WHEN: Jan 29 - Feb 9, 2024 (12 days including travel)
COST: Starting at $6,500 (full details below)
LED BY: Chad Bird (with chaplain David Rufner)
We invite you to join us on a 12-day, all-inclusive Israel Study Tour led by Chad Bird.
Join us on a journey through Scripture. We will stand where Jesus stood, see the mountains and rivers that Abraham and David saw, and be immersed in the land and lessons of the Bible. Think of it as nine days of Bible study in full color. God’s salvation story, leading to the Messiah Jesus Christ, will come alive in new and unforgettable ways.
Unlike other Holy Land tours, this tour is solely focused on bringing Scripture to life through first-hand experiences in the places the stories actually happened. You will be free to focus on each moment without worrying about lodging, tips, transportation, entrance fees, food or water. All of that is included in the total cost of the trip.
1517 is pleased to offer this trip with the help of our friends at GTI Study Tours. Our maximum registration number is 58 people, including 1517 staff, making this a one-bus tour.
ITINERARY:
Mon Jan 29 - Travel: Registration includes airfare (Turkish Airlines) originating from your choice of Los Angeles (LAX) or Chicago (ORD). Both planes will arrive within an hour of each other in Istanbul.
Tue Jan 30 - Travel: From Istanbul, all participants will proceed together on a shorter flight Tel Aviv. Lodging will be at the Cramim Hotel.
Wed Jan 31 - Shephelah: Walk the paths of Joshua & Samson as the Israelites took, and struggled to keep, the Promised Land. See where David fought Goliath and then the last Israelite stronghold as Israel was conquered by the Assyrians while visiting locations like Yad Hashmonah, Beth Shemesh, Azekah, and Beth Guvrin (Maresha). Lodging will be at the Nevo Hotel.
Thu Feb 1 - Negev: Experience the wilderness where Abraham and the Israelites lived before God gave them the Promised Land while visiting locations like Masad, a Bedouin encampment, Tel Arad, and the Dead Sea. Lodging will be at the Nevo Hotel.
Fri Feb 2 - Negev: Spend the day in the wilderness where David hid from Saul, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and where Jesus was baptized while visiting locations like Ein Gedi, Qumran, and the Lower Jordan. Lodging will be at Ein Gev Kibbutz.
Sat Feb 3 - Galilee: Enjoy the day where Jesus spent the majority of His recorded ministry while visiting locations like Mount Arbel, Tabgha, Capernaum, Chorazin, Mount of Beatitudes, an Ancient Boat (Ginosar), and we will enjoy a Galilee Boat Ride. Lodging will be at Ein Gev Kibbutz.
Sun Feb 4 - Galilee: Experience life in 1st Century Israel and then travel north to the headwaters of the Jordan River where Jesus took His disciples just prior to His death while visiting locations like Katzrin (cultural experience), Mount Bental, Caesarea Philippi, and Tel Dan. Lodging will be at Ein Gev Kibbutz.
Mon Feb 5 - Galilee to Jerusalem: Witness the Greco-Roman world of Jesus’ time on earth. We’ll leave the rural life of Jesus and head into the elaborate cities of His day while visiting locations like Beth Shean, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, and Caesarea Maritima. Lodging will be at the Mamilla.
Tue Feb 6 - Jerusalem: We’ll wake up at home, in Jerusalem, and then explore the old city Temple Mount and finish the day in Bethlehem while visiting locations like the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, Rabbinic Tunnels, the Herodium, the Church of the Nativity, and Bethlehem. Lodging will be at the Mamilla.
Wed Feb 7 - Jerusalem: Walk the streets of the city David conquered and made his capital. Then head to the Israel Museum complex while visiting locations like the City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the Israel Museum, Model of Jerusalem, the Shrine of the Book, and Yad Vashem. Lodging will be at the Mamilla.
Thu Feb 8 - Jerusalem: Enter Jerusalem from the east; just as Jesus did that fateful week and will again one day when He returns. Walk His last steps before His death. Finish the trip looking at the mountain He ascended from and the area where His Spirit was given. Do all this while visiting locations like the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Saint Anne’s, the Pool of Bethesda, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Ramparts, and the Southern Steps. This evening we will also enjoy a farewell dinner together. Lodging will be at the Mamilla.
Fri Feb 9 - Travel: Together we will depart Tel Aviv for Istanbul. From Istanbul we will board our respective flights to either Los Angeles or Chicago.
FULL PAYMENT DETAILS:
- $6,500 (USD) is based on double occupancy.
- For single-occupancy, add $2,200.
- All registrations prior to Aug 7, 2023 will receive a $100 discount.
- For flight upgrades to Business class, add $4,300 (LAX) or $3,900 (ORD).
- All payments are made through GTI Study Tours.
- $500 per-person is due upon registration. $2,645 per-person is due on Sep 11, 2023. The remaining balance is due Dec 8, 2023.
COST INCLUDES:
- Round-Trip economy class air from/to LAX or ORD
- Deluxe Hotels - Buffet dinner and breakfast daily
- Lunches served on site
- Deluxe motor coach touring
- Hydration backpack with bottled water on tour
- All transfers, porterage, entrance fees and taxes
- Guide and driver tips
- Study guides and journals
- Pre-Trip curriculum (which includes videos from our own Chad Bird).
COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- Drinks with meals
- Business class upgrades (Add $4,300 from LAX and $3,900 from ORD. Contact GTI for more information.)
CANCELLATION POLICY:
- Full refund less $200 for cancellations after deposit.
- Full refund less $500 for cancellations after Aug 7, 2023.
- Full refund less $2,000 for cancellations after Sep 11, 2023.
- No refunds for cancellations after Dec 8, 2023.
CONCERNING TRAVEL INSURANCE: GTI recommends considering travel insurance. Please click HERE for more information.
TO LEARN MORE STILL: You are invited to email Pam Houck, our GTI travel coordinator, or call her at either 800.829.8234 or 616.396.1234 if you have further questions. You can also email David Rufner or call him at 616.822.3984.
