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4821 Lankershim Blvd. Suite F-479, Los Angeles, CA, 91601

Phone: 818-766-6850

Email: info@1000treks.com

Christmas in the Holy Land

Location: Israel and Jordan

  • Dates: December 15-26, 2023
  • Price: $4,995.00
  • Deposit: $600.00
  • Group Leader: Eduardo and Leigh
  • Trip Physical Level: 2 (with optional level 3 hikes and activities)

 

- FOR THE 19-DAY TRIP (INCLUDING NEW YEAR'S IN EGYPT), CLICK HERE

UPLIFT FINANCING AVAILABLE 

 

What are you doing for Christmas this year? Well, whatever your plans might have been, you can scratch them. Scratch them, and call your friends and family to let them know that this Christmas is going to be the most memorable Christmas of your life. This year you will be spending Christmas in the place where it all happened: The Holy Land.

 

You will visit the actual places and see the actual sites that most people only hear about. You will see the exact place where Jesus was born (and actually be there on Christmas Eve), visit the location where Jesus was baptized, and the village where Jesus grew up, stand at the place where Jesus performed his first miracle, see the place where Mary Magdalene was born, and even where Joseph had his carpenter workshop.

And because we are 1000 Treks, we are not going to stop there. Oh no, of course not! We will explore the entire magnificent country of Israel, from the southernmost city to the northernmost region, north to south, and even go on an adventure through Jordan, where we will see Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the famous Wadi Rum desert, the Dead Sea, Amman, and spend a night at Memories Aisha Luxury Bedouin camp.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Cities visited: Tel Aviv, Eilat, Sea of Galilee, Ginosar, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Wadi Rum, Ma'an (Petra), Potash City (Dead Sea), Madaba, Amman.

- All stays in hand picked 4-star and luxury accommodations.

- Spend a night at the exclusive and unique Memories Aicha Luxury Camp. One of the most Instagramable and recognized accommodations in the world!

- All breakfasts and most dinners included (see "Inclusions").

- Swim and snorkel in the Red Sea in Eilat.

- Visit to the Underwater Observatory, under the Red Sea!

- Sail the Sea of Galilee on a Jesus Boat, a replica of the boats used during the time of Jesus.

- Visit several historical sites that were part of Jesus’ life and both the Old and New Testament, such as:

       - Manger Square, where the grotto in which Jesus was born is located. We will visit it on Christmas Eve and witness the Midnight Mass at the Church of Nativity.

       - Enter the Milk Grotto (the grotto where Jesus was born) on Christmas day

       - Capernaum, the village where Jesus lived.

       - Mt. of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount.

       - Synagogue Church, which Jesus attended as an adolescent.

       - St. Gabriel's Church and Mary's Well, where the Annunciation took place.

       - Walk the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus walked carrying his own cross on the way to his crucifixion.

       - Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene.

       - The Western Wall in Jerusalem.

       - Shrine of the Book, the home of the Dead Sea Scrolls

       - Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs, the burial place of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. 

       - Rachel's Tomb, the burial place of the Biblical matriarch Rachel.

- Visit Mount Nebo, the spot where Moses first saw the Promised Land and died.

- See Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

- Attend Petra by Night, a guided excursion of Petra at night, while the ancient city will be completely lit by candles.

- Go on a 4x4 tour of the Wadi Rum Desert where we will see incredible sites, including the ruins of Lawrence of Arabia’s house.

- Visit Al Maghtas, or Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus.

- Swim in the Dead Sea.

- Visit Amman, the capital and most important city of Jordan.

 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 – ARRIVAL TO TEL AVIV | FREE DAY


Shalom! Welcome to Israel. We will start our journey in the ultra-modern, vibrant city of Tel Aviv, the economic center, and, in many ways, the beating heart of Israel. Arrive at any time, transfer to your hotel and have a free day to explore the city or simply relax. For those of us arriving early in the day, we will plan an optional Tel Aviv city tour.

ACCOMMODATIONSMetropolitan Hotel Tel Aviv (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Dinner.

