Judean Desert, Dead Sea, Masada

We will descend from the top of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem a 805 m, to the lowest place on earth, at -435 metres below sea level - the Dead Sea! We will drive through a wonderfully eerie desert where men of faith throughout history: Abraham, the prophet Elijah, John the Baptist and Jesus have fled, for a vision of God. Also, Christian hermits from the 4th century onwards days have found solace there. We will proceed to Masada, a lofty palace that King Herod had built on top of an isolated cliff, with a bird's-eye view of the Dead Sea and Jordan. on our return we will visit Ein Gedi nature reserve or bathe in the Dead Sea, according to your choice. We will return to Jerusalem visiting the Jordan River, or the monastery of San Gerasimo, time permitting.

• Observation from the Mount of Olives over the desert. • Stop for a look at St George's Monastery in Wadi Qelt. • An hour's drive along the Dead Sea coast to Masada. • Visit Masada • Lunch break • Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and/or Dead Sea Bath. Optional tour end: • Baptism site. The place where according to tradition Joshua and the tribes of Israel crossed the Jordan, the place where Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire and the place where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Or • Monastery of San Gerasimus. We will visit the monastery where the holy family spent the night, according to local tradition on their flight to Egypt.