Things to do in Kafr Kanna

Enjoy a day exploring some of the most significant holy sites in Israel on an excursion by bus from Jerusalem. The guided tour sets out from the city early in the morning and drives along the scenic coast via Tel Aviv and the plain of Armageddon to Nazareth. Arrive in Nazareth and visit St. Joseph’s Church and the Church of the Annunciation. The largest Roman Catholic church in the Middle East, the Church of the Annunciation is, according to tradition, the scene of the annunciation of the Virgin Mary.  Continue onwards via Kafr Kanna to view the Mount of Beatitudes and Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish at Tabgha. Set on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, you will stop to view the sea, and continue to the nearby ruins of the ancient synagogue of Capernaum. Visit Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, considered one of the 4 Holy Cities of Judaism, along with Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed. Drive to the Jordan River at Yardenit, where guests are invited to receive an optional baptismal service. Return to Jerusalem via a scenic route that takes in views of Mt. Tabor, the site of the transfiguration.

After being met by your guide at the Haifa cruise port you will take a pleasant drive north to Galilee. The journey takes you past the Jezreel Valley, known as biblical Armageddon. Our first stop is in Nazareth where Jesus spent the first years of his life. Tour the magnificent Church of Annunciation that marks the site where Mary first learned of her future son. Then explore the 1st-century grotto dwelling under Saint Joseph’s Church. According to tradition, Mary, Joseph, and their son Jesus may once have lived here. As the tour leaves Nazareth we see Mary’s Well then continue past Kfar Kana, the biblical town of Cana. Here Jesus changed water into wine. The tour takes you to the edge of the Sea of Galilee, and the Mount of Beatitudes. Here you can picture Jesus preaching to his followers. Visit the Beatitudes Church that looks out over the Sea of Galilee. The tour continues to Tabgha, a small village by the water. Here we tour the Multiplication Church where Jesus miraculously shared five loaves and two fish between thousands of followers. The next stop is in Kfar Nachum (Capernaum). This is where Jesus spent most of his ministry. After a lunch break at a Galilee restaurant, we stop on the banks of the River Jordan, at Yardenit. If there is enough time you may be baptized at this traditional baptismal site. The tour makes its way south passing the twin peaks of the Horns of Hattin, where Saladin famously defeated the Crusaders in 1187. At the end of the tour, you’ll be returned to the port in Haifa in time to board the cruise ship and continue your adventure.

After pickup from hotels in Tel Aviv, your tour begins with an air-conditioned drive to Nazareth. Hear tales of the city, known as the childhood home of Jesus, and its important role in the Christian faith. See the Church of the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary in Christian scripture, and the Church of St Joseph, believed to stand on the site of Joseph’s carpentry workshop. Continue through the village of Kafer Kana, identified as the site where Jesus transformed water into wine, and arrive at the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s largest freshwater lake. Pass the Church of the Multiplication, and explore Capernaum on the shores of the sea. View the ruins of the synagogue that stood where Jesus taught and see the modern church that sits over St. Peter’s house, where Jesus is believed to have stayed.  Pass through the waterfront city of Tiberias and arrive in Yardenit, a sacred baptism site on the Jordan River. Admire this idyllic spot and enjoy beautiful views of Mt. Tabor, known to Christians as the Mount of Transfiguration, before your tour ends back in Tel Aviv.