 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16 – THE JOURNEY BEGINS! | MASADA | MUSEUM OF BEDOUIN CULTURE | RAMON CRATER | EILAT

Masada 1

We will start our journey by driving all the way to Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel, stopping at several amazing places on the way.

First we will visit the famous historical ancient fortress of Masada. Built by King Herod at around 37 B.C., Masada was the last Jewish stronghold in the Jewish-Roman War in 73 A.D. We will have an amazing view from the top, including our first sight of the Dead Sea. 

From there we will continue to Tel Beersheba Museum of Bedouin Culture, where we will learn about the fascinating Bedouins, the Arab people that have lived in the Arabian deserts for millennia.

We will continue by visiting the breathtaking Makhtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater), the world largest erosion crater. 

We should arrive in Eilat right before dinner. After dinner we can go for a walk by the Red Sea.

ACCOMMODATIONSAstral Maris Hotel Eilat (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Dinner.

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 – EILAT | MT. TZFACHOT | UNDERWATER OBSERVATORY | SNORKELING IN THE RED SEA

Today we have an optional (no cost) special treat for those of us who are ready to wake up early for an unbelievable sunrise hike (moderate intensity) to the top of Mt. Tzfachot where, in addition to the sunrise and beautiful views, we will be able to see four different countries: Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and even Saudi Arabia!

We will be back at Eilat for breakfast. We will follow it with a visit to the Underwater Observatory, where we will get to see the Red Sea from below the water. 

After that, we will get to go and jump in and snorkel in the Red Sea at Coral Beach. Those of us who scuba dive will also have the opportunity to dive, so we can brag that we have officially dived in the Red Sea!

We should be done in the afternoon and will have the rest of the day to relax at the pool at our hotel, or explore Eilat on our own.

ACCOMMODATIONSAstral Maris Hotel Eilat (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast.

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 – CROSS INTO JORDAN | WADI RUM DESERT | PETRA BY NIGHT

Today we will cross into Jordan and explore Wadi Rum Desert. We will check in and settle in our hotel in the afternoon, and at night we'll attend Petra by Night, a guided excursion of Petra at night, as the city is completely lit by candles!

ACCOMMODATIONSPetra Moon Hotel (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Dinner.

 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19 – PETRA | WADI RUM | OVERNIGHT AT MEMORIES OF AICHA

Today we'll wake up early to tour Petra for a few hours and get to explore this magnificent place. 

After lunch we'll go on a Jeep exploration of Wadi Rum, where we will see the Lawrence House (where the British General T.E Lawrence, AKA Lawrence of Arabia, lived), surreal rock bridges, and more.

At the end of the day, we will continue into a surreal night as we stay at the totally exclusive and unique Memories of Aicha Luxury Camp!

ACCOMMODATIONSMemories of Aicha Luxury Camp (Luxury) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Lunch.

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20 – DEAD SEA | AMMAN

On our last full day in Jordan, we will visit another surreal place: the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth (1,414 ft. below sea level!) and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. The water in the Dead Sea is so salty that nothing can survive in it, you can float by simply laying on your back, although you must not open your eyes underwater! The water, and the mud of the Dead Sea, however, holds many healing properties, for they are very rich in minerals. We will spend half the day enjoying the Dead Sea and its spas.

In the afternoon, we will head up to Amman, the capital and most important city of Jordan. We'll go on a city tour where we will see the King Abdullah Mosque, the Citadel, Temple of Hercules, Nymphaeum, Rainbow Street, and the bazaar.

ACCOMMODATIONSCentro Mada Amman (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Dinner.

 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21 – MT. NEBO | JESUS' BAPTISM SITE | MARY'S WELL | SYNAGOGUE CHURCH | OVERNIGHT IN A KIBBUTZ

Today we start our historical Holy Land leg of the trip. And we'll start with a bang!

We will begin by visiting Mt. Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land and died (Deuteronomy 34). 

Then we will head to Al Maghtas, the site where Jesus was baptized.  

We will then cross the border back into Israel and head to Galilee. We will go to Nazareth and visit Mary's Well, the site where the Annunciation took place. We will also visit the Synagogue Church, the church built on the site where the synagogue that Jesus attended stood. According to the Bible, it is also the place where Jesus first revealed himself as the Messiah, and was rejected. 

