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The Holy Land

10 Day Holy Land Pilgrimage

Prices from £2,675 pp

Single Supplement £699

Next available tour:

Tour leader: The Revd Steve Gayle & Fr Joseph Fernandes

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Our ten-day tour truly is the pilgrimage of all pilgrimages and perfect to explore all the Holy Land sights without feeling hurried. Generally, with just two stays in Jerusalem and Tiberius there is no constant need to pack and unpack and you will feel relaxed as you follow the greatest story of all time. Our hotel in Jerusalem is by the Old City walls and a mere stroll to the Via Dolorosa and the Jewish Quarter. In Tiberius the location is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and close to many famous biblical sights. Evenings watching the sun set and contemplating the days sights and experiences truly make this a wonderful experience.

Bring Jesus' time on Earth to life and follow in his footsteps. You will marvel at the natural beauty of the landscapes, rich history and will not fail to be moved. You may enter as a tourist, but you will exit as a pilgrim. We all know the story, we have heard of the Sermon on the Mount, the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, Jesus' painful walk to his crucifixion, the feeding of the five thousand and the baptism of Jesus yet nothing can prepare us for the emotional encounter of standing at these points where it took place and absorbing the energy and legacy left behind for all mankind. A legacy we invite you to experience and share to create memories and spiritual awareness that will remain with you forever.

Below is a sample itinerary of how many of our ten-day Holy Land itineraries operate. Some dates may have differences in the content and order of the daily visits. For the exact itinerary please download the brochure for your selected departure date in the dates tab.

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Itinerary

  1. Travel to The Holy Land (D)

    Below is a sample itinerary of how many of our ten-day Holy Land itineraries operate. Some dates may have differences in the content and order of the daily visits. For the exact itinerary please download the brochure for your selected departure date in the dates tab.

    Meet your Group Leader at your dated departures selected UK airport and fly to Tel Aviv. On arrival you will be met by our expert local guide and transferred to Jerusalem (approx. 90-minute drive) where you will check-in to your hotel by the Old City walls for a six-night stay.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel. Some late arrivals will have a cold platter in the room on arrival.

    Various dates offer direct flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester and Dublin. We can make separate arrangements should you wish to fly from an airport different to the dated departures selected UK airport. If your arrival or departure time is different to the main group, then a supplement for the additional transfer to Jerusalem will apply.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  2. Jerusalem – The Mount of Olives (B, L, D)

    Morning: a moving start to your pilgrimage. The Mount of Olives has many biblical and historical connections as well as being a sacred burial place. It leads to a panoramic view of Jerusalem as well as the Tomb of the Prophets, the Catholic Church of Dominus Flevit, and the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene. At the base we visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus frequently went with his disciples to pray and on the night before his crucifixion was arrested

    Afternoon: after an included lunch visit Ein Karem, a beautiful tranquil village and neighbourhood in the west of Jerusalem believed to be the place where Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, miraculously became pregnant and gave birth. During her pregnancy, Elizabeth was visited by a family relative – Mary, who was also pregnant, with Jesus and for this reason the village well is now called Mary’s Well.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  3. Jerusalem – The Old City (B, L, D)

    Morning: walk from the Zion Gate through the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism, this iconic wall is the last remaining wall of the courtyard which surrounded the Second Temple towards where Jews around the world face to pray. We continue to the pool at Bethesda, identified as the scene of one of Jesus’ miracles, the healing of the paralysed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred” — an event believed to have curative powers

    Afternoon: after an included lunch in a local restaurant, we stroll the Via Dolorosa “the sorrowful way” in which Jesus travelled on the day of his crucifixion from the judgement seat of Pilate to Mount Calvary. Your guide will give a fascinating insight and pause at the fourteen stations of the cross and describe the incidents that took place at each one.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  4. Jerusalem – Masada & the Dead Sea (B, L, D)

    Please note that on some departures this may be an optional excursion payable locally. Please download the dedicated brochure for your selected departure date.

    Morning: drive to Qumran, located on the north-western shore of the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert, known as the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada (Hebrew for fortress) that sits atop an isolated rock-cliff overlooking the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. Masada has become one of the Jewish people's greatest symbols as the place where the last Jewish stronghold against Roman invasion stood.

