Reading the Gospels, we meet places we can only roughly imagine: the lake on which the disciples fished, the garden on the Mount of Olives, the road up to Jerusalem. This tour takes you to where the texts of the Bible are rooted – so that the next time you read them, the landscape, the distances and the light resonate too.
From the port city of Jaffa and Caesarea by the sea, the way leads over Mount Carmel, where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, to Galilee. At the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes and a boat trip are on the programme; at the Yardenit baptismal site you celebrate a service of baptismal remembrance at the Jordan. Via Nazareth, Cana and the Jordan Valley you reach Jerusalem.
There you follow the Palm Sunday path to Gethsemane, visit the Pools of Bethesda and linger at the Garden Tomb, a place of devotion for many Protestant Christians. Bethlehem, Qasr el-Yahud on the Jordan, Masada and the Dead Sea round off the week, before the Israel Museum with the Dead Sea Scrolls finally makes the transmission of Holy Scripture tangible.
The Bible reading path
Passages you will read on site
Acts 9:36–43Jaffa
In Joppa Peter raised the disciple Tabitha and afterwards stayed in the house of Simon the tanner.
Acts 10:1–48Caesarea
In the house of the centurion Cornelius the Gospel was explicitly opened to the Gentiles for the first time.
1 Kgs 18:20–39Muhraka on Mount Carmel
On Carmel Elijah asked whom Israel would follow, and God answered by fire.
Rev 16:16Megiddo
The hill of Megiddo gave its name to the place in Revelation called “Armageddon”.
Mark 4:35–41Sea of Galilee
Out on the water we read how Jesus stilled the storm and asked the disciples about their faith.
Matt 16:13–18Caesarea Philippi
In the region of this city Peter confessed: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matt 3:13–17Yardenit on the Jordan
At the baptismal remembrance the text recalls the baptism of Jesus and the voice from heaven.
Luke 1:26–38Nazareth
In the Church of the Annunciation we read the angel's message to Mary.
John 5:1–9Pools of Bethesda
At the excavated pools the healing of the sick man who had waited 38 years comes alive.
Luke 2:1–14Bethlehem
In the Church of the Nativity the Christmas story can be heard at the place of its origin.
Luke 3:21–22Qasr el-Yahud
At the traditional baptismal site near Jericho the baptism of Jesus by John is remembered.
Luke 24:1–8Garden Tomb
Before the rock-hewn tomb the Easter message “He is not here, but is risen” sounds especially powerful.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together. Bible quotations: King James Version.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day1
Arrival and Jaffa by the Sea
Ben Gurion Airport → Jaffa → Tel Aviv
At Ben Gurion Airport your local guide meets you and helps with luggage and customs; then you set off by coach with your guide to Jaffa. The old port city is one of the oldest places in the Bible – here, in what was then Joppa, Peter ministered and received the vision that led him to Cornelius. After checking in at the hotel, the Tel Aviv beach promenade invites you for a stroll in the sea air.
North of Tel Aviv you visit Caesarea, built by Herod the Great and later the seat of the Roman governors. From Mount Carmel you look out over the Bay of Haifa and the Bahá'í Gardens. In the Druze village of Usfiya you learn more about this community. On the summit of Muhraka Elijah's sacrifice is remembered, at Megiddo the Armageddon of Revelation. In the evening you reach Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
At Kibbutz Ginosar you see a fishing boat from the lake that is around 2,000 years old. Then you board a boat yourself and sail out onto the quiet water. In Capernaum a synagogue from a later period bears witness to the life of the town where Jesus taught. From the Mount of Beatitudes you travel to Caesarea Philippi, which Philip, a son of Herod, enlarged. To close the day, you celebrate a service of baptismal remembrance at the Jordan in Yardenit.