Late in the afternoon we will check in our hotel located inside a kibbutz.

ACCOMMODATIONSNof Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Dinner.

 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 – BOAT RIDE ON THE SEA OF GALILEE | JESUS BOAT | CAPERNAUM | TABGHA | MT. OF BEATITUDES | ST. PETER'S FISH LUNCH | MAGDALA | MT. ARBEL

Today we continue our Galilee exploration with a full day of incredible historical sites.

We will begin by going on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. If available (likely), we will sail on a boat that is a replica of the boats used during the time of Jesus. Then we are going to see an actual boat from the time of Jesus. 

From there, we go to Capernaum, one of the villages where Jesus lived, and one of the villages cursed by Jesus for their lack of faith. 

Then we will visit Tabgha, the place where Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes (John 21) and Mt. of Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount

We will take a break for lunch, and have St. Peter's fish, the must-have dish of Galilee. 

After lunch, we will visit Magdala, the city where Mary Magdalene was from, and finish our day with a drive to Mt. Arbel, where we will be able to take a moderate hike to the top of the mountain for the most spectacular view of Galilee.

ACCOMMODATIONSNof Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 – MT. OF OLIVES | PALM SUNDAY PATH | GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE | POOL OF BETHESDA | LION'S GATE | VIA DOLOROSA | ISRAEL MUSEUM | DEAD SEA SCROLLS | TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM | SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW

Today we have an early start and head out to Jerusalem. We'll start the day by driving to Mt. of Olives. Mt. of Olives is mentioned multiple times in both the Old and New Testament, and it's the starting place of the Palm Sunday Path, the biblical road that Jesus followed when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We will travel the Palm Sunday Path, passing by several holy sites, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of Jesus's Agony in the Garden, where he prayed for God to deliver him from his impending suffering, while also accepting God's will. Palm Sunday's Path ends at the old city of Jerusalem. 

We will then visit the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a paralytic man, and head to Lion's Gate, the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus carried his own cross to his crucifixion. We will walk the Via Dolorosa, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Today we will also visit the Israel Museum, where we will enter the Shrine of the Book and see the Dead Sea Scrolls.

We will finish the day by going to the Tower of David Museum and experiencing the Sound and Light Show.

ACCOMMODATIONSPrima Kings Hotel Jerusalem (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast and Dinner.

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 – TEMPLE MOUNT | CITY OF DAVID | HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL | WESTERN WALL | JEWISH QUARTER | YAD VASHEM HOLOCAUST MUSEUM | CHRISTMAS EVE AT MANGER SQUARE 


We will start the day with a visit to the Temple Mount, a holy site for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. We will then continue to the City of David archeological site where we will walk Hezekiah's Tunnel.

After lunch, we will visit the Western Wall, the last remaining outer wall of the ancient Jewish temple, and the most important religious site for the Jewish People. 

We will then visit the Jewish Quarter and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

Late at night we will head out to Manger Square, where we will witness the Midnight Mass conducted in the Church of the Nativity, which is a church built next door to the Milk Grotto, the exact place where Jesus was born. NOTE: It is very difficult to get tickets to actually enter the church on Christmas Eve, but we are on the waiting list. However, the mass is televised at the Manger Square, so if we don't manage to get in, we will still see the mass from the place where Jesus was born right at midnight of December 25th.

ACCOMMODATIONSPrima Kings Hotel Jerusalem (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast.

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 – CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY AND MILK GROTTO | SHEPHERDS FIELD | RACHEL'S TOMB | HERODIUM | HEBRON

On Christmas day we are going back to the Church of the Nativity to now enter inside for certain, and also enter the Milk Grotto, the place where Jesus was born. We will also visit Shepherd’s Field, where the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. 

We will then visit Rachel's Tomb, burial place of the Biblical matriarch Rachel, Herodium, an archeological site of the palace built by King Herod, and also his burial site, and Hebron, the burial site of Abraham.  

ACCOMMODATIONSPrima Kings Hotel Jerusalem (4-Star) or similar.

MEALS: Breakfast.

