Steps of Jesus Tour – March 2024

Depart from your airport of choice. The final destination airport is Cairo International Airport (CAI)

When you arrive at the Cairo International Airport (CAI) a representative of Advent Tours will meet and transfer our main group to the Hilton Heliopolis Hotel (or similar) for a relaxing night’s sleep.

Our trip begins with a visit to the New Grand Egyptian Museum. Visiting the museum is the ideal way to begin our visit, since we will see an extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits that showcase the rich history of Egypt.

Upon entering the museum, visitors are immediately greeted by the massive statue of King Ramses II, which stands proudly in the main atrium. The sheer size and grandeur of the statue is enough to take your breath away, and it’s just the beginning of the incredible displays you’ll find inside.

One of the museum’s main highlights is the Tutankhamun exhibit, which features a staggering 5,000 artifacts from the tomb of the young pharaoh, including his iconic golden mask. The exhibit is meticulously curated and offers visitors an up-close look at the life and times of one of Egypt’s most famous rulers.

In addition to the artifacts and exhibits, the Grand Egyptian Museum also boasts a state-of-the-art conservation center, where visitors can observe experts restoring ancient artifacts and mummies. The museum also offers interactive displays and multimedia exhibits, which provide a unique and engaging learning experience for visitors of all ages.

After supper at a local restaurant, we will head back to the Hilton Heliopolis Hotel (or similar) for a good night’s rest.

Today we will explore pyramids that date back not only to the time of Joseph in Egypt, but even pyramids that were build some 500 years before Abraham!

Our first stop is the El Lahun Pyramid, located in Fayoum, southwest of Cairo. This pyramid is believed to have been built during the reign of Senusret II, and Joseph, who was a prominent figure in Egyptian history, may have overseen its construction. During our visit, we will get to climb into the pyramid to see where the Pharaoh was buried.

Next up, we’ll head to Dahshor, where we’ll visit two pyramids: the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. The Bent Pyramid is unique because it has a change in slope halfway up the structure, which gives it a distinctive bent appearance. The Red Pyramid, on the other hand, is the third-largest pyramid in Egypt and is named after the reddish hue of its limestone blocks. It’s also the first true pyramid to be built with smooth-sided walls.

Moving on, we’ll head to Sakkara, where we’ll explore the Step Pyramid of Djoser. This pyramid is one of the oldest and most significant pyramids in Egypt. It was built during the Third Dynasty by the architect Imhotep, who is considered to be the father of architecture. The Step Pyramid is a massive structure that stands at six tiers, and it’s a testament to the skill and ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians.

While in Sakkara, we’ll also visit the Mastaba of Kagemni, which is an elaborate tomb built for a high-ranking official during the Old Kingdom. It’s filled with colorful and detailed reliefs that depict scenes from daily life, including farming, hunting, and fishing.

Finally, we’ll make our way to the Pyramid of Titi, located in Saqqara. This pyramid is one of the best-preserved pyramids in Egypt, and it’s believed to have been built during the Sixth Dynasty. It’s a small but impressive pyramid, with intricate details and unique architectural features.

After supper, we head to Luxor on a first-class sleeper train that will take us on an unforgettable ride through the Egyptian landscape. 

Today we visit the  breathtaking ancient temples and tombs in Luxor. Once we arrive in Luxor, we will head out to visit the Valley of the Kings, where we will explore the ancient tombs of pharaohs and nobles, including the tomb of King Tutankhamun, the most famous tomb in the valley. The tomb is adorned with intricate hieroglyphics and treasures that offer a glimpse into the life of the young king.

Next, we will visit the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari. The temple is an impressive example of ancient Egyptian architecture, with its multiple terraces and colonnades. You will learn about the life of the powerful queen who commissioned the temple, and who may have been the princess you rescued baby Moses from the Nile.

Afterward, we will visit the tombs of the nobles, where we will discover the colorful depictions of daily life in ancient Egypt. These tombs, which are often overlooked by most tourists, offer a unique insight into the culture and customs of the time.

Following lunch, we will visit the Temple of Karnak, one of the largest and most impressive temple complexes in the world. The temple is dedicated to the god Amun and contains numerous halls, sanctuaries, and obelisks. If time permits, we will also visit the Luxor Temple, a stunning example of ancient Egyptian architecture that has stood the test of time.

After a day of exploring Luxor’s ancient wonders, we will catch an evening flight back to Cairo, where we can reflect on the memories of your unforgettable journey.

