You have been invited to

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr Matthew Johnston

View Profile

Israel 11 DAYS

MON 22 JAN - THU 1 FEB 2024

From US$2,595 per person

Overview

Fr. Matthew Johnston and a Christian Guide will meet your party at the airport and accompany you every step of the way as you walk in the footsteps of Jesus. You will visit the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more.

SHOWALL
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Tue 30
Wed 31
Thu 1

Daily Mass

Celebrate daily Mass in amazing locations!

English-Speaking Christian Guides

You will be accompanied every day by an English-speaking Christian Tour guide in addition to a Priest who will celebrate Mass and administer the Sacraments.

Best in Class Hotels

4-Star accommodations are standard on your trip with Select International Tours. All hotels are centrally located and have been hand-picked by our staff for your comfort and care.

Most Meals

Most meals are included on this trip! Please see the itinerary for a complete list of included meals.

Private Air-Conditioned Motor Coaches

Your trip includes private air-conditioned motor coaches that will transport you and your group to all the locations on your trip. We work with excellent professional drivers to make your trip as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Group Airfare

This trip includes group airfare from New Orleans. Please note that "group airfare" means you are booked with other travelers in a block of seats that are assigned by the airline when you check in for your flight (24 hours prior to travel). If you require specific seats, we suggest that you upgrade after enrollment or book your own

Luggage Handling

Your trip includes luggage handling for one checked bag and one carry-on per person in all hotels. Please note that oversized and additional luggage fees are not included. Also, luggage handling is not included in airports.

Add-on +US$15

Documents Shipping and Handling Fee (REQUIRED)

Add-on +US$220

Pre-Collect Tips and Gratuities (REQUIRED)

To help you experience the trip without worrying about all the tipping, we pre-collect the tips for your driver, guide, group meals, and baggage handlers. They will be dispersed for you at the appropriate time, so you never have to wonder if people were tipped properly.

Add-on +US$0

I Will Arrange My Own Flights - Land Only

Add-on +US$0

Add Domestic airfare from my home airport or Upgrade my Seats (PRICE TBD)

Mon 22 Jan 2024

If you would like Select International Tours to arrange airfare from your home airport, please select this option and watch for a reminder from your Account Manager (via email) approximately 150 days before your departure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DOMESTIC AIRFARE ADD-ON PRICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. PLEASE WATCH YOUR INBOX FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

WE CAN NOT QUOTE DOMESTIC AIRFARE OR UPGRADES UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.

WE CAN ONLY QUOTE AIRFARE/UPGRADES ONCE. ALL QUOTES ARE GOOD FOR 24 HOURS AND MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

Add-on +US$1,300

Roundtrip Group Airfare from New Orleans to Tel Aviv

Mon 22 Jan - Tue 23 Jan 2024

Location :NEW ORLEANS airport (MSY), Terminal Drive, Kenner, LA, USA

If you would like Select International Tours to arrange international airfare, please select this option and watch for a reminder from your Account Manager (via email) approximately 150 days before your departure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE UTILIZE GROUP BOOKING, WHICH DO NOT ALLOW SEAT ASSIGNMENTS UNTIL 24 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE. IF YOU REQUIRE SPECIFIC SEATS, WE SUGGEST YOU DESELECT THIS OPTION AND BOOK YOUR OWN AIRFARE.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DOMESTIC AIRFARE ADD-ON PRICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. PLEASE WATCH YOUR INBOX FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

WE CAN NOT QUOTE DOMESTIC AIRFARE OR UPGRADES UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.

WE CAN ONLY QUOTE AIRFARE/UPGRADES ONCE. ALL QUOTES ARE GOOD FOR 24 HOURS AND MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

Itinerary

SHOWALL
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Tue 30
Wed 31
Thu 1

Nothing scheduled for this day, click ALL to see everything

22 Jan 2024

Mon 22 Jan 2024

Add Domestic airfare from my home airport or Upgrade my Seats (PRICE TBD)

Add-on +US$0

PLEASE NOTE THAT DOMESTIC AIRFARE ADD-ON PRICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. PLEASE WATCH YOUR INBOX FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

WE CAN NOT QUOTE DOMESTIC AIRFARE OR UPGRADES UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.

