Christmas and a New Year in the Holy Land

Is this pilgrimage trip for you?

You need to be flexible.
This pilgrimage is not for grumpy people or those unable to be joyfully flexible. The Holy Land is just reopening and we will be one of the first groups back.

So if you are easy-going and excited to travel, even with some uncertainties mixed in, this could be the trip for you!

You should be in good physical shape.
We will do a lot of walking, much of it outside, and much of it on uneven ground. We can walk up to several miles per day. Please do consider this before signing up.

Itinerary

December 27th: Arrive in Tel Aviv. Most flights will arrive TLV late in the day, so our only activity this evening is dinner. Overnight in Tel Aviv. Most people like to arrive a day earlier to enjoy the beach. I can help extend your stay, just let me know.

Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea

December 28th – Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth: Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth and we will be in… Nazareth! We will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation – and plan to arrive in time for the Angelus at noon and then celebrate Mass here. Before Nazareth we will stop in Caesarea and visit Mount Carmel. We will visit the spot of the first miracle in Cana and have an opportunity for marriage vow renewals. Lunch and dinner included. Overnight on the Sea of Galilee.

Here, the Word was made flesh

December 29th: This morning we will visit Cesarea Philippi. We will travel to the Golan Heights for a panoramic view of the Road to Damascus. Overnight on the Sea of Galilee. Lunch and dinner included.

You are Peter, and on this rock…

December 30th: This morning we sail across the Sea of Galilee. We will visit Capernaum and the church built over Peter’s mother-in-law’s home. Next we will visit the Mount of Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount. From here we will go to Tabgha where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. We’ll take a short hike down a trail Jesus walked and visit the town of Magdala. This evening we will have a wine tasting before our dinner. Lunch and dinner included. Overnight on the Sea of Galilee.

The trail Jesus walked to Nazareth

December 31st: This morning we head up to Jerusalem. On our way, we will visit Mount Tabor and the Basilica of Transfiguration. In Jerusalem we will visit Mount Zion, including the Upper Room and the spot where Peter denied Jesus three times. We have dinner on a rooftop overlooking this Holy City. Lunch and dinner included.

Sunrise over Mount Zion

January 1st – Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God: Today we visit to Ein Karem and the Church of the Visitation. Here we will also see where Saint John the Baptist was born. Next we head into Bethlehem, on the Eighth Day of Christmas! We will visit Shepherd’s Field, and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Nativity. Lunch and dinner included. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Christ was born, right here.

January 2nd: Today we will visit the Mount of Olives. We will walk Palm Sunday Road to Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, then continue into the Garden of Gethsemane. We will visit the Church of Agony, the Grotto of Gethsemane, and the empty tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We have a cooking demo this afternoon. Lunch and dinner included. Overnight in Jerusalem.

The Garden of Gethsemane

January 3rd: We will begin with an early morning walk along the Via Dolorosa, ending with Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We will visit the Church of Saint Ann and the Pools of Bethesda. Then it’s over to Ecce homo and Judgment hall, where Jesus stood before Pontus Pilate. We will visit the Western Wall. After lunch, we will visit Mount Zion to visit Saint Peter in Galicantu and the Upper Room. Dinner included. Overnight in Jerusalem.

The spot of the Crucifixion

January 4th: This morning we cross into Jordan. Once crossing the border, we’ll head to Madaba to see the oldest map of the Holy Land, which is a mosaic on a church floor. While in Madaba we’ll dine at the excellent Haret Jdodna restaurant. Then we visit Mount Nebo to see where Moses saw the Promised Land and then died. We’ll celebrate Mass here and then head south to Petra. We are staying just outside the entrance to this ancient city. Lunch and dinner included.

The view of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo.

January 5th: This will be a best day ever! We will visit Petra. We will walk the Siq, an amazing gorge that leads to the famous Treasury. Once here, you’ll have time on your own to hike and explore. This afternoon we will head deep, deep, deep into the Wadi Rum. Our coach can only go so far, so we will hop into 4x4s to get a tour of the sand dunes and watch an otherworldly sunset. Next, we will settle into our luxurious desert camp. Lunch and dinner included.

The amazing views of Petra.

January 6th – Epiphany: This morning we will have Mass in the Wadi Rum desert, not far from where some believe the Three Magi lived. We’ll leave the desert and head north to our five star Dead Sea resort. You’ll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the resort amenities and float in the Dead Sea. Dinner included.

Sunset over the Dead Sea

January 7th: This morning we’ll visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan to the actual site where Jesus was Baptized. Saint John Paul II called this spot the heart of the Holy Land. We will have a big farewell lunch together and you’ll have the rest of the day free to relax at our Dead Sea Resort. Lunch and dinner included.

The spot where Christ was Baptized.

January 8th: Your flights home from Amman (airport code AMM).

Price

$7,400 per person – ground only.

The cost is per person, in double occupancy, meaning two people to a room.

You’re $1,000 deposit secures your space.

Final payment is due November 7th, 2025. Final payment is nonrefundable.

Traveling alone?
I match singles with other traveling singles (of the same sex, of course) and that always works out great. If you are uncomfortable sharing a room with a stranger, you can request a single room for an additional $1,800. Single rooms at this price are extremely limited. So, first come, first served.

Included in the price

Accommodations for 12 nights
We are staying one night in Tel Aviv.

We are staying three nights on the Sea of Galilee.

We are staying four nights in Jerusalem.

We are staying one night in Petra.

We are staying one night in the Wadi Rum desert.

We are staying two nights on the Dead Sea.

