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Christian Pilgrimages

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Holy Land Catholic Pilgrimage

This pilgrimage tour is designed to follow the footsteps of Christ as per the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic faith visiting the Holy Sites recognized by the Catholic Church.


  • Cultural/Historical

  • Private Tour

  • Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Detailed Itinerary

1

Tel Aviv, Galilee:

Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Exit the terminal at the sign marked ‘groups’ and meet your guide. Transfer to your hotel in Tiberias or Nazareth, with a stop on the way at Caesarea Maritime if time permits (this depends on your flight arrival time). Dinner and lodging at your hotel and overnight.

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Day 2: Haifa, Nazareth:

This morning we drive to Haifa and the Carmel Mountains, heading for the place where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal at a site now called Mukhraka. In the Carmel Mountains, we will also visit the church of Stella Maris, where we will have a panoramic view of the city of Haifa. In the afternoon, we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth starting at the Grotto where the Annunciation took place, and then we will visit the house of the Holy Family under the Church of St. Joseph, the Fountain of Mary, and the Synagogue.
Dinner and lodging at your hotel.

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Day 3: The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee:

This morning, we drive to the Sea of Galilee to visit the Mt. of Beatitudes, where our Lord gave the Sermon on the Mount. Continue to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic of the loaves and fish with which he fed the five thousand. Visit the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy, and then go to visit Capernaum to see the house of St. Peter and the Synagogue where our Lord preached. One of today’s highlights is a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, and a visit to the Jesus Boat- a 2000-year-old boat found on the shores of Magdala. We finish our day with a visit to the Jordan River to renew our Baptismal Vows. 
Then drive back to the hotel for dinner and lodging.

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Day 4: Cana of Galilee, Transfiguration, Jericho, Jerusalem:

Drive to Cana of Galilee to visit the church of the wedding where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water in to wine. Next, we head towards Mount Tabor, the Mount of the Transfiguration, and visit the beautiful Basilica and the rock under the altar where the Transfiguration took place. We will spend some time on this peaceful mountain for meditation and reflection. Leaving the mountain, we drive via the Jordan Valley to Jericho, where we view the Mount of Temptation and the Sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed in order to see Jesus.
We continue our drive up to Jerusalem or Bethlehem and check into the hotel for dinner and lodging overnight.

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Day 5: Bethlehem, Ein Kerem:

This morning, we drive to Bethlehem to visit the place of our Lord’s birth in the Basilica of the Nativity. We will see the Grotto of the Nativity, the Church of St. Catherine, where the Midnight Mass is celebrated, and the Caves of St. Joseph and St. Jerome underneath the church. Visit to the Shepherds’ Fields, where the Angels appeared to the shepherds who were watching over their flocks on the night Jesus was born. In the afternoon, we drive to the nearby village of Ein Kerem to visit the birth-place of St. John the Baptist and the Church of the Visitation, where Mary came to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth and proclaimed the ´Magnificat’.
We then head back to the Hotel for dinner and lodging.

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Day 6: Introduction to Jerusalem:

After breakfast, we drive to the top of the Mt. Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem and a better understanding of its geography and some of the key sites surrounding the area. Visit the Church of Pater Noster, where Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and then proceed down the Palm Sunday route to the Church of Dominus Flevit, where our Lord wept over the city. We continue our walk on the Palm Sunday route to the Garden of Gethsemane, where we find the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed before his betrayal. Before returning to the hotel, we will have free time at the dimly lit church for prayer and reflection. This afternoon, we visit Mount Zion to visit the Church of the Dormition Abbey, where our Blessed Mother fell asleep. Next, we go to the Cenacle, the place of the Last Supper and Pentecost. Today, we also visit the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, which commemorates the house of Caiphas, the high priest of the Jews, where Jesus was imprisoned for the night and here Peter denied our Lord.
Then, we return to our hotel for dinner and lodging.

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Day 7: Jerusalem: The passion of Jesus last hours:

Early this morning, we start at the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, before moving on to St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda. From there, we continue to the Judgment Hall known as the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was led to be condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. From there, we start following the Via Dolorosa through the markets of the Old City, reflecting on the greatness of His sacrifice and praying at the 14 Stations of the Cross until we reach the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We will then visit Calvary (Golgotha), the empty Tomb of our Lord, and the different sections of the church.
We will have free time at the church for prayers and reflection before going back to the hotel for dinner and lodging.

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Day 8: Departure:

Transfer to the airport, filled with cherished memories, for your return flight home.

Included

  • Private airport transfers for arrival and departure.
  • Accommodations on bed and breakfast at the selected hotels (or similar).
  • An air-conditioned private vehicle with WiFi.
  • A licensed English speaking guide for all excursions (other languages may apply).
  • Entrance fees to all visiting sites.

Not Included

  • Flight bookings.
  • Lunches, dinners and beverages not mentioned in the itinerary.
  • Personal expenses.
  • Tips.
  • Personal travel and trip insurance.
  • Anything not mentioned.

Optional Extras

This trip includes the following types of accommodation:

  • Home stay
  • Christian guesthouse
  • 3 star hotel
  • 3 Star hotel premium
  • 4 star hotel
  • 4 star hotel premium
  • 5 star hotel
  • 5 star premium
  • Boutique hotel

By making a booking each participant agrees to our terms and conditions in their entirety. Please read our Terms & Conditions carefully when making a booking.

