Jubilee Extension
Join us as we celebrate fifty years of changing the ministry, church, and individual lives through Christian travel! We’re in the Holy Land like we’ve never been before! Spend a week in the city of Jesus’s birth while participating in arranged banquets, concerts, spectacles, and special services in honor of the work God has done during EO’s fifty years!
What’s Included
- All Inclusive Pricing
- Breakfast and Dinner Daily
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Entrance and Program Fees
- First Class Hotels
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- Hotel Gratuities
- International Airfare from NY
- Overseas Airport Transfers
- Study Guide
^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.
† If air purchased through EO.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 Wed., Jan. 24 | Departure
Depart the USA on your international flight to Israel.
Day 2 Thurs., Jan. 25 | Arrive, Bethlehem
Arrive at the airport in Tel Aviv. Then transfer to Bethlehem and settle in to your hotel and join us for a welcome dinner.
Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 3 Fri., Jan. 26 | Bethlehem Day & Banquet
Join us for a mission-minded morning in Bethlehem where we’ll come alongside local efforts and witness those representing the hands and feet of Jesus in this politically tense city. Then set off on your touring options. After touring, gather back together in the evening for an exquisite banquet in Bethlehem!
Breakfast, Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Iconic Track:
Explore the Church of the Nativity, built around 326 A.D. Throughout the millennia, its façade has changed from the original cave where Jesus was born to the Crusader design visitors see today. East of the city lies the traditional location for Shepherd’s Field, where angels appeared to simple herdsman “keeping watch o’er their flocks by night.” Even today, shepherds lead their flocks to this area for grazing. Then stand on the Mount of Olives. Enjoy a remarkable view of the "Golden City" of Jerusalem. This marks the final place Jesus stood before ascending into heaven forty days after His resurrection.
Holy Land Uncovered:
Wander through the City of David excavations; walk the steps to the Pool of Siloam; explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Dive into local archaeological digs before heading to the Old City of Jerusalem, ancient yet beautifully preserved with narrow, cobbled streets and enchanting porticos.
Life Today in an Ancient Land:
Step into the land’s current issues when you visit the Walled Off Hotel. This Banksy-designed art hub sits right next to Bethlehem’s Wall, erected to regulate Palestinian entrance into Israel. Enjoy a local food experience and enter the refugee camp in Bethlehem to explore the hard world of these social outcasts.
Adventurous Pathways:
Visit a local Bedouin camp and learn about the ancient nomadic tribes that settled the region. Enjoy their rich hospitality and delicious meals. This is a remarkable chance to contemplate the life and faith of the patriarchs, like Abraham and Moses. Then finish your touring with a visit to the Herodion, the fortified palace and final resting place of Herod the Great.
Day 4 Sat., Jan. 27 | Touring Options, Evening Concert
Enjoy morning and afternoon touring options in and around Jerusalem before a beautiful evening concert.
Breakfast, Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Iconic Track:
Enjoy a visit to Masada, the spectacular mountaintop fortress built by Herod the Great. Hear about the final, tragic battle of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. The cable car ride provides an excellent perspective, especially of the Roman camps and siege ramp remains below. Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Before heading back to the hotel, stop off at the Dead Sea.
Holy Land Uncovered:
Enjoy exploring the Shephelah, a lowland between the coastal plain and the high central hills of Judea and Samaria. Full of rocky plateaus and hilly swells, the Shephelah appears consistently in the Scriptures during the Israelites’ conquest and settlement of the land and has been critically significant ever since.
Life Today in an Ancient Land:
Tour Tel Aviv, a wealth of discoveries both contemporary and ancient! Meaning ‘Hill of Spring,’ today’s Tel Aviv lives up to its name. It offers a well-spring of creativity, dazzling spectacles, shimmering skyscrapers, delicious food, and something new around every corner! No wonder it’s known as the Manhattan of the Mediterranean! Enjoy a market tour, a walking tour of Neve Tzedek, and Rothschild Blvd.
