Description
12 Day All Inclusive Lutheran Israel Tour 2026
“Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem”
Psalm 122:2
We want to invite you on an unforgettable journey into the Holy Land, filled with ancient biblical history, culture, and spiritual blessings. We’ll visit places that witnessed events of decisive and enduring importance in the history of humanity.
This journey will provide you a deeper understanding of the scriptures as you travel through the lands of the Bible. You’ll get a closer look at the life of Jesus Christ and His mission of redemption. When you make this journey in the company of friends and others of like mind, you can look forward to an unforgettable experience.
Picture yourself sailing in a boat like the disciples on the Sea of Galilee (“And Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men” Mark 1:17), floating in the Dead Sea, seeing our Lord Jesus’ birth place in Bethlehem, walking the streets of Jerusalem, and having communion at the empty tomb where Jesus rose from the dead (“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” Matthew 26:6).
At the end of this tour, two things will most certainly be changed: you, and your understanding of the Bible.
Sincerely,
Maranatha Tours Inc.
What's Included
Our tours are all-inclusive. Always.
Videos
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Itinerary
Day by Day
- 2
Tuesday
Tel Aviv / Ein Karem / BethlehemUpon arrival in Tel Aviv we meet our guide and travel up the Judean Hills past Jerusalem. We enjoy the picturesque village of Ein Karem (Jeremiah 6:1; Nehemiah 3:14), the likely birthplace of John the Baptist (Luke 1:24). Here in Ein Karem we experience the spectacular grounds of the Church of Visitation, the foundation of which dates to the 4th century AD, as well as Saint John’s Church (Luke 1:41-55).
We end the day by driving south past Rachel’s Tomb (Genesis 35:19-20) to lodge overnight in the town of Ruth, Boaz, and King David and the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
- 3
Wednesday
BethlehemAfter enjoying a wonderful hilltop view of Bethlehem (Luke 2:15) and its relation to Jerusalem, the desert, and ancient Moab, we visit Solomon’s Pools, Jerusalem’s main source of water for almost 2,000 years (Ecclesiastes 2:6). Then, passing the monastery of Hortus Conclusus in Artas (Song of Solomon 4:12), we continue to one of the traditional sites of the Shepherds’ Fields (Luke 2:8-14). We enjoy moments of worship and participate in singing Christmas carols while remembering the first Christmas.
Finally, we walk through Bethlehem’s marketplace, the Souq, to the Lutheran Christmas Church, built in 1893. We also survey the college and the cultural center established to enrich the Palestinian community before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 4
Thursday
Jerusalem / Biblical Heartland / Mount Gerizim / Beit She’anThis morning we make our way just west of Jerusalem to Ramah, the hometown and burial place of the prophet Samuel (Judges 19:18-19), then to Gibeon where the Lord appeared to King Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:2-6). We take in a scenic view of the Ayalon Valley before we drive north through the Biblical heartland Nablus (Schechem) and visit the mound where Joshua renewed the covenant (Joshua 8:30-35; 24:1-27). Our next stop is Jacob’s Well (John 4:5-6) and a drive up to Mount Gerizim (Joshua 8:33) to visit with local Samaritans still practicing their faith. We travel north to Sebastia, then to the Church of Saint George in Burqin (the third oldest church in the world). After passing through Jenin we come to the Harod Valley for a wonderful view filled with biblical history (Judges 7:1-3).
In the afternoon, we travel south from the Sea of Galilee along an often traveled route for Jesus until we arrive at Beit She’an. Here we see evidence of Egyptian, Roman, and Byzantine occupations, as well as ancient architecture and church mosaics. From here, time permitting, we may walk up to the top of Mount Gilboa, where King Saul and his two sons were slain (1 Samuel 31:10-13). Finally, we drive north through the Jordan Valley to the Sea of Galilee, where we check into our hotel.
- 5
Friday
Sea of Galilee / Bethsaida / Jordan RiverWe begin our day exploring the many important biblical sites around the Sea of Galilee. Proceeding up the coast we visit the ancient city of Capernaum (Matthew 9:1), where Franciscan archaeologists believe they have uncovered the house of Peter. We then walk the shore of Tabgha, where Jesus multiplied the fish and loaves (John 21:1-24), then to Bethsaida, the fishing village of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip.
After lunch we follow the eastern banks of the sea to Kursi, where the miracle of the swine took place (Matthew 8:28-34). Passing through Ein Gev, we arrive at the River Jordan and the modern baptismal site of the Yardenit (Matthew 3:4-6, 11-17). Here we have the opportunity to renew our baptismal vows before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 6
Saturday
Upper Jordan / Banias / Sea of GalileeToday’s travel takes us to the furthest limits of northeastern Israel, and it is breathtaking! Our drive continues to the northern limits of Jesus’s travels, where we combine a nature walk beside the Upper Jordan with views of the ancient ruins of Dan. We then drive along the foot of Mount Hermon (Matthew 17:1-9) and ascend onto the Golan Plateau for a magnificent view of Upper Israel.
