Are you looking for a spiritual and meaningful Christian vacation? If so, you are in luck! There are many places around the world that offer unique and inspiring experiences for believers. From historic sites to beautiful nature spots, these 10 places for Christian vacations every believer should visit will not disappoint. Whether you want to explore the history of Jesus’ life and ministry or just need a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, these destinations will provide you with the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your faith.
10 Places for Christian vacations every Believer should visit
We know traveling is good, but do you already know the places every Christian should visit? If the answer is no, stay with us and we’ll show you.
Traveling is a perfect option to enrich your soul, open your mind, and free yourself from routine. In addition, taking a trip allows you to broaden your view of the world and of yourself, meet new people, strengthen emotional bonds, build memories, as well as develop personal traits and skills.
What’s more, traveling is also a great way for you to experience faith in a practical way. In this article, we will show you a list of 10 places that every Christian should visit. Good reading!
1. Nazareth
The city of Nazareth is located on a hill 350 meters from the Mediterranean Sea, between the mountains of lower Galilee. Due to its privileged location, its view is impressive, and its region is considered one of the most beautiful.
The village of Nazaré was, in the time of Jesus, a small village of no more than 30,000 square meters, where the houses were generally composed of a single room, connected to a cave dug by hand due to the fragility of the local rocks.
Even in the New Testament, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the birth of the baby Jesus in Nazareth, and there Christ spent his childhood, and adolescence and reached the age of majority.
At present, En-Nâzirah, the name of the city in Hebrew, is the most modern and the largest city in the northern district of Israel, being a center of Christian pilgrimage, with sanctuaries that celebrate biblical events.
2. Jerusalem
147 kilometers from Nazareth is the second city on our list of 10 places every Christian vacations every Believer should visit.
Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world, is located on a plateau in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. This city has been considered a spiritual and religious center since the 10th century BC, being sacred to both Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and consequently the scene of religious battles.
Because of this, the Old City of Jerusalem, with its more than 3000 years, is one of the holiest places in the world and is divided into four quarters: Jewish, Arab, Armenian, and Christian.
Visiting Jerusalem is feeling, at every step taken, a reference that goes from when King David established it as his capital, to the resurrection of Jesus.
This way, for hundreds of years, pilgrims from all over the world have walked the narrow streets of the city and many say that few experiences can compare to seeing the day rise in the city of gold.
It is within the Old City of Jerusalem that you will see very important religious monuments, such as the Wailing Wall, the Via Sacra, the Holy Sepulcher, and, finally, the Mount of Olives. See below:
i. Wailing Wall
The Wall of Lamentations is a place composed of huge blocks of stones, considered a sacred structure for the Jews. Furthermore, the Wall is the last vestige of the Second Temple, built in the place of the original Temple of Solomon.
However, just like the Jews, Christians can leave notes, messages or letters with supplications and thanks to God in the cracks of the stones.
ii. Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The Via Dolorosa is a street in the old city of Jerusalem, which starts at the Lion’s Gate and runs through the western part of the city of Jerusalem, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was even this way that Jesus Christ carried the cross.
On the Via Dolorosa, you will find nine of the stations on the Via Sacra within a route that adds up to 600 meters in length. Finally, the last 5 stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
This, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is the holiest site in the world for Christianity and is therefore one of the places that every Christian should visit. It was here that Jesus was crucified, buried, and finally raised from the dead.
iii. Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is located east of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, and is part of a hill with three peaks, located about 20 minutes by car from the Old City. It received this name due to its ancient vegetation cover, mostly olive trees.
The site is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and has fantastic views of the ancient city. For Christianity, the Mount of Olives is of great importance, since Jesus transmitted many of his teachings there. For Jews, a series of events reported in the Old Testament also makes this place special, such as David’s escape from Absalom.
Also, at the foot of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane, a place occupied by olive trees as old as the biblical stories. There Jesus prayed just before he was arrested.
The garden is adjacent to a cave that, according to biblical traditions, would be the place where Jesus was betrayed by Judas. Today, in the grotto, there is a small altar that is a point of pilgrimage, prayer, and celebrations.
3. River Jordan/ Jordan River
Considered one of the most important rivers in the Middle East, the Jordan River was, and still is, an important source of water for Israel. Its waters supply the Sea of Galilee and flow into the Dead Sea, east of the Judean desert.
The Jordan River is mentioned several times throughout the bible.
It was in this river that, according to the Bible, Elijah ascended to heaven, there was the healing of a leper, the manifestation of the Holy Trinity, and where Jesus was baptized.
