4-Day Private Christian-Themed Tour of Jerusalem & Dead Sea

Faith & History

This 4-day private Christian tour explores Jerusalem’s sacred traditions and the desert landscapes of the Dead Sea Region.  Follow the footsteps of Jesus, visit holy sites, and encounter the biblical world where scripture comes alive. The journey will include highlights like the Mount of Olives, the Via Dolorosa, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Garden Tomb. It will also explore ancient discoveries, sacred memorials, and desert wonders like Masada and Ein Gedi. Each day offers reflection, history, and inspiration in the land where faith began.

Day 1: The Passion and Resurrection in Jerusalem

Start the day at the Chapel of Ascension, recalling Christ’s departure from earth and the Pater Noster Church, where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer. Pause at the Mount of Olives viewpoint, gazing across Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, a scene central to prophecy and Gospel narrative. Next, descend to Dominus Flevit Church, built where Jesus wept over Jerusalem.

Continue into the Garden of Gethsemane, a place of prayer before his arrest, the Grotto of Gethsemane, and Mary’s Tomb, revered in Christian tradition for centuries. Near the Lion’s Gate lies the traditional site of Stephen’s martyrdom, where the first Christian believer gave his life for faith.

Next, enter the Old City and stop at the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a man who had suffered for years. Visit the Praetorium and the Ecce Homo Arch, recalling Christ’s trial before Pilate. Continue along the Via Dolorosa, retracing the Stations of the Cross. Conclude at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest Christian shrine, where crucifixion, burial, and resurrection are remembered.

Day 2: Mount Zion and Early Jerusalem

Begin on Mount Zion at the Room of the Last Supper, recalling the final meal shared by Jesus and his disciples. Beneath it, visit the traditional tomb of King David and the adjacent Dormition Abbey, honoring the Virgin Mary’s passing and the Pentecost. Continue to Saint Peter in Gallicantu Church, built where local tradition holds Peter denied Jesus three times.

Descend now into the City of David, Jerusalem’s earliest settlement. See excavations connecting to ancient kings and prophets who shaped biblical history. Reach the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man, and continue through pilgrim steps revealed by archaeologists.

Ascending toward the Temple Mount, visit the Southern Wall Archaeological Park, where temple steps remain from Christ’s time, offering a vivid connection to Gospel narratives. Conclude the day at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, reminding pilgrims of the Temple setting central to Jesus’ ministry.

Day 3: Faith, Art, and Pilgrimage

Begin with the Garden Tomb, an alternative resurrection site offering peaceful gardens for reflection and prayer on Christ’s victory over death. Continue to the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls and a large model of Second Temple Jerusalem illuminate scripture and context. Consider also visiting the adjacent Monastery of the Cross, an ancient church built where tradition holds the tree for the cross once grew. Conclude the day at Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist. Visit the Church of the Visitation and the Church of Saint John, reflecting on the childhood of John the Baptist.

Day 4: The Judean Desert and the Dead Sea

Drive into the Judean desert and stop at the Jordan River baptism site, recalling where John baptized Jesus in its sacred waters. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves, shedding light on a Jewish sect in Christ’s time. Continue through Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where David hid from Saul, a desert oasis of springs, wildlife, and biblical landscapes.

Ascend Masada, Herod’s desert fortress, where Jewish rebels resisted Rome, a story of courage that resonates with Christian themes of faith. Conclude at a Dead Sea resort, floating in the mineral-rich waters and reflecting on a journey through sacred history and landscapes.