WE CAN ONLY QUOTE AIRFARE/UPGRADES ONCE. ALL QUOTES ARE GOOD FOR 24 HOURS AND MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

Mon 22 Jan 2024

Day 1: Depart the USA

Location : New Orleans, LA, USA

Tonight, we depart from New Orleans (TBC) to Tel Aviv. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Add-on airfare, premium economy, and business class upgrades are available upon request.

Mon 22 Jan - Tue 23 Jan 2024

Roundtrip Group Airfare from New Orleans to Tel Aviv

Add-on +US$1,300

Location : NEW ORLEANS airport (MSY), Terminal Drive, Kenner, LA, USA

PLEASE NOTE THAT DOMESTIC AIRFARE ADD-ON PRICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. PLEASE WATCH YOUR INBOX FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

WE CAN NOT QUOTE DOMESTIC AIRFARE OR UPGRADES UNTIL 120 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.

WE CAN ONLY QUOTE AIRFARE/UPGRADES ONCE. ALL QUOTES ARE GOOD FOR 24 HOURS AND MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

23 Jan 2024

Tue 23 Jan 2024

Day 2: ARRIVAL – SEA OF GALILEE

Location : Sea of Galilee

Shalom! We arrive at Tel Aviv Airport, where we are greeted by our English-speaking, Christian tour guide, who will assist with boarding our bus. Continue to our beautiful hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Mass will be celebrated. Check in, unpack and meet for dinner at our hotel. Overnight Sea of Galilee. (D.)

24 Jan 2024

Wed 24 Jan 2024

Day 3: Sea of Galilee - MT. BEATITUDES- CAPERNAUM-TABGHA-PETER’S PRIMACY

Location : Mount of Beatitudes

Following breakfast, which is included each morning, we embark on a morning boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit the “Jesus Boat,” which dates to the time of Christ. Continue our day with a visit to the beautiful Mount of Beatitudes where we celebrate Mass. This is where Jesus taught his famous Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). We see the Jesus Cave en route to Capernaum, where Jesus began His Galilean ministry. Here we explore the synagogue where Jesus taught and see the site of St. Peter’s home, where Jesus drove out demons and healed many sick people, including Peter’s Mother-in-law and the paralytic man (Lk 4:31-41). We peer into the excavated ruins of the apostle’s home through the glass floor of the Church built over this holy site. Continue to Tabgha, where we see the multiplication of fishes and loaves. Our last stop is the Church of the Primacy of Peter, situated on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus, after His resurrection, shared breakfast with his disciples and reinstated Simon Peter after his threefold denial (John 21:1-19). Today we enjoy a hearty lunch of St. Peter’s Fish. Dinner and overnight at the Sea of Galilee. (B, L, D)

25 Jan 2024

Thu 25 Jan 2024

Day 4: CAESAREA PHILIPPI – MT. TABOR

Location : Caesarea Philippi

This morning, we travel north through the Hula Valley to Caesarea Philippi, where Simon confessed Jesus as Messiah, and Jesus declared Simon to be Peter, the Rock, upon which He would build His Church (Mt 16:13-20). Continue to Mt. Tabor to see the Church of the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28-39), where we celebrate Mass (TBC). Dinner and overnight Sea of Galilee. (B, D)

26 Jan 2024

Fri 26 Jan 2024

Day 5: MAGDALA – NAZARETH – CANA

Location : Nazareth, Israel

This morning we visit Magdala, the birthplace of St. Mary Magdalene, where we see the recent excavations and the brand-new Duc in Altum Spirituality Center. We continue on to Nazareth, where we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, where, according to tradition, the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the Mother of God (Lk 1:26-38). Here St. John Paul II celebrated Mass during his historic visit to the Holy Land in the Jubilee Year 2000 and where we will celebrate Mass (TBC). Following Mass, we visit the House of Jesus (believed to be the childhood home of Jesus) and see Nazareth Synagogue Church, built above the original location of the Roman period synagogue where Jesus first learned the scriptures and later preached as a young rabbi (Lk 4:16-21). After, we travel to Cana, where couples may
choose to renew their wedding vows at the Wedding Church built on the site of Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11). Overnight Sea of Galilee. (B, D)

