Groups tap theroots of their

faith in a pilgrimage

to the Holy Land

i s r a e lthe g l o r i e s o f

Church of All Nations, Jerusalem

Reprinted from Leisure Group Travel

hen your group takes ajourney to the Holy Land,they will witness the placesmost sacred to their faith,learn more about the sto-

ries they hold closest to their hearts, andexperience the culture of the communi-ties where their belief was born.

In addition to tracing the Stations ofthe Cross by day, they can watch an Is-raeli folklore show with dinner. They’llvisit the sites of miracles, like Cana,where Jesus turned water into wine, aswell as places of unique pleasures likefloating on the incredibly buoyant wa-ters of the Dead Sea.

Israel is a place to venture into the se-cret underground passageways of Cru-sader City, to float across the Sea ofGalilee, and to witness the breathtakingview of the Holy City upon entering

Jerusalem. It’s a place to get adventurousby exploring the diverse Mediterraneaninfluences in the local cuisine, or by sim-ply enjoying a falafel from a street ven-dor while strolling ancient stone streets.

A LucrAtive MArket

Menlo studies have revealed that Israelis the most desirable religious vacationdestination and that within the next fiveyears, nearly 16 million Americans areplanning to take a Religious/Faith-BasedVacation. This is an excellent opportunityfor group travel. And since 4 out of 5 re-ligious travelers intend to repeat the expe-rience and Globus vacations have a 97%satisfaction rating, sending your groupson Globus Religious Vacation means re-peat business for you!

For many, the footsteps of faith are aserious undertaking, and we make sure

to provide a staff with extensive knowl-edge, interest, and experience in reli-gious travel. Itineraries have beencarefully chosen and refined so that trav-elers can comfortably explore all of theplaces they hold dear.

And when your group undertakessuch an important pilgrimage, we wantto make sure they enjoy their experi-ence. Travelers to the Holy Land have anunparalleled opportunity to develop fel-lowship with their traveling compan-ions. By sharing these mutual interests,Faith-Based Travelers often build friend-ships—and vacation partnerships—thatlast a lifetime.

But you don’t have to take our wordfor it—this travelogue from a Globustraveler who just returned home fromthe “Journey Through the Holy Land”vacation speaks volumes.

special advertising section18 August 2009 LeisureGroupTravel.com

The Wailing Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem

W

Bring the world’s most

Day 1

Yesterday we arrived in Tel Aviv. We got to meet our Tour Director and everyone inthe group, which we loved because everybody is so excited. We began the day in Cae-sarea, where we saw Herod’s fortress. Our Tour Director said that the engraved rock isbelieved to be from Pontius Pilate. He also said that the term Armageddon was de-rived from the battlefield we saw in Meggido. It was nice to find a change of pace whenwe passed through Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s vineyards on the way to Muhraqa.We spent the night in the port town Haifa.

Day 2

Wow! What a way to wake up—staring at the Baha’i Shrine. We got to look uponthe glorious dome and the perfectly manicured gardens from above and below. Afterthat we explored the Crusader Kingdom. The hallways and secret passageways ofthe underground Crusader City are just amazing. I felt privy to something spe-cial I never could have imagined. The huge columns are engraved with beautifulFrench fleur-de-lys and Turkish decorations. In the courtyard, the citadel walls arealmost 100 feet high! But that was only the beginning. Nazareth felt like the placethe Bible really comes to life. It was fascinating to see how small and simple the an-cient homes were. Then we headed to Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine at awedding. And to top it all off, we went for a swim in the lake at Kibbutz Ginosaurbefore dinner.

Day 3

Today started at the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon onthe Mount. I think everyone felt inspired after that. Our Tour Director led us on anin-depth exploration of the places Jesus preached—first the Church of the Multipli-cation of Loaves and Fishes and then Capernaum, where Jesus recruited his first fol-lowers. The little details he included in the stories about these places wereilluminating. Our cruise on the Sea of Galilee was such a fun shared experience,and gave us a much different view of the landscape and the culture where ourfaith began. It was a joy to find ourselves on the same sea where Jesus walked onwater. After we examined some Roman and Byzantine relics in Bet She’an, we en-tered the Holy City—and what a view!