Overnight at the Hilton Heliopolis.

Our amazing trip to Egypt comes to a close as we head to the airport for our early morning flight to Amman, Jordan, where we will begin another amazing journey!

Depart from your airport of choice. The final destination airport is Amman International Airport (also called Queen Alia International Airport).

When you arrive at the Amman International Airport (AMM) a representative of Advent Tours will meet and transfer our group to the Amman Airport Hotel for a relaxing night’s sleep.

After breakfast, we will head to the Amman International Airport to meet the portion of our group who are arriving from the pre-tour extension to Egypt.

Once they join us, we will reflect on the lives of the greatest of all the prophets: John the Baptist and Moses, both who testified to the coming of Jesus. The first site we visit is Machaerus, one of Herod the Great’s palace-fortresses. Machaerus was where John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed after Herodias’ daughter danced and demanded John’s head be given to her on a platter (Mark 6). We stop next at Madaba. Once a Moabite border city (Num 21:30; Josh 13:9), Madaba is well known for the remains of a famous mosaic map called the Madaba Map. The map dates to the 6th-century and contains the earliest surviving representation of Jerusalem after Hadrian rebuilt it around 135. 

After lunch, we visit Mount Nebo, a 3,300 foot high mountain located just north of Madaba and opposite the northern end of the Dead Sea. Mount Nebo is the location from which Moses saw the Promised Land before he died (Deut 34). We will then take the Desert Highway south to Petra, where we will spend the night at the Petra Guest House.

Following an early breakfast, we depart for a morning tour of Petra, the red-rose ancient city built among the rocks. Petra, which means “rock” in Greek, is a fitting name for this city surrounded on all sides by beautiful cliffs with magnificent tombs, sanctuaries, and dwelling places carved out of solid rock. Located in the Seir Mountains, the area is mentioned in the Bible (Judg 5:4; Deut 33:2) and was the dwelling place of the Edomites. According to tradition, it is here that Moses struck the rock from which water flowed, and where Aaron, the brother of Moses, was buried on one of the mountains peaks. At the time of Jesus, Petra was the capital city of the Nabataeans. The apostle Paul also proclaimed the gospel in this region following his conversion (Gal 1:17).

We will walk through the Siq, the main entrance to Petra, and will visit “The Treasury” and the other Royal Tombs. You will have free time to either hike up to the “Monastery” or the High Place, ride a camel, or just explore the area. After a late lunch, we will drive to the northern end of the Dead Sea, where after checking into our hotel, you will have the opportunity to “float” in the Dead Sea before dinner.

We begin the day with a trip to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the place where John the Baptist preached and baptized people from across the entire region, including Jesus (John 1:28). You will have the opportunity to experience what it was like to respond to the call of John by being baptized in the Jordan.

After crossing the border into Israel, we will stop at Jericho, the hometown of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who after hearing John the Baptist later decided to become a follower of Jesus (Luke 19). While in Jericho, we will also see the remains of the ancient fortifications that supported the walls that “came tumbling down” (Josh 6).

Our last stop will be through the hills of Samaria on our way to ancient Shiloh, the religious and military capital of Israel during the times of the Judges. It was in Shiloh that the tabernacle became a permanent strcuture for 369 years.the site where the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant was located for 369 years. It was in Shiloh that Hannah prayed for a son, and where that son, whose name was Samuel, heard God speak to him. It was also in Shiloh where the priest Eli died when he fell backwards off his chair at the news of the death of his sons and of the Ark being captured by the Philistines. From here we drive to the Ein Gedi Resort, where we will spend the night. 

Once you arrive at the Ben Gurion International Airport and collect your luggage, you’ll next to catch a taxi to our hotel in Jerusalem, the Leonardo Hotel on St. George Street, Jerusalem.

After breakfast, our day begins with a morning drive the Allenby Bridge border crossing with Jordan, where we will meet the portion of our group who is arriving from the pre-tour extension from Jordan and Egypt.

Once they join us, we will make the short drive to Jericho, the hometown of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who after hearing John the Baptist later decided to become a follower of Jesus (Luke 19). While in Jericho, we will also see the remains of the ancient fortifications that supported the walls that “came tumbling down” (Josh 6).

After time for lunch, we will head through the hills of Samaria on our way to ancient Shiloh, the religious and military capital of Israel during the times of the Judges. It was in Shiloh that the tabernacle became a permanent strcuture for 369 years.the site where the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant was located for 369 years. It was in Shiloh that Hannah prayed for a son, and where that son, whose name was Samuel, heard God speak to him. It was also in Shiloh where the priest Eli died when he fell backwards off his chair at the news of the death of his sons and of the Ark being captured by the Philistines. From here we drive to the Ein Gedi Resort, where we will spend the night. 

