HOLY LAND - The Beginning Meets The End

Led by Rev. Mark Pugh and Rev. Roger Rowland

Tuesday 21st - Thursday 30th May 2024

Mark & Nita Pugh have been in Christian ministry for 25+ years and now lead Rediscover Church in Exeter – a contemporary city church with a region wide gospel vision. They love helping people encounter the presence of God and are excited to co-lead this experience of the Holy Land.

Having previously visited Israel and been deeply impacted to walk through many of the bible accounts, they look forward to helping fellow pilgrims encounter God afresh in Jesus’ homeland.

Mark & Nita have been married over 30 years and have three adult children.

To be able to visit the place where the stories of the Old Testament will come to life and where Jesus lived and taught His followers is a very special adventure and spiritual experience. Add to this the fantastic opportunity to make new friendships and enjoy learning about culture and history, together with a lot of fun, will make this a very special tour!

Roger and Janice have over 40 years experience as Church leaders and have had the privilege of leading and visiting the Holy Land on several occasions. They are skilled communicators and negotiators and have good experience of managing travel experiences.

Roger has travelled extensively throughout the UK and other countries of the World teaching, preaching and mentoring. Roger is a visionary and energetic leader who will bring the Word of God alive as you travel this land and together they have extensive pastoral experience.

HOLY LAND - The Beginning Meets The End

Day One
Flight from Luton Airport to Tel Aviv and onward to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight at the Dan Hotel.

Day Two
This morning we visit Shiloh then continue to the Valley of Elah. In the afternoon we drive to Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity, and Shepherd’s Fields. End the day with a walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel.

Day Three
Today we visit Bethany before driving to the top of the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. Walk down the “Palm Sunday Road” we visit the beautiful little church, Dominus Flevit - “The Lord wept.” It was here that Jesus wept over Jerusalem [Luke 19:41] as He foresaw the destruction of the Temple. At Gethsemane Jesus’ spent his final night. The Garden contains trees, the roots of which go back 2000 years. Visit the private garden. Visit the Church of All Nations built over a section of bedrock identified as the place where Jesus prayed alone in the garden on the night of His arrest. From there He was taken up the Kidron valley to be interrogated and imprisoned at the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, now called the Church of Peter in Gallicantu. At the Antonia Fortress, Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate and taken through the city to be crucified.

Day Four
We visit the Temple Mount, the Pool of Bethesda, and St Anne’s Church. Continue along the Via Dolorosa which leads us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; here visit Calvary and the empty Tomb of Christ. Some free time to enjoy browsing the Old City and Souk. Visit the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall) We finish the day at the Garden Tomb.

Day Five
After breakfast drive down to the Jordan Valley to Phasaelis (Mount of Temptation) followed by a visit to Qumran, located on the Dead Sea’s northern shore, and the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Now a national park, the caves were used for storage purposes by the Essenes, the sect that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd discovered manuscript fragments in the caves hidden for centuries in airtight jars. The fragments from the Books of Exodus, Isaiah and Psalms are now on exhibit in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Then to Masada, where you take the cable car up to the last stronghold of the Zealots who held out for three years against the invading Roman army before taking their own lives to avoid capture and enslavement. Many of their fortifications, originally built by King Herod, still stand. Visit the Oasis of Ein Gedi, where King David fled when pursued by King Saul. There will be an opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea and enjoy the mud.

Day Six
Travel from Jerusalem to Galilee. Today we visit Jericho and then head north through Samaria, a land rich in Old Testament history. See the twin peaks of Mt Gerizim and Mt Ebal, known in the Old Testament as Mt. Blessing and Mt Cursing. Stop at Jacob’s Well, hewn out of solid rock and over 100 feet deep, it is the place where Jesus met the Samaritan woman, and many visitors drink the water from this very well from which Jesus drank. Continue to Galilee with a visit to the Valley of the Doves and Magdala.
Dinner and overnight at the Caesar Premier Hotel, Nazareth.

Day Seven
Leave Tiberias and drive through the Jezreel Valley, referred to as Armageddon in the Bible. We visit Nazareth, the boyhood village of Jesus, now a bustling city and the Church of the Annunciation. Continue to Nazareth Village depicting life as in the times of Jesus. Continue to Mount Carmel ridge where we see Muhraqa, site of the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

Day Eight
Begin the morning enjoying a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where you can recall Jesus calming the waters. The day continues at the Mount of Beatitudes to mark the Sermon on the Mount. A short distance away is the site known as “Peter’s Primacy,” the site where, after His resurrection, Jesus met with His disciples and told Peter to “feed my lambs; feed my sheep.” [John 21:9] From here visit Capernaum where Jesus began His Galilean ministry, to see the synagogue where He taught, and the church built over the site of Peter’s home. Visit to Chorazim.

