Find My Trip

Find an existing trip or let us design a unique experience for your small group, congregation, or school.

If you are an independent traveler who would like to join one of the groups listed below, contact Bible Land Explorer here for details and availability.

Mark Ziese is the designer and primary teaching voice (in-country) for all trips where named as Field Instructor. Beyond Israel/Palestine, we partner with local guides. Hosts (or group leaders) assist instructors and guides by recruiting, teaching, and providing positive leadership before, during, and after the in-country experience.

Key to levels of engagement (for more, click the link here).

Study Tour - An excursion designed with an emphasis on history, archaeology, and geography. Undergrads or graduate students may receive credit for the Study Tour. Groups move with energy and stay in budget level accomodations.

Pilgrimage Tour - An excursion designed for one or more church groups. Emphasis here is placed on group synergy, personal reflection, and introducing the context of the biblical story. Comfortable accommodations and easy pace make pilgrimage tours appealing to travelers of all ages.

Extreme Adventure - An excursion that contains academic or spiritual elements, but also pushes the envelope in physical or other ways.

 

january 14 - 29, 2025

Egypt and Sinai

Hosts: Mark Ziese, Jody Owens, Joe Wilson, and Craig Ziese

In-country: local guides

Details: This is the excursion of a lifetime! Pyramids, camel riding, climbing Mt Sinai, scuba/snorkeling in the Red Sea, a 4-day cruise up the Nile, Thebes, Aswan, are among some of the activities on this excursion. An optional Jordanian extension will add Petra and the Dead Sea to this amazing adventure of legs, head, and heart. Mark will develop biblical themes to knit these experiences together. See here for brochure with details.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Click here or email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


March 15 - 26, 2025

Students ascending to a medieval monastery in Meteora, Greece.

Biblical Greece

college roundup: Ozark Christian college and Johnson University

Hosts: Rick Cherok and Jeff Snell

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Study Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


April 29 - May 10, 2025

Israel-Palestine: the christian holyland Foundation

Host: Matt Nance

First Christian Church of Council Bluffs, Iowa

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Engagement with the local faith community sets this experience apart from other tours. In addition to visiting sites of biblical significance, we will worship, pray, and fellowship with Galilee believers.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


May 11 - 22, 2025

Jordan-Israel-Palestine

Host: Isaac O’Casey

Friends from Central Oregon

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Details: TBA

Level of Engagement: Study-Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


June 18 - 30, 2025

Basilica B, Philippi, Greece

Biblical Greece

Host: Kevin Humphrey

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


August 1 - 11, 2025

 

AFRICAN SAFARI, TANZANIA

Hosts: Mark and Vicki Ziese

Destination: Northern Circuit, Tanzania

Join us on a private engagement to the greatness that is Africa. Our goal: to witness the glory of Creation on safari. We aim to explore several of the great parks, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire. Bring a camera and binoculars. We’ll be in pursuit of big game by means of four-wheel drive vehicles. We also will pursue the “Great Migration,” one of the wonders of the natural world. In the evenings we will tent camp (translate: “glamp”) in the bush.

Level of Engagement: Extreme Adventure

Sorry. All seats for this one are now full. Join us in 2026!


November 6 - 18, 2025

Israel-Palestine: the christian holyland foundation

Host: David Mullins

Colonial Heights Christian Church of Kingsport, Tennessee

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Engagement with the local faith community sets this experience apart from other tours. In addition to visiting sites of biblical significance, we will worship, pray, and pick olives with Galilee believers.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


January 14 - 24, 2026

New Life at the Herodium.

 

Israel-Palestine

Host: Brett Andrews

New Life Christian Church, Chantilly, Virginia

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Join host Brett Andrews for an exceptional holiday season abroad.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


January 24 - February 4, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: Tyler Hodson

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Contact us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.


February 5 - 17, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: Guthrie Veech

New Hope Christian Church of Nokomis, Florida

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Details: TBA

We have room for you! Contact us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.


february 18 - 27, 2026

AFRICAN SAFARI, TANZANIA

Hosts: Mark and Vicki Ziese

Destination: Southern Circuit, Tanzania

Join us on a private engagement into the wonder of East Africa. Our goal: to witness the glory of Creation on safari. We aim to explore several of the great parks, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire. Bring a camera and binoculars. We’ll be in pursuit of big game by means of four-wheel drive vehicles. We also will pursue the “Great Migration” into the birthing areas of the southern grasslands. In the evenings we will tent camp (translate: “glamp”) in the bush. For registration and details, find the link here.

Level of Engagement: Extreme Adventure

We have room for you!


March 1 - 14, 2026

Descending into the ancient water system, Tel Megiddo.

Israel-Palestine

Host: Shawn Spradling

Center Pointe Church, Liberty Township, Ohio

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Details: TBA

We have room for you! Contact us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.


March 14 -26, 2026

Stuckey group, Qumran Caves.

Israel-Palestine

Host: Kevin Stuckey

Leesburg Church of Christ, Leesburg, Ohio

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Details: TBA

We have room for you! Contact us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.


April 24 - May 6, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: Tommy Baker

First Church of Burlington, Kentucky

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Details: TBA

Contact host at tbaker@firstchurch.me for available seating.


May 20 - 31, 2026

 

Israel-Palestine

Host: Jody Owens

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

This pilgrimage will integrate biblical history, archaeology and church history with formative experiences designed to connect pilgrims to one another and to God.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Contact us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.


June 1 - 12, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: Greg Taylor

Second Church of Christ, Danville, Illinois

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Details: TBA

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Contact host at greg@secondchurch.com for available seating.


June 13 - 26, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: John Veech

Greenwood Christian Church, Greenwood, Indiana

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Details: TBA

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage tour

Contact host at JVeech@greenwoodchristian.com for available seating.


June 28 - July 10, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Host: Reuben Munn

Shore Community Church, Auckland, New Zealand

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Details: TBA

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


July 11 - 23, 2026

 

Israel-Palestine

Host: Bobby McGuffie

Flowood Baptist Church, Flowood, Mississippi

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Destination: Israel/Palestine

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

We have room for you! Email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com


October 1 - 14, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Craig Grammer

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Details: TBA

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Contact host at craig@ferncreekcc.org for available seating.


October 19 - 30, 2026

Israel-Palestine

Hosts: Scott and Lori Eynon

Community Christian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Scott and Lori Eynon and folks from Community are returning to the Biblical Heartland for a fall visit.

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour

Contact host at seynon@communitycc.com for available seating.


January, 2027

Israel-Palestine

Hosts: Will Pannell and Chris Santasiere

Grace Christian Church and Fairmount Christian Church, Mechanicsville, Virginia

Field Instructor: Mark Ziese

Level of Engagement: Pilgrimage Tour