christian travel elizabeth

Christians Travel

Photos & videos, location & hours.

Suggest an edit

41 Westfield Ave

Elizabeth, NJ 07208

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

• Headliners Skip
• Destinations Skip
• EXPERIENCE TYPE Skip
• Travel Dates Skip

TRAVELER SUPPORT

Exceptional Travel Experiences

Your travels are something special. With Inspiration, every minute is worry-free and filled with the joy of extraordinary moments in world-renowned locations. This way, you can feel excited and full of anticipation. That’s because we double- and triple-check every detail so you can enjoy every spectacular moment. We don’t just go the extra mile; we go the whole way with you and don’t rest until you’re safely home.

Since 1981, more than 227,000 believers have encountered God on an Inspiration cruise, tour or conference.

Every Inspiration event is unmistakable. Each of our custom-designed Christian travel events is extraordinary and unforgettable. With us you get a travel partner who invites you to exclusive places and behind-the-scenes locations that others only glimpse from afar. Choosing the best destinations and using only the finest ships and venues, we make sure you benefit from the ministry and industry relationships we have built over decades.

We delight in introducing travelers to the joys of seeing the world—then take it a step further by preparing moments to deepen your connection with the Creator. Our faith-focused travel experiences offer life-giving fellowship with other believers and soul-stirring transformation among cultural landmarks and breathtaking scenery. Every moment is spectacular on these award-winning and world-class journeys.

Why Inspiration

Spiritually significant destinations and experiences, top-ranked service with leading industry awards and accolades., over 1,500+ ministries have trusted us to manage their group events., every detail is triple-checked so you can enjoy every moment abroad., where do you want to go, we create exceptional travel experiences., call us to book your trip of a lifetime, 800 247 1899.

Passenger Testimonials

Guest Reviews

It was wonderful! Thanks, Inspiration, for all you did for me on that life-changing event and cruise!

We've traveled with Inspiration several times, and each experience has been wonderful and spiritually impactful!

I'm ready to go again. Best trip of my whole life! Thank you, Inspiration, for making everything so special.

Traveler Social Images

• 0 Shopping Cart $ 0.00 -->

Suggested Itineraries For Custom Tours

Our Scheduled Tours

(best value for money).

Contact Us For a Free Custom Group Proposal

Some of Our Scheduled Christian Tours

Here is where you will find the lowest prices on our scheduled trips for christian tours & travel groups. book at least 10 paying passengers and receive huge savings.

TOUR THE HOLY LAND OF ISRAEL

Jerusalem • Sea of Galilee • Bethlehem • Jordan River

HOLY LAND AND JORDAN TOUR

CHRISTIAN  TOUR OF ITALY

Rome • Florence • Venice • Pisa • Verona • Assisi

TURKEY & GREECE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL

Istanbul • Ephesus • Pergamon • Thessaloniki • Philippi • Corinth

TURKEY & GREECE TOUR WITH CRUISE

Istanbul • Ephesus •Pergamon • Thessaloniki • Philippi • Corinth

CLERGY TRIPS • ISRAEL • GREECE

Special offer for senior pastors only! Israel Tour for Pastors & Greece Tour for Pastors.

Watch the video below and hear what people are saying about Friendship Tours to Israel

Christian & Religious Travel Group Custom Tour Company

Welcome to Friendship Tours, a Christian group travel company specializing in pilgrimage & Christian tours to the Holy Land as well as worldwide tours for Christian groups.

Our name says it all! When you join us for Christian travel, it’s the beginning of a friendship that may last for one trip or several. Many of our clients are repeat customers, and we even have second-generation travelers among our patrons.

When we started our company in 1981, our goal was to serve and honor God the best way we knew how — by helping to enrich the lives of fellow followers of Christ.

With a range of appealing religious tours, carefully vetted locations and staffing, and affordable pricing, we offer the chance to realize your dream of visiting the Holy Land and walking in the footsteps of Christ, his disciples, and other biblical figures.

Our expertise in worldwide travel planning ensures high-quality tours and an experience you’ll never forget. Whether you want to visit holy sites in Israel, Greece, or Turkey or you’re interested in an early Christianity tour of Italy, England, or Spain, Friendship Tours is a renowned Christian tour company that ensures safe, affordable and fulfilling travel for our friends in faith.

A Focus on Friendship and Christian Values

When you choose Friendship Tours, the first thing that happens is you become our friend. This means we always treat you with respect and we go out of our way to ensure that you have a fulfilling travel experience.

Whether you want to marvel at the wonders of Christ and his disciples while visiting the sites where they stood, connect with your Christian heritage through pilgrimage to the Holy Land, or simply travel with like-minded people of faith, our Christian tours can help you find the enrichment you seek at the best value for your money and so much more.

