Highlights of the Sea of Galilee

Jesus is believed to have spent much of his life among the ancient Jewish communities around the Sea of Galilee, and there are many important Christian sites to visit here. This full-day guided tour takes you to the most renowned of these with a private driver-guide to ease travel arrangements, help you avoid the crowds, and offer insightful commentary. You’ll discover much about the history and significance of each destination, from the Mount of the Beatitudes to the spot where Jesus fed the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish.

Your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel for a full day exploring the highlights of the Sea of Galilee region.

First head for the Mount of the Beatitudes, believed to be the site of the Sermon on the Mount. From the summit, where there is an octagonal Italianate church, you’ll get sweeping views of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area.

Nearby is Tabgha, site of one of Jesus’ most well-known miracles and the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. This 20th-century building protects the remains of a 4th-century church, its floor of vibrant Byzantine mosaic work, and the foundations of an earlier church, all of which surround the rock on which, it is believed, Jesus placed the loaves and fish.

You’ll also stop at Capernaum to see the archaeological remains of the house of Simon Peter and the 5th-century octagonal church built around it (now surmounted by a futuristic-looking Catholic church). Nearby are the remains of an ornate 4th-century synagogue, thought to have been built on the site of the synagogue in which Jesus did much of his teaching and healing. Your guide will explain how it was in the surrounding village that Jesus first met Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew, the first of his disciples.

Another highlight of the tour is the ‘Jesus Boat’ at Kibbutz Ginosar. Believed to date back to the time of Jesus, the exhibition tells the story of how the boat was recovered from the lake bed and ultimately preserved.

Between visiting the sights, your driver-guide will recommend places to eat and take you to a restaurant for lunch (not included in the cost of the tour) and, at the end of the day, drive you back to your hotel.

Please note that all these sites are popular with large pilgrimage group tours and can become very crowded. Your guide will do their best to steer you around the crowds but we do advise a degree of patience.