27 Jan 2024

Sat 27 Jan 2024

Day 6: JERICHO – JORDAN RIVER – QUMRAN – DEAD SEA

Location : Qumran National Park, Kalya

We visit Jericho – the first city to be captured by Joshua as part of his conquest of the Land and the site of the Mount of Temptation. In Jericho, Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46- 52) and converted Zacchaeus a tax collector (Lk 19:1-10). We celebrate Mass and renew our baptismal vows in the waters of the Jordan River at Qasr Al Yahud, which tradition holds as the actual site of Jesus’ baptism. (Mt 3:13-17). Stop at Qumran to view the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and enjoy a lunch in Jericho at a restaurant that makes their own baked goods, including daily fresh bread. Next, take a dip in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea and shop for its world-famous skin and beauty products. Be sure to bring a bathing suit! Overnight in Bethlehem. (B, L, D)

28 Jan 2024

Sun 28 Jan 2024

Day 7: BETHANY – BETHLEHEM: CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY – MILK GROTTO – SHEPHERD’S FIELD – SHARING THE BREAD

Location : Bethlehem, Israel

We begin our day with a visit to Bethany to see the homes of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead (Jn 11:1-44), and to celebrate Mass. In Bethlehem, we visit the Manger Square and the Basilica Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in the world, with its recent renovations and newly uncovered mosaics. Bending low as we enter through the Door of Humility, we enter the Church and descend into the Grotto of Nativity. Beneath the Altar, a 14-pointed Silver Star marks the exact spot where tradition holds that Christ was born (Lk 2:1-7). We see the Church of St. Catherine and visit St. Jerome’s Grotto below. The Church Father & Doctor lived in a cave beneath the Basilica for over 30 years while completing his famous Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate. We then proceed to the nearby Milk Grotto, where the Holy Family stopped on their flight to Egypt, and Shepherd’s Field and Grotto, where the Angel appeared along with a multitude of the heavenly hosts announcing the birth of the Savior (Lk 2:8-20). Tonight we visit the homes of the local Christian families for the Sharing the Bread meal. Overnight in Bethlehem. (B, Special dinner)

29 Jan 2024

Mon 29 Jan 2024

Day 8: EIN KAREM- AFTERNOON AT LEISURE

Location : Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel

This morning, we check out of our hotel in Bethlehem, driving to Ein Karem, where we celebrate Mass and visit the Church of Visitation and the Birthplace of St. John the Baptist. Following lunch on our own, we check into our hotel in Jerusalem and enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B.D)

30 Jan 2024

Tue 30 Jan 2024

Day 9: MT. OF OLIVES – MT. ZION

Location : Mt of Olives, Jerusalem

Today, we explore Ascension Chapel and visit the Church of Pater Noster, where Jesus taught his disciples The Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9-15). Marvel at the panoramic view of the golden city of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives. We walk along Palm Sunday Road, stopping at the tear-shaped Church of Dominus Flevit that marks the site where Jesus wept over the city (Lk 19:41). Continue along the Jewish cemetery with a view of the Eastern Gate. Have some quiet time in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden of Betrayal, the site of Jesus’ agony, betrayal, and arrest (Mt 26:36-56). From there, we walk to the Basilica of Agony, where we celebrate Mass (TBC). We visit Caiaphas’s Palace and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, which commemorates the three-fold denial of Peter and his subsequent conversion (Mt 26:69-75). In the Upper Room, we see where Jesus celebrated His Last Supper (Mt 26:17-29) and where the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The next stop is the Church of the Dormition, where tradition holds that Mary “fell asleep” in the Lord. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)

31 Jan 2024

Wed 31 Jan 2024

Day 10: VIA DOLOROSA – ST. ANNE’S POOLS

Location : Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Start the day early along the Via Dolorosa after grabbing a to go cup of coffee from the lobby coffee cart. We begin praying at the Stations of the Cross along the Way of Sorrows (Via Dolorosa), which culminates at the holiest site in the world for Christians – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church is constructed over the site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Golgotha), burial, and resurrection (empty tomb). We celebrate the Solemn Mass in this most hallowed of churches. Later this morning, we visited St. Anne’s Church and see the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the paralytic. We see the Temple Mount and The Wailing Wall. Tonight, we enjoy a farewell dinner with a wonderful view of the Old City of Jerusalem. (B, Farewell dinner)

1 Feb 2024

Thu 1 Feb 2024

Day 11: ARRIVAL IN THE USA

Location : United States

Arrive back in the USA early this morning, where we bid farewell to those of us traveling to different gateways as we make our connections home.

