The Holy Sepulchre
Jerusalem
The Via Dolorosa, Calvary and the empty tomb, the Cenacle, Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. Four or five nights, because one is not enough.
Destinations / the Holy Land
where Our Lord walked
A Catholic Pilgrimage
to the Holy Land
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Galilee and Jordan — the Gospel read standing in the places it happened.
There is a moment on every Holy Land pilgrimage when the Gospel stops being a text. It happens in different places for different people — on the Sea of Galilee, in the grotto at Bethlehem, on the stone of the Holy Sepulchre — but it happens.
A ProRome pilgrimage to the Holy Land is built around daily Mass at the sites themselves: at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, on the Mount of Beatitudes, in the Church of the Nativity, and at Calvary. Between them you walk the Via Dolorosa, renew baptismal promises at the Jordan, and float in the Dead Sea, because pilgrims have always done both the holy and the human.
Most of our groups cross into Jordan as well, and we think they are right to. Mount Nebo is where Moses looked into a Promised Land he would never enter. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is the likeliest site of the Baptism itself. Madaba holds a sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem, and Petra is two hours further on.
Security and logistics in this region require an operator who watches it closely. We work with the same Christian ground partners year after year, we monitor advisories continuously, and we will tell you plainly if we think your dates should move.
9–12
Nights Abroad
Recommended
Daily
Mass at
Sacred Sites
2
Countries —
Israel & Jordan
25–500+
Pilgrims
Per Group
Where You Will Pray
The places that make a Holy Land pilgrimage
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The Nativity
Bethlehem
The grotto beneath the Church of the Nativity, the Shepherds’ Field, and the Milk Grotto. Many groups lodge here rather than in Jerusalem.
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The Annunciation · Capernaum
Nazareth & Galilee
The Basilica of the Annunciation over the house of Our Lady, then Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes, the synagogue at Capernaum, and a boat across the water.
The Baptism of the Lord
The Jordan River
Renewal of baptismal promises where the Baptist preached — at Qasr al-Yahud, at Yardenit, or across the river at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
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Qumran · Jericho
Masada & the Dead Sea
Herod’s fortress by cable car, the caves at Qumran where the Scrolls were found, and an afternoon floating in the lowest water on earth.
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Moses
Mount Nebo, Jordan
Where Moses saw the Promised Land and was not allowed to enter it. On a clear day you can see Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the towers of Jerusalem.
The Ground You Cover
Israel and Jordan, site by site
Click any marker to see what is there and how long groups usually stay.
Legend
- The classic route
- Galilee & the south
- Jordan
Nowhere is off limits
These are the sites groups ask for most — not a list of where we can go. We have brought pilgrims across the length of Israel and Jordan, from Caesarea and Haifa in the north to Petra and Wadi Rum in the south. If there is a site your group cares about, tell us and we will build the road to it.
A Sample Eleven Nights
Galilee, Jerusalem, and across the Jordan
Nine nights covers Israel alone. Adding Jordan makes it eleven or twelve, and most groups who cross the river tell us it was the right call. Building north to south lets the Gospel unfold in order.
Day 1
Depart the United States
Overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
Day 2
Arrive and travel north
Ben Gurion Airport, then the coast road to Galilee. Opening Mass and first night in Tiberias.
Day 3
The Sea of Galilee
Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Tabgha, and a boat across the water.
Day 4
Nazareth and Cana
The Basilica of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s workshop, and the renewal of marriage vows at Cana.
Day 5
Mount Tabor and Magdala
The Transfiguration in the morning, and the first-century synagogue at Magdala in the afternoon.
Day 6
South to Jerusalem
Down the Jordan valley by way of Jericho and Qumran, with an afternoon in the Dead Sea.
Day 7
Bethlehem
Mass in the grotto of the Nativity, the Shepherds’ Field, and the Milk Grotto.
Day 8
The Via Dolorosa
The Stations through the Old City, Calvary, and Mass at the Holy Sepulchre.
Day 9
The Mount of Olives
Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, the Cenacle, and St. Peter in Gallicantu.
Day 10
Across the Jordan
The border crossing, then Mount Nebo, Madaba and its mosaic map, and Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
Day 11
Petra
The Siq on foot, the Treasury, and the Nabataean city. A long day, and the one nobody forgets.
Day 12
Return home
Transfer to Amman, with your tour manager through to the airport.
This is a starting point, not a package. Groups that want Israel alone drop the last two days and finish at Ein Karem and Emmaus. Groups with more time add Jerash, Machaerus, and Wadi Rum, or pair the Holy Land with Rome in a single fourteen-night pilgrimage.
What it costs
$3,000–$3,500
Student groups · per pilgrim, land only
$3,800–$4,500
Adult groups · per pilgrim, land only
Both ranges are all-inclusive on the ground and vary with the season you travel. Airfare is quoted separately — see the FAQ below for how that works.
