Walking the sacred ground trodden by our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos, and the Holy Apostles is an experience that stays with a Christian forever.
Under the archpastoral guidance of His Grace Bishop Philaretos (Western European Diocese, RTOC), this journey is organised not as a commercial holiday, but as a sacred spiritual pilgrimage and an international gathering of True Orthodox faithful.
Lodging directly inside the historic walls of the Old City of Jerusalem for all 8 nights, our group will venerate the holiest shrines of Christendom by day, while gathering in the evenings for archpastoral talks, catechesis, and fellowship on standing firm in the uncompromised patristic Faith amidst an apostate world.
⚡ Quick Reservation Summary & Booking Link
- Dates: January 8–16, 2027 (9 Days / 8 Nights)
- Lodging: Inside the historic walls of the Old City of Jerusalem
- Total Pilgrimage Cost: €1,250 per person (Infants under 2 travel free)
- Lock In Your Spot Today: €312 online deposit (€300 credited directly toward your trip + €12 card processing fee)
- The Household Rule: Immediate families (parents & children) need only place one single deposit to secure their entire household.
- Remaining Balance: Paid in cash (Euros only) upon arrival at our Old City guest house on Day 1.
👉 Click Here to Reserve Your Place on the Holy Land Pilgrimage (January 2027) (Spaces are strictly limited by our Old City room allotment and are allocated first-come, first-served).
A Pan-Diaspora Gathering in the Holy City
In an era when faithful Christians holding fast to the unadulterated patristic confession often find themselves spiritually isolated and scattered across many nations, this pilgrimage serves as an organic meeting point for True Orthodox faithful from Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond.
In addition to prayer at the holy shrines, the pilgrimage will feature regular gatherings for mutual spiritual edification:
- Spiritual Talks & Pastoral Guidance: Led by His Grace Bishop Philaretos and accompanying clergy, focusing on the inner life, noetic prayer, vigilance, and maintaining the catacomb spirit of confessing Christianity today.
- Discussions on Living the Faith in the World: Open evening discussion circles addressing the practical struggles of Christian life in the contemporary diaspora—preserving the home against faithlessness and prelest, and raising pious children.
- Living Ties Across Parishes: An informal setting for clergy, monastics, youth, and families from different countries to get to know one another, share experiences, and build enduring spiritual friendships.
Exceptional Accommodations: Inside the Old City Walls
We are exceptionally blessed to have secured private accommodations situated directly inside the historic walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Accommodations inside the Old City are among the most sought-after and expensive in the Christian world. Staying within the ancient gates allows our pilgrims to avoid the daily traffic, checkpoints, and lengthy coach rides of staying outside the city. Instead, we step straight into the sacred fabric of Jerusalem each morning—just a short, peaceful walk through the quiet stone passageways to Golgotha, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Tomb of the Mother of God.
Orthodox Fellowship & Pious Families
A pilgrimage among brethren who share the exact same confession of Faith is an exceedingly rare and edifying joy. Over the years, these diocesan journeys have deepened lasting ties across continents and, under God’s Providence, have resulted in several pious True Orthodox marriages.
While we make no promises, we warmly welcome and encourage families with pious, marriageable adult children seeking a spouse within the True Orthodox Church to attend. Experiencing the holy places together in prayer, sobriety, shared meals, and long walks is a totally wholesome, natural setting for young adults to meet fellow believers who share our Faith.
Cost, Inclusions & Transparent Pricing
- Total Price: €1,250 per person (based on double or triple room occupancy; infants under 2 travel free).
- Booking Deposit: A deposit of €300 per booking is credited toward your trip, plus a €12 processing fee to cover electronic transfer charges (total payable online today: €312).
- The “One Deposit per Household” Rule: Immediate families travelling together need only place one deposit online today to register their entire family. (Unrelated pilgrims traveling together must book individual deposits).
- Remaining Balance Payable in Cash (Euros Only) Upon Arrival: Your €300 online deposit is deducted from your final total. You simply pay the remaining balance in person in cash in EUROS (€ EUR only — not USD or credit card) upon arrival at our Old City guest house on Day 1:
- 1 Person: €950 cash on arrival
- 2 People: €2,200 cash on arrival
- 3 People: €3,450 cash on arrival
- 4 People: €4,700 cash on arrival (For larger families, each additional traveler aged 2+ adds €1,250 to the arrival cash balance).
- Children & Infants:
- Under 2 Years Old (0–23 months): Travel free of charge (sharing their parents’ bed and sitting on a parent’s lap during transit).
- Ages 2 and Older: Local transport regulations require every passenger aged 2+ to have their own dedicated belted seat on buses and their own bed at the guest house. Thus, all pilgrims aged 2+ pay the standard rate.
What is Included:
- 8 nights accommodation at our private guest house inside the Old City of Jerusalem.
- Full breakfast and dinner daily.
- All group bus transportation to pilgrimage sites and scheduled airport transfers.
- Dedicated private local transport (such as taxis to the summit of Mount Tabor).
- All entrance tickets to every holy site and monastery on the program.
- Participation in all group spiritual talks, lectures, and discussion circles.
What is Not Included:
- Airfare to and from Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport – TLV).
- Visas and ETA-IL electronic travel authorisation fees.
- Personal travel/medical insurance (optional, not provided by organisers).
- Lunches, snacks, and personal spending.