Breakfast daily plus 22 additional meals, including meals in some of my favorite restaurants alongside the locals.

Wine is included in all our lunches and dinners.

Wine tasting

All group ground transportation
We’ll be traveling in a private motor coach.

Full time service of a local tour guide
Excellent local guides in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.

Full time service of a tour director
I’ll be with you at all times.

No hidden costs
If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price! You are responsible only for things you do on your own, souvenirs you wish to buy, and Mass donations directly to the churches.

Guaranteed price
Unlike most pilgrimage companies, once I receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up.

All tips for group meals, guides, and drivers
Would you believe that many tour companies require you to tip as you go? Not only does that add to the advertised sticker price of a tour, it’s also a huge hassle to you. No need to worry about that here. Tips are already included.

Entry fees and tours
All entry fees and tours to our included group activities.

You time
We have a lot planned, but time on your own is important. We take our time in churches to give you the opportunity for prayer and reflection. We also include free time for you to explore, shop, relax, even get tattoos on your own.

Not Included

Your flights
You should arrive in TLV no later than December 27th. Most flights from the US will depart late on the 26th, and arrive the afternoon of the 27th. Some people like to arrive a day early to get over jet-lag and to enjoy the sea. If you need extra nights at the hotel, you can book that directly with them. Our only planned activities tonight are evening Mass and dinner.

Our last group activity is lunch together on January 7th. You have the hotel rooms (and dinner) for the night of the 7th so you can schedule your flight either for late at night on the 7th or for the 8th. Check out of the hotel is at noon on the 8th. Many flights to the US depart AMM late at night or early morning, so keep that in mind when booking. We do a farewell lunch because so many people usually depart around 3 a.m. on the 8th.

Many airlines are offering free changes should anything happen to the trip. Most of these airlines are not offering refunds, but rather a credit.

If you need to cancel your trip for any reason, if the situation in the Holy Land changes and we need to cancel or postpone the trip, it’s your responsibility to work with your airline to cancel, reschedule, or request refunds.

If you have any questions or concerns about booking your flight, email me.

Cancellations

I want to be as flexible as possible, so I am offering full refunds if you want to cancel for any reason before December 1st. After that time, I’ll do all I can to get you back as much as I can, but I will have made all payments to the vendors, and they are not required to give me refunds. This is why it is very important for you to have Trip Insurance with a “cancel for any reason” plan.

If for any reason I need to cancel or postpone the trip, you’ll receive 100% back.

In all cases, you are responsible for working with the airline to get credit or refunds for changed or cancelled flights.

Trip insurance is a wise investment in case something comes up while you are traveling. If you think there is any chance you may need to cancel, I recommend you purchase travel insurance. A “Cancel for Any Reason” plan will let you, well, cancel for ‘most’ any reason. Most plans should allow for at least a 75% refund should you need to cancel at any time before departure. I have a friend who specializes in trip insurance, you can contact him directly, but you are under no obligation to use him and I don’t get any sort of kick backs, so shop around and find what is best for you.

As of today, it seems there is some hope of peace in the Holy Land. It will take some time for groups to return, so going soon will have its perks…

We will be one of the first pilgrimage groups in the country and should have the place to ourselves. I don’t know if you’ve been to the Holy Land before, but in normal times, the wait for the Star of the Nativity can be up to three hours and people are allowed, not an exaggeration, about five seconds to venerate the spot where Christ was born. This is what it looked like when I took the first post-pandemic group back in March of 2022 and it was similar when I was there in April of 2025. We were the only ones here and stayed for a couple hours.

The same goes for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. People will wait hours to venerate the Tomb of Resurrection and the place of the Crucifixion. Again, for only a few seconds. This is what it looked like when they reopened after the pandemic:

Since we were literally the only ones there, other than workers, we had as much time as we wanted at each place.

All the other places we visit should also be empty. Typically when you pull up to any of the places around the Sea of Galilee, there will be 50 – 100 tour buses. Still beautiful and a blessing to visit anytime, but having the place all to ourselves is truly life changing.

While the news in the Holy Land looks good and hopeful as of this writing, it’s always possible things could change.

With that uncertainty, though the Holy Land ALWAYS has uncertainty, this trip isn’t for everyone. I was there with a group during the war, and there were literally no issues for us in the places we visit.

It’s not expected at all, but if the war starts back up while we are there, some airlines could stop flying in and out of Tel Aviv. During the war, it was mostly US based airlines who stopped. Most European airlines continued (Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, etc) and El Al, which has nonstops to several US cities continued flying. No flights from Amman, Jordan were cancelled during the war in Israel.

Trip Insurance is strongly recommended. I always suggest you shop around and get what is best for you. I do know someone in the trip insurance business, so I list him as someone you can contact. I don’t get kickbacks or any benefits for referring you. But as you shop around, you can also see what he can offer. His name is Michael and here’s his email: michael@rebullock.net.

Once I receive your final payment and pay all the services in the Holy Land, it will be very difficult to get any of that back should you need to cancel. That said, I had a group of 30 people organized for June, the day after the US bombed Iran, and I refunded everyone 100%. I do all I can to always refund 100%.

As some of you know, when I cancelled 2023 and 2024’s pilgrimages, I had already paid everything and it took a while to get the money back. And I was only able to eventually get it all back because I’ve worked with these places for so many years. Hotels do not typically give refunds for last minute cancellations. That said, my vendors there have assured me that cancellations due to unrest will be refunded. However, I cannot guarantee that will happen, so it’s best to have your own trip insurance in case that doesn’t actually happen.

So if none of this scares you away, and you are ready to go…