Day Nine
We visit Tabgha where Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 before travelling north to Caesarea Philippi, also known as Banias, which was a major town and sacred place during the Hellinstic, Roman, Byzantine and early Moslem eras. It was here that Peter recognised Jesus as the Messiah. Banias is also the source of the River Jordan. Biblical Dan, Israel’s Northern Capital through which the Jordan River flows. Visited by Abraham to rescue Lot and where Jeroboam erected the “golden calf”. Visit to Cana followed by a Visit Geresa (Gaderene demoniac) site.

Day Ten
Visiting Caesarea Maritima where we stop to see Herod’s major seaport and capital where Peter preached, Paul was imprisoned, and Cornelius became the first Gentile convert. Visit the impressive Roman Amphitheatre, walk by the seashore excavations, and stop by the Aqueduct. Continue to Tel Aviv for our return flight to London Luton.

Itinerary subject to change.

Price £2395 per person

What the price includes

  • Return flights from London Luton to Tel Aviv
  • Accommodation in good hotels in twin bedded rooms with private facilities on half board basis
  • Services of a fully qualified English speaking guide throughout
  • Entrance fees, service charges, porterage and gratuities
  • Tours and transfers in deluxe air-conditioned coaches
  • Airport taxes
  • ATOL Protection Contribution*

Not included in the price

  • Items of a personal nature, drinks & lunches
  • Travel from home to UK airport
  • Single supplement £720 per person
  • Any costs related to COVID19 testing (PCR and Serology testing etc), costs, if any have not yet been announced
  • Travel insurance including COVID 19 cover Staysure

Please note that the cost of the tour may be subject to surcharges - please see the booking conditions. Currency exchange rates used £1 = US$1.2268 as published in the Financial Times on the 9th December 2022.

* APC (ATOL Protection Contribution) provides passenger protection via the ATTF (Air Travel Trust Fund). For further information visit www.caa.co.uk

HOW TO BOOK

Either click 'Book' at the top of this page or download, complete and return the booking form to:

Worldwide Christian Travel 36 Coldharbour Road, Bristol, BS6 7NA UK

Tel: 0117 973 1840

Worldwide Christian Travel has been organising Christian holidays and tours, mainly to the Holy Land, for over 50 years. We cover all aspects of travel and are one of the most comprehensive Christian travel organisers in the country. Worldwide Christian Travel is a trading name of Hadler Tours Limited.

General Information

Fitness
People of all ages are welcome, but, whatever your age, we must insist on a reasonable level of fitness. A number of sites involve rough walking.

Your Protection
Hadler Tours Limited is a member of ABTA with membership numbers 93522 & V2096. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you or if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 68-71 Newman Street London W1T 3AH Tel: 020 7637 2444 or visit www.abta.com.

All monies paid by you for the air holiday package shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 3078. For more information see our booking terms and conditions.

Passports, Visas and Vaccinations
Travellers are responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport for travel to the relevant countries and that it is valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. A visa is not required for British Passport holders visiting Israel.
Latest entry requirements can be found here www.israelsafe.com. No inoculations are required for travel but you may wish to consult your own doctor for advice concerning this. If you have any queries regarding the above, we will be happy to help.

Travel Advice
For the latest travel advice please visit www.fco.gov.uk or call 0870 606 0290.

Further Information and Paying The Balance
Further information will be sent to you regarding any action that may be required approximately 12 weeks before departure. A final invoice will also be sent at this time and the balance for the tour must be paid at least 10 weeks before departure.

Travel Information
Full travel information, including details of meeting points, flight times, accommodation and travel information, will be sent to you approximately 2 weeks before departure. Normally, tickets are not issued but are handed to you at the airport or departure point by our representative who will be there to ensure that you depart without a hitch and to deal with any last minute difficulties.

Travel Insurance
It is compulsory to have travel insurance for your booking. Staysure have a range of policies available at very competitive prices. You can obtain a quote online by clicking here.

Gratuities
Our normal procedure is to deal with tips on a group basis and if these are included in the price the tour leader will distribute them to the guide, driver and hotels on your behalf. Individual tipping is not recommended unless the circumstances are exceptional.

Room Check In and Check Out Times
The standard international practice is to let rooms from midday to midday. However times do vary. Check-in times are usually between 2pm and 3pm, check-out times between 11am and 12 noon on the day of departure. Therefore, if you check-in immediately after a night flight this would normally count as one night’s accommodation. Similarly if your return flight is at night you will normally be required to vacate your room at 12 noon prior to leaving for the airport. Day rooms are subject to availability/cost and should be arranged locally with the accommodation management.

Page published April 2023



Testimonials

“The trip to the Holy Land was an exciting time of learning, travelling and fellowship. The tour guide exceeded expectations and gave new insights in to the Word of God, which was made a lot clearer when we understood more of our Jewish roots. The Bible seems more relevant now and it’s becoming more important for me to watch Israel; the time clock of the world.”

Mark Sealey


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