Overview
Explore Jesus's footsteps on the Mount of Olives, visit significant sites like the Church of the Ascension and Garden of Gethsemane, and journey through Jerusalem's Old City, stopping at key locations such as the Church of Saint Anne and the Convent of the Sisters of Zion while tracing the Via Dolorosa. Please note, this tour involves over 5 miles of walking in hilly terrain.
About this activity
Languages
English
Departure days
Friday, Tuesday ,
Pickup included
Pickup and drop off from a close by hotel
Highlights
Full description
Embark on an extraordinary Christian pilgrimage through the sacred heart of Jerusalem, where you can follow in the hallowed footsteps of Jesus and explore the very sites where momentous Biblical events unfolded. Our enlightening journey commences atop the revered Mount of Olives at the historic Church of the Ascension. Here, it is said that Jesus ascended to heaven, leaving an enduring impression of his foot on a timeless slab of stone. While a 4th-century chapel once graced this site, today we behold a chapel from the Crusader era, standing as a testament to centuries of devotion.
Continuing our pilgrimage, we make our way to the nearby Church of the Pater Noster, where Christ imparted the Lord's Prayer to his disciples. Plaques, inscribed with the Lord's Prayer in various languages, adorn the walls of this sacred sanctuary. We stand on the very ground where Jesus imparted this cherished prayer. Descending from the Mount of Olives, we savor panoramic vistas that encompass a 3,000-year-old Jewish cemetery and the iconic Old City sprawled across the Kidron Valley. Our brief pause at the Dominus Flevit reveals a teardrop-shaped chapel designed by the visionary Barluzzi, signifying the site where Jesus gazed upon Jerusalem and shed tears.
Our pilgrimage proceeds to the awe-inspiring Church of All Nations, with the adjacent Garden of Gethsemane, the poignant setting where Jesus fervently prayed and was subsequently arrested on the eve of his crucifixion. As we cross the Kidron Valley, we enter the hallowed Old City through the storied Lion's Gate. Here, we can behold the Pools of Bethesda, the very place where Jesus performed a miraculous healing of a paralytic.
Our Christian Jerusalem pilgrimage leads us to the magnificent Church of St. Anne, an edifice erected above the site of Mary's birth. As we explore further, we visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, where ancient water cisterns from the Second Temple Era and Roman flagstones etched with history are revealed. It was here that Pilate passed judgment and sentenced Jesus, who then took up his cross and embarked on his poignant journey through jeering crowds along the Via Dolorosa, culminating in his crucifixion.
Our Jerusalem pilgrimage retraces a portion of Jesus' profound path along the Via Dolorosa within the Old City's ancient walls. Along this sacred route, we pause at the poignant 3rd Station of the Cross, a profound testament to the enduring faith and profound significance of this remarkable journey.
