Depart US to Dublin (Group airfare is not included. Participants should book their own airfare, arriving in Dublin for a 1pm start time at the hotel.)

After arriving in Dublin, you transfer to your hotel for an opening service with Rev. Heather Prince Doss, your spiritual guide for the pilgrimage. You’ll then visit the Book of Kells, the Chester Beatty Library, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral for an evensong worship service. You close your first night with a private welcome dinner featuring Celtic music.

We depart Dublin in the morning for Glendalough, a monastic city in the Wicklow Mountains. We’ll enjoy a walking pilgrimage with Fr. Michael Rodgers before having lunch at the Glendalough Hotel. Returning to Dublin, you have some free time and dinner on your own.

Today, we travel towards Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. Just outside of the city, we’ll visit the Navan Fort complex, a site of reverence and worship to pre-Christian Celts. After lunch, we’ll spend the afternoon visiting with Rev. Grace Clunie, a leading voice on Celtic Spirituality and practice. From Navan Fort, we’ll travel to Belfast to catch our flight to Glasgow, staying overnight near the airport.

Today is a travel adventure! We’ll depart Glasgow on a private coach, heading through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, en route to Oban. In Oban, “the gateway to “The Gateway to the Isles”, we’ll board a ferry for our trip across to the Isle of Mull. Arriving in Mull, we’ll board another private coach for our journey to Fionnphort, where we’ll board our final ferry of the day to Iona. We arrive in time for dinner and the opening of our retreat with John Philip Newell.

The exact daily itinerary and theme is yet to be released, but each day starts with silent reflection in the Chapel of St. Michael. During the mid-morning, you’ll enjoy teachings on Celtic Wisdom from John Philip, followed by lunch on your own. The afternoon is free for personal reflection, hiking, journaling, or other exploring. The retreat re-gathers in the evening for dinner and an evening worship and ritual in the Chapel of St. Oren.

After breakfast, our retreat ends and we begin our journey to Edinburgh, reversing our arrival travels. We arrive in Edinburgh with enough time to relax at the hotel or head into town to explore on your own. We’ll spend the night near the Edinburgh International Airport.

You’ll head to the airport on your own schedule, based on your flight departure. Our hotel is within walking distance of the airport.

This pilgrimage does not include airfare, so please make your arrangements to leave today in time to arrive at the Hampton by Hilton, Waterloo by 1:00pm on Saturday, December 2, 2023

The pilgrimage officially begins at the Hampton by Hilton, Waterloo, at 1:00 pm. After our tour, we have a little free time before our opening dinner. Overnight at the Hampton by Hilton, Waterloo.

We will join a local congregation for morning worship with the Eucharist, before a walking tour of London, including St. Paul’s, the City of London, and sites related to the pilgrimage to Canterbury. After our tour, you will enjoy a free evening in London, including dinner on your own. Overnight London.

We depart London in the morning, stopping at Stonehenge to visit the ancient site, before continuing on to Winchester Cathedral. We arrive in Southampton where we meet a representative from the British Pilgrimage Trust for an introduction to The Old Way. Dinner (included) and overnight at a local hotel.

Today we start with worship and Eucharist at Netley Abbey. Those walking will depart from the Abbey and those choosing not to walk will visit one or two of the following sites: Fishbourne Roman Palace and/or Boxgrove Priory. Dinner and overnight in Battle.

Our day starts with a tour of Battle Abbey, the site of the Battle of Hastings. We’ll spend the morning exploring the sites, enjoy lunch together, then travel to Fordwich, where walkers will depart for Canterbury via The Old Way. Non-walkers will travel by coach to the Cathedral Lodge in Canterbury. Dinner and overnight at the Cathedral Lodge.

Today we explore Canterbury, including the Cathedral, St. Augustine’s Abbey, and other sites of significance. The itinerary concludes with lunch, giving you a free afternoon and evening in Canterbury. Dinner is on your own. Overnight in Canterbury.

We depart Canterbury in the morning, traveling to Dover to visit the Dover Castle and the White Cliffs. After worship with Eucharist, we travel by coach to our hotel near Heathrow Airport. A celebratory closing dinner at the hotel concludes our itinerary. Overnight at the Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow.

Pilgrims will make their way to Heathrow Airport at your leisure for your return flight to the US. The hotel will help you make transfer arrangements to the airport, either via taxi or airport coach.

Depart CHS on United Airlines flight #1057 at 5:12pm for your overnight flight to Tel Aviv via Newark.

