2024 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Connecting with the sacred sites of our faith

Rescheduled for 2024. Final dates to come later this year.

Join Father David in Jerusalem as he leads a fourth faith-transforming pilgrimage to Israel and the West Bank with local guides from Qumri Pilgrimages. This is an adventure in scripture, history and cross-cultural understanding.


Pilgrimage Itinerary

DAY 1: DEPART U.S.A
On our way to the Holy Land

DAY 2: ARRIVE BEN GURION AIRPORT / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM

Arrival to Tel Aviv you will be met by your guide, Canon Iyad Qumri, transfer to our accommodation in Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

DAY 3: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / WORSHIP AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH / HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM

We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of The Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque). St. Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. Sunday Eucharist at Saint Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch. Drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House Guest Speaker: Lecture of Islam

DAY 4: SHEPHERD’S FIELD / BETHLEHEM
We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, Lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds’ Field), ‘And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night’. Lunch, Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective

DAY 5: JERICHO / NAZARETH
Wadi Qelt early morning to watch the sunrise also get the feel for the desert, depart for Jericho to hike up Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho, Lunch, in Jericho before we begin our trip up the Rift Valley to Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel. Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth Tel: 972-4-6554304

DAY 6: SEA OF GALILEE / JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM & BEATITUDES
Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows. We then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch is by the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy. Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee Dinner and overnight at Sisters of Nazareth

DAY 7: CAESAREA PHILIPPI
Depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias) ‘And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am? “ Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth A treat you will not want to miss!!!

DAY 8: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH
Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit the Brewery and the ruins of the 4th century church. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues- An Israeli Perspective

DAY 9: OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION
Group Photo. Briefing for the Holy Sepulcher. We then walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance of the Holy Sepulcher. Lunch, continue our visit to the Holy Sepulcher. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

DAY 10: WORSHIP AT SAINT GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL ISRAEL MUSEUM
Sunday Eucharist at Saint George’s Cathedral, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch, Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time. Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

DAY 11: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE
Depart for Beth-phage and Mt. of Olives walk down the Palm Sunday Road ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. Lunch, Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, this church was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied Jesus three times). Dinner at the Qumris Overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

DAY 12: WAY OF THE CROSS & EMMAUS
Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross. Later we depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church. Afternoon at leisure Transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for our return flight to the USA


Archived Pilgrimages

Cost

The cost for the pilgrimage is:

Double occupancy: $2,600

Single occupancy: $3,200

Included in this price:

  • Accommodations and breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Transportation in comfortable deluxe coach
  • Guide fee
  • All entrance fees on the itinerary Israeli and Palestinian speakers
  • Portage at all hotels
  • Tips for restaurant and hotel staff
  • Bus driver tips
  • Farewell dinner at the home of the pilgrimage guide
Click here to register for the pilgrimage

Approximate Costs

(Subject to change)

Trip (including ground transportation): $4,000/person, double occupancy
Airfare: $1,200/person
Insurance (trip cancellation and health): $300 (to be purchased separately by individual)
Passport: valid through 2024

Click here to view the pilgrimage proposed itinerary and download the brochure.

Airfare

Air transportation is not included in the pilgrimage price. Currently roundtrip nonstop flights to Tel Aviv from regional international airports are running roughly $1,500 per person. On previous pilgrimages, we have attempted to have as many as care to fly on the same flight. In such a case, we can arrange for ground transportation as a group to and from the airport at an additional shared cost. Contact Karen King in the parish office at 717-397-4858 for information on the group flight.


If flying on your own, you will need to leave the United States on Sunday, November 3rd to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday, November 4th. If at all possible, each pilgrim should be present at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv between 1:00 pm and 5:00 PM on Nov. 4. Your departure flight from Ben Gurion must be scheduled for Friday, November 15th.

Passports

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date. If it is not, you will not be allowed into Israel.

Payment

You do not need to pay to register. You may pay in full now, at a later date or by installment payments. You can pay by credit or debit card or deduction from a bank account through Realm over the coming months. You can also pay by check (either in a lump sum or in installments). If you are paying in full later or by installment, please adhere to the following minimum deadlines:

  • July 1 - $500 trip deposit ($400 if you made a prior $100 deposit)
  • September 15 - any remaining balance*
*If you are unable to pay the full cost of the trip before the final payment deadline of September 15, Saint James is able to help a limited number of individuals finance a portion of the cost of their trip over a longer period. Please contact Nicolette Norris before registering if interested in this option.

Registration in Realm

We will be using Realm to register all travelers. Saint James parishioners must have an activated Realm account. If you are not a Saint James parishioner, we can easily set up a Realm account for your pilgrimage registration.

If you have never activated your account or have forgotten your password, please contact Nicolette Norris, Minister of Giving & Communications, for an activation link or password reset. While Realm will allow you to register as a guest, for the purposes of this trip, you must have an activated account for us to serve you best. Without an activated account, you will not be able to make installment payments, check your balance due, payment deadlines or receive important trip communications.

Click here to register for the pilgrimage.