Our Pilgrimage Program by Spiritual Region
(Because our pilgrimage spans 9 full days, the daily sequence is organized around sacred regions and coordinated locally for optimal prayer and shrine access):
1. The Old City of Jerusalem & the Passion of Christ
- Prostrating before the All-Holy and Life-Giving Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- Kneeling at Golgotha, the Stone of Anointing, and the Chapel of the Finding of the Precious Cross.
- Walking the Via Dolorosa and venerating the Praetorium, St. Peter’s Prison, and the Birthplace of the Most Holy Theotokos.
- The Pool of Bethesda, and kneeling at the Tomb of the Mother of God in Gethsemane.
2. Mount Sion, the Mount of Olives & Jerusalem’s Environs
- Ascending the Mount of Olives to venerate the site of the Lord’s Holy Ascension.
- Visiting the Monastery of “Little Galilee”, where the Risen Saviour twice appeared to His Disciples.
- Ascending Mount Sion to venerate the Upper Room of the Mystical Supper, Pentecost, and the House of St. John the Theologian where the Theotokos fell asleep.
- Pilgrimage to the Monastery of the Holy Cross and Katamonas (sanctuary and Tomb of the Righteous St. Symeon the God-bearer).
3. The Judaean Wilderness, Jericho & the Jordan
- Journeying to the Jordan River for the blessing of waters at the site of Christ’s Holy Theophany.
- Praying at the ancient Monastery of St. Gerasimos of the Jordan.
- Excursion into the cliffside canyon to the ancient Monastery of St. George of Hozeva in Wadi Qelt.
- Sarantarion (Mount of Temptation) and the Sycamore Tree of St. Zacchaeus.
- Kneeling at the Tomb of the Righteous Four-Days-Dead St. Lazarus in Bethany.
4. Bethlehem & the Desert Lavras
- Kneeling in the Holy Cave of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem.
- The Monastery of the Shepherds’ Field, where angels proclaimed the birth of the Saviour.
- The great coenobitic foundation of the Monastery of St. Theodosius the Coenobite.
- Continuing by desert transit deep into the wilderness gorge to the ancient citadel of Orthodox asceticism: the Great Lavra of St. Sabbas the Sanctified.
5. Galilee & Mount Tabor
- Ascending by private taxi to the peak of the Holy Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
- Nazareth (the site of the Archangel Gabriel’s Annunciation) and Cana of Galilee.
- The shores of the Sea of Galilee, visiting the Monastery of the Holy Apostles in Capernaum.
6. Hebron, Samaria & Lydda
- Hebron and the Oak of Mamre, where Abraham showed hospitality to the Holy Trinity.
- Jacob’s Well in Samaria, site of Christ’s conversation with the Samaritan woman (St. Photini).
- Prostrating before the Tomb of the Holy Great-Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer in Lydda.
Ecclesial Context & Canonical Respect
- Diocesan Organization: This pilgrimage and convocation is hosted by the Western European Diocese of the Russian True Orthodox Church (RTOC) under the omophorion of His Grace Bishop Philaretos. Our church maintains a strict patristic stance, holding no communion with the state patriarchates, and will not attend or participate in services of state-church bodies in the Holy Land.
- An Open Hand to Respectful Visitors: Guests from outside of our church are welcome to join us, with the understanding that they respect our canonical order and follow the direction of Bishop Philaretos and the pilgrimage leaders.
Important Travel & Entry Requirements
- Mandatory Flight Approvals (Tel Aviv – TLV): The pilgrimage begins and ends at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). On January 8, select flights landing by early afternoon or earlier. On January 16, select flights departing midday (12:00 PM) or later. Do not book airline tickets until you have emailed your proposed flight itinerary to
[email protected]and received written approval from the organisers. - Passport 6-Month Rule & Scans: Your passport must be valid for at least six (6) months beyond our entry date (valid through at least July 8, 2027). A clear scan or photograph of each pilgrim’s passport photo page must be emailed to the organisers prior to arrival for local guest house registration.
- Entry Visas & ETA-IL Authorisation: Pilgrims are entirely responsible for securing their own travel entry documents to Israel:
- ETA-IL: Pilgrims holding passports from visa-exempt countries (such as the EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, etc.) must obtain an approved ETA-IL online prior to departure via the official Israeli Population and Immigration Authority website.
- Consular Visas: If your citizenship requires a traditional consular visa to enter Israel, you must secure this independently through your local Israeli embassy or consulate well in advance.
- Travel & Medical Insurance: Travel and medical insurance is not required by law to enter Israel. The pilgrimage organisers do not provide insurance coverage. It is entirely up to the personal discretion of each pilgrim whether to purchase travel, health, or trip-interruption insurance independently.
- Shrine Access Realities: When travelling in the Holy Land, civil, security, or monastic regulations can change without warning. Certain chapels or shrines may unexpectedly be closed or restricted on the day we arrive. Pilgrims are asked to undertake this journey with patience and understanding.
Reserve Your Place Online Today
Because our private guest house is situated directly inside the walls of the Old City, room allotments are strictly limited. Once our allocated beds are filled, registrations will permanently close.
To secure your reservation today, please place your deposit directly through our diocesan store:
👉 Click Here to Reserve Your Place for the Holy Land Pilgrimage (January 2027)
(On the reservation page, you will list the names and ages of all pilgrims traveling under your deposit, confirm your room-sharing details, and complete your €312 online deposit securely via PayPal or Credit Card).
For questions or to submit flight itineraries for clearance, please email the organisers directly at: [email protected].