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv on United flight #90 at 4:20pm. We’ll travel to the Galilee in a deluxe motorcoach, arriving in time for orientation and dinner.

Today we explore Jesus’ adult ministry in Galilee led by a Palestinian Christian guide. Highlights include the Mount of Beatitudes, the churches at Tabgha, the ruins of Capernaum (home of Simon Peter), a lunch of “St. Peter’s Fish,” a museum with a 2,000 year-old boat, and a sunset boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Return to our Galilee hotel for dinner and overnight accommodations.

Begin the day with a visit to Zippori National Park just north of Nazareth. Scholars have suggested that Jesus may have worked as a stonemason in the construction of this city in the first century. After a traditional Palestinian lunch, enjoy an “off the beaten path” tour of the Arab-Israeli city of Nazareth and the Basilica of the Annunciation, commemorating the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. Visit the historic Synagogue Church and the White Mosque. Return to Galilee for dinner and overnight accommodations.

From the Sea of Galilee, we travel north into the beautiful Golan region to visit the ruins of ancient Caesarea Philippi, take in the heights of Mt. Hermon, and visit a spring that was once a center of pagan worship. In this area, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and revealed himself as the Savior. Return to Galilee for dinner and overnight accommodations.

This morning, we depart the Galilee and follow the Jordan River Valley south, arriving at the Jordan River Baptism Site. We will then travel up to Bethlehem, visiting the Church of the Nativity and the site of Shepherds’ Field. In the late afternoon, you’ll meet our friend Ashraf, an artisan who works with olive wood. Olive wood carving is traditionally a Christian industry in Palestine. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

After a morning worship at Christmas Lutheran Church, we’ll learn how to cook (and eat!) a traditional Palestinian meal with the women of the Noor Women’s Empowerment Group and learn more about the Palestinian people. In the late afternoon, we’ll return to our hotel with some free time before dinner. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Today we will take a deep dive into ancient Jerusalem from the time of the Israelite kings all the way up to Herod and Jesus. We start the day atop the Temple Mount complex for a tour with our Jewish guide before proceeding to the Western Wall and the Southern Steps. After lunch we will tour the modern Jewish Quarter of the Old City including a visit to an active synagogue. Dinner and overnight in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Today, we go down to the Jordan River Valley again, this time heading for Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada was the site of the final stand of Jewish rebels opposed to King Herod. After learning the history of the site and touring the top of the mountain, we’ll visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We’ll finish the day in the Dead Sea, where you’ll float like a cork because of the highly saline water. Make sure you bring your bathing suit! We return to Jerusalem for dinner at our hotel.

Begin in the morning with a walk down the Mount of Olives, visiting several churches along the way and arriving in Gethsemane. After lunch, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus’ tomb and resurrection. You are then free to wander around the Old City, shop, or just relax and take in the city. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodations.

Spend the morning at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum and Memorial. After lunch, explore the Israel Museum, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, fine art, Judaica, and an impressive model of Jerusalem. We’ll return to the Old City with a bit of free time before dinner at our hotel. After dinner we’ll transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for a late-night flight to the United States. Those continuing on to Jordan will stay overnight in Jerusalem.

Your flight to Charleston via Washington, DC departs from Ben Gurion Airport at 12:20am. You return to Charleston on United 1949, arriving at 9:55am.

We depart early for Jordan, crossing the Allenby Bridge into Jordan, where we meet our private guide. We travel towards Petra, stopping along the way at Mt. Nebo and Madaba. Mt. Nebo is the traditional site of Moses’ view of the Promised Land. At Madaba, we’ll see the mosaic map of Jerusalem at the Byzantine Church of St. George. We arrive in Petra in time for dinner and overnight accommodations.

We’ll spend the entire day in Petra, touring the ancient city of the Nabateans. Our expert guide will be with us all day, but you are welcome to explore parts of the city on your own; just make sure to stay hydrated! Dinner and overnight accommodations in Petra.

Today we’ll visit the impressive Roman ruins at Jerash including a colonnaded cardo, two theatres, multiple temples, and more. If time allows, we will stop in the Jordan Museum in Amman before dinner together. After dinner, we head to the airport in Amman for a late-night return flight to the United States.

You depart Amman on United 256 to Washington, DC at 1:15am, arriving at 6:30am. In Washington, you connect to United, departing 8:15am and arriving in Charleston at 9:55am.