Mark 4:35–41Matt 5:1–12Matt 16:13–16Matt 3:13–17Overnight: Tiberias
Day4
Nazareth, Gideon's Spring and Up to Jerusalem
Cana → Nazareth → Harod Spring → Beit Shean → Jordan Valley → Jerusalem
Via Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, you drive to Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. At the Spring of Harod, according to the biblical account, Gideon chose his fighters by the way they drank. The ruins of Beit Shean recall the end of Saul, whose body the Philistines fastened to the city wall. Through the fertile Jordan Valley and the Judean hills you go up to Jerusalem and pause at a viewpoint above the Old City.
John 2:1–11Luke 1:26–38Judg 7:4–71 Sam 31:10Overnight: Jerusalem
Day5
Mount of Olives, Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb
Mount of Olives → Gethsemane → St Stephen's Gate → Bethesda → Garden Tomb
From the Mount of Olives you overlook the Old City before following the Palm Sunday path down to Gethsemane. Beside the garden stand the Church of All Nations and the Greek Orthodox church over the Tomb of Mary. Through St Stephen's Gate you reach the Pools of Bethesda. Afterwards you visit the Garden Tomb, an ancient Jewish rock-cut tomb that corresponds to the biblical description of the tomb of Jesus. On request a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also possible.
Luke 19:37–41Mark 14:32–42John 5:2–9John 19:41–42Overnight: Jerusalem
Day6
Bethlehem and the City of David
Jerusalem → Bethlehem → Jewish Quarter → Western Wall → City of David → Emek Tzurim
In Bethlehem you enter the Church of the Nativity. Back in Jerusalem the way leads through the Jewish Quarter, rebuilt after 1967, to the Western Wall, the Kotel, the holiest site of Judaism. In the City of David the excavations reveal traces from the time of the First Temple. At Emek Tzurim you lend a hand for a few hours yourself, sifting soil from the Temple Mount for archaeological finds.
Luke 2:4–72 Sam 5:7Overnight: Jerusalem
Day7
Yad Vashem, the Jordan and the Dead Sea
Yad Vashem → Jericho → Qasr el-Yahud → Masada → Dead Sea → Ein Gedi → Jerusalem
The day begins at Yad Vashem, the central memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, with its largely underground history museum. Then you descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on land on earth. After Jericho you stop at Qasr el-Yahud, where the baptism of Jesus and the ascension of Elijah are remembered. By cable car you reach Herod's fortress of Masada; this is followed by a swim in the Dead Sea and the Ein Gedi nature reserve.
Luke 3:21–222 Kgs 2:111 Sam 23:29–24:1Overnight: Jerusalem
Day8
Scrolls, Abu Gosh and Journey Home
Israel Museum → Abu Gosh → Ben Gurion Airport
After breakfast the Israel Museum shows you the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book and a large model of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. Afterwards you drive to Abu Gosh, an Arab village on the edge of Jerusalem known for its good relations with its Jewish neighbours and for its hummus, for a meal in Middle Eastern style. Then the transfer takes you to Ben Gurion Airport.
⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
Included
7 nights as per itinerary (Tel Aviv, Tiberias, Jerusalem)
Welcome at the airport with help with luggage and customs, transfer for the return flight
Coach tour with a local guide
Boat trip on the Sea of Galilee and baptismal remembrance at the Jordan
Sightseeing and programme as per itinerary
Not included
Flights – on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you
Optional visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Personal expenses and travel insurance
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Bible tour to the Holy Land cost?
The price is on request. We will gladly send you a personal offer – free and without obligation.
Is the flight to Israel included in the offer?
No, the flight is booked separately. On request we will enquire about suitable connections to Ben Gurion Airport for you.
What makes this tour “Protestant”?
Alongside the great churches, it places emphases that are particularly important to Protestant Christians: the Garden Tomb, a baptismal remembrance at the Jordan and plenty of room for the Word of God at the sites themselves.
Can one be baptised in the Jordan?
A service of baptismal remembrance at the Yardenit baptismal site is planned. We are happy to discuss any special wishes of your church during the planning.
How much walking is involved?
In Jerusalem especially you will be on foot for several hours, partly over steps and cobblestones. You go up Masada by cable car.
Enquiry & booking
Enquire about this tour
Travelling with the Gospel – Protestant Bible Tour to the Holy Land
