It is the dream of every Christian, Jew and Muslim to visit Jerusalem, the focal point of a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the religious centre for these three monotheistic religions. Our Pilgrimage takes you in the Footsteps of the Lord first into the peaceful and fruitful hills of Galilee where he spent his childhood and carried out his ministry. We then travel with him through the arid expanse of the desert into the Judean Hills surrounding Jerusalem. We visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and then live out those final days in Jerusalem, following the Palm Sunday route, visiting the Upper Room of the Last Supper, the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane, and following the Way of the Cross through the old city to Calvary and the Holy Tomb, now enshrined in the Holy Sepulchre Church. If you are interested in experiencing how Christianity is kept alive in the Holy Land today, we can also arrange contact with the local Christian community and visits to various projects and charities as well.  Everyone returns spiritually enriched from the Holy Land with fresh insight into the Gospels and filled with the wonder at having trod in his footsteps and watched the same sunsets!

All return with a great desire to revisit the Holy Land and we hope that you will travel this path with us. It is also possible  to add an extension to your Holy Land Pilgrimage to visit Mount Nebo and Petra in Jordan.

Please email info@special-pilgrimages.co.uk or call 01702 394000 should you be interested in organising a pilgrimage or joining one of our departures

Please note that if the departures displayed are not convenient for you, it is always worth contacting us to see if there are any other dates available! 

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

LONDON HEATHROW / TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT / BETHLEHEM 

Upon arrival at the airport, our representative, will meet and assist you with your check in. Fly from London Heathrow directly to Tel Aviv on the LY318 departing at 22:20 hours. You will have one hand luggage and one check in luggage per person.

Day 2

TEL AVIV AIRPORT / EIN KAREM

Breakfast served inflight. You flight arrives to Tel Aviv at 05:05 hours. Meeting and assistance on arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport. Your guide will meet you in arrivals.  Time permitting, we will stop at Abo Gosh for a visit, one of the possible sites of Emmaus before we will drive to the village of Ein Karem, the birth place of John the Baptist and where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. First we climb up to the Church of the Visitation, before we continue to the Church of St John the Baptist where we celebrate Communion at 11:00 hours. We will then drive to Bethlehem. Lunch at our hotel at 13:00 hours (included). After lunch we will check in at our hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Day 3

BETHLEHEM / WESTERN WALL & TUNNELS

Today we remain in Bethlehem, starting at Manger Square, where we visit the Basilica of the Nativity and the Grotto, venerated as the Birthplace of Our Lord (Luke 2:1-7). Also visit the Chapel of St. Jerome and the Grotto of the Holy Innocents. We will also visit the Milk Grotto, According to tradition, while Mary and Joseph were fleeing Herod’s soldiers on their way to Egypt, they stopped in this cave while Mary nursed the baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell upon the stone and it turned white. The grotto has been a site of veneration since the 4th century, the first structure being built over it around AD 385. We then visit a Christian cooperative selling the locally made souvenirs including the Olive Wood carvings that Bethlehem is famous for. Lunch at the Grotto restaurant at 12:30 hours (included). In the afternoon, we visit the Shepherds Fields and celebrate Communion at 14:00 hours. After our Communion, we drive to Jerusalem where we visit the Western Wall and take an exciting tour of the wall and tunnels at 16:30 hours. This is one of the most magnificent and significant remnants in Jerusalem from the days of the Second Temple, destroyed approximately 2,000 years ago. The Western Wall stretches along almost half a kilometer, but today, the part visible to all at the Western Wall Plaza is a mere 70 meters of it. The tour of the Western Wall Tunnels allows visitors to reach the segments of the Wall hidden from view, and to touch the original and special western wall stones. Visitors to the Western Wall Tunnels walk through ancient and fascinating subterranean spaces with exquisite archaeological findings, such as large stone arches, water pits, an ancient water aqueduct that ends at the Strouthion Pool, and more. We then return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4

