Heights School. Holy Land. Crescite Week Holy Land Tentative Itinerary
February 24-March 4, 2023
Please browse the Tentative itinerary for The Heights School Crescite Week-Holy Land Pilgrimage:

Departure: 24 FEB Dulles Airport (IAD)
6:05 PM Austrian Air Flight #94 via Vienna
Notes:
- A visit to the new Saxum Center in Jerusalem will be added to the itinerary.
- MEALS- All meals included. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 1 in Israel FEB 25
Tel Aviv – Nazareth
- Arrive in Tel Aviv 2:55 PM / Austrian Air 857 from Vienna
- After Passport Control, be greeted by our guide and driver
- Drive north along the Mediterranean Seacoast to Nazareth
- Father will celebrate Holy Mass after we check into our hotel and then have dinner and rest

Day 2
Nazareth – Mt. Tabor – Cana – Nazareth
Today, Father will celebrate a special Holy Mass at Mt. Tabor where Jesus revealed His Glory in the Transfiguration
After breakfast
- Walk across the street to the Church of the Annunciation to visit the Grotto where Mary ‘heard The Word’ and the upper parish church
- After, visit the museum built over the village of Nazareth and learn about the many churches that have been built over the House of Mary
- Stop at Joseph’s Carpenter Shop
- And then walk through the town where Jesus grew up
- Continue up to the Synagogue Church to read scripture and pray before walking to Mary’s Well in the Greek Orthodox Church
- Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant
In the afternoon
- Drive to Mount Tabor
- Transfer to taxis and go up to visit Antonio Barlucci’s magnificent church. Here where Jesus revealed His Glory in the Transfiguration
- Holy Mass
- Return to Nazareth, drive to the Wedding Church in Cana
- Return to Nazareth for dinner and overnight
- After dinner, experience praying the Rosary in the Grotto if possible

Day 3
NAZARETH – SEA OF GALILEE – NAZARETH
This morning, Father will celebrate Holy Mass in the Annunciation Basilica in Nazareth
After breakfast
- Depart for the Sea of Galilee to visit Tabgha where Our Lord fed the 5,000 men with 2 loaves and 5 fishes
- Continue to The Primacy where he asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and then to the Mount of Beatitudes. Mass-TBA
- Stop to enjoy the Lunch of Saint Peter’s fish (there’s other choices if you don’t care for fish)
In the afternoon
- Boat ride / meditation on the Sea of Galilee
In the evening
- Transfer back to Nazareth, dinner and overnight in our hotel

Day 4
NAZARETH – CAESAREA MARITIMA – BETHLEHEM- JERUSALEM
Today, Father will celebrate the Holy Mass in the Grotto of St. Joseph at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem
After breakfast
- Drive to the Mediterranean Seacoast to visit Caesarea Maritime and visit of the ancient city, with the Roman theater and crusader’s fortress
- Visit the city of Bethlehem, the oldest Christian church in the world, built over the place where Our Lord was born
- Father will celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Nativity-Grotto of St Joseph
- Drive down to Shepherd’s Field
- Lunch at the Franciscan Casa Nova
Afternoon
- Time to shop in one of the Catholic stores before return to our hotel in Jerusalem.
- Check in to our hotel in Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight

Day 5
JERUSALEM – JERICHO – QUMRAN – DEAD SEA -JERUSALEM
Today, Father will celebrate Holy Mass in the desert of Wadi Kelt* subject to change
After breakfast
- Drive South to the Judean Desert
- Stop at the Jordan River, where Father will renew our Baptismal promises before continuing to the Holy City of Jerusalem
- Enter Palestine, and visit the old city of Jericho.
- See the Mount of Temptations and the excavations of the oldest city in the world
- Stop at the Sycamore tree
- Lunch
- Transfer to the Dead Sea, and visit the excavation of Qumran, where the Dead sea scrolls where found
- Enjoy floating (optional) the very lowest and saltiest waters of the world
- Return to Hotel in Jerusalem
- Dinner and overnight

Day 6
JERUSALEM: MOUNT OF OLIVES – MOUNT SION
Today, Father will celebrate Holy Mass at the Basilica of Gethsemane/ Agony Main Altar
After breakfast
- We’ll drive up on the Mt of Olives and walk down from the place of the Ascension to the Carmelite Convent where we remember Jesus teaching the Our Father
- Continue down to Dominus Flevit where He wept over the city
- Down to the Garden of Gethsemane
- Continue to St. Peter in Gallicantu where our Lord was held by the high priest when he was arrested
After Lunch
- Drive around the Old City to Mt Zion to visit Dormition Abbey where “Mary Slept” and the Upper Room (Last Supper)
- Depart to Ein Karem to visit the Birthplace of St. John the Baptist
- Holy Mass Basilica of Gethsemane/ Agony Main Altar
- Climb to the Church of the Visitation where Mary went to help her cousin Elizabeth
- Return to hotel in Jerusalem. Rest.
- Depart by bus for a Special Farewell Middle-East Feast Dinner
- Return to hotel in Jerusalem for overnight

Day 7
JERUSALEM: OLD CITY
Early this morning, Father will celebrate the Holy Mass at the Holy Sepulchre on Golgatha/ Calvary altar.
After breakfast
- Father will celebrate Mass at the Holy Sepulchre
- (Time TBA) Pray and walk the Via Dolorosa, (the actual Stations of the Cross) carrying a cross up through the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- Stop on Calvary, and have an opportunity to enter the Tomb
- Drive around the Old City to visit the Western Wall
- Lunch
- We pass the closed Golden Gate as we leave and enter the Crusader church of St. Ann’s and the Pools of Bethesda
- Leave the city by St. Stephen’s Gate
- Enjoy a free afternoon in the Old City, in the market or for another visit to the Holy Sepulchre
- Back to hotel dinner and overnight
- Special evening activity.

Day 8
JERUSALEM – TEL AVIV
Early AM
- Holy Mass early AM
- Coffee and breakfast cake before departure to Tel Aviv for our flights home
Departure from Israel
- March 4, Tel Aviv (TLV) 7:55 AM Lufthansa Flight #0695 via Frankfurt
Arrive: March 4, 3:55 PM Lufthansa Flight #418, Dulles