Short answer: a Christian college or university can take students to Israel on a private, faculty-led study tour built around a Bible, theology, history, or ministry course. Mission Travel Faith Tours, a Christian owned tour operator, customizes these trips for Christian schools, universities, and homeschool organizations, with hotels, bus transportation, licensed guides, entry tickets, a tour manager, and 24-hour support handled for you. Groups of about 20 to 200 students travel as their own private group, and educator travel can be free based on group size.
Every professor who teaches the Gospels knows the moment when a map on a slide stops doing its job. Students hear "Capernaum" and "the Sea of Galilee" for a whole semester, and then one morning they are standing on the shore, and the distances in the text suddenly make sense. A study tour does not replace the classroom. It finishes the lesson.
Why a Holy Land study tour fits a Christian university
- It serves several courses at once. Biblical studies, church history, archaeology, geography, and ministry formation all meet on the same route.
- It shapes students, not just transcripts. Reading Scripture where it happened is discipleship as much as academics.
- It works for a semester break or a short term. A route of about ten days covers the core regions without losing a full term.
- It builds a cohort. Students who walk Jerusalem together tend to keep talking about it long after the grades post.
A sample route for a university group
Many university groups start from our Holy Land Discovery Group Tour, a 10-day, 9-night itinerary in Israel, and then shape it around the course. The sample route includes:
- Tel Aviv and Caesarea: the Mediterranean coast, where Paul was held before sailing for Rome.
- Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee: the heart of Jesus' ministry around Capernaum and the lakeshore.
- The Golan Heights: the northern landscape behind much of Israel's history.
- Jerusalem: the city at the center of the Gospels and the book of Acts.
- Masada and the Dead Sea: the history of the Second Temple period and the wilderness of Judea.
Older students or seminary-track groups can also look at Footsteps of Paul journeys in Greece and Turkey, Reformation tours, or other church history routes. Every itinerary is a starting point, not a script.
What a full-service university trip should include
Our school and university trips include hotels, bus transportation, professional licensed guides, daily breakfast, group meals, entry tickets, a tour manager, pre-trip planning, educational itinerary planning, 24-hour support, and emergency assistance. Optional mission or service projects can be added. Ask for the written inclusions list with your proposal so your department and your students know exactly what the trip covers.
How to plan a faculty-led Holy Land trip
- Start with the course. Decide whether the trip is tied to credit, a ministry practicum, or spiritual formation, and what students must see to meet those goals.
- Talk with a travel specialist. Share your dates, estimated headcount, and must-see sites.
- Customize the journey. We adjust the route, pace, and daily teaching time to your syllabus.
- Review the proposal. You receive an itinerary and pricing for your group before anything is final.
- Hold pre-trip student meetings. Prepare students for the schedule, the walking, and the culture.
- Travel with ground support. A tour manager and our team stay with the group from arrival to departure.
Frequently asked questions
How many students do we need for a university Holy Land trip?
We build school and university trips for groups of about 20 to 200 students, and every trip is a private group, so your students are not mixed in with strangers.
Do professors and staff travel free?
Educator travel can be free based on group size. We confirm the exact number in your proposal.
Are there registration fees?
No. There are no registration fees, travel dates are flexible, and every itinerary is customized.
Can we combine Israel with Greece or Turkey?
Yes. Many Christian schools and universities connect the Holy Land with Footsteps of Paul or church history routes. Tell us the course goals and we will shape the route.
How do we start?
Call Mission Travel Faith Tours at 407-377-7912 or use our contact page, and a travel specialist will help you build a proposal for your department.
You bring the students. We will handle the road so your faculty can teach.
Christian school and university travel · Holy Land tours · Contact Mission Travel Faith Tours