BETHFAGE / MT. OF OLIVES / MT. SION

After breakfast, drive to Beth-Fage (Matt. 21:1-15) the traditional site where Jesus mounted the donkey and started his Palm Sunday Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. We will then continue to the Mount of Olives to visit the Place of the Ascension (Luke 24: 50-52) and to visit the Pater Noster. Traditionally this is where Our Lord taught His Disciples the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6: 7-15) and it is written in more than 110 different languages. Continue along the Mt. of Olives to enjoy the panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem. We descend by foot to the Chapel of Dominus Flevit for a visit. Here Our Lord wept over the City and foretold of its destruction (Luke 19:41-44). Continue walking along the Palm Sunday Path to visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. Here Our Lord began His agony, was

betrayed and arrested (Luke 22: 22-54). Continue to Mary’s Tomb for a visit. Lunch in at the Holy Land Hotel (included). In the afternoon, we continue to Mount Sion, starting at the Upper Room, also known as the Cenacle, before continuing to view the Dormition Abbey, where Mary ‘fell asleep’ (please note the church is currently closed for renovations). We then visit 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 stay at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Day 5

WAY OF THE CROSS  / GARDEN TOMB

In the morning  we drive to the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Western Wall before we continue to the Church of St. Anne and the Pools of Bethesda. Continue to the Convent of the Ecce Homo, Lithostrotos and the Tower of Antonia where Our Lord was tried and the Church of the Flagellation from where we will follow the Stations of the Cross ending at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, which enshrines Jesus’ tomb. Time and queues permitting we will go inside the Holy Tomb. Lunch at Everest restaurant at 12:00 hours (included). In the afternoon, you will have some free time in the Old City, before we proceed to the Garden Tomb for a visit and Communion at 16:00 hours. Dinner and overnight stay in Bethlehem. Please note that today’s tour of the Old City is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties.

Day 6

BETHANY / JERICHO / QUMRAN /  DEAD SEA

In the morning, we will check out of our hotel and drive to Bethany, where we view the Tomb of Lazarus. Time permitting, we will visit inside the Tomb. We then drive to Qumran where we visit the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered by a shepherd boy. We then continue to Jericho. Here, we will view the Sycamore tree Zacchaeus is said to have climbed, before continuing to the Mount of Temptation, where we will take a cable car ride and view the Monastery of the Temptation and enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the Mountains of Moab and Gilead. Lunch at Al Rawdeh in Jericho at 13:00 hours (included). In the afternoon, you will have some time to float in the Dead Sea (please note that you can hire towels / or you should bring your own towel from the UK.) We then continue to our hotel in the Galilee for check in, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7

SEA OF GALILEE / RIVER JORDAN

After breakfast, we drive to the Mount of Beatitudes, where we celebrate Communion at 09:00 hours. This is the place, which commemorates the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12). We then continue to Capharnaum “The Town of Jesus” where He carried out the major part of His Ministry. Jesus told Peter and Andrew “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:12-22), He cured the Demoniac (Mark 1:21-28), He cured Peter’s mother in law (Mark 1:21). He cured the Roman Centurion’s servant (Luke 1:1-10) and here Jesus made the promise of the Eucharist (John 6:22-71). We will visit the excavations and St. Peter's Church. We then visit the Primacy of St.Peter,  which marks the site where Jesus ate with his disciples following his resurrection and also where Jesus reinstated St. Peter who had denied knowing Jesus three times at Jesus’ crucifixion. Continue to the Sea of Galilee, where we will enjoy a boat ride at 12:00 hours. We will have a St. Peter’s fish lunch at the Pagoda lake side restaurant at 13:00 hours (included). In the afternoon, we drive to the River Jordan where you will have the opportunity to renew your Baptismal vows. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Day 8

CANA / NAZARETH / MOUNT TABOR 

In the morning, we drive to the traditional site of Cana, where you will have the opportunity to renew your wedding vows at 09:00 hours. We then continue to Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to give birth to the Son of God. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Old Synagogue and Mary’s Well. Lunch in Nazareth at 13:00 hours at the Casa Nova (included). In the afternoon, we drive to Mount Tabor, which according to a very old tradition going back to apostolic days, is the place where Jesus was transfigured. Ascend by taxis (included) to the summit to visit the Basilica of Transfiguration, and to see the magnificent view across the plain of Jezreel. Descend by cars to our coach. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9

CAEASAREA PHILIPI / TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT / LONDON HEATHROW

In the morning, we will check out of our hotel and drive to Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication for a visit. We then drive to Caesarea Phillipi, where Jesus announced he would establish a church and gave authority over it to the apostle Simon — whom he renamed Peter. When Christ asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” it was Simon Peter who was inspired to answer: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Today we will have a packed lunch provided by our hotel (included). In the afternoon, we will take our return flight to London Heathrow on EL AL flight LY317 departing at 17:15 hours and arriving at 20:45 hours. Last days activities subject to flight times. End of services.