Holy Week 2027 in the Holy Land: How It Is Lived in Jerusalem

Holy Week 2027 runs from Palm Sunday, March 21, to Easter Sunday, March 28. Living it in Jerusalem means walking with Jesus in the very places of his Passion, Death and Resurrection: the Mount of Olives, the Upper Room, Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, Calvary and the empty Tomb.

Our 2027 Holy Land and Medjugorje pilgrimage departs on March 19, spends all of Holy Week in the Holy Land and continues to Medjugorje on March 29 for the Octave of Easter. Here is how the Church celebrates each day in Jerusalem and what we will experience on the trip.

Holy Week 2027 pilgrimage at a glance

Dates:

March 19 to April 6, 2027 (18 days / 17 nights).

Holy Land:

until March 29, covering all of Holy Week.

Medjugorje:

March 29 to April 6, with the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday.

Places:

Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Medjugorje.

Accompaniment:

a priest, daily Mass and a professional guide.

Departures:

from the United States (Miami) and Bogotá. We help you connect from any city.

Price:

from €4,760 per person, with flights, lodging, all meals, transportation, entrance fees, guide and priest.

See the 2027 Holy Land and Medjugorje pilgrimage

When is Holy Week 2027? Dates

• Palm Sunday: March 21
• Holy Thursday: March 25
• Good Friday: March 26
• Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil: March 27
• Easter Sunday: March 28
• Divine Mercy Sunday: April 4

These are the dates of the Catholic calendar. The Orthodox Churches celebrate Easter 2027 on May 2, so the Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Holy Sepulchre will be on May 1, outside our travel dates.

How Holy Week is lived in Jerusalem, day by day

In Jerusalem, the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, who care for the holy sites on behalf of the Catholic Church, celebrate the liturgy at the very places of the Gospel. This is the traditional outline; exact times are published each year.

Palm Sunday: from Bethphage into Jerusalem

In the morning, Mass with the procession of palms is celebrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the afternoon, the great procession leaves Bethphage, crosses the Mount of Olives with palms and hymns, and descends to the Church of St. Anne near the Lions' Gate, recalling Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

Holy Thursday: the Upper Room and Gethsemane

In the morning, the Mass of the Lord's Supper with the washing of the feet is celebrated at the Holy Sepulchre. In the afternoon, pilgrims go to the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper. At night, the Holy Hour at the Basilica of the Agony in Gethsemane keeps watch with Jesus in his prayer before the Passion.

Good Friday: the Via Dolorosa

In the morning, the Passion of the Lord is celebrated at Calvary, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Around midday, the Way of the Cross follows the Via Dolorosa through the streets of the Old City. In the evening, the "funeral" procession inside the basilica recalls the burial of Jesus.

Holy Saturday: the Easter Vigil in the morning

A particularity of Jerusalem: the Easter Vigil is celebrated on Saturday morning at the Holy Sepulchre. This is because of the Status Quo, the arrangement that since the 19th century has set the schedules of the Christian communities that share the basilica.

Easter Sunday: before the empty Tomb

Easter Mass is celebrated at the Holy Sepulchre, before the Edicule that enshrines the tomb of Jesus, the place where the Church proclaims his Resurrection.

The program is published each year by the Custody of the Holy Land, and public celebrations may be adjusted depending on circumstances. Before the trip, we share the confirmed program with the group.

What else we will experience in the Holy Land

Beyond Jerusalem, the pilgrimage visits the places of Jesus' life:

• Bethlehem: the Basilica of the Nativity.
• Nazareth: the Basilica of the Annunciation.
• Galilee: the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Magdala and Tiberias.
• Cana: renewal of wedding vows for married couples.
• Jordan River: renewal of baptismal promises.
• And also: Ein Karem, Bethany, Jericho, Samaria, Mount Carmel in Haifa and the Dead Sea.

The order of the days is in the detailed itinerary. Message us and we will send it to you.

The Octave of Easter in Medjugorje

On March 29 the group travels to Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and stays until April 6. There we will live the Octave of Easter with Mass at St. James Church, the evening prayer program, the climb up Apparition Hill (Podbrdo) and the Way of the Cross on Mount Krizevac. We will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, April 4, in Medjugorje. Read more in what Medjugorje is like.

Tips for living Holy Week in Jerusalem

• Patience with the crowds: the Old City fills with pilgrims, and there are long lines to enter the Edicule at the Holy Sepulchre.
• Comfortable shoes: you walk a lot on stone streets, with slopes and stairs, as on the Mount of Olives and the Via Dolorosa.
• Modest clothing: shoulders and knees covered to enter churches.
• Spring weather: late March usually brings mild days and cool nights; bring a jacket.
• Spiritual preparation: read the Passion accounts in the Gospels (Mt 26–28, Mk 14–16, Lk 22–24 and Jn 13–20).

Source: Custody of the Holy Land: Holy Week program in Jerusalem (2026, in Spanish).