With all-inclusive tours at affordable and competitive rates, we proudly help every traveler enjoy the trip of a lifetime. We even offer one free trip for every five paying travelers, so more family members or ministry staff can join Christian travel groups.

Pilgrimage Tours

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the famous Sea of Galilee, the real-world site where Jesus walked on water, was baptized by John the Baptist, and gave his glorious Sermon on the Mount? Maybe you’ve always dreamed of traveling to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to a miraculous baby fated to change the world.

When you partner with Friendship Travel for your religious travel needs, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a range of pilgrimage tours that lead you through major biblical sites in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey. You can see where Christ lived his life, follow in the footsteps of saints and prophets, and more.

Tours for our Christian travel groups include roundtrip airfare from your home city, first-class hotel accommodations, breakfast, and dinner daily, and guidance from knowledgeable, Bible-trained, professional local tour guides.

We visit every hotel we use to ensure the highest quality, we personally interview all of our booked tour guides, and we select experienced staff dedicated to delivering outstanding service.

Trips range from 10 to 15 days, depending on the tour you choose, and in some cases, we offer the option to extend your visit with travel to Jordan, Cairo, or Rome.

Christian Tours of Europe

If you’re interested in traveling through Europe with a Christian group, you’ll find that Friendship Tours also offers trips to several different European countries. You could spend 15 days seeing the sights of majestic England, Scotland, and Ireland or enjoy the splendors of Eastern Europe with a tour through Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Warsaw.

See the very best of Italy with a 13-day excursion through Rome, Capri, Florence, Assisi, and Venice. Or drink up the beauty of Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Costa del Sol, and Lisbon in 14 fabulous days touring Spain and Portugal.

You can also explore the churches of Europe with our European Church Heritage tour or visit the German towns of Martin Luther’s life. With so many amazing tours to choose from, your only problem will be deciding where to travel first.

Save with Scheduled Tours

We know that travel can be expensive, which is why we make it easy to save with scheduled tours that offer incredible value.

We carefully select itineraries that include traditional favorites (gleaned from over 2,000 tour groups we’ve led), current popular tours, and new and original programs that highlight Old and New Testament experiences. If you’re looking for the best value for your money, choose our pre-planned, scheduled Christian tours.

Booking with Ease for Your Large Group

In addition to scheduled travel, Friendship Tours is pleased to offer custom tours for groups of 15 or more. Whether you’re leading a church group or arranging a trip for friends, we’ll gladly create a unique tour for your group. We can offer suggested itineraries and customize them to meet your needs and preferences.

Knowledgeable and Dedicated Local Guides

At Friendship Tours, we take our responsibility for delivering authentic, enriching religious tours seriously, and we select only the destinations, staff, and tour guides that meet our high standards.

We personally interview every guide to ensure professionalism, extensive knowledge of and love for their local region, and Bible training. We want you to enjoy a remarkable travel experience, and our trusted guides play a vital role.

Why Choose Friendship Tours for Your Religious Travel?

In over four decades of travel planning, having led over 2,000 groups, the team at Friendship Tours has always stuck by our core philosophy of offering all-inclusive travel at affordable prices. We want you, as our friend, to enjoy an enriching experience and a truly memorable trip that highlights your love of Christ.

Our goal is to make your dream of visiting his land and walking in his footsteps come true, with a comprehensive itinerary that includes select destinations, knowledgeable local tour guides, and all-inclusive, first-class accommodations. We’ll take care of every aspect of planning so you can sit back and marvel at the wonders of the Holy Land.

If you’re ready to book a tour for your Christian travel groups with Friendship Tours, simply make your reservation today or contact us requesting information about custom travel packages for groups of 15 or more.

Friendship Tours Photo Library:

Friendship Tours Video Library:

Find a tour:

Know before you book some simple tips on tours and tour operator

The Best of the Holyland – 10 Days

THE BEST OF THE HOLYLAND Jerusalem • Sea of Galilee • Bethlehem • Jordan River

HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TOUR

• Roundtrip airfare from New York
• First Class Hotels, Breakfast and Dinner Daily
• Deluxe, air-conditioned Motor coaches
• Visits to Major Biblical Sites
• Comprehensive Sightseeing per the Itinerary
• Professional, Bible-trained Guides
• Ride in a replica of ancient Wooden Boats on the Sea of Galilee

Read more >>

The Holyland in Depth – 11 days

The Holy Land In Depth Jerusalem • Sea of Galilee • Bethlehem • Jordan River

Israel – On the Ladder of Faith - 12 Days

Israel – On The Ladder Of Faith Beer Sheeva • Sea of Galilee • Dead Sea • Jerusalem

• Fully Escorted in Israel
• Roundtrip Airfare from New York
• First Class Hotels
• Full Israeli Buffet Breakfast and Dinner Daily
• Deluxe Air-conditioned Motorcoaches
• Enjoy nights in the desert wilderness.
• Swim (float) in the Dead Sea.
• Indepth experience of Jesus ministry in the Galilee.