Later we take a leisurely walk along one of the three tributaries of the Jordan River at Banias (Caesarea Philippi), where Peter made his great confession about Jesus (Matthew 16:13-20). Our day concludes back at the Sea of Galilee, where we sail on a replica wooden boat from Jesus’s day and float where Jesus walked (Matthew 14:22-33)! We also have a chance see the New Testament boat found below the sea. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 7
Sunday
Nazareth / Caesarea Maritima / JerusalemThis morning we depart westward from the region of the Sea of Galilee and travel through Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle (John 2:1). We continue to Jesus’s childhood town of Nazareth (Luke 1:26-27) and ascend Mount Precipice (Luke 4:29-30) for a panoramic view of the famed Jezreel Valley. We spend the rest of the morning getting acquainted with Jesus’s hometown, visiting its spring and walking through the present-day bazaar (John 1:46).
Next we visit the Mount of Megiddo, where 34 battles have been fought over 4,000 years, with the great final battle yet to come: the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). From there we travel to Mount Carmel, site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Our day is capped off with a tour of the Mediterranean coast city of Caesarea Maritima and the great Roman Aqueduct from 10 BC (Acts 25:11-14, 23). After our visit to this ancient harbor, we travel up the historic Beth Horon road (Joshua 10:10) to the Benjamin Plateau, passing ancient Gibeon (Joshua 9) and continuing on to Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:1-2), where we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 8
Monday
Mount of Olives / Gethsemane / JerusalemFollowing breakfast we take a group photo on the Mount of Olives while enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem. We then begin retracing the steps of Jesus (Psalm 132:13-14) at Dominus Flevit (“Our Lord Weeps”). Our walk descends the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, where we take time to meditate on the Gospel text of Jesus’s agony and view the Church of All Nations (Matthew 26:36-50). We follow the traditional Palm Sunday road to the Dominus Flevit Church, remembering Jesus’s entry (John 12:12-19). We then continue through the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the Dung Gate, where we traverse the slope of the first Jerusalem (“City of David”) to view the Gihon Spring through Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Chronicles 33:14).
We continue on to the campus of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center (Isaiah 49:13-17). We explore the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls (Isaiah 40:8), and view the 22,000 square foot model of the first-century city of Jerusalem. We conclude our day at our hotel with dinner and overnight.
- 9
Tuesday
Jericho / Masada / Dead SeaLeaving Jerusalem, we drive east to Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We then pass through the Judean desert down into the Jordan Valley and to Jericho, the world’s oldest city (Joshua 6; Matthew 20:29-34), where we view the traditional Mount of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). We continue on a beautiful drive along the Dead Sea and ascend to the ancient fortress of Masada. It is here where Jewish defenders in the first century AD made their last stand in the Judean revolt against Rome.
Following the coast of the Dead Sea, the lowest point in the world at 1,300 feet below sea level, we proceed to the pleasant walking trail of Ein Gedi, where David found refreshment during his escape from King Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-12; Psalm 63). Our tour continues to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found, the most significant archeological discovery of the 20th century. We then have the opportunity to relax and float in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea before we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 10
Wednesday
Old City / Via Dolorosa / Garden TombAfter breakfast, we enter the Old City through the Dung Gate (Jeremiah 19:2) and ascend to the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque are located. This, the holiest of sites in the world, is the location of countless biblical events, including where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:11-14; 2 Samuel 24:16-25). Walking off the Mount, just to the north, we find the Pool of Bethesda, the perfectly preserved Church of Saint Anne (John 5:1-9), and the start of the Via Dolorosa. Continuing on, we follow the movement of Jesus on his pre-crucifixion journey along the Via Dolorosa (John 18:28), winding through the modern day bazaars on our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Later, we pay a visit to the Garden Tomb for private communion, prayer, and worship (John 19:38-42; 20:1-10) before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 11
Thursday
Lutheran Presence in the Holy LandAfter a leisurely breakfast, we walk to the nearby Redeemer Church, which uniquely houses Lutheran congregations that worship in Arabic, German, Danish, and English, for our own private service at the Crusader Chapel. We are also blessed to have the opportunity to meet with the Bishop and hear more about the work of the Lutheran Church in the Holy Land and Jordan. We then drive up to the Mount of Olives to the compound of Augusta Victoria. Here we will witness firsthand the specialty care provided by the Lutheran World Federation for Palestinians from across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The remainder of this day is free to shop, dine, or just walk and relax. The day concludes with a farewell dinner before we transfer to the airport for our late departure flight back home.
From New York with Maranatha Tours
From New York with Maranatha Tours