Join me for a trip of a lifetime! The Holy Land is a place full of beauty and inspiration. We will walk in the lands of the Bible, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We will share moments of group reflection, prayer and worship to deepen our experience and understanding. Our time will include authentic encounters with the people who live in the land today. Our itinerary and the smaller group size allows us to move beyond the typical tourist sites to a richer exchange. We will experience the local hospitality and faith, and learn about the complex and challenging efforts to bring peace and justice. This is my fifth time traveling to the Holy Land, and I know you will be moved and forever changed by the experience.
- Pastor Blake
Pastor Blake Rohrer first visited the Holy Land during a study abroad tour while at St. Olaf College. He was inspired to learn more about Palestine and Israel while working to organize events in Wisconsin to host the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and a group of Palestinian dancers in 2008. Since that time he has been active in the ELCA Peace Not Walls network, an ambassador for Bright Stars of Bethlehem and helped to lead three prior group tours.
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DETAILS:
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Tour departs on March 1, 2024 and returns on March 10, 2024
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Departure airport: Chicago, IL (ORD)
PRICING:
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$3,690.00 per person based on double occupancy - book now as space is limited!
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Single room supplement - $790.00
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Land only (if booking your own flights) - $2,540.00 (airfare credit $1,150.00)
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Optional post-trip extension to Jordan (March 10 - 13) - $690.00
PAYMENT PLAN:
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$300.00 per person with registration to secure space
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$1,000.00 of the total amount is due on or before November 20, 2023
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Balance due on or before January 20, 2024
REGISTRATION:
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Registering online? Click the "BOOK NOW" button and fill out the online form; you can pay by check or with a credit card (4% platform fee applies)
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Registering by mail? Please download and complete the registration form (both the personal information page and the terms and conditions page signed at the bottom) with a copy of your passport and a deposit of $300.00 per person made payable to Elias Tours and mail to: 4941 Chalden Ln NE, Marietta, GA 30066
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Download the Registration Form
FLIGHT SCHEDULE:
Flight information will be available 3 months before the return date. Please continue to check the itinerary on the website for updated flight information.
* Flight times, flight numbers, equipment, gates, and seats are subject to change. For the most current information check the airline website.
For more information, contact us at info@eliastours.com or (406) 261-7791
What is included in the tour
- Airfare from Chicago, IL - Other cities available
- 8 nights in 4-star hotels (Double Occupancy)
- Breakfast and Dinner daily
- Entrance fee to all sites
- All ground transportation in a private tour bus
What is NOT included in the tour
- Gratuities for Guide and Driver
- Personal Expenses
- Lunch
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel Insurance is required and not included in the purchase price. For your convenience, we offer travel insurance through Travelex Insurance Services. For questions, quotes, or to purchase travel insurance, visit Travelex Insurance or call (800) 228-9792 and use the code 26-0057 for Elias Tours.
DAILY ITINERARY
10 - DAY PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
March 1-10, 2024
Day 1 (Friday, March 1) Departure from the USA
Depart Chicago O’Hare for your overnight flight to the Holy Land.