The Exodus of Moses from Egypt to Israel - 15 Days

THE EXODUS OF MOSES Egypt • Jordan • Israel

• Deluxe, Air-conditioned Motorcoaches
• Visits to Old & New Testament Sites
• Boat Ride across the Red Sea
• Full visit into Petra
• Ride in Wooden Boats on the Sea of Galilee
• Optional Full Day Luxor & Valley of the King

The Jewel of the Middle East - 15 Days

THE JEWEL OF THE MIDDLE EAST

• See Beirut, Damascus, Palmyra& Petra
• Ride in a Wooden Boat on the Sea of Galilee
• London Sightseeing

The Holy Land & Turkey - 15 Days

ISRAEL & TURKEY- THE TWO HOLY LANDS Ephesus • Laodicea • Phidelphia • Thyatira • Pergamon • Galilee • Jordan River

Optional Jordan Extension - 4 Days

OPTIONAL JORDAN WITH PETRA Nabatean City of Petra • Mt. Nebo • Jerash This option can be added to any tour going to Isreal.

• First Class Hotel
• Breakfast and Dinner Daily
• Full Tour into Ancient Petra
• Drive along Kings Highway
• Visit Mt. Nebo, Madaba and Jerash

Optional Cairo Extension - 4 Days

OPTIONAL EGYPT EXTENSION Cairo • Great Pyramids • Nile Cruise This option can be added to any tour going to Israel.

• Deluxe Hotel in Cairo
• Deluxe Air-conditioned Motorcoach
• Full visit to the Great Pyramids and Sphinx
• Entrance to the Egyptian Museum
• Optional Tour to Luxor with Round-trip Airfare
• Optional Luxury Nile River Cruise & Abu Simbel

Optional Rome Extension - 4 Days

OPTIONAL ROME EXTENSION Vatican • Sistine Chapel • Catacombs This option can be added to any tour going to Isreal.

• Full day tour of Ancient Rome
• Visit the museum at the Sistine Chapel

Turkey & Greece in the Footsteps of St.Paul - 12 Days

Turkey & Greece in the Footsteps of St.Paul Istanbul • Ephesus •Pergamon • Thessaloniki • Philippi • Corinth

• Visits to the Sites of Apostle Paul
• Cruise three days in the Greek Isles
• See the Well-Preserved Site of Ephessus
• See sites of the Seven Churches of Revelations
• Explore Enchanting Istanbul and Much More

Paul’s Journey in Greece & Turkey (with cruise) - 14 Days

Paul’s Journey in Greece & Turkey (with cruise)

Turkey – The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse - 12 Days

Turkey – The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse Revelations and Early Christianity Tour of Turkey

• See the Well-Preserved Site of Ephesus
• See All of the Seven Churches of Revelations
• Sites of Early Christianity
• Visit Enchanting Cappadocia
• Explore Intriguing Istanbul

Greece in the Steps of Paul - 12 Days

GREECE IN THE STEPS OF PAUL Including Greek Isle Cruise

• Visit Northern and Southern Greece
• Greek Isle Cruise including Ephessus and Patmos

Greece in the Steps of Paul (with Rome) - 10 Days

GREECE IN THE STEPS OF PAUL WITH ROME Rome • Vatican • Kavala • Philippi • Corinth • Athens

• Fully Escorted in Europe
• Audience with the Pope in Rome
• Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s
• Visit Kavala and Philippi
• Visit Corinth and the Acropolis.
• Comprehensive Sightseeing throughout Italy

Lake Como To The Scenic Greek Isles - 12 Days

LAKE COMO TO THE SCENIC GREEK ISLES Stresa • Lake Como • Venice • Mykonos • Santorini • Rhodes

• Fully Escorted in Italy & Greece
• Enjoy the scenic Italian Lake District of Lake Como
• Romantic Venice with Gondola’s through the canals
• Cruise the blue waters of the Greek Isles
• Visit the Greek islands

The Lands of Martin Luther - 14 Days

THE LANDS OF MARTIN LUTHER Berlin • Munich • Innsbruck • Heidelberg

• Visits to the German Towns of Luther’s Life
• Cruise on the Rhine River

The Best of European Church