    Afternoon: included lunch by the Dead Sea and a chance to bathe and float in its briny waters. After continue to view Wadi Qelt, a beautiful oasis of waterfalls and towering rocks, located deep inside the Jordan Valley. The route passes one of the oldest synagogues in the world, and St. George’s Monastery, one of the oldest continuously active Greek Orthodox monasteries.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  5. Jerusalem - Bethlehem (B, L, D)

    Morning: journey to the Shepherds Fields and join together in worship at the site where an angel of the Lord came and said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy’. A thoroughly moving experience.

    Afternoon: lunch will be at the Bethlehem Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children where we observe their great work and through the McCabe Educational trust our pilgrims have generously donated to for many years. After, we visit the Basilica of the Nativity in Manger Square, the oldest complete church in the Christian world, which was built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It replaced the original church of Constantine the Great, built over the cave venerated as Christ’s birthplace, and dedicated in AD 339.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  6. Jerusalem – Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial (B, L, D)

    Morning: morning worship joining together with a local congregation, usually in St George’s Cathedral or The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with the opportunity to chat with the local congregation.

    ‎Afternoon: visit of Yad Vashem, Israel’s largest Holocaust memorial, which sits on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance on the edge of Jerusalem. Opened in 2005 its nine galleries of interactive historical displays present the Holocaust. It uses a range of multimedia including photographs, films, documents, letters, works of art, and personal items found in the camps and ghettos.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  7. Lazarus Tomb, Jordan River, Sea of Galilee (B, L, D)

    Morning: depart Jerusalem and journey to Bethany to visit the Tomb of Lazarus where, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. A visit may be made to the Jeel al-Amal Boy’s Home providing education to over 300 primary aged students and supported by our pilgrims' donations to the McCabe Educational Trust.

    Afternoon: after lunch in a local Jericho Garden restaurant, we continue to the Jordan River Baptismal site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. After, continue to your hotel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee for a three-night stay.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  8. Mount Tabor & Nazareth (B, L, D)

    Morning: journey to Mount Tabor which rises with its distinctive shape from the flat and fertile Jezreel Valley. It is believed to be the place of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, where Jesus began to radiate light and conversed with Moses and Elijah.

    Afternoon: continue to Nazareth for a simple, but tasty lunch in a local village cooked in the style of the time of Jesus. We visit the Basilica of the Annunciation where Mary the mother of Jesus was first visited by the Angel Gabriel. It is Nazareth where Jesus spent most of his life, and the surrounding region of Galilee where he spent most of the few short years of his ministry. Later we visit Cana where the miracle of the turning of water to wine is said to have taken place.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  9. Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes & Sea of Galilee cruise (B, L, D)

    Morning: visit Capernaum where Jesus lived after being driven from Nazareth and also the home of the disciples Peter, Andrew and Matthew and where several healings took place. We visit the Mensa Christi Church dedicated to Jesus and his disciples down a winding street in the neighbourhood.

    Afternoon: lakeside worship at Tabgha the site of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes where Jesus fed the 5,000. After, continue for lunch in a local restaurant on the Mount of Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, followed by a relaxing cruise across the Sea of Galilee on a traditional wooden boat. A great time to contemplate the path you have followed these last days.

    Evening: dinner in the hotel.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

  10. Caesarea, then depart for the UK (B, L)

    Morning: depart your hotel and drive to the ancient port of Caesarea built by the Romans and enlarged under Herod. Ancient ruins, beautiful beaches and modern residences sit side-by-side. Here you will enjoy lunch and have time to wander.

    Afternoon: continue to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for your return flight to the UK after the pilgrimage of all pilgrimages.