Our day begins with an early visit to Masada, one of the massive palace-fortresses built by Herod the Great. During the Roman administration of Palestine, Masada was the home of a garrison of Roman soldiers. At the start of the Jewish-Roman War in A.D. 66, Jewish extremists surprised and  overcame the Roman garrison on Masada. Due to its nearly impregnable location, the Jewish zealots held off the Romans for several years. After building a massive rampart and siege tower, the Romans finally breached the wall. Rather than being taken captive, the Jews committed suicide. We will take a cable car to the top of the mountain and visit the sites fortifications, waterworks, synagogue, and palaces.

After lunch, we will visit Qumran, the site of a monastic-like community of  Jews from the time of Jesus known as the Essenes. The  Essenes are the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain the oldest copies of the Hebrew Scriptures  dating back to around the year 300 B.C. and testify to the accuracy with which they were copied through the centuries. From here we drive to Galilee, where we will stay at the Ron Beach Hotel, beautifully located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Today we will retrace the steps of Jesus in Galilee. We will walk through the countryside where Jesus often taught, see the remains of an ancient boat that dates to the time of Jesus, and sail on the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. In Capernaum, we will stand in the ruins of a 4th century synagogue built on the site of the syngagogue in which Jesus taught. We will also see the remains of what is thought to have been Peter’s house and the place where Jesus healed a paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). After lunch, we will visit two other towns Jesus frequented: Chorazin and Magdala.

Today we will visit several important sites in the Golan Heights. We will travel to Gamla, a Jewish community located ten miles northwest of Capernaum. Gamla is where Jewish zealots first emerged in protest against Roman taxation (Acts 5:37). Here we will see the remains of one of the oldest synagogues from the time of Jesus. After lunch, we will visit a reconstructed Talmudic Village in Katzrin, and see what homes in Capernaum would have looked like in Jesus’ day. We will also visit Caesarea Philippi, the place where Peter first confessed that Jesus was the Messiah (Matt 16:13-20).

Today we leave Galilee for Jerusalem. On our way, we will visit Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up as a young boy. We will stop at Nazareth Village to see what life in the Galilee would have been like in the time of Jesus, and also see the Church of the Annunciation, which was built over the site believed to be location where the angel Gabriel announced Mary would give birth to Jesus. After lunch, we will stop at Mount Carmel for a beautiful view of the Jezreel Valley and the site where the Prophet Elijah battled with Ahab and the priests of Baal (1 Kgs 18). Then we will visit Caesarea Maritima, the site of Herod the Great’s man-made harbor. In addition to sailing in in and out of this harbor during his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul was also imprisoned in Caesarea for several years (Acts 23-26).

In the morning, we will explore the City of David, the part of Jerusalem that dates to the time of King David. In addition to seeing the area that was once the palace of David and subsequent kings of Judea, you will also have the opportunity to walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel, a 1,500 foot long tunnel created in 701 BC to protect Jerusalem’s water source from the invading Assyrians (2 Chr 32:2-4). After lunch we will visit the Herodium, the palace-fortress Herod built just outside of Jerusalem, and then drive to the Israel Museum, where we will see a model of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, and some amazing archaeological discoveries.

Today we will visit the Temple Mount, the original site of the Jewish Temple and current home of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. It is here that Jesus directly challenged the authority of the religious leaders by driving out the money-changers and merchants from the Temple (Mark 11). 

After lunch, we will visit the Herodian Quarter, where we will see the homes of the wealthy priestly families who lived in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Some say one of these homes may even be the residence of the High Priest Annas, who was involved in the trial of Jesus (John 18:12). Our day concludes with a visit to the Sifting Project, where we will get to become archaeologists as we sift through dirt from the Old City looking for valuable remains from the past. After dinner, we will conclude our time together with a spectacular sound and light show at the Citadel of David.

Today we will experience the fateful events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. We begin at the Mount of Olives, where Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem the Sunday of Passover Week. As we reflect on His betrayal, trial, and execution, we will make several stops on route to the Garden of Gethsemane. After lunch, we will walk on the Via Dolorosa as we make our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the place were Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. Then we will visit the Kidron Valley to reflect on the resurrection.

Depart for home from the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel with a transformed faith and memories to last a lifetime!