Enjoy the city where Jesus was born and see the main attractions of Bethlehem. You will leave Jerusalem and travel south towards Bethlehem, the City of David. Once you cross the Manger aquare surrounded by the Mosque of Omar, the Palestinian Peace Center you will get to the Church of the Nativity. It was originally constructed in the 4th century and later expanded during the 6th century. You can still see part of the original mosaic floor through an opening in the present basilica floor. After entering from the "Door of Humility" you will see on the walls faint golden mosaics and 30 of the 44 pink limestone columns in the nave of the church are adorned with decorations from the Crusader period. Beneath the church is the Grotto of the Nativity where it is believed that Jesus was born. A silver star in the grotto is engraved with the Latin phrase "Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary."
Now is the time for the Church of St. Catherine, which is connected to the Church of the Nativity through caves. These ancient caves hold several tombs and chapels including the Chapel of the Innocent dedicated to the babies killed under Herod (Matt. 2:16), the Chapel of Joseph and the Tomb of Jerome.
Your final stop is Shepherds Field. Here the Bible says that an angel appeared to shepherds tending their sheep by night and the angel told them that a savior had been born in nearby Bethlehem. Today a tent-shaped chapel, designed bythe renowned architect Antonio Berluzzi.
Hotel drop-off