Prices indicated on our website are listed in USD. Tour confirmation is immediate upon full payment of the tour.

PAYMENTS AND PRICING:

To issue payment for your booking you can use the following methods:

  • Bank Transfer: We cover all Bank Transfer fees.
  • Credit Card Payments: You can pay via MasterCard, Visa and Diner’s Club. There is a 5% transaction fee for payments via credit card. 
  • PayPal: There is a 5% transaction fee for payments via PayPal.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Private Tours:

Cancellations for private tours may be requested within 24 hours of the purchase at no penalty. After the first 24-hour period, cancellations will incur varying fees based on the proximity of the request to the tour date:

  • 30 days or more prior to arrival: $200 USD cancellation fee.
  • 14 to 29 days prior to arrival: 30% of the full trip cost is non refundable.
  • 7 to 13 days prior to arrival: 40% of the full trip cost is non refundable.
  • 3 to 6 days prior to arrival: 70% of the full trip cost is non refundable.
  • The tour is non-refundable 2 days or less from the arrival date.

To avoid cancellation fees, trips may be transferred to other travelers at no charge. Transfer requests must be made no less than one week before the tour’s start date.

Aeolus Tours reserves the right to cancel or postpone any trip due to force majeur, natural disasters, political instability, or other external events; if the trip cannot be completed as planned or with full guarantee of your safety. In that event, you may choose either to transfer your amounts paid to an alternate departure date or receive a full refund.  In circumstances where the cancellation is due to external events outside our reasonable control, refunds will be less at any unrecoverable costs.  We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking including but not limited to visas, vaccinations, travel insurance or non-refundable flights.

In instances where a Client’s itinerary must be changed, Aeolus Tours will make comparable modifications with the Client’s immediate notification.

INSURANCE

The tours do not include any forms of personal travel insurance. The Client will be solely responsible for purchasing comprehensive travel and trip insurance policies to cover any unforeseen situations that may occur before, during and after the trip.

 VISA

As a tour operator based under Israeli jurisdiction, Aeolus Tours can facilitate and work with group members for visa application through the Israel Ministry of the Interior. Aeolus Tours is not able to affect or influence the visa process in any way. All decisions regarding such authorizations go back to the Israeli Ministry of Interior who as a body is solely responsible for any authorizations and rejections of visas.

 DIETARY RESTRICTIONS AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Aeolus Tours will make every attempt to honor dietary restrictions and preferences. The Client is solely responsible to inform Aeolus Tours and any other third parties of any dietary restrictions, allergies or medical conditions.

 HOTELS

Hotel check-in is at 3 p.m. on the arrival date and check-out is at 12 p.m. on the departure date. The Client will be responsible to coordinate flight times to coincide with hotel check-in and check-out times as best as possible. Late hotel check-out will incur additional charges, unless arranged with Aeolus Tours otherwise. In the event that accommodation choices have changed, the Client will be notified by email in advance.

Aeolus Tours has taken every measure to work with reputable hotels and tour guides; however standards of hygiene, transportation, timeliness and accommodations in the Middle East are often lower than those in the Western World. As such, Aeolus Tours will consider service levels met, when they meet the same requirements as in the destination country.

FLIGHTS

The Client is responsible to inform Aeolus Tours of inbound and outbound flight information so that airport transfers can be coordinated appropriately.

 IN CASE OF COMPLAINT

 Aeolus Tours is committed to maintaining a high level of service. In the event that the Client feels that the services are subpar, the Client may inform the tour guide or Aeolus Tours of the situation immediately so that steps can be taken to rectify any concerns.

 PRIVACY POLICY

Any personal information shared by the client is considered confidential and shall remain private and will not be made publicly available by either party.

 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The AEOLUS TOURS and Services are provided on an as-is and as-available basis. You agree that your use of the Site and/or Services will be at your sole risk except as expressly set out in these Terms and Conditions. All warranties, terms, conditions and undertakings, express or implied (including by statute, custom or usage, a course of dealing, or common law) in connection with the Site and Services and your use thereof including, without limitation, the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

We make no warranties or representations about the accuracy or completeness of the AEOLUS TOURS content and are not liable for any (1) errors or omissions in content: (2) any unauthorized access to or use of our servers and/or any and all personal information and/or financial information stored on our server; (3) any interruption or cessation of transmission to or from the site or services; and/or (4) any bugs, viruses, trojan horses, or the like which may be transmitted to or through the site by any third party. We will not be responsible for any delay or failure to comply with our obligations under these Terms and Conditions if such delay or failure is caused by an event beyond our reasonable control.

Aeolus Tours, in providing services pursuant to these Terms and Conditions, shall not be responsible or liable for any acts, errors, omissions, delays, missed connections, accidents, losses, injuries, deaths, property damage, or any indirect or consequential damages resulting there from, which may be the result of action, inaction, default or insolvency of any airline, hotel, car supplier, other third party goods or service suppliers except in the case of negligence or misconduct by Aeolus Tours.

RESPONSIBILITY OF AEOLUS TOURS

Aeolus Tours will always provide clients with the appropriate assistance without undue delay in any situation. This will include providing thorough communications pertaining to a client’s booking. Clients will be assisted in matters regarding information on health services, local authorities, consular assistance, immigration, customs and helping to find alternative travel arrangements. We may charge you a reasonable fee for such assistance if the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or through your negligence.

JURISDICTION

Aeolus Tours is obligated to follow Israeli law and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Israeli courts.

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