    This is a sample itinerary of how many of our ten-day Holy Land itineraries operate. Some dates may have some differences and be a day or two longer. For the exact itinerary please download the brochure for your selected departure date.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

Essential Information

Included excursions

  • The Mount of Olives
  • Ein Karem - home of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist
  • Old Jerusalem, Jewish Quarter and Western Wall
  • Guided stroll of Via Dolorosa "the sorrowful way"
  • The Shepherds Fields with worship
  • Bethlehem - Basilica of the Nativity
  • Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
  • Lazarus Tomb
  • Jordan River Baptismal site
  • Mount Tabor and the Church of the Transfiguration
  • Nazareth and Basilica of the Annunciation
  • Capernaum and the Mensa Christi Church
  • Tabgha - site of the feeding of the 5,000
  • Mount of Beatitudes - site of the Sermon on the Mount
  • Sea of Galilee cruise
  • Ancient Roman port of Caesarea

Optional excursions

Please check the brochure of your selected dated departure for any optional excursions. Most will be included with the exception of Masada and the Dead Sea that in some cases may be a worthwhile optional excursion.

Included extras

  • Hotel baggage porterage
  • Local guide and drivers’ gratuities
  • All restaurant and hotel gratuities
  • Other small local gratuities
  • Personal audio guiding system

Included meals & drinks

Meals: all meals are included. throughout your pilgrimage you will enjoy lunches in local restaurants and dinners, for the most part, will be in your hotels.

Drinks: juices and tea or coffee are available with all breakfasts. All other drinks will be at your own expense.

Our team in The Holy Land

This holiday includes a qualified local guide to bring the holy sites and ancient wonders to life. They will be staying with you and escorting you throughout. Each departure also includes a member of the clergy who will offer optional opportunities for worship and reflection for all during and after these moving visits.

Your journey

Direct flights to Tel Aviv are available from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester. Selected departures use selected airports which you will see in the dates tab.

We can make separate arrangements should you wish to fly from an airport different to the dated departures selected UK airport. If your arrival or departure time is different to the main group, then a supplement for the additional transfer to Jerusalem will apply. UK regional flights to Heathrow as well as flight seat upgrades for additional comfort and ease through the airport can also be arranged on all El Al and British Airways flights from Heathrow.

Flights from Gatwick, Luton and Manchester are with easyJet and do not always operate daily so some departures may be 11 or 12 day itineraries to allow for this.

Flight times from the UK to Tel Aviv are approximately five hours and mostly daytime flights arriving in the late-afternoon or evening into Tel Aviv.

Entry requirements

Passports should be valid for at least six months after the time of travel and a visa is issued free of charge to UK passport holders on entering Israel. There are currently no further requirements for entering the Palestinian territories. Non-British passport holders should consult the McCabe office as they may be required to apply in advance for a visa. No inoculations are essential, but we advise travellers to consult their GP regarding personal requirements.

This information can change so for the most up to date information please check with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office website.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Your hotels 

Nine nights based in a double or twin room. Most pilgrimages are accommodated at our partner hotels in Jerusalem, the Golden Walls and in Tiberias, the Ron Beach. These properties have looked after McCabe groups with great care and attention for many years. They are in excellent locations, privately owned and managed, and offer good food and comfortable accommodation with private facilities.

Golden Walls Hotel, Jerusalem / Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias

 

Practical information

Travelling alone

Many of our passengers travel alone and object to expensive single room supplements. McCabe Pilgrimages will accept individual bookings on a 'guaranteed share' basis. We charge the basic price and accommodate you with a person of the same sex also requesting shared accommodation. If we do not find someone to share with you, you will be accommodated in a single room at only 50% of the usual single room supplement. For single travellers who do require single accommodation this should be requested when booking and, if available, the normal supplement will be payable.

Entry requirements

Passports should be valid for at least six months after the time of travel and a visa is issued free of charge to UK passport holders on entering Israel. There are currently no further requirements for entering the Palestinian territories. Non-British passport holders should consult the McCabe office as they may be required to apply in advance for a visa. No inoculations are essential, but we advise travellers to consult their GP regarding personal requirements.

For the latest and most up to date travel advice including entry requirements please consult the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office travel advice website.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Health & wellbeing

If you haven't had a booster in the last ten years it is recommended that you be vaccinated for Tetanus and Polio. Food and waterborne diseases are more common, so we recommend vaccinations for typhoid (valid 3 years) and Hepatitis A (validity varies). Vaccination, Covid-19 and health information can change so please contact your local health care provider for the most up to date information. We will send up to date information on entry requirements with your final paperwork approximately 14 days before departure.

Adequate insurance cover will be required for all hospital emergencies and doctors’ visits.

