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Holy Land Christmas Tour

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Holy Land Christmas Tour

10 Day Land Tour

12/28/2022 - 01/06/2023

Hank Smith 2
Hank Smith
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Don’t miss out on this opportunity to travel in the Holy Lands with Hank Smith & Bountiful Travel. This will be an awesome opportunity to discover the beauty, power and spirit of the Holy Lands with Hank as your tour director. Hank has taken many groups to the Holy Lands and will teach from the scriptures on site.  You will love his personable, teaching style and amazing insights. Christmas is a good time of year to travel to Israel with your family.

Itinerary

Day 1 : Depart Home

December 28, 2022 (Wednesday)
Depart for Israel. Overnight on the trans-Atlantic flight.

Day 2 : Arrive in Tel Aviv

December 29, 2022 (Thursday)
Enjoy a relaxing evening, walk on the beach or swim in the Mediterranean as you recover from jet lag and prepare for our wonderful adventure.

Day 3 : Tel Aviv - Jaffa - Caesarea - Mt. Carmel

December 30, 2022 (Friday)
We will begin our vacation with a bus tour of Tel Aviv and then a visit of Old Jaffa (Joppa) and the Artist’s Quarters. Jaffa is where Peter received his vision leading to the expansion of missionary work to the Gentiles and is also the place that Jonah attempted to flee from the Lord’s presence aboard a ship bound for Tarshish. We will discuss the doctrinal implications of the two events. From Jaffa, we will travel along the Mediterranean coast to the Roman, New Testament capital, Caesarea. Once in Caesarea, we will see an ancient Roman theatre, hippodrome and study a couple of the Biblical events that happened here. From Caesarea, we will go to Nazareth stopping at Mt. Carmel on the way, where we will discuss the epic battle between Elijah and the wicked priests of Baal. We will overnight at our hotel in Nazareth.

Day 4 : Cana - Church of Annunciation - Nazareth Village - Megiddo or Mount Tabor

December 31, 2022 (Saturday)
Today we will spend most of the day discovering the early childhood home of Christ. Here we will see the Church of Annunciation, where the traditional home of Mary and Joseph is located. We will then visit the Nazareth Village. This town re-enacts life in a small, first century village such as Nazareth. Here we will see what life would have been like in the life of a shepherd, we will see a winepress, threshing floor, olive press, carpenters shop and more. We will then head to Megiddo, the site of ancient warfare and the prophesied location of the battle of Armegeddon. On the way we will pass by and visit (time permitting) Cana, where the first recorded miracle of Christ took place in the turning of water to wine. We will then return to our hotel in Nazareth.

Day 5 : Sea of Galilee - Magdala - Capernaum - Mount of Beatitudes - Caesarea Phillipi (Banias)

January 1, 2023 (Sunday)
Today will begin with a peaceful boat ride across the Sea of Galilee before arriving at traditional site where Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount. On the Sea, we will read through and discuss several of the miracles that took place here. Upon arriving at the Mount of Beatitudes, we will find a quiet place to study the doctrines of that amazing sermon. Then we will visit Capernaum, which was the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. In Capernaum, Christ performed many miracles and gave many profound teachings, including the Bread of Life sermon. We will see the remains of a synagogue from the time of Christ, which very well may have been the synagogue in which He taught. Lunch today is included as everyone will have the opportunity to try St. Peter’s Fish. We will continue our day with a visit to Banias (Caesarea Phillipi), which is the site of Peter’s testimony of Savior (Thou art the son of the living God – Matthew 16) and one of the sources of the Jordan River as it emerges from the foothills of Mount Hermon. Time permitting we will visit the site of Magdala, which is believed to be the home town of Mary Magdalene and the site of a first century synagogue. Return to our hotel in Galilee.

