel followed by visits to Elijah's monumet and the ancient site of Megiddo; then drove south to Jerusalem for the next five nights at the St. Andrew's Scottish Guesthouse.
May 29 (Wednesday)
Busy day walking through the Western Wall tunnels, touring the Wohl Museum, seeing a film at the Burnt House, and spending time at the Wailing Wall. Had a quick tour of the Israel Museum with scale model of Jerusalem and Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as selected exhibits. After lunch at the museum, visited Ketef Hinnom archaeological site of tombs where the silver amulets and many rich treausres from the time of Jeremiah and Lehi were discovered followed by a visit to Bethlehem.
May 30 (Thursday)
Drove south to a Bedouin market in Beersheba then went east to the archaeological site of Tel Arad, and later afternoon drove back north to Herodion on the outskirts of Bethlehem and Jerusalem where we were nearly blown away by very strong winds!
May 31 (Friday)
Very full day as we saw the City of David archaeological dig; walked through the Caananite tunnel, down to the Pool of Siloam; then to the Temple Mount's Southern Steps excavations, Garden of Gethsemane, and Mt. of Olives overlooking the city. Following lunch saw the pools of Bethesda, St. Anne's Church where we marveled at the church's acoustics that made our 15 voices sound like a whole choir as we sang hymns, and walked the Via Dolorosa ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Ended the long day in the old city walking through the Jewish Quarter along the former Roman Cardo and then through the Armenian Quarter to exit at the Jaffa Gate.
June 1 (Saturday)
Visited Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea, and the Garden Tomb.
June 2 (Sunday)
Our last day in Jerusalem we saw the Temple Mount, Mt. Zion with room of the Last Supper, and traditional place with King David's Tomb. Left Jerusalem for Abraham's Tent for camel ride and lunch; went down to Jericho and north to Roman ruins of Bet She'an on the way to the Galilee and Leonardo Hotel in Tiberias.
June 3 (Monday)
Drove around the Sea of Galilee stopping at the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha (site of the miracle fishes and loaves), Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Yardenit baptismal site. Bonus places included a kibbutz that sells dates and spices, the Kinneret Kibbutz cemetery, and Caprice, the headquarters in Tiberias for polishing diamonds.
June 4 (Tuesday)
Went to Nazareth to see Church of the Annunciation that is built over the grotto/cave home where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, St. Joseph's Church, and Nazareth Village. Stopped for lunch at a local "sandwich" [i.e. falafel] place then boarded the boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee to the museum with the boat from Jesus' time. Bonus place—the Galilee Experience in Tiberias.
June 5 (Wednesday)
Checked out of the hotel and drove north to Tel Dan at the Hermon River Springs area, on to Caesarea Philippi, and on up to the border with Lebanon to Mt. Bental in the Golan Heights for lunch and view of Valley of Tears. Drove to Jaffa for tour of the old city and then transferred to Tel Aviv airport for 11:30 pm departure.
June 6 (Thursday)
Arrived in Kansas City 9:54 am.
Enjoyed a guided bus tour of historic and cultural sites in Philly before departing for Tel Aviv at 9:30 pm.
May 27 (Monday)
Arrived in Tel Aviv at 3:15 pm. Drove through Tel Aviv and then to hotel in Netanya.
May 28 (Tuesday)
Toured Caesarea, seeing the Roman aqueduct on the way north; drove through Haifa to see Baha'i headquarters. Lunched at a pleasant place on Mt. Carmel followed by visits to Elijah's monumet and the ancient site of Megiddo; then drove south to Jerusalem for the next five nights at the St. Andrew's Scottish Guesthouse.
May 29 (Wednesday)
Busy day walking through the Western Wall tunnels, touring the Wohl Museum, seeing a film at the Burnt House, and spending time at the Wailing Wall. Had a quick tour of the Israel Museum with scale model of Jerusalem and Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as selected exhibits. After lunch at the museum, visited Ketef Hinnom archaeological site of tombs where the silver amulets and many rich treausres from the time of Jeremiah and Lehi were discovered followed by a visit to Bethlehem.
May 30 (Thursday)
Drove south to a Bedouin market in Beersheba then went east to the archaeological site of Tel Arad, and later afternoon drove back north to Herodion on the outskirts of Bethlehem and Jerusalem where we were nearly blown away by very strong winds!
May 31 (Friday)
Very full day as we saw the City of David archaeological dig; walked through the Caananite tunnel, down to the Pool of Siloam; then to the Temple Mount's Southern Steps excavations, Garden of Gethsemane, and Mt. of Olives overlooking the city. Following lunch saw the pools of Bethesda, St. Anne's Church where we marveled at the church's acoustics that made our 15 voices sound like a whole choir as we sang hymns, and walked the Via Dolorosa ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Ended the long day in the old city walking through the Jewish Quarter along the former Roman Cardo and then through the Armenian Quarter to exit at the Jaffa Gate.
June 1 (Saturday)
Visited Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea, and the Garden Tomb.
June 2 (Sunday)
Our last day in Jerusalem we saw the Temple Mount, Mt. Zion with room of the Last Supper, and traditional place with King David's Tomb. Left Jerusalem for Abraham's Tent for camel ride and lunch; went down to Jericho and north to Roman ruins of Bet She'an on the way to the Galilee and Leonardo Hotel in Tiberias.
June 3 (Monday)
Drove around the Sea of Galilee stopping at the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha (site of the miracle fishes and loaves), Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Yardenit baptismal site. Bonus places included a kibbutz that sells dates and spices, the Kinneret Kibbutz cemetery, and Caprice, the headquarters in Tiberias for polishing diamonds.
June 4 (Tuesday)
Went to Nazareth to see Church of the Annunciation that is built over the grotto/cave home where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, St. Joseph's Church, and Nazareth Village. Stopped for lunch at a local "sandwich" [i.e. falafel] place then boarded the boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee to the museum with the boat from Jesus' time. Bonus place—the Galilee Experience in Tiberias.
June 5 (Wednesday)
Checked out of the hotel and drove north to Tel Dan at the Hermon River Springs area, on to Caesarea Philippi, and on up to the border with Lebanon to Mt. Bental in the Golan Heights for lunch and view of Valley of Tears. Drove to Jaffa for tour of the old city and then transferred to Tel Aviv airport for 11:30 pm departure.
June 6 (Thursday)
Arrived in Kansas City 9:54 am.
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