Climate

Israel has a warm, sunny and dry climate. The weather is often sunny and clear in Israel. It is one of the least cloudy and least rainy regions on Earth.

The most comfortable times to visit are spring (March, April and May) when temperatures are on average in the low 20’s and Autumn (September, October and November) when temperatures are in the high 20’s in the center of the country. Temperatures are generally higher in the south of the country and the Galilee area.

Israel is hot in the summer with average temperatures in the center of the country over 30C and closer to 40C in the South and Galilee.

Clothing

Israel is more liberal than its neighbouring countries, but you should dress inconspicuously and avoid wearing clothes that could be regarded as provocative (e.g. very short skirts, skimpy shorts, strappy tops where shoulders are exposed and low plunging neck lines). Shorts and t-shirts are fine as long as they are not too short and skimpy. Swimwear around hotel pools is perfectly acceptable. For some church visits legs and arms are required to be covered but a headscarf is not necessary, and you will find next to no other restrictions elsewhere throughout your holiday in the Holy Land.

We recommend you take clothing for spring/summer weather and a couple of warmer items such as a fleece or sweater for the evenings when it may be a bit cooler. Sports shoes with fairly thick cushioned soles for uneven pavements are also recommended.

Mobility

There is a certain amount of walking (and stairs) involved on a daily basis on this pilgrimage so please make sure you pack comfy footwear for this so that you are prepared. Your Local Guide will keep you updated on a daily basis with what to expect the following day. If you are finding it difficult to keep up then please make sure you tell them so they can help you to find places to rest and relax and then you can re-join the group at a later stage.

Whilst this is not a trekking or adventure holiday there will be some walking required where you may be on your feet for up to 90 minutes at some ancient sites and must be able to walk up to a mile. The paving may not always be smooth and seating not always available.

Travel insurance

Ensuring that your holidays are appropriately protected is one of our main priorities. That’s why we have specifically chosen Holiday Extras as our *preferred travel insurance provider to ensure that you are protected before and whilst you are travelling. Holiday Extras offer McCabe Travel guests favourable rates for single trip, multi-trip and annual policies.

For more information or to obtain a quote click below for their website

https://www.holidayextras.com/travel-insurance

Or call them on 0800 083 3551 to speak to a friendly advisor.

Please quote AG628 upon calling to receive the best rates

The McCabe Educational Trust

The McCabe Educational Trust is an independent registered charity with the aim of helping inspiring people we meet on some of our pilgrimages. As ‘the haves’ encounter the ‘have nots’ the Trust has become a practical tool for one to help the other.

McCabe Pilgrimages invite all travellers to become partners in this work. A £20 voluntary donation to the Trust’s work is added to every pilgrim’s invoice and all money raised in this way is given in full to the projects the Trust supports. This scheme is voluntary and confidential with nobody put under any pressure to participate.

Full financial security

All money paid to McCabe is fully secure. Holidays including flights are covered by our ATOL license from the Civil Aviation Authority, and holidays without flights are protected by our membership of the ABTOT bonding scheme. If a pilgrimage is cancelled, for instance through lack of numbers or for political considerations, McCabe will promptly refund all monies paid.

AITO Quality Statement

McCabe Pilgrimages is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. McCabe abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter.

You can read McCabe reviews on the AITO website here

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Dates

Our Programme Tour Leader Tour Dates Availability
Anglican Pilgrimage 10 Day Holy Land Departing From Heathrow Prices from £2495 pp The Revd Steve Gayle & Fr Joseph Fernandes 05/03/2024 for 10 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry
Ecumenical Pilgrimage 10 Day Holy Land Departing From Luton Prices from £2975 pp The Revd Tim Robb 08/04/2024 for 10 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry
10 Day Holy Land Departing From Heathrow Prices from £2985 pp The Rev Keith Garner 13/05/2024 for 10 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry
Encountering Jesus in the Fifth Gospel 10 Day Holy Land Departing From Heathrow Prices from £2999 pp The Revd Steve Jakeman 18/11/2024 for 10 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry
United Church Pilgrimage open to everyone 10 Day Holy Land Departing From Luton Prices from £3145 pp The Revd Tim Edworthy 24/02/2025 for 10 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry

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