Daily Itinerary
Journey to the Holy Land 2026
Presented by Calvary Baptist Church, Little Rock
Hosted by Pastor Scott and Mona Jackson, 2026
Hosted by Pastor Scott and Mona Jackson, March 13 - March 22, 2025
Thursday, March 13
Depart Bill and Hillary National Airport, Little Rock, AR
Friday, March 14
Arrive Tel Aviv and be greeted by our tour guide and bus driver for the next 8 days. Overnight Netanya.
Saturday, March 15
Caesarea by the Sea / Mt. Carmel / Megiddo / Nazareth
After breakfast, we will visit Caesarea by the Sea, an incredible fortress built by King Herod the Great on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Here, Pontius Pilate had his base; Cornelius lived and was baptized; Paul embarked to Tarsus and Philip preached. We then travel north to Mt. Carmel, the site where the prophet Elijah fought the 400 false prophets of Baal. We turn inland and proceed to Megiddo, one of King Solomon’s walled fortified cities, with ruins of 20 levels of civilization. From here, the Books of Daniel and Revelation will come alive as we read about the final Battle of Armageddon while overlooking the Jezreel Valley. Continue to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. Overnight Sea of Galilee area.
Sunday, March 16
Mt of Beatitudes / Capernaum/Peter’s Primacy / Magdala / Baptism in the Jordan River
Today begins at the Mt. of Beatitudes with a powerful time of worship where Jesus delivered perhaps one of the most famous sermons ever preached – “The Sermon On The Mount”. Afterwards, we drive to Peter’s Primacy where Jesus reinstated Peter after His resurrection. On to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the site of many of his miracles and the remains of Peter’s house and the synagogue site where Jesus taught and worshiped. After a tasty St Peter’s lunch, we visit Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene and see the ruins of a 1st century synagogue where Jesus was known to have taught many times. We end the day celebrating our faith in Jesus Christ with baptisms in the Jordan River. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Overnight Sea of Galilee area.
Monday, March 17
Sea of Galilee / Beit Shean / Jericho / Dead Sea
This day begins with an amazing time of praise and worship aboard a wooden boat on the Sea of Galilee followed by a visit to the Jesus Boat Museum to see a 2,000-year-old boat discovered in 1986. Afterwards we continue to Beit Shean one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Israel with some of the best-preserved ruins in the Middle East. This is also the site where the body of King Saul and his sons were nailed to the walls by the Philistines. Next we head to Jericho, the world’s oldest city and see where the walls came tumbling down! We end the day with a relaxing float in the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Overnight Dead Sea Area
Wednesday, March 18
Masada / Ein Gedi / Qumran / Old Jericho Road
Begin today by traveling by cable car to the summit of Masada, one of the magnificent fortresses built by King Herod the Great. After lunch we continue to Ein Gedi, where David hid from King Saul and his 3,000 men. We will visit Qumran where a young shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls (the oldest biblical known texts) in 1947. We will also enjoy an overlook of the Old Jericho Road, the setting of the Good Samaritan parable in the Bible and a reflections site for Psalms 23. Overnight Jerusalem
Wednesday, March 19
Mt of Olives / Palm Sunday Road / Garden of Gethsemane / St Anne Church / Pool of Bethesda / Via Dolorosa / Church of Holy Sepulcher
Today we begin at the Mt. of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem and trace the footsteps of Jesus down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane. We pass though the Lion’s gate to visit the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man. St. Anne’s Church offers a time to sing praises to God and enjoy the incredible acoustics of the church. We pass through the colorful bazaars, alleyways and market places as we walk and remember the suffering of our Lord along the Via Dolorosa as make our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Overnight Jerusalem.
Thursday, March 20
Temple Mount / Western Wall / City of David / Pools of Siloam / Cardio Maximus / Jewish Quarter / Valley of Elah / Israel Museum
After breakfast we will visit the Temple Mount which is built atop Mt Moriah where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac. We will stop at the Western Wall, the last remnant of the original retaining wall which surrounded the second temple, to pray. We also visit the excavations of the City of David and see David’s palace where he looked from his rooftop and saw Bathsheba. We go underground to Hezekiah’s Tunnel and end with a visit to the Pools of Siloam where Jesus healed a blind man. We return to the Old city and walk along the Roman/Byzantine Street called the “Cardo” (ancient main street Jerusalem) and have lunch in the Jewish Quarter of the old city. After lunch, we leave the city and drive to the Valley Of Elah, the site of the famous David and Goliath showdown. Afterwards, we stop at the Israel Museum to see a model of Jerusalem as it appeared in Jesus’ time. Then to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest manuscripts of the Bible ever found. Overnight Jerusalem
Friday, March 21
Southern Steps of Temple / Mt Zion / Caiaphas House / Church of St. Peter’s Gallicantu / Garden Tomb
We begin today reflecting on Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem as we sit on the Southern Steps of the temple. This southern side of the temple was the main entrance for the common folk, including Jesus and parts of the giant stairs have been unearthed along with many purification pools. From here Jesus entered the temple and drove out the vendors and money changers and this is also likely to be the site of the Day of Pentecost. Continue to Mt Zion to visit the traditional site of the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper), and the Church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, built on top of the High Priest Caiaphas’ house where Jesus was likely held the night before his death. We finish our amazing time in Jerusalem with a visit to the Garden Tomb for a communion service. Before leaving Israel, we will enjoy a farewell dinner and share our experiences and thoughts from the week. Late Evening: Depart Tel Aviv.
Saturday, March 22
Arrive in USA!
