Itinerary
Day 1: Friday, March 16
Participants leave the U.S. on Friday, March 16th to arrive at Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, March 17th.
Day 2: Saturday, March 17
Participants will be provided with transportation to our lodgings at the new Mamilla Hotel just outside the Old City Walls of Jerusalem. In the evening we will enjoy a welcoming reception and an optional walk into the Old City with Dr. Tabor.
Day 3: Sunday, March 18
A day of touring in Jerusalem where participants will see rarely visited tourist sites, including our UNC Charlotte sponsored Mt. Zion excavation, the newly discovered site of Pilate’s Judgment seat, identified by Dr. Gibson, and so much more.
Day 4: Monday, March 19
A visit to the spectacular ruins of Caesarea Maritima, built by Herod the Great, will end with lunch on the Mediterranean. We will then drive to Sepphoris, the ancient urban capital of all Galilee, and end our day at Tiberius with a boat ride on the beautiful Sea of Galilee at sunset.
Day 5: Tuesday, March 20
We will drive north along the Sea of Galilee to visit the new excavations at Magdala as well as the ancient harbor and seaside of Capernaum. We will then cross into Jordan to visit the spectacular ruins of the ancient city of Jereash. We will end the day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman, the beautiful capital of Jordan.
Day 6: Wednesday, March 21
We will spend the morning viewing sites in Amman including the ancient Citadel and the Roman Theatre before heading south to Mt. Nebo for a spectacular view of the Dead Sea. We will spend the night at the Dead Sea, experiencing its healing waters, at the Kempinski Hotel.
Day 7: Thursday, March 22
We will spend all day touring the mysterious pink rock city of Petra under the expert guidance of Dr. Shimon Gibson who will reveal to us the unknown story of the palace and its discovery. We will stay overnight at the Movenpick Hotel in Petra.
Day 8: Friday, March 23
It’s time for a Jeep ride in the magnificent Wadi Rum–Lawrence of Arabia country–under the expert guidance of Dr. Gibson, one of the foremost world authorities on Lawrence. We will spend the night under the star-lit desert sky at Rum Captain’s Eco Camp.
Day 9: Saturday, March 24
We will cross into Israel at Eilat, the southern port on the Red Sea enjoying an afternoon of swimming or snorkeling with a final evening reception at the fabulous Queen of Sheba Hotel.
Day 10: Sunday, March 25
Sunday morning, while traveling through southern Israel, we will view sites on our way back to the Tel Aviv airport for our overnight flights back to the U.S.A.