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• Flights from anywhere in the United States and flights between countries as per your itinerary (all necessary flights on your trip are included).
• Daily Mass will be scheduled.
• Airport taxes, security fees & fuel surcharges saving you an average of $400-$600!
• Transfers as per itinerary.
• Mostly 5-Star Hotels, sometimes 4-Star Hotels.
• Transportation with luxury bus.
• All breakfasts and all dinners.
• All tips to driver, hotel, and tour guide. If you feel that the tour guide did a great job, offering them extra tips is greatly appreciated.
• Guided tours and tour fees ~ Our tour guides are very caring, licensed, and well educated. Many of our guides have their PhDs.
• Luggage handling (1 suitcase and 1 carry-on per person).
• Single Supplement If the passenger wants a guaranteed room of their own, they have to pay $1200 for a single supplement. As long as the passenger is willing to room with someone and allows us to provide them with a roommate the single supplement does not apply.
• Remember: Our trips are not more expensive during high season ~ Passengers will never be expected to pay extra for anything while on the trip.
• NOTE: If you wish to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic Faith as a preparation for this pilgrimage, we recommend the following book as it is faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church (Imprimatur by ARCHBISHOP FELIPE AGUIRRE FRANCO): The Catholic Faith in Easy Terms. Introduction, Nihil Obstat, and Imprimatur by Archbishop Felipe Aguirre Franco.

• Lunch
• Wine
• Trip Insurance. Work directly with Travel Guard to protect your investment and insure your money. There are different packages to choose from depending on your travel needs. Use the above link or the link right below the picture of the Pope on our home page to visit their site.

1. Call us (855) 842-8001 or register online with a credit card and pay your $500 deposit per person to save your spot. The $500 deposit is part of the total price of the trip.
2. A $1,000 Additional Deposit (AD) per person is due one month from the registration. The AD is paid ONLY in the form of check (personal, money order, or bank check).
3. The balance is due 4 months before the trip departure date. The balance is paid ONLY in the form of check (personal, money order, or bank check).

Proximo Travel
PO Box 561
Auburn, MA 01501

Day 1: Depart from USA. Arrival next day.

Day 2: Arrive at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport. We will meet our guide and head to our hotel by deluxe motor coach. We will have a brief orientation, Holy Mass, enjoy a welcoming dinner, and acclimate to our new surroundings. Overnight near the Sea of Galilee.

Day 3:: After breakfast we will leave the hotel and take a cruise across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberias to Capharnaum wheren we will have time to listen to the beautiful silence. (around 30 minutes). We will visit the boat of Jesus Museum discovered in 1984. It dates back to the time of Christ: an amazing and breathtaking discovery. Then, we shall also visit Capharnaum the Town of Jesus where He carried out a major part of His Ministry. Jesus told Peter and Andrew "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:12-22), and here Jesus made the promise of the Eucharist (John 6:22-71). We will visit the excavations and St. Peter's Church before we continue to visit the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter (John 21:1-14) followed by Tabgha, the site where Christ fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish (John 6:1-13). Proceed to visit the Mount of Beatitudes which commemorates the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12). Lastly, we will visit the Church of Mary Magdalene in Tiberias where we celebrate Mass, built in homage to women in the Bible and a lovely altar in the form of a boat with a splendid view on the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight near the Sea of Galilee.

Day 4: After breakfast, today we shall drive to Banias, to the site of Caesarea Filipi. This is the farthest north reach of Jesus’ life, almost on the border of present-day Syria and Lebanon. This national park is home to the headwaters of the Jordan river. You will see the realism of the rock understand the foundation of the Church in a vivid and unforgettable way. We will celebrate Holy Mass in the very grotto where Christ told Peter that he would build his Church on him. We will then visit the City Haifa to Mount Carmel and visit the Mother Church of the Carmelite Order and Elijah's Cave, then off to see the amazing Aqueduct in Caesarea Maritima. (For those who are interested in the sword of Saint Michael, this is the site of the easternmost point of the sword). After this beautiful day, we will come back to the hotel in Galilee for a time of joy and conviviality. Dinner and overnight near the Sea of Galilee.