Day 6 : Bet She'an - Jordan Valley - Jericho Overlook (Wadi Qelt) - Jordan River (Bethabara) - Dead Sea Swim

January 2, 2023 (Monday)
We will check out this morning and depart from Galilee to Jerusalem, following one the Jordan River Valley. As we drive, we will stop by the strategic site of Bet She’an. At these impressive ruins we will see the splendor of Roman life and Hellenistic culture. Here Saul’s body was nailed to the city walls when he was captured. We will then drive through the Jordan Valley passing by Jericho and review some of the important scriptural events that took place on the road to Jericho from an overlook known as Wadi Qelt. We will stop at the traditional site where Christ was baptized and near where the ancient Israelites crossed into the Promised Land after escaping Egyptian bondage. Before ascending into Jerusalem, we will float in the Dead Sea (optional). From here we will continue on to Jerusalem. We will check into our hotel in Jerusalem. Following dinner, we will visit an olive wood shop for those who are interested.

Day 7 : Mount of Olives - Gethsemane (private gardens) - Western Wall & The Temple Mount (Davidson Center Museum & Southern Temple Steps) - Church of the Holy Sepulchre/Old City

January 3, 2023 (Tuesday)
This morning will begin on top of the Mount of Olives to overlook the Old City. From there we will visit the Garden of Gethsemane where we will discuss the miraculous events that took place along this hillside. The rest of the day will be spent inside the Old City, where we will start with a visit of St. Anne’s Church with the Pools of Bethesda, and the Antonia Fortress. We will walk through the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall. In the afternoon, we’ll have an optional tour by way of the Via Dolorosa ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Day 8 : Old City - Garden Tomb & Golgotha - House of Caiaphas/Gallacantu - Room of the Last Supper - Mount Zion

January 4, 2023 (Wednesday)
We will begin the morning in the Old City Jerusalem. In the afternoon, we will head out to Bethlehem, where we will see the church of the Nativity as well as the Shepherd’s fields. Coming back from Bethlehem, we will go to the Garden Tomb, where we are also able to view the ancient Golgotha. Here we will be discuss and ponder the final moments of Christ’s mortal life and his glorious resurrection.

Day 9 : Bethlehem - Masada

January 5, 2023 (Thursday)
After checking out of the hotel, we will drive to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. Here will will visit the Church of the Nativity, which is a built over the grotto-cave where many believe Christ was born in the manger. We will then drive to the “Shepherd’s Fields”, where we will be able to discuss His birth in an amazing setting. Following our visit to Bethlehem, We will drive to Masada. Here we will take a cable car to the top of Masada to see the ruins of the palace-fortress built by King Herod. We will discuss the history of the Zealot’s last stand against the Romans. Transfer to airport around 7:00 PM for late night flight home. Flight should be scheduled for around midnight. For those continuing to Jordan/Petra, the bus will go south from Masada to the Red Sea. From there we will cross over into Jordan. You will arrive home on January 6th.

Day 10 : Arrive Home or Continue to Jordan

January 6, 2023 (Friday)
Arrive home for those not going onto Jordan

Day 10 : Wadi Rum - Red Sea

January 6, 2023 (Friday)
The morning begins with a pickup ride through the Wadi Rum desert. The scenery is surreal and the site of many movies, ranging from Lawrence of Arabia to the most recent Star Wars moving. After returning from the desert, you will have free time to enjoy shopping, swimming, snorkeling or just relaxing on the beach. The hotel is right on the beach. Or you can also try out the world class snorkeling in the Red Sea. For about $30 you can grab a shuttle to the reef where snorkel gear is included (paid for at the hotel).

Day 11 : Petra

January 7, 2023 (Saturday)
Today we will leave our amazing resort on the Red Sea around 9:00 AM to visit the amazing site of Petra. Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma’an that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. It was made famous from the Indiana Jones movie. Petra was established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans. It is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction. We will have about 4.5 to 5 hours on site in Petra before leaving for the airport in Amman. We will arrive to the airport around 9:30 PM. Schedule your flight to depart after 11:00 PM.