When many tourists visit the Holy Land, they include baptism or baptism renewal in their itinerary. The most famous locations for such an action are Yardenit, Israel side, and Qasr Al-Yahud, West Bank side.
4. Dead Sea
The scenery of many Old Testament stories, the Dead Sea could never be left out of the list of places for Christian vacations every Believer should visit.
It is, in fact, a lake that is 117 km from Jerusalem, but which is called a sea due to its salubrity, which is up to 10 times greater than that of the oceans.
The waters of the Dead Sea are considered medicinal for improving some respiratory and dermatological diseases of those who have bathed there. In addition, the mud from the lake region also offers healing properties as it is rich in sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
5. Mount Nebo
The next destination on our list of Christian vacations is the top of Mount Nebo, where – during the pilgrimage of the Jews to the Promised Land – Moses saw Canaan, the Promised Land.
Later, in that same place, Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant, the Tent, and the Altar of Incense.
These passageways contributed to Mount Nebo becoming a pilgrimage destination, home to a church, built in the 4th century AD and expanded over the course of history.
6. The Red Sea
As the Holy Bible tells us, Moses was chosen by God to lead the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt towards the promised land of Canaan. During the exodus, one of the most striking moments is the opening of the Red Sea for the people to flee the persecution of Pharaoh Ramesses II.
It is precisely on this journey, later, that Moses receives the tablets of the ten commandments from God!
The Red Sea bathes the countries of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen, Israel, Jordan, and Sudan. Furthermore, it is approximately 1,900 km long, with a maximum width of 300 km and a maximum depth of 3,040 meters.
It is a prime destination for scuba diving enthusiasts, with a population of over 1,000 species of invertebrates, including 200 species of corals and at least 30 species of sharks.
It is due to the proliferation of the bacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum, present on the surface of the water, that the sea has reddish spots in some places. It is because of them, including, that this sea was so named.
7. Mount Sinai
The landscape of Mount Sinai is certainly breathtaking.
The mountain range provides a unique experience of going back in time to the Exodus and imagining yourself at the foot of the mountain with the children of Israel or even going up with Moses to receive the tablet of the ten commandments.
Mount Sinai is a granite peak with an altitude of 2285 meters. Between the base and the peak, there is a staircase called Sikket Saydna Musa, which in Arabic means The Way of Moses.
Still, 750 steps below the peak, there is a platform where Aaron and the 70 wise men waited while Moses received the Tablets of the Law and a cave, called Retiro de Elias, where God spoke to Elijah after 40 days of walking through the desert.
Right at the top of the hill is the small Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1934.
8. Cana of Galilee
The Arab village of Kafr Kanna, in Lower Galilee, was officially recognized and identified by the Vatican in the 17th century as, what would be in the Christian tradition, Cana of Galilee. Since then, the village has become a travel itinerary for Christian pilgrims from all over the world.
The small village, nestled among the panoramic views of the Galilee, welcomes around 200,000 tourists a year.
It was at Cana in Galilee that Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine at the wedding of a poor couple.
Inspired by the miracle of wine, a tradition has developed of holding weddings in this location, as well as renewing wedding vows to strengthen the union.
9. The Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias or Lake of Gennesaret, is actually a freshwater lake located in the Northern District of Israel, the largest lake in the country, with a length of 20 kilometers.
Furthermore, the Sea of Galilee is one of Israel’s most important water resources. There are pipes that allow the supply of fresh water to cities and the irrigation of fields.
Earlier, in Jesus’ day, this lake was an important fishing pole. He is mentioned in several biblical passages, the most famous of which is the miracle of walking on water.
10. The Capernaum
Finally, to finish our list of the 10 places for Christian vacations every Believer should visit; is Capernaum, located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, was an important and successful commercial and fishing center.
At first, the city was home to the fisherman apostles Peter and Andrew, but it was also where Jesus summoned the apostle Matthew.
Despite the many miracles performed in the city, the people generally rejected the Savior’s ministry. Jesus, therefore, cursed the city which, over time, lay in ruins and is now an archaeological park.
In Capernaum, you have the opportunity to visit the house of Peter and the Benedictine Church commemorating the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
Final Thoughts:
Religious travel is one of the oldest practices in the world. Since the most remote times, pilgrims have traveled long distances in search of healing, miracles, or gratitude.
By visiting these special places, you will feel stronger, inspired, and closer to God. Some of these places are links between certain historical facts and people, but mainly, they are places where Jesus lived and died.
