Port of Ashdod

We begin our day at the Mount of Olives with a spectacular scenic view of Jerusalem. From here we travel the Byzantine Cardo, a historic road that cuts through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. On the way, we visit the Wailing Wall (Kotel), the only remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, and one of the most sacred places in Jewish culture. The wailing is a description made by the British of the sounds of the Jewish people praying. Moving on we take the sacred route where Jesus carried the cross along the Way of Sorrows on the route to his crucifixion. We’ll then arrive at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Jesus was crucified as well as his Burial tomb. We continue our journey by touring the Bazaars of the Christian and Muslim quarters. Our first destination begins at the Mount of Olives overlooking an ancient Jewish cemetery where many believe that the resurrection of the Messiah will happen. (Zech 14:4). Looking down from here we have an excellent view across the Old City down to Temple Mount where the Holy Jewish Temple originally existed. *This point can be replaced with another viewpoint, as it depends on the traffic congestion and possible jams. We will then travel towards the Zion Gate, passing the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of All Nations and the Kidron Valley. Here we can observe the Jewish burial tombs of Absalom, King David’s son, Jehoshaphat and the Hezir family. We arrive at Jerusalem’s Old City on exiting the Zion Gate and continue through the Armenian quarter. We will then arrive at the fifteen-hundred-year-old excavated Byzantine Cardo, an ancient road now restored. We pass the Jewish quarter towards the Western Wall, a section of the exterior wall of the Jewish Temple that once stood erect on Temple Mount almost 2,000 years ago. We will walk the path many pilgrims have throughout history, stopping at points where Jesus paused on the way carrying his cross to Golgotha (Calvary). Our final destination is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of the crucifixion and Burial tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. Finally, we will have time to wander the traditional Middle Eastern markets before our next destination Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born. Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and home to Jesse, King David’s father. From Manger Square, we will enter the fourth-century Church of the Nativity, the oldest site in continuous use as a place of Christian worship opened in the year 333. Below the chapel is the Grotto of the Nativity where you’ll see an altar in remembrance of the three wise men, and a fourteen-point star set into the floor which signifies the exact spot where Jesus was born.

Your guide will be waiting for you when you disembark from your cruise ship in Ashdod and the tour will begin with a pleasant drive to Jerusalem in a comfortable vehicle with A/C. At Mt. Scopus, the tour stops for a panoramic view across the city rooftops. Then drive towards the Old City passing biblical sites like the Garden of Gethsemane that stands on the Mount of Olives alongside the Church of All Nations. Also, spot the ancient Jewish tombs in Kidron Valley, and the Ophel Promenade as we drive parallel to the Old City walls. We enter the Old City on foot through one of the massive gates in the 16th-century walls and pass the Western Wall excavations as we walk towards the Western Wall. This sacred Jewish site is all that remains from the 2,000-year-old holy Jewish Temple that once stood on Temple Mount. In the Jewish Quarter, we see the Byzantine Cardo lined with columns, then we walk along a section of the Via Dolorosa, as Jesus did bearing his cross. The Via Dolorosa culminates at the Holy Sepulcher Church which was built in the 4th century to encompass Christ’s tomb and the site of the crucifixion at Golgotha (Calvary). The tour stops for a lunch break in the Old City and you have time to meander through one of the traditional markets. Leaving the Old City we can see Mount Zion as we drive towards the town where Christ was born. In Bethlehem, we tour the Nativity Church and see the Holy Grotto where the nativity took place. The tour ends with a drive back to Ashdod port where you can rejoin your cruise ship and continue to your next port of call.