0723 “Light of the East ” Pilgrimage

Mon 7/10/2023 Depart Washington (5:15 pm) Tue 7/11 Arrive Istanbul (10:00 am) Drive through the city and check-in (Armada Hotel on the coast) Lunch on own near hotel Free time after check-in to explore or rest Dinner on rooftop of hotel Wed 7/12 Visit Hagia Sophia for the morning Visit Grand Bazaar; Lunch on own Drive to Taksim and Holy Spirit RC Cathedral Visit Hagia Triada Orthodox Church Dinner at hotel Thu 7/13 Charter boat tour of Bosporus Lunch on own Visit Baloukli Monastery and spring Visit Sergius and Bacchus Church Dinner at hotel Fri 7/14 Visit St George Cathedral Private Audience with Ecumenical Patriarch Lunch on own Visit St Stephen Church (Iron Church) Visit Blachernae Church Early dinner at hotel Sat 7/15 Travel Istanbul (7:00 am) departure to Tel Aviv (9:05 am) Visit Lydda and Jaffa Orthodox Churches Visit Caesarea National Park; Lunch on own Drive to Nazareth Dinner at the hotel Sun 7/16 Liturgy at Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Melkite in Nazareth Visit Old Town Nazareth Synagogue Lunch on own in Old Town Nazareth Visit Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches in Cana View Galilee from Mt Precipice Dinner at the hotel Mon 7/17 Visit Capernaum ruins and churches Visit Mount of Beatitudes Visit Tabgha Church of Loaves and Fishes 2 St. Peter’s Fish Lunch Visit Magdala Museum and ruins Boat ride on Sea of Galilee Dinner at hotel Tue 7/18 Visit Mt Tabor Catholic and Orthodox Churches Ascend Mt Carmel and Carmelite Monastery Visit Haifa and Bahai Gardens Dinner at the hotel Wed 7/19 Drive Nazareth to Jericho in the Jordan Valley Lunch on own Visit Monastery of Zacchaeus View Mount of Temptation Visit Qasr el Yahud, site of the Baptism of Christ Visit Qumran, site of Dead Sea Scrolls Visit Monasteries of Gerassimos and St George Check-in Jerusalem (St George Hotel outside Old City) Dinner in hotel Thu 7/20 Visit Bethlehem, Shepherd’s Field, Church of Nativity Lunch on Manger Square Visit the Nativity Grotto Visit Virgin Mary Melkite Church Dinner in hotel Fri 7/21 Visit Mt of Olives, Church of the Ascension Drop off and walk down to Church of Mary Magdalene Visit Garden of Gethsemane and Basilica of Agony in the Garden Visit Church of St Stephen Visit Birthplace of John the Baptist Dinner in hotel Sat 7/22 Walk to Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Tomb of Christ Prayer Service in the Edicule Lunch on own Walk down the Via Dolorosa in reverse Visit prison that held Jesus Visit birthplace of Mary and house of Sts Joachim and Anna Dinner in hotel Sun 7/23 Liturgy at Melkite Cathedral of the Annunciation or Church of Alexander Nevsky Lunch on own and free time in old city Early Closing dinner at hotel or restaurant nearby 3 Mon 7/24 Tel Aviv (8:25 am) to Istanbul to Washington (7:10 pm) Flights: July 10: depart IAD at 5:15pm and arrival IST following day at 10:00am July 15: depart IST at 07:00am arrival TLV at 09:05am July 24: depart TLV at 08:25am and arrival IAD same day at 7:10pm