A lot can change in 10 days. You could make a brilliant discovery, create something beautiful, or even fall in love. These special moments come as a result of the opportunities we take and the choices we make about how to spend our time.
This winter, take 10 days to give yourself the opportunity to explore Israel and Jordan with Maranatha Tours. Your experience will be like no one else’s, because you are like no one else. We can’t tell you what emotional and spiritual moments you’ll have during your 10 days. We can give you a look at what each of those days holds in store!
This was my first visit to the Holy Land. The flights on Turkish Air Lines were excellent. We had excellent tour guides in Israel, Jordan and Istanbul. The hotels were all pleasant with excellent dining. The water bottles provided during the long bus trips were greatly appreciated. Every single day was well planned with an abundance of sites to see. I felt that all details of the trip were planned very carefully and everything fell in place at exactly the right time. Thank you Maranatha for a wonderful once in a lifetime tour.
On your first day, we welcome you to your departing flight to Istanbul. You enjoy a luxury flight and meals served on board the wide-body aircraft.
You arrive in the beautiful city of Amman, the capital of Jordan. You check into your first hotel of the trip and spend time with your travel companions or your new friends.
The people on the green bus were fantastic. We all became “ family” right off. Hopefully I’ve made friends forever.
Your trip picks up steam with a visit to one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the ancient city of Petra. In the heart of the rose red Seir mountains you know from the book of Genesis, you get to see Aaron’s Mountain, the burial place of Moses’s brother Aaron. You move on to a theater carved into the sandstone mountains of Petra, then the Royal Tombs. You take in the breathtaking view of the Roman remains in lower Petra before returning to your temporary home in Amman.
This morning, you board your bus and drive the Exodus route along the historical King’s Highway. You enjoy a scenic drive through Wadi Mujeb, a wildlife reserve also known as the “Jordanian Grand Canyon”, on your way to Mount Nebo where God showed Moses the Promised Land. You then head to the recently-discovered Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan”, believed to be the original location of Jesus’s baptism by John the Baptist. Later, you cross into Israel and continue on to Tiberias.
You start your fifth day with a relaxing boat ride on the Sea of Galilee that takes you to such sites as the Mount of Beatitudes. In the afternoon you travel along the Rift Valley, the route Jesus most frequently traveled to Jerusalem, and see pieces of Egyptian, Roman, and Byzantine history. Your last stop is at the Jordan River, where you’re blessed with the opportunity to be baptized, before heading back to Tiberias for the night.
Each day was filled with wonderful sites and a look back in history. Some of my favorite moments were the times we were singing in churches or the Shepherd’s cave, the Sea of Galilee boat ride, communion at the garden tomb and the Holocaust museum. Having a rededication of my baptism in the Jordan River was a memorable experience.
Your sixth day is packed full of biblical sight-seeing. The city of Nazareth, Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first Miracle, and Mount Carmel are just a few of the morning’s incredible sites. Afterwards, you visit the ancient harbor Caesarea Maritima before ascending Mount Scopus to behold the majestic Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem you travel to Masada to view the magnificent fortress ruins. Continuing alongside the Dead Sea – the lowest spot on Earth – you proceed to Ein Gedi and traverse the path to the waterfall in the desert. In the afternoon you explore the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and you might even go for a swim in the Dead Sea. You then travel to Jericho, the world’s oldest city. From atop the ancient ruins you have an unparalleled view of the lush green Jordan Valley, Elisha’s spring, and the Mount of Temptation, before returning to Jerusalem for the evening.
At the start of your eighth day, you head to the Mount of Olives for a special orientation to Jerusalem. After the traditional Passion walk, you go down to Gethsemane, taking time to meditate on the Gospel text. Later you drive south towards Bethlehem and visit sites such as Solomon’s Pools and Herod’s Tomb before continuing into Bethlehem itself. You walk through the restored town to the Church of the Nativity, visiting the manger and the cave of St. Jerome, then back to Jerusalem.
It is hard to determine a favorite site or place because every where we went was so incredibly inspirational, beautiful and a blessed experience. The sermon on the mount, the place of the demoniac, the waddi where David hid from Soul, The valley of the battle field of David, King Herods palaces and that of his son, Agrippa. The birth place of Jesus, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Holy Sites of Jerusalem: the garden of Gethsemane, the western wall, the Eastern gate, the dome of the rock, all of the museums. Wow! Just wow!
On your last full day in the Holy Land, you visit Judaism’s holiest site: the Western Wall. You ascend to the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, then move on to the Pools of Bethesda and follow the Way of the Cross to the Holy Sepulcher. Finally, you walk out to the Damascus Gate and go to the Garden Tomb, where your day comes to a close with a special visit and potentially a private communion before you return to Jerusalem for one last night.
You transfer to the airport for your flight home with unforgettable memories to cherish always, knowing you’ve walked in the footsteps of Jesus.
Israel is a must-see for anyone wanting to really experience the land where Jesus walked and taught. The experience truly brings the geography of the Gospels to life. A wonderful experience overall.
These 10 days will change your life forever. Give yourself the opportunity of a lifetime and book your Israel and Jordan tour with Maranatha Tours today!
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