Day 2 (Saturday, March 2) Tel Aviv, Bethlehem
Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, meet your guide and driver and transfer to Bethlehem for hotel check in. After time to rest and refresh, gather for a welcome dinner. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 3 (Sunday, March 3) Bethlehem
Worship in the Arabic speaking Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, join the congregation for coffee and meet with Pastor Munther Isaac. Enjoy a walking tour of the Old City of Bethlehem, including the Church of the Nativity and the unique Milk Grotto. Drive to the Separation Wall and view checkpoints through which Palestinians must travel to leave or enter the West Bank. Stop at Shepherds’ Field where you will view Bethlehem as the shepherds might have on the night of Jesus’ birth. There will be an opportunity for shopping at the olivewood cooperative there. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 4 (Monday, March 4) Bethlehem, Hebron
Travel to Hebron to visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs Mosque and Synagogue, burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah. Meet with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel. Visit a glass factory and see the famous Hebron glass. This afternoon visit Tent of Nations farm and learn about its mission of friendship and peace. On the return to Bethlehem visit the Cremisan Monastery and Winery. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 5 (Tuesday, March 5) Bethlehem, Jericho, Dead Sea
In the morning Tour Dar al-Kalima school and Dar al-Kalima University College. Meet with the University's president, the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, for conversation. Travel through the Judean wilderness where Jesus fasted for forty days. Pass by the Inn of the Good Samaritan, and arrive in Wadi Qelt where we visit the cliffside Monastery of St. George. Continue on to Jericho to view the Mount of Temptation and see Tel Jericho, the excavations of the ancient city, and the Zacchaeus Tree. Then proceed to the Dead Sea for a dip in the healing saline waters. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 6 (Wednesday, March 6) Bethlehem, Yad Vashem, Nazareth
Early this morning look upon the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in the Jewish tradition, then visit the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif to view the golden Dome of the Rock, an important symbol of the Muslim faith. Visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, before driving northward to Nazareth. Upon arrival visit the Church of the Annunciation; the lower level contains the Grotto believed by many Christians to be the remains of Mary’s original childhood home. Overnight in Nazareth.
Day 7 (Thursday, March 7) Sea of Galilee, Nazareth
Begin the day viewing the first-century “Jesus Boat,” dug out of the mud of the Sea of Galilee. Sail across the Galilee waters to Capernaum, where Jesus’ ministry began. Visit the Ancient Synagogue and the church built over Saint Peter’s house, where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Drive along the shore for visits to the Church of Multiplication (miracle of loaves and fishes), the Church of the Primacy of Peter, and the Church of the Beatitudes, where our group will share Holy Communion. Overnight in Nazareth.
Day 8 (Friday, March 8) Jerusalem
Depart early to travel to Jerusalem. Travel up to the Mount of Olives and savor the stunning panoramic view of Jerusalem. Meet with an ELCA representative of the Lutheran World Federation at the Augusta Victoria Hospital campus on the Mount of Olives. Tour the Ascension church at Augusta Victoria and climb its belltower. Walk down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. Walk through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, along the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross), to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 9 (Saturday, March 9) Jerusalem
Begin with seeing the Cenacle, a memorial to the Last Supper. Visit the Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu, commemorating where Peter denied Jesus, and where Jesus was imprisoned. Then visit the Garden Tomb. See the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and meet the ELCA pastor. Enjoy exploring and shopping in the Old City. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 10 (Sunday, March 10) Departure
OPTIONAL EXTENSION
Day 10 (Sunday, March 10) Jordan River, Petra
Cross over the Allenby Bridge to Jordan and meet your Jordanian guide, driver and coach. Visit Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, which has received recognition as the likely site where John baptized Jesus, and the nearby Lutheran church and chapel for a baptismal remembrance service. Drive to Mount Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land; enjoy the dramatic view of the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Judean hills beyond. Continue through the vast desert to the village of Wadi Musa, which embraces the entrance to Petra – one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World. Overnight in Wadi Musa.
Day 11 (Monday, March 11) Petra
Two thousand years ago the Nabateans carved a city out of rose red rock and it was rediscovered in 1812. You will discover the formerly lost city of Petra during a walking tour, beginning with the dramatic “ciq” or canyon that opens upon the Treasury, El Khazneh, one of the most elegant remains of antiquity. Overnight in Wadi Musa.
Day 12 (Tuesday, March 12) Amman, departure to the USA
Travel to Amman and tour Jarash, north of the capital Amman. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, it’s known for the ruins of the walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa (one of the cities of Decapolis). These include the 2nd-century Hadrian’s Arch, the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, and the huge Forum’s oval colonnade. The day concludes with a festive farewell dinner at Kan Zaman Restaurant. This atmospheric restaurant is housed in a walled village inside a historic Caravansérai, a former inn for travelers of centuries past. Enjoy a Middle Eastern feast and music. Following dinner, proceed to the airport for check-in and flight departure before or after midnight.
Day 13 Wednesday, March 13, arrive in USA
Arrive home today enriched with your discoveries of faith and friendship in the Holy Land.