 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26 – ZEDEKIAH'S CAVE | EIN KAREM | ELAH VALLEY | TRANSFER TO TEL AVIV | OPTIONAL EXTENSION WITH FLIGHT TO CAIRO

This is our last day in Israel, but we still have a few amazing places to see! 

We will start at the fascinating Zedekiah's Cave, a massive quarry built over thousands of years under the city of Jerusalem. We will then proceed to Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, and the Valley of Elah, where the battle between David and Goliath took place.

An incredible last day to end our incredible trip. If you are continuing on the extension, we will head to Tel Aviv for our 6:00 PM flight to Egypt. Otherwise, it is time to say goodbye and head home after an amazing holiday celebration. 

 

ACCOMMODATIONS: N/A

MEALS: Breakfast.

 

Transportation:

- All transportation to our scheduled activities in all countries.

- Transportation to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport on December 26.

 

Accommodations:

- 11 nights of accommodations in 4-star or luxury and experiential hotels at double-occupancy. Please see OCCUPANCY below.

Metropolitan Hotel Tel Aviv (4-Star). 

Astral Maris Hotel Eilat (4-Star).  

Petra Moon Hotel (4-Star).

Memories of Aicha Luxury Camp (Luxury).

Centro Mada Amman (4-Star).

Nof Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel.

Prima Kings Hotel Jerusalem (4-Star).

(Accommodations may be changed with or without notice, due to logistics and availability. In the highly unlikely event of that occurrence, we will do our best to relocate to a similar hotel.) 

 

Meals:

- Breakfast: 11.

- Lunch: 02 (St. Peter Fish Lunch, and lunch in Petra).

- Dinner: 7.

 

Activities: 

- Entrance to all activities, tours, & locations listed in the itinerary unless otherwise listed as optional. 

 

Guides:

- English-speaking licensed local guides and 1000 Treks group leader.

 

 

Cities and Locations:

- Tel Aviv

- Eilat

- Sea of Galilee

- Ginosar 

- Nazareth

- Bethlehem

- Jerusalem

- Wadi Rum

- Ma'an (Petra)

- Potash City (Dead Sea)

- Madaba

- Amman

 

Sites:

- Masada

- Tel Beersheba Museum of Bedouin Culture

- Makhtesh Ramon

- Mt. Tzfachot

- Eilat Underwater Observatory

- Coral Beach (Red Sea)

- Petra

- Wadi Rum

- Dead Sea

- King Abdullah Mosque

- Amman Citadel

- Temple of Hercules

- Nymphaeum

- Rainbow Street

- Amman Bazaar

- Mt. Nebo

- Al Maghtas

- Mary's Well

- Synagogue Church

- Capernaum

- Tabgha

- Mt. of Beatitudes

- Magdala

- Mt. Arbel

- Mt. of Olives

- Garden of Gethsemane

- Pool of Bethesda

- Lion's Gate

- Via Dolorosa

- Church of the Holy Sepulcher

- Shrine of the Book (Israel Museum)

- Tower of David Museum 

- Temple Mount

- City of David

- Hezekiah's Tunnel

- Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter

- Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

- Manger Square

- Church of the Nativity

- Milk Grotto

- Shepherd’s Field

- Rachel's Tomb

- Herodium

- Hebron

- Zedekiah's Cave

- Ein Karem

- Valley of Elah

 

- International flights (see FLIGHTS below).

- Optional activities.

- Meals other than those specifically stated in the itinerary.

- Tips to guides, drivers, staff, etc.

- Souvenirs or anything extra you would like to get.

- Any activity not described in the itinerary.

 

- Double-occupancy: You will be paired up with someone of the same gender as a roommate, unless you have someone that you are already coming with. 

 - Single supplement (if you want a room for yourself): $1,995.00

- The last people to RSVP and pay the deposit MAY have to be put in triple-occupancy rooms (if we end up with an odd number of men or women).

 

International flights are NOT included. Flights are very easy to book on your own, and as some people choose to do side trips, it is best to allow you flexibility in booking these. Many travelers also use miles or other ways of making their flights free or saving money. So instead of including air, we give guidelines so you may book your own. 