Adventurous Pathways:
Hike the Wadi Qelt, the backdrop for several Biblical narratives, including David’s flight from Absalom, Zedekiah’s flight from the Babylonians, the story of the Good Samaritan, and Jesus’s walks from Jericho to Jerusalem. Afterward, drive back to town and enjoy the Old City of Jerusalem.
Day 5 Sun., Jan. 28 | Touring Options, Sound & Light Show Spectacle
Continue enjoying your Jubilee-exclusive touring options before a celebratory Sound & Light Show!
Breakfast, Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Iconic Track:
Explore the history of Jerusalem during your city tour and visits to world-renown museums. Since its inception in 1953, Yad Vashem has documented the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust period, preserving their memory and stories. Each of the six million victims holds a place within these sobering grounds. Continue to the Israel Museum, which contains the Shrine of the Book and a scaled model of ancient Jerusalem. Beyond that, enjoy extensive ethnography collections, fine art, artifacts, rare manuscripts, and sculpture.
Holy Land Uncovered:
Visit Samaria, established as the capital of the Northern Kingdom by Omri, Israel’s sixth king. Excavations in the region give testimony to Ahab and Jezebel’s reign as well as the Baal worship they established. Many other interesting historical sites cluster in this area, like the Hellenistic Tower, the remains of Herod the Great’s Temple, and more. Visit Shiloh, where the Tent of Meeting was established during Joshua’s days as leader of Israel. Joshua cast lots and apportioned the land to the tribes of Israel in this area.
Life Today in an Ancient Land:
Enjoy the best Israeli flavors during your Machane Yehuda Market and food tour! Peruse new stalls and long-time, generational ones. Hear stories of legacy and friendship as aromas and sounds surround you. Learn about the wide variety of fresh ingredients within Israeli cuisine. Watch locals create delicious foods. Then dive into the fun yourself with your own challah making class! End the afternoon strolling the Market at Ben Yehuda Street.
Adventurous Pathways:
Hike Israel’s crater lands. The cliffs overlooking miles of low desert land offer breathtaking views. The overlooks give a perfect setting for prayer and reflection. Then hike the almost 2-mile path within Ein Avdat National Park. This easy and interesting trail provides amazing nature views and animal sightings. Keep your eyes peeled for gazelle, ibex, eagles, and more! (Lunch included.)
Day 6 Mon., Jan. 29 | Breakfast, Special Communion at the Garden Tomb, Touring Options
Join your fellow travelers for a farewell breakfast before gathering to take communion at the Garden Tomb this Sunday morning. Continue your touring the area with our 50th-year special touring tracks.
Breakfast, Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Iconic Track:
Take time to reflect on the miraculous reality of the resurrection at the Garden Tomb, a beautiful, peaceful area located just a few blocks north of the Old City. Then soak in the week’s experience while you wander the Old City. Finish up any last-minute shopping and absorb the aura of this ancient land before getting ready to head home.
Holy Land Uncovered:
Take time to reflect on the miraculous reality of the resurrection at the Garden Tomb, a beautiful, peaceful area located just a few blocks north of the Old City. Then take hold of history, quite literally, at Emek Tzurim, where you get to be the archaeologist! Arrowheads, coins, mosaic pieces, and more have been found at the dig site. What could you uncover?!
Life Today in an Ancient Land:
Take time to reflect on the miraculous reality of the resurrection at the Garden Tomb, a beautiful, peaceful area located just a few blocks north of the Old City. Walk through sites and sounds of the Old City, like Tower of David Museum, the Herodion Palace, the Armenian Quarter, Jewish Quarter, and Burnt House (Wohl Archaeological Museum).
Adventurous Pathways:
Take time to reflect on the miraculous reality of the resurrection at the Garden Tomb, a beautiful, peaceful area located just a few blocks north of the Old City. Then hike a portion of the trail from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
Day 7 Tue., Jan. 30 | Free day in Bethlehem
Enjoy a free day in Bethlehem on your own.
Day 8 Wed. Jan. 31 | Free day in Bethlehem
Enjoy a free day in Bethlehem on your own before joining your group in the evening.