Day 4

The morning began in Ein Karem to visit the Church of St. John the Baptistand the Church of Visitation, which our Tour Director said is reputed to be builtover the home of John the Baptist’s parents. But visiting Bethlehem was thebiggest wow moment for me. Seeing that the place Jesus was born is now an un-derground cave, I just got goosebumps. We also visited Shepherd’s Field, the lovelysite where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. On our return to Jerusalem,we examined amazing treasures from the Second Temple Period in the JerusalemArchaeological Park. In the evening, we enjoyed an Israeli folklore show with din-ner. So much fun!

special advertising sectionLeisureGroupTravel.com August 2009 19

powerful stories to life.

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

A Haifa highlight:

Baha’i Shrine, world

center of Baha’i faith

Day 7

Today was a day at leisure, so we took the time to explore. Our Tour Director recom-mended visiting the Israel Museum, where we saw the Shrine of the Book, the Dead SeaScrolls, the oldest Bible in the world, and a model of Jerusalem during the Second TemplePeriod. We truly appreciated the day at leisure in Jerusalem. We wandered the stonestreets of the Old City and checked out the Turkish markets. We ate some Hungariangoulash and delicious vegetable kabobs. And we got to see the sunlight shine throughthe Chagall windows, which was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed.We decided to end the afternoon at the Holocaust Museum, which was incredibly moving.

Day 8

We were excited to rejoin the group this morning! We followed a winding road tothe land of the Philistines, including the legendary Valley of Elah, where David defeatedGoliath. Our Tour Director shared stories that gave the famous story a whole new con-text. We also visited the Monastery of the Trappist Monks in Latrun and stopped near theruins of the basilica said to be the site of Emmaus, where Jesus manifested himself to twodisciples. But this day was mainly memorable because our journey was coming to an end.Exploring the places where all the stories behind our faith happened really made meappreciate our fellow travelers. There’s a truly special bond you form when travelingwith others who share your faith. By the farewell dinner, we were all trading storieslike old friends.

Day 5

We may be at the lowest point on Earth at the Dead Sea, but you’d never know it byour first venture of the day. We ascended in a cable car to the spectacular hilltop fortress ofMasada. We could see across the sea all the way to Jordan. The schedule worked out perfectlytoday—we were ready for a more relaxing day, and our group headed to a really comfortableDead Sea resort. I had heard about floating on the Dead Sea, but never guessed howcool it would be. I floated sitting up! It was such a unique experience, I recommend itto anyone. We were all smiles as we made our way back to Jerusalem.

Day 6

We could see the Old City and the modern parts of Jerusalem this morning from theMount of Olives. Then we began a walking tour: the Rock of Agony, where Jesus prayedhis last prayer before his arrest; the Cave of the Assumption of Mary and the Cave ofBetrayal; and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, erected over the site of the crucifixion.When I saw the slab of marble where Jesus’ body was cleansed after crucifixion, it was avery emotional moment. I left a photo of my husband and son there. We visited theWailing Wall afterward, which was extremely powerful because you witness so manyJewish traditions and everyone is so devout. You’re there to have a religious experience.The day concluded at the House of Caiaphas, where Jesus was kept the night after hewas arrested. This was definitely one of the most emotional days of my life.

special advertising section20 August 2009

"This was definitely one of the

most emotional days of my life."

St. Catherine’s Church in Bethlehem,

where the midnight Mass is held on

Christmas for world leaders

Bethesda Pools

in Jerusalem, site

of a miraculous

healing by Jesus

*All prices quoted are per person, land only, double occupancy. Air-inclusive pricing is available. Additional restrictions may apply.