 

FLIGHT GUIDELINES 

- Arrive in Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on Friday, December 15 at any time. Check-in at the hotel is 3:00 PM. 

- Leave Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on Tuesday, December 26 at any time after 6:00 PM. Check-out from the hotel is at 12:00PM and we will have a shuttle from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, arriving at Ben Gurion Airport at around 2:00 PM.

You may wish to stay one more night in Tel Aviv on the 26th, so you can more leisurely take a flight at any time on the 27th (shuttles will not be included for that part).

 

 Price: $4,995.00

- In order to save you money, we don't add the cost of credit card processing to the price of the trip, so this price is for check, bank transfer, or any form of payment that does not incur a fee. We can take the deposit via credit card, but need the remaining balance to be paid by a direct form of payment. If you want to pay for the remaining balance with a credit card, we can accept it, but have to add a 5% fee. 

- A deposit of $700.00 (non-refundable, but movable) starts your reservation. Once we receive your deposit, we'll send you a questionnaire and a contract that will need to be returned to us in 72 hours to guarantee your spot. You can read the contract in advance HERE

- Once you return the filled-out questionnaire and signed contract, we will send you an invoice for the remaining amount. You will have until September 15, 2023 (three months before the trip) to finish making your payment. 

- Once you are confirmed, your deposit becomes movable. That means, if you need to cancel your participation in the trip for any reason, you may request a credit for 100% of your deposit that can be applied to any 1000 Treks Trip which departs within one year of the departing date of the original trip. 

- When you make your deposit, you will be asked for your email. MAKE SURE YOU LIST AN EMAIL YOU CHECK DAILY WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR PAYMENT. THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL RECEIVE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE, INVOICE, AND ALL THE EMAILS IN REGARDS TO THE TRIP.  

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR DEPOSIT.

- Full payment is only due by September 15, 2023, three months before the trip. You can make payments when and how you prefer so long as you are fully paid by the due date.   

- If you make payments or pay in full before the due date, your payments (minus the deposit) are refundable before the due date. After that, all payments are entirely non-refundable.  

 

- All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it prior to signing up for any of our trips. You can access it by clicking HERE or visiting https://www.1000treks.com/contract/. A link to the contract can also be found at the bottom of all our webpages under CONTRACT

- Travel insurance is REQUIRED. You may purchase insurance with any company you wish, but we require that your policy covers personal injury, death, medical expenses, emergency evacuation and treatment, repatriation, and personal liability, with a minimum coverage of USD $200,000. You will be required to submit proof of insurance no later than (seven) 7 days prior to the start of the trip or you will not be allowed to participate in the Trip and will forfeit all your payments. Although not part of the requirement, we STRONGLY suggest that you get insurance right away (within 15 days of making your deposit), and that you buy a policy that will cover you in case you need to cancel your trip for any reason. 

- Because of the adventurous nature of our trips, our itinerary and some locations are subject to change due to weather, tides, road conditions, logistics, and other unforeseen circumstances. It’s not likely, but it could happen. Whenever we make a change in the itinerary, we will do our best to maintain the integrity of the trip. 

- A passport is required for all international travel. Your passport must be valid for 6 months after your return date. If you don't have a valid passport, or if your passport expires before 6 months after the date you will arrive back in the U.S., make sure to get started on a new one ASAP. Here's the link for the Department of State Passport section: http://travel.state.gov//content/travel/en.html

- As of the time of this posting, American citizens need a visa for both countries we are visiting, which is issued upon arrival at the entry point for each country. In other words, if you have an American passport, you don't need to obtain a visa in advance. The rules may be different if you have a passport from a different country. Here are links to the embassies of Israel, and Jordan, so you can check visa requirements. We also recommend that even American citizens periodically check to make sure visa requirements have not changed. 

- If you need to take care of any of those issues, make sure to get on them ASAP so you don't get held up because of some unexpected delay. We've had people miss trips and lose money because they waited too long or had unexpected issues come up and couldn't take care of them before the trip started.

- Having a valid passport and all the required visas is your responsibility. Please make sure you have those, and any other necessary issues are resolved well ahead of time. 1000 Treks is not responsible for any problems resulting from you not taking care of issues ahead of time.