Day 5: Before breakfast, those who would like there will be a chance to swim in the Sea of Galilee. This will be our last moment in the region of the Sea of Galilee as today we begin our trek south on our path towards Jerusalem. After breakfast, we will pack up and drive to Cana of Galilee where we will visit the Franciscan Church of the Wedding Feast. We will enjoy a wine tasting in Cana (especially the pomegranate wine) and for those who wish, there will be the renewal of Wedding Vows. We will then continue to Nazareth where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38). We will celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation Mass here. It was also here that Jesus grew up. After Mass, we will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation. We shall also visit the Chapel of St. Joseph and the Old Synagogue which tradition holds that this simple building stands on the site of the synagogue of Jesus. Next we shall visit the Church of Saint Gabriel (Mary's Well), which is built over the only freshwater spring in Nazareth. After lunch we will drive to Mount Tabor, the place where Jesus was transfigured. We will ascend by taxis to the summit to visit the Basilica of transfiguration, and to see the magnificent view across the plain of Jezreel and we will pray a Holy Hour here. We will then head south towards Samaria to visit Naplus, the site of Jacob’s well at the base of Mount Garazim, the place where Jesus met the Samaritan woman. We will contemplate chapter 4 of Saint John’s Gospel in depth. We will also visit a beautiful church built by a hermit that houses the well. Be prepared to buy icons. They are genuine, very beautiful, a bit expensive, but quite worth the investment. From what I remember six hears ago, the hermit only takes cash in Shekels. Upon arrival in Jerusalem we will check into our hotel a have dinner.

Day 6: : Today we shall drive to Jericho to view the Old City and the Mount of Temptation. We shall also view Zacchaeus' tree. Mass at the Franciscan Convent of the Good Shepherd in Jericho. We will then travel to the Jordan River and to the site of Baptism of our Lord and for those who wish, a renewal of Baptismal vows. Afterwards, we will proceed to Qumran - ruins of the ancient Essene settlement in whose nearby caves the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered; take the cable-car to the top of Masada - the scene of the epic stand by the Jewish Rebels at the end of the Great Revolt against Rome nearly 2,000 years ago. To finish off the afternoon, we will enjoy a relaxing float and mud bake in the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 7:: After breakfast, we will visit Bethlehem starting with the Basilica of the Nativity and the Grotto venerated as the birthplace of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7). We will take about 30 minutes of silent prayer here. (As silent as we can, because there is a lot of movement in the Basilica). Also visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Crusaders' Cloister, the Chapel of St. Jerome and the Grotto of the Holy Innocents. Continue to visit the Shepherd's Fields (Luke 2:8-20). It is in Bethlehem that you can do your best shopping for souvenirs to take home. After lunch in Bethlehem, we shall drive to Ein Karem, home of St. Elizabeth and mother of John the Baptist to visit the Church of the Visitation and the Church of St. John the Baptist. (We will celebrate Holy Mass at the Church of the Visitation followed by 30 minutes of silent prayer). Enjoy a night tour of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8:: After breakfast we will drive to St. Steven's gate where we shall enter the Old City and start our morning tour at the Crusaders' Church of St. Anne and the Pool of Bethesda. Continue to the Tower of Antonia where Jesus was tried at the Church of the Flagellation. From there we will follow the Stations of the Cross ending inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. We will celebrate Mass in the Holy Sepulcher followed by a Holy Hour. After lunch in Jerusalem we will visit the Wailing Wall and Israel Museum where the Dead Sea Scrolls are hosted. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. For those who wish, there will be the possibility of spending the night in the Holy Sepulcher.

Day 9: (Palm Sunday). After breakfast, we shall view the Place of the Ascension before we descend by foot and visit the Pater Noster Church commemorating Jesus' teaching His disciples the Lord's Prayer. Then we will walk down the very path that Jesus followed as he entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We will enter into the church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over the City of Jerusalem and foretold its destruction (Luke 19:41-44). We shall then visit the Garden of the Gethsemane, the scene of Jesus' agony, betrayal and arrest (Luke 22:22-54). We will then visit the Church of All Nations containing the rock where Jesus is believed to have prayed before His betrayal and arrest. We will celebrate Mass here, followed by a Holy Hour. After lunch, visit the Upper Room, the site of the last supper. Then continue to visit the Dormition Abbey, built over the site where the Virgin Mary was laid to rest. Its name meaning eternal sleep. Proceed to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, which is built over the site of the house of the High Priest Caiaphas and the dungeon where Our Lord was imprisoned before his trial. It is also here that Peter denied knowing Jesus thrice (Luke 22: 54-62). Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 10:: A free day in Jerusalem. Possibility to go back to any place of interest for prayer. Possibility of going to markets. Time for reflections, prayer, sharing. In the evening, a time of conviviality and thanksgiving.

Day 11:: Fly home.

Please note: We do our best to ensure that all sites listed in this itinerary will be seen. However, due to scheduling conflicts, or other circumstances beyond our control, sites may be visited on a different day than listed. If this happens it will also necessitate a change in the restaurant for dinner. However, we will never sacrifice the quality of the meal, all restaurants will meet Proximo Travel's very high standards. Since we have several different trip configurations touring at the same time, it is likely that groups on different tours will be combined when their itineraries overlap in certain areas. In addition, because of Jewish holidays and/or when the group is small, we may be able to add a few sites that are not on the itinerary. In order to do that, in some cases we might add one night in a certain hotel and take away a night from the other one. Sometimes because of the inconvenience of flight schedule, the group might stay the last night in Tel Aviv or in Haifa in order to avoid getting up way too early to get to the airport on time.

General Trip Information