How To Select A Good Tour Operator For Your Holy Land Pilgrimage

By Author: Gordan Zovko
Total Articles: 21
Comment this article

If you are planning to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, you will need to do some good research about the itinerary you pick and the company that you select. There are tour operators that provide different tour packages to pilgrims, you can make bookings with the one that best meets your needs and preferences.

As pilgrimage to the Holy Land is appealing and personally important to many Catholics, a lot of tour operators organize tours to the Holy Land usually ranging from 8 to 15 days. For many Catholics, these tours are not merely for the sake of sightseeing but rather a powerful, significant, soul-finding experience as the Holy Land marks the place of birth of Jesus Christ, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection for them.

If you are all set to go on a Holy land pilgrimage, make sure you do the right research work. It is good to know that many itineraries are designed based on a theme; for example, day 1 is about the Annunciation, day 2 about the Ministry of Christ in the Galilee and so on and so forth.

You should not base your decision about the tour operator you select solely on the price or the time ...
... and duration of a trip. There are many factors and little details that could make your stay so much better and more insightful if you only paid attention to them and it is likely that they will not cost you more.

First of all, look for a tour operator that will provide you with a Catholic guide rather than any tour guide. Any tour guide will probably be informative and knowledgeable about the history and stories related to the place you are visiting by a Catholic guide will appreciate the significance of the spirituality of your trip. For them, churches and sacred sites are not merely touristic attractions but rather sacred and holy places that have a historical and a spiritual significance. If your guide appreciates this, he will be able to make your visit more insightful and purposeful. He will also be able to cater more generously and graciously to any needs that you may have of religious nature.

Second, when you check the itinerary offered by the operator, make sure that they include all the religious sites that you intended to visit in the first place. It will be very difficult for you to travel along with a group and leave them in the middle to see places that were not originally included. It will be a hassle for you that you can easily avoid. In addition, make sure that they give you enough time for prayer and meditation. You will definitely not enjoy your time if you always feel rushed.

Third, if you are originally traveling with a priest, a tour operator can arrange for you to pray a Holy mass in one of the many shrines in the Holy Land. However, not all operators offer this service. Check with the operator ahead of time about their ability and willingness to organize that in the church or shrine that you wish. You can choose to do so in Nazareth, Bethlehem or in the Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Italy Catholic Shrines or in other places.

These are some tips that could make your trip more pleasant and memorial. The more time you invest in making a proper selection, the more you will enjoy your pilgrimage.

The author of this article is associated with Blue Heart Travel LLC that offers a wide range of Holy Land Tours and Catholic pilgrimages all across the Europe. For Marian Shrines tour, pilgrims can contact the company.