Documents Shipping and Handling Fee (REQUIRED)

Add-on +US$15

Pre-Collect Tips and Gratuities (REQUIRED)

Add-on +US$220

I Will Arrange My Own Flights - Land Only

Add-on +US$0

YOU'RE NOT DOING

CANCELED

Select a Package:

Standard Package - Double Occupancy Room with One Bed (Double)

US$2,595 per person

This package includes rooms with one bed for two people. PLEASE NOTE: This picture represents how your rooms with be configured; it is not the specific room you are booking.

Invoice

HOW TO BOOK:

Please pay your deposit and complete the required forms (shown after payment is made) to enroll in this trip fully.

YOUR SPOT IS NOT GUARANTEED UNTIL YOU COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION AND WE RECEIVE YOUR DEPOSIT PAYMENT. TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION, YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THE TASKS THAT ARE DUE NOW. SEE THE TASKS TAB ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE.

Be sure to read through the Complete Terms and Conditions you agree to.

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE TOUR INCLUDES

Roundtrip airfare from New Orleans * to Tel Aviv (TBC) Estimated at $1300 and to be confirmed in March of 2023
Airport taxes and fuel surcharges (subject to change)
First-class hotels
Service charges and hotel taxes
Buffet breakfast daily
2 lunches including St. Peter’s Fish
7 hotel dinners at the hotels (standard 3-course menu, beverages available at an additional cost)
Farewell dinner in a restaurant with wine
Sharing the Bread Christian Dinner
All transfers with a private A/C motorcoach as per itinerary
Professional English speaking tour director throughout
Sightseeing tours as per itinerary
Entrance fees included to sites specifically listed (outside view means no entrance is included)
Luggage handling at hotels (one piece per person in/out)
Select International Tours Travel Portfolio
Confirmation of daily Mass
Whisper sets
We recommend you consider purchasing CFAR Travel Protection
TIPPING – For the convenience of the pilgrims a $220.00 tip fund will be added to the invoices and collected in advance. Tip fund covers gratuities for the guide, driver, baggage handling and restaurants for included meals

RATES DO NOT INCLUDE

Personal expenses
Medical Insurance
Any items not explicitly mentioned in the listed inclusions
Beverages at meals unless otherwise noted
Church donations for every Mass suggested at $5.00 per person per Mass

BAGGAGE CHARGES NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP COST

Any airline baggage charges
Baggage handling at train stations, airports, and hotels in excess of one suitcase per person
Any charges incurred due to excessive luggage including the cost of an additional baggage vehicle or porterage charges

Location
Israel
View In Maps

Click or tap to load interactive map

The registration deadline for this trip has passed; HOWEVER, space may still be available. Please call us at 1-800-842-4842, and we will be happy to assist you.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr Matthew Johnston

Overview

Daily Mass

English-Speaking Christian Guides

Best in Class Hotels

Most Meals

Private Air-Conditioned Motor Coaches

Group Airfare

Luggage Handling

Documents Shipping and Handling Fee (REQUIRED)

Pre-Collect Tips and Gratuities (REQUIRED)

I Will Arrange My Own Flights - Land Only

Add Domestic airfare from my home airport or Upgrade my Seats (PRICE TBD)

Roundtrip Group Airfare from New Orleans to Tel Aviv

Itinerary

Nothing scheduled for this day, click ALL to see everything

22 Jan 2024

23 Jan 2024

24 Jan 2024

25 Jan 2024

26 Jan 2024

27 Jan 2024

28 Jan 2024

29 Jan 2024

30 Jan 2024

31 Jan 2024

1 Feb 2024

YOU'RE NOT DOING

CANCELED

Invoice

Contact Us

We respect your privacy