Holy Land Tour

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Private Group

Holy Land Tour

8 Day Land Tour - Private Group by Invite Only

08/03/2022 - 08/10/2022

Hank Smith

Private Group

Discover the beauty, power and spirit of the Holy Lands as you embark on a journey alongside tour director Hank Smith. Hank has taken many, many groups to the Holy Lands. He has a unique approach to teaching. You will love his personable, teaching style and amazing insights. Trip highlights include touring Jesus’ childhood home and a peaceful boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

This Holy Land Tour is for a private group with booking available by invitation only.

Itinerary

Day 1 : Depart USA

August 3, 2021

Depart home for Israel.

Day 2 : Arrive in Israel

August 4, 2021

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 – Nazareth (Nazareth Village) - Mt. Precipice - Cana - Magdala

August 5, 2021

Visit the childhood home of Jesus. Start with the church of annunciation where the angel visited Mary to tell her of her divine mission as the mother of Jesus. We could then go to Nazareth Village where first century daily life is depicted for those living in a small Galilean town, like Nazareth. Then visit Mt. Precipice where the citizens of Nazareth wanted to take Christ to stone him. We would then go to Cana of Galilee where Jesus turned water to wine. We would finish the day at Magdala (Mary Magdalene’s home town) and then check into our hotel on the Sea of Galilee. Normally I stay in Nazareth; but I think the kind of tour you want might fit better to stay in a less commercial place like the Sea of Galilee.

Day 4 : Sea of Galilee – Tabgha – Capernaum -Mount of Beatitudes — Caesarea Phillipi (Banias)

August 6, 2021

Today will begin with a peaceful boat ride across the Sea of Galilee before arriving at the 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. From there we will go down the street to the site of Tabgha, where it is believed that Christ fed the multitudes by multiplying the loaves and the fish. 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. We will finish 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.

Day 5 : Transfer to Jerusalem - Shechem (Sychar) - Jordan River - Wadi Qelt - Bethany

August 7, 2021

We will check out of the hotel and head to Jerusalem. We can possibly go by the proposed New Testament site of Sychar, where Jesus stopped with the Samaritan woman at the well. It is off the normal path and will make the drive longer. It is in the western bank so there is the possibility that we can’t get in there. From there, we will head down to the Jordan River/baptismal site. After going to the baptismal site, we will visit Bethany where Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. From there we will proceed into Jerusalem, stopping at the Wadi Qelt along the road that ran from Jerico to Jerusalem. Here we can study the parable of the Good Samaritan. Check into the hotel in Jerusalem.

Day 6 : Mount of Olives – Gethsemane (private gardens) – Pools of Bethesda - Lithostrotos/Antonios Fortress - Room of the Last Supper & House of Caiaphas

August 8, 2021

This morning will begin at the top of the Mount of Olives where we can take a scenic view of the ancient city of Jerusalem. We will walk down from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane where we will discuss the miraculous events that took place along this hillside and where you will be given a moment to ponder those events. After this, we will follow Christ’s path as he entered Jerusalem triumphantly during the last week of his life, walking to the Eastern/Golden Gates of the Old City. We will then enter the Old City through the Lion’s gate, where we will visit the St. Anne’s Church with the Pools of Bethesda (site where Christ healed the paralyzed man), then to Antonio’s Fortress/lithostrotos where. We will give you some free time for lunch and shopping in the Old City. After lunch, we will walk to the Room of the Last Supper and then to the House of Caiaphas the High Priest.

Day 7 : Temple Mount - Southern Steps - Bethlehem

August 9, 2021

We will start this morning with a visit to the temple mount. On the mount, we cannot talk about Christ. We will just explore the mount and learn about its Muslim history while on the mount (Palestinean law). When we come down from the Mount, we will visit the Southern Steps of the temple mount. Here is where Christ would have entered the temple in many instances. We will discuss the Old and New Testament relevance of this spot. We will be able to walk on the road and steps where Jesus walked. We will see evidence and talk of the temple pinnacle where Satan tempted Jesus and see stones that were thrown down from the top of the mount in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy about the temple. We will then go to Bethlehem where we will visit the birthplace of Jesus and the Shepherd’s fields.

Day 8 : Jerusalem Center (if it's open) - Free time Old City - Golgotha/Garden Tomb

August 10, 2021

We will check out of our hotel this morning. We will then go to the Jerusalem Center for a tour of the Center. From there we will have a little free time in the Old City for any last minute shopping. After free time, we will go to the Garden Tomb and Golgotha where we will study and ponder the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Transfer to Airport around 6:30 PM.

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

$2,025 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

Private Group

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.

Holy Land Tour

Itinerary

Information

Pricing

Headliners

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Private Group

Holy Land Tour

8 Day Land Tour - Private Group by Invite Only

Itinerary

Information

Pricing

Price

Tips

Payment Schedule

Cancellation Policy

Headliners

Reserve Your Spot Now

Holy Land Tour - 8 Day Land Tour - Private Group by Invite Only