- Lodging matched to your group — religious guesthouse, four-star hotel, or five-star
- Daily breakfast and most dinners
- Private motorcoach and all ground transfers
- Catholic guides throughout
- All entrance fees and site reservations
- Daily Mass arranged and reserved
- A ProRome tour manager for the full trip
Where you stay
Religious guesthouses. The Holy Land has the finest religious guesthouses anywhere — Notre Dame in Jerusalem, Casa Nova in Bethlehem, houses run by Franciscans who have kept these sites for eight centuries. Often the best value and the best location at once.
Four-star hotels. More space, more amenities, and the option most parish groups choose.
Five-star. For groups who want it, we build it — and we will tell you honestly what it adds and what it does not.
The choice is yours on every pilgrimage, and it moves the price more than any other decision.
When to go
March to May and September to November are ideal — warm days, cool evenings, and the desert in flower in spring.
Summer is genuinely hot, especially at Masada, the Dead Sea and Petra. We plan early starts and long afternoons when groups must travel then.
Holy Week in Jerusalem is extraordinary and books further ahead than any other week of the year. Tell us early if that is what you want.
We monitor the region continuously. If we believe your dates should move, we will say so.
What Sets Us Apart
Your guide is a missionary, not a tour guide
ProRome guides are trained missionaries with degrees from Catholic universities. They are not working from a script, and they are not reciting dates from a plaque.
In the Holy Land that matters more than anywhere. Our guides can explain what is under the current floor of the Holy Sepulchre, why the Cenacle looks Crusader rather than Roman, and how the Christian community here has held on — and then lead your group in the Stations.
Common Questions
Planning a Holy Land pilgrimage
How long should a Holy Land pilgrimage be?
Nine nights abroad covers Israel properly — roughly three nights in Galilee and five or six in Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Adding Jordan makes it eleven or twelve. Shorter trips force you to choose between Galilee and Jerusalem, and most groups would rather not.
Should we include Jordan?
Most of our groups do, and we think they are right to. Mount Nebo is where Moses looked into the Promised Land he was not allowed to enter, Bethany Beyond the Jordan is the likeliest site of the Baptism itself, and Madaba holds a sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem that pilgrims have used as a guide. Petra is two hours further south and is the day nobody forgets. Jordan adds two or three nights and one land border crossing, which we handle.
Is the Holy Land safe for a parish group?
We monitor the region continuously and work with the same Christian ground partners year after year. Conditions change, and we will tell you plainly if we believe your dates should move or your itinerary should be adjusted — we have done so before. Every group travels with a ProRome tour manager, and our office is reachable throughout the pilgrimage.
How much does a Holy Land pilgrimage cost?
Student groups typically run $3,000 to $3,500 per pilgrim and adult groups $3,800 to $4,500, land only and all-inclusive on the ground, varying with the season. Adding Jordan raises both. Airfare is quoted separately.
Where do groups stay in the Holy Land?
That is your choice. The Holy Land has some of the finest religious guesthouses anywhere — houses run by orders that have kept these sites for centuries, often the best location and the best value at once. Four-star hotels and five-star itineraries are equally available. We will walk you through the trade-offs before anything is booked.
Can our priest offer Mass at the holy sites?
Yes. Daily Mass is arranged at the sites themselves — the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Mount of Beatitudes, the grotto of the Nativity, and the Holy Sepulchre among them. Altars at the major sites are reserved months in advance and we handle every arrangement.
How does the border crossing into Jordan work?
Groups cross by land, usually at the Allenby or Sheikh Hussein bridge. We handle the visas, the paperwork and the coach arrangements on both sides, and a ProRome tour manager is with your group throughout. Allow that it takes a few hours — we build the day around it rather than pretending it does not.
How far in advance should we start planning?
Twelve to eighteen months is ideal, and Holy Week or Christmas in Bethlehem needs longer still. That gives us room to secure group airfare, hold the right houses, reserve altars, and give your pilgrims time to register and pay in installments.
How does airfare work?
Airlines do not release group fares until roughly eleven months before your return date, so airfare is quoted separately from the land price. That gives you two ways to launch. You can launch land-only now, start registering pilgrims at the land price, and add airfare once it opens — the usual choice when a group wants a long recruiting window. Or you can wait until the eleven-month mark, let us contract the air, and launch one all-inclusive price, which is simpler for pilgrims but shortens the time you have to fill the trip. We will tell you which fits your group when we talk.
Let’s build your Holy Land pilgrimage
Tell us your group, your dates, and what is on your parish’s heart. We will come back with an itinerary and a price — no obligation, and no template.
Request a Custom Proposal →