Holy Land Tour with Donald Parry
Private tour - Available by invite to friends of Jason Kotter.
Don’t miss this opportunity to travel in the Holy Lands with Donald Parry and Bountiful Travel. Discover the beauty, power and spirit of the Holy Lands with Donald as your tour leader.
You can add onto this tour with a trip to Jordan/Petra. The Petra extension is listed below in the itinerary.
Main trip
Day 1WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14
Depart the United States
Depart the United States for Israel.
Day 2THURSDAY, APRIL 15
Arrive in Tel Aviv
Arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel, and transfer to our hotel.
Day 3FRIDAY, APRIL 16
Joppa - Mount Carmel - Caesarea Maritima - Magdala
Today we visit Joppa (Jaffa) and Mount Carmel, then Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast, before traveling to Magdala on the Sea of Galilee.
Overnight in Magdala.
Day 4SATURDAY, APRIL 17
Megiddo - Nazareth - Mount Tabor
We begin at Megiddo, with a brief stop at the Kishon River, and see a first-century tomb with a rolling stone near Megiddo.
In Nazareth we visit Nazareth Village and the Church of the Annunciation, then continue to Mount Tabor. Overnight in Magdala.
Day 5SUNDAY, APRIL 18
Sea of Galilee - Capernaum - Mount of Beatitudes - Caesarea Philippi (Banias)
Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and lunch featuring St. Peter’s fish.
Visit Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes and Caesarea Philippi (Banias), plus the Katzrin Museum or Tel Dan. Overnight in Magdala.
Day 6MONDAY, APRIL 19
Jordan River (Bethabara) - Bethel and Ai - Shiloh
Visit the Jordan River at Bethabara, with an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea (this may be done today or on the last day).
Continue to the Old Testament sites of Bethel and Ai, Gibeon if time permits, and Shiloh. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 7TUESDAY, APRIL 20
Gardens of Gethsemane - Via Dolorosa - Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Old City
Begin the day in the private Gardens of Gethsemane and the Gethsemane Grotto, associated with the ancient olive press site.
Walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then visit the Western Wall, the Southern Steps, the Pools of Bethesda and St. Anne’s Church, the Praetorium, Herod’s Family Tomb and the Tomb of Annas. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 8WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Temple Mount - Garden Tomb - Bethlehem - Hebron
Visit the Temple Mount and the Garden Tomb, then travel to Bethlehem and Hebron.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 9THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Archaeological Jerusalem
Take the Kotel (Western Wall) Tunnel tour and visit the Temple Institute, the BYU Jerusalem Center and the Great Synagogue.
See the Tomb of David, the Pool of Siloam and the pilgrimage road, Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David, and first-century homes or the Herodian Quarter (Wohl Museum). Optional site: Tower of David. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 10FRIDAY, APRIL 23
Qumran - Masada - Transfer to Jordan or Flight Home
Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Masada, with a float in the Dead Sea if it was not done earlier in the week.
Travelers continuing on the Jordan/Petra extension cross the border at Eilat for an overnight in Aqaba (InterContinental). Everyone else returns to Tel Aviv for the flight home.
Day 11SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Arrive Home or Continue to Jordan
Arrive home for those not continuing on to Jordan.
Petra Add-on with Jordan/Wadi Rum/Red Sea
Post-tour Day 1SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Red Sea Snorkeling (Optional on Own) - Wadi Rum Jeep Tour
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 movie. 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).
Post-tour Day 2SUNDAY, APRIL 25
Petra
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 9:00 PM. Schedule your flight to depart after 11:00 PM.
Post-tour Day 3MONDAY, APRIL 26
Arrive Home
Please note that minor changes to the itinerary may occur due to local conditions and to better accommodate our group.
What's included
- 4-5 Star Hotels - Renaissance Tel Aviv, Magdala Hotel (Galilee), Mamilla Hotel (Jerusalem)
- Local Guide & LDS Tour Director
- Breakfast & Dinner (lunches not included)
- First Class Coach/Bus
- All entrance fees
- Whisper Head Sets
- Tips for the Israeli guide and driver
Not included
- 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 $1,500-$1,800 out of SLC.
- Lunches, Personal Items, Phone, Internet, etc.
- ID / Passport
- Passports required, valid 6 months after tour end
- Tips & Gratuities
Tips for the Israeli guide and driver are included in the tour rate. You will need to tip hotel baggage porters if they take your luggage for you.
Tips are not included 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.
- Physical Requirements
- Must be able to climb stairs and walk unassisted at moderate pace 4-7 miles per day
- Cancellation Policy
Deposits are non-refundable. If you cancel and the tour sells out, your deposit becomes a travel credit, good for two years from this tour's start date. After final payment, all payments are non-refundable. See our Terms & Conditions for the full policy.
Cancellations Due to Civil Unrest or Pandemic: If Bountiful Travel cancels a tour due to civil unrest or a pandemic, the deposit is non-refundable but may be transferred to a future tour. Any amount paid above the deposit will be refunded.
- Airfare
Guests are responsible for arranging their own airfare to the tour’s starting destination and home from its ending destination. Airfare is not included in the trip price.
This trip follows our standard physical requirements and cancellation policies. See our Terms & Conditions. Anything specific to this trip is noted above and takes precedence.
| Price per person | |
|---|---|
| Double occupancy | $4,850 |
| Single occupancy | $6,450 |
Reserve with a $250 deposit per person; final payment due 12/15/2026.
Optional experiences
Enhance your journey with these optional extensions. Your travel consultant will confirm pricing and help you add any of them.
 Post-trip: Petra Add-on with Jordan/Wadi Rum/Red Sea (2 nights) 5 star hotel: Intercontinental, Al Manara or similar. +$400 single supplement if traveling alone. | $760 |
Donald Parry
Donald is Professor of Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. He taught for many years at the Jerusalem Center. He is married to Camille Mills, from Las Vegas, Nevada; they have six children. Donald is a member of the International Team of Translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls (He has worked translating the Dead Sea Scrolls of Isaiah, 1 & 2 Samuel, and others). Don has directed over 25 different tour groups with Bountiful Travel, taking groups into the Holy Lands and the lands of the Book of Mormon. He has authored or edited 44 books including: Understanding Isaiah, Temples of the Ancient World,…
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