In the Steps of the Magi:
A Christmas Pilgrimage to Bethlehem
(organized by the Holy Land Trust)

All subject to change

Full Session: December 16th through 30th

Half Session: December 22nd through 30th

Hiking tour through Jordan, Israel and Palestine

25-30 km. (12-18 mi.) per day

Itinerary: FULL SESSION BEGINS

Thursday, December 16th: Departure

Friday, December 17th: Arrival in Amman, Jordan

Upon arrival, a Middle East Fellowship guide will assist you to your hotel. We will stay at the Olive Branch Hotel ( « « «) in Jerash—approximately 1.5 hours north of Amman. Followed by an orientation regarding our hiking itinerary while in Jordan; accompanied by dinner.

Saturday, December 18th: Start Hike from Jerash

We will start our day by touring the Roman built city of Jerash, an ancient city well preserved through the centuries. Explore Hadrian’s Arch, the Hippodrome, and the Temple of Zeus. Afterwards, we will commence our hike by visiting Ajlun and its famous historical fortress, followed by a short visit through the remote and fascinating ruins of Um Qaiss, which overlooks the Jordan Valley, Syria and the Sea of Galilee. Either sleep in a tent under the stars or travel with a prearranged taxi van back to the Olive Branch Hotel in the evening.

Sunday, December 19th: Deir Alla

The group will reconvene and begin the hike where you left off the previous day to Deir Alla, which holds the Byzantine site of Bathabara Monastery. Sleeping arrangements same as above.

Monday, December 20th: Baptismal Site at Wadi Kharrar

In the morning, we will visit the Wadi Kharrar or Al-Maghtas, which means “ Bethany beyond the Jordan” and the site of where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Observe the new excavations near the Jordan River, and later travel by taxi van (approx. 45 min.) to the capital city, Amman, and stay at the Cordoba Palace Hotel ( « « « « ) to prepare for your day trip to the spectacular ruins of Petra.

Tuesday, December 21st: Ancient City of Petra

Leave Amman early in the morning for a 3-hour journey south to one of the greatest attractions of the Middle East— Petra. Enter the narrow corridor of the mountain rock and spend the day exploring the one time capital of the Nabataeans and the adjacent village of Wadi Mousa. Arrive back at the hotel in Amman in the evening for dinner and digital photo sharing.

HALF SESSION BEGINS

Skip joins here after the group passes thru the Allenby bridge border crossing

Wednesday, December 22nd: Cross the Allenby Bridge into Jericho

Early in the morning we will drive to the border of Palestine and cross the Allenby Bridge into Jericho. Go south to Qumran and float in the mineral rich waters of the Dead Sea, approximately 1,400 ft. below sea level. Next, enter the oasis city of Jericho and visit the oldest city in the world, Hisham’s Palace. Enjoy dinner & overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel ( five star) in Jericho.

Thursday, December 23rd: Hiking to Nabi Mousa

From Jericho, we will make our way hiking to Nabi Mousa, the Muslim shrine for the Prophet Moses. On our way we will visit Herodian Jericho, a Hellenistic fortress and palace of Herod the Great. From there we will continue our hike to St. George’s Desert Monastery in Wadi Qelt. Enjoy an afternoon around the monastery and then hike through the wilderness to Nabi Mousa. Dinner and basic accommodations ( one star) in Nabi Mousa (no showers).

Friday, December 24th: Christmas Eve in Bethlehem.

Today we will hike through the Judean Wilderness towards Bethlehem. On our way to Bethlehem, we will visit St. Saba Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the region, then conclude our 8-day hike with another fascinating monastery of St. Theodosius. We have scheduled a bus to pick us up and take our group to the Bethlehem Hotel ( three star). We’ll have dinner in Bethlehem and proceed to Manger Square where we will celebrate Christmas Eve with Palestinians and internationals from around the globe.

Saturday, December 25th: Christmas Day

What better way to wake up on Christmas Day than to visit the Church of the Nativity and the grotto where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. Continuing on, we will tour around Bethlehem, visit Beit Jala and observe the Separation Wall, which surrounds Bethlehem. We will have lunch with Palestinian Christian families and learn more about their Christmas tradition in Palestine. Following lunch we will visit Beit Sahour, House of the Shepherd, and visit some shepherds’ fields before we meet with the Greek Orthodox Housing Project in Beit Sahour. Later that night we will have dinner with the staff from Holy Land Trust- Palestine Office.

Enjoy a wonderful dinner and spend another night in Bethlehem.

Sunday, December 26th: Jerusalem

We will start our day by touring the Old City of Jerusalem, including a visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. From there, we will meet with the organization Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD), a nonviolent, direct-action group originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the Occupied Territories. We will tour Jerusalem with some of their staff. Before getting back to Bethlehem, we will meet with B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization that acts to change Israeli policy in Palestine and ensures that its government protects the human rights of the residents there. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

(We can arrange accommodations with a Palestinian family for 2-nights in and around the Bethlehem area. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please inform the Holy Land Trust travel coordinator upon arrival to Palestine. Keep in mind this will be same price as staying in a hotel overnight.)

Monday, December 27th: Haifa and Nazareth

We will drive to south of Haifa and visit Ain Hod, an unrecognized Palestinian village from 1948. Afterward we will visit Baladna Youth Center in Haifa, an Arab youth organization founded to give Arab youth in Israel a non-partisan, comfortable forum for youth activities and informal education. Following our visit, we will visit the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the traditional site where the angel visited the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Dinner and overnight in Nazareth.

Tuesday, December 28th: Ramallah and Remember the Innocents Festival

We will drive to Ramallah in the morning and meet with Addamir, an organization that will discuss the situation of the Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. Afterwards, we will visit the Palestine Monitor media group, as well as, the public relations department at Bir Zeit University. Later on in the evening we will attend the Remember the Innocents Festival, an event put on every December 28 th, a day that, tradition has it, King Herod had thousands of children slaughtered in hopes of killing the Prince of Peace. The Remember the Innocents Festival will be held in Manger Square to bring awareness and hope to the suffering children around the world. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Wednesday, December 29th: Hebron

We will start our day by driving to Hebron, a city of great religious importance for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. We will visit the Baqa' Valley and meet with Jabers’ family who will share with us their stories. Continuing on, we will visit the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron, learn more about their activities and tour the old city of Hebron with them. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Thursday, December 30th: Departure