Join Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee and members of the Northwest Washington Synod, ELCA, for a meaningful accompaniment pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
This is not a typical bus tour that rushes from ancient site to ancient site to “run where Jesus walked.” Instead, we will slow down and experience the land with its people, encountering the Holy Land as a living place where faith is still practiced and carried forward today.
Along the way, we will meet local Christian communities whose lives and witness are woven into the same landscape as the stories of Scripture. Together, we will visit biblical sites, learn about the ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and the Lutheran World Federation, witness the steadfast faith of Palestinian Christians, and make space for worship, reflection, conversation, and our own living faith.
This is more than a pilgrimage to see the places of the Bible, it is an opportunity to listen, learn, build relationships, and experience the Holy Land through the people who call it home.
DETAILS:
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Trip departs on October 26, 2027, and returns on November 4, 2027
PRICING:
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$4,490.00 per person based on double occupancy
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Single room supplement - $790.00
PAYMENT PLAN:
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$300.00 deposit per person with registration to secure space
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Balance due on or before July 28, 2027
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 (a nonrefundable 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 mailed to 4941 Chalden Ln NE, Marietta, GA 30066
FLIGHT SCHEDULE:
* Flight times, flight numbers, equipment, gates, and seats are subject to change. For the most current information check the airline website.
What is included in the tour
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Round-trip airfare from Seattle, WA – departures from other cities are available
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8 nights in 4-star hotels (double occupancy)
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Breakfast and dinner daily
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Entrance fees to all sites listed in the itinerary
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All ground transportation by private, air-conditioned tour bus
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Elias Tours expert local guide
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What is NOT included in the tour
- Gratuities for guide and driver
- Personal expenses
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: 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.
Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee and the Northwest Washington Synod, ELCA, will lead this special accompaniment pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
This journey is about more than visiting sacred and biblical sites. Along the way, we will spend time with local Palestinian Christian communities, worship together, hear their stories, and learn about the ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and the Lutheran World Federation.
Through conversations, shared meals, worship, and visits with local partners, we will experience the Holy Land not simply as a place of ancient history, but as a living land filled with people, faith, hospitality, and stories.
This is an opportunity to walk where Jesus walked—but also to meet and listen to the people who call this land home today.
Day 1 – Tuesday, October 26, 2027 | Departure from the US
Your journey begins as you depart the United States on an overnight flight to the Holy Land. Settle in, enjoy meals served onboard, and rest as you travel toward the landscapes of Scripture and the living history of the church.
Day 2 – Wednesday, October 27, 2027 | Arrival – Bethlehem: The Living Stones
Arrive in Tel Aviv and travel to Jerusalem. Share a first lunch together overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem before continuing to your hotel in Bethlehem. After settling in, we’ll gather for an opening devotion and orientation to our time together. Dinner with guests from the ELCJHL and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 3 – Thursday, October 28, 2027 | Footsteps of Jesus
This morning, begin with a visit to the Church of the Nativity and Shepherds’ Fields in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, remembering the promise of Jesus’ birth. From there, travel to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where Jesus wept over the city. Visit Augusta Victoria Hospital and learn about the work of the Lutheran World Federation in health care and service to the local community. Walk the Palm Sunday road, stopping at Dominus Flevit and the Garden of Gethsemane with the Church of All Nations. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 4 – Friday, October 29, 2027 | Tent of Nations
This morning, visit the Tent of Nations, a powerful story of faith, resilience, and peacemaking on a family farm outside Bethlehem. Enjoy lunch and take part in a hands-on experience with the opportunity to plant trees as a sign of hope and rootedness in the land. [OR Environmental Educational Center and Anar]. Later, return to Bethlehem and visit the Walled Off Hotel and Museum. This evening, share dinner with local Christian families—an unforgettable opportunity for conversation, hospitality, and connection. Overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 5 – Saturday, October 30, 2027 | Jordan Valley – Jericho – Jordan River – Dead Sea – St. George Monastery
Leave Bethlehem and descend through the Judean wilderness into the Jordan Valley. See the Mount of Temptation near Jericho and continue to the Jordan River for a meaningful time of remembrance and renewal of baptismal promises. Enjoy the unforgettable experience of floating in the Dead Sea, then visit the beautiful St. George Monastery overlooking Wadi Qelt. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 6 – Sunday, October 31, 2027 | Jerusalem Old City
Travel to Jerusalem’s Old City for a day of history, faith, and reflection. Begin at St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda, then walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Worship at the Redeemer Lutheran Church and meet with leaders of the ELCJHL. After lunch and free time, continue to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount area for views toward the Dome of the Rock. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 7 – Monday, November 1, 2027 | Jaffa – Caesarea Maritima – Tiberias
This morning, we say farewell to Bethlehem and Jerusalem and travel north, stopping at the old port city of Jaffa and the ancient Roman city of Caesarea Maritima before reaching our final destination: the Sea of Galilee. We’ll settle into our hotel for dinner and evening reflection time.
Day 8 – Tuesday, November 2, 2027 | Cana – Mount Carmel – Nazareth
Travel to Cana of Galilee, where Jesus’ first miracle is remembered, then continue to Nazareth. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and St. Joseph’s Church, and stop at Mary’s Well—places that invite reflection on the life of Jesus and the beginning of the Gospel story. Return to Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
Day 9 – Wednesday, November 3, 2027 | Sea of Galilee: Ministry of Jesus
Spend your final full day around the Sea of Galilee, at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Visit Tabgha, the traditional site of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, and continue to the Mount of Beatitudes. Enjoy a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, followed by visits to Capernaum, St. Peter’s Primacy, and Magdala. Gather this evening for a final dinner together and reflect on the people, places, conversations, and experiences of the pilgrimage. Overnight in Tiberias.
Day 10 – Thursday, November 4, 2027 | Departure – Tel Aviv to the USA
Transfer from the Galilee to Tel Aviv Airport for your return flight home, carrying with you not only the sacred places you have visited, but also the stories, relationships, and encounters that have shaped this accompaniment pilgrimage.