Day 12 : Arrive Home

January 8, 2023 (Sunday)
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Information

Space is limited so BOOK NOW!

INCLUDED
4-5 Star Hotels – Herods, Ramada Nazareth, Dan Jerusalem/Olive Tree
Local Guide & LDS Tour Director
Breakfast & Dinner (lunches not included)
First Class Coach/Bus
All entrance fees
Whisper Head Sets

 

NOT INCLUDED
Tips: Additional information in the pricing section below
International Airfare: We email the group about 4 months prior to the tour with the suggested flight schedule. We do not arrange group airfare since usually it is considerably more expensive to do so. We are flexible on flights and we will give you an arrival time for when you should arrive in Tel Aviv. Flights are usually around $1,300-$1,500 out of SLC.
Lunches, Personal Items, Phone, Internet, etc. 

Pricing

Price

  • Call for pricing and availability

Optional Petra Add-on

  • $650 per person based on double occupancy

Tips

  • We collect pre-paid tips in advance of $100 per person for the Israeli guide and driver. You will need to tip hotel baggage porters if they take your luggage for you. We are often asked about tipping the LDS tour director. They greatly appreciate tips. We recommend about $4-$5 per day. If you feel they did a good job and would like to thank them, this is an appropriate way to do so. As with any service, tipping is at your discretion. 
  • Tips are not collected in advance for any tour extensions, such as Jordan or Egypt. We recommend $4-$5 per day for the guide and $2-$3 per day for the driver on those tours.

Payment Schedule

  • $250 per person due at time of booking (deposit is non-refundable – it can be transferred to another person on the same tour date. We will attempt to find someone to take your spot if you cancel but we cannot guarantee it).
  • Final Payment: Final payment is due three months before the tour departure date.

Cancellation Policy

  • If you cancel: Deposit is non-refundable; however, it is transferable to another guest on a new booking, traveling on the same tour date. After final payment, the full amount is non-refundable. If you cancel and you can find someone to take your spot, we will refund the deposit. If we have a waiting list, we will refund your deposit by placing someone in your spot.
  • If we cancel the tour for any reason: Deposit is non-refundable; however, it can be transferred to any other tour or kept as a future tour credit to be used at any time on one of our advertised tours (cannot be transferred to a cruise). The balance will be refunded or applied to a future tour as a credit.
  • The only way to avoid trip cancellation penalties is to buy trip cancellation insurance. If you are interested in the insurance, we can help you purchase it.

 

Check Your Invoice Names: Please check to see that your names are spelled correctly. Your first and last names must appear as they appear on your passport for International travel and Driver’s License for domestic tours.

COVID: Vaccines are currently required to enter Israel

PASSPORTS ARE REQUIRED and should be valid 6 months after the end of the tour.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the nature of this tour you must be able to climb stairs and walk unassisted at a moderate pace. 

Please note that minor changes to the itinerary may occur due to local conditions and to better accommodate our group.

Headliners

Hank Smith 2
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Hank Smith
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Hank is a master teacher. He is super fun and engaging and youth love him. He grew up in St. George, Utah. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Dixie State University (2002), his MBA (2005) from Utah State University, and his PhD in educational leadership (2014) from Brigham Young University. He is currently an instructor at BYU. In addition to his work in consulting with companies and families, Hank has presented a nationwide Best of Especially for Youth, Retreat for Girls, Time to Blossom, and Time Out for Girls programs, several University Education Weeks, public school assemblies, and various forums around the country. Hank has also authored many books and Audio CD with Covenant Communications. Hank and his wife, Sara, currently live in Mapleton, Utah. Hank says that, “Sara is amazing, she knows everything about me and still loves me.” They have 5 adorable children. Hank enjoys running marathons (15 so far) and eating lots of ice cream, which is why he runs marathons. More than anything else he loves being with his wonderful wife and children.
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Holy Land Christmas Tour - 10 Day Land Tour

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