PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND INCLUDING MOUNT SINAI AND REDSEA IN EGYPT FOR TEN DAYS

Led by the Tamil Chaplin Revd.Fr. Sebanesaratnam

Day 1: LONDON LUTON / TEL AVIV Fly from London Luton direct to Tel Aviv on an Easy jet scheduled service departing at 12:25 hours and arriving at 18:25 hours. Proceed to your hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight stay. Day 2: SEA OF GALILEE / YARDENIT After breakfast we shall take a cruise across the Sea of Galilee from Ginosar to Capharnaum at 08:30 hours. We will cut the boat engine in the Lake and read from the scriptures. We will first visit Capharnaum The Town of Jesus where He carried out the major part of His Ministry and Messianic Work. Here Jesus told Peter and Andrew Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus made the promise of the Eucharist here. He cured the Demoniac, Peters mother in law and the Roman centurions servant. We will visit the excavations including the reconstructed fourth century Synagogue and the church built on top of St. Peters House. We will then proceed to St Peters Primacy where we shall celebrate mass and Tabgha, the site where Jesus fed 5,000 people. Following this we will visit the River Jordan and Yardenit, the Place of Baptism and continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, which commemorates Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Return to Tiberias for dinner and overnight stay at our hotel. Day 3: MT. TABOR / CANA / NAZARETH After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and proceed to visit Mount Tabor, which is the place where Our Lord was transfigured. Ascend by cars (included) at 08:30 hours to the summit to visit the Basilica and to see the magnificent view across the plain of Jezreel. After our visit we descend by cars back to our coach at approximately 10:00 hours. We will drive to the traditional site of Cana of Galilee where Our Lord performed His first miracle by turning the water into wine at the wedding feast. Cana was also home to Nathaniel, an early disciple of Jesus. We will proceed to Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to give birth to the Son of God, visit the Basilica of the Annunciation including the Grotto, where we shall celebrate mass. the Chapel of St. Joseph and the Old Synagogue. Tradition holds that this simple building stands on the site of the synagogue that stood during the times of Jesus. We will also visit the Church of St. Gabriel (Mary's Well), which is built over the only freshwater spring in Nazareth, a place where Mary and Jesus must have visited to draw their daily water supply. Following the days activities we will arrive in Bethlehem for check in, dinner and overnight stay. Day 4: Mt. of OLIVES / Mt. SION / GARDEN TOMB After breakfast, we drive to the Mount of Olives to view the Place of the Ascension and to visit the Pater Noster where Our Lord taught His Disciples the Lord's Prayer and where it is written in 110 different languages. Continuing along the Mt. of Olives to enjoy the panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, we will descend by foot to the Chapel of Dominus Flevit for a visit. Here Our Lord wept over the City and foretold of its destruction. We shall continue walking along the Palm Sunday Path to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. Here Our Lord began His agony, was betrayed and arrested. In the afternoon we visit Mt. Sion and the Upper Room, also known as the Cenacle and continue to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu for mass. which is built over the site of the house of the High Priest Caiaphas and the dungeon where Jesus was imprisoned before his trial. It is also here where Peter denied knowing Jesus. We will then proceed to the Garden Tomb followed by dinner at the hotel.

7th May --16th May 2012

Day 5: WESTERN WALL / TEMPLE MOUNT / WAY OF THE CROSS/ BETHLEHEM This morning after breakfast we shall visit the Jewish Quarters and the Western Wall. We shall then enter the Old City and start our tour at the Church of St. Anne and the Pool of Bethesda. Continue to the Tower of Antonia where Jesus was tried and the Church of the Flagellation from where we will follow the Stations of the Cross ending inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. We will then continue to Bethlehem to visit the Basilica of the Nativity and the Grotto, venerated as the Birthplace of Jesus (Luke 2: 1-7). We will also visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Crusaders Cloister, the Chapel of St. Jerome where we shall celebrate mass and the Grotto of the Holy Innocents. We will then continue to the Shepherds' Fields for a visit. Proceed to our hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and overnight stay. Day 6: BETHLEHEM / EILAT / SINAI After breakfast we will check out of the hotel and drive across the Judean Hills and along the Dead Sea shores and the Arava Valley to Eilat. We will have a comfort stop en route and then cross the Egyptian Taba borders early in the afternoon to cross into Sinai where we will be met by our Egyptian guide and continue to Morgan land hotel in Sinai for check in, dinner and overnight stay. Day 7: MOUNT SINAI / NUWEIBA Before sunrise we shall climb Mount Sinai, were tradition holds that God spoke to the Prophet Moses and where he received the Ten Commandments. It takes about three hours to climb Sinai on foot, however for a charge you can climb on the back of a horse, a donkey or a Camel. In any case you should bring with you a sun hat, very good hiking shoes and plenty of water. Watch the breath taking view of the sun rising over Sinai before we descend and return to our hotel for breakfast. We shall then visit the Monastery at St. Catherines before we return to Morgan land hotel. We will then check in at the Elaria Resort in Nuweiba by the Red Sea for dinner and overnight stay. The afternoon will be free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities and relax. Day 8: EILAT / EIN BOKEK / BETHLEHEM After breakfast we will drive back to the Israeli Borders to Cross at Taba back to Eilat for a short visit before we continue via the Arava desert to the Dead Sea and to Ein Bokek, passing Sodom and continue to Bethlehem to check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Day 9: Ruth's Salt Pillar/ DEAD SEA/ JERICHO In the morning we will leave our hotel in Bethlehem and drive through the Judean Desert. ). Our first stop will be in Jericho, where we will view the ancient city and the mount of temptation and sycamore tree, which Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus. We will then continue along the shores of the Dead Sea where will visit the pillar of salt in Sodom, which tradition tells is that of Lots wife. We will then drive to Dead Sea and have the opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea (therefore you will need a swim wear). We will then return to our hotel in Bethlehem for dinner and over night stay. Day 10: BETHLEHEM / ABO GOSH / JAFFA / TEL AVIV / LONDON After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and drive to Abo Gosh one of the possible sites of Biblical Emmaus where Jesus appeared and visit the Crusaders Church. We will then continue to Jaffa port for a visit. We will then proceed to Ben Gurion airport for our return flight to London Luton departing at 20:15 hours and arriving at 23:45 hours.
Please book in early to avoid disappointment as booking will be taken on a first come first served basis. Cost for the trip is 1045.00 per person (as this pilgrimage is on an Easyjet flight) and a nonrefundable deposit of 350.00 is due with your booking details such as your full names as in your passport, before 25th January, 2012 and the balance by 25th February 2012. The above rate includes all the following:

Return airfare in economy class on a direct service from London (Luton) to Tel Aviv, hotel accommodation on Half Board basis, (based on sharing a double / twin room). All rooms will be with private facilities. The services of English speaking guides and all transfers and transportation in deluxe and airconditioned tourist motor coaches as per itinerary. All the entrance fees as outlined in your itinerary. Please note that the above rates do not include the following: Transfers to and from UK airport, lunches, and tips for guides and drivers. Travel insurance premium of 48.00 per person for those under 65 years of age and 85.00 per person for those over 65 years of age. (Compulsory unless you have your own annual cover from a reputable insurance company. For further details and / or reservations, please contact: Raymond Gnanapragasam 02088572742 raymondjg1@hotmail.com Rex Philips 0208 852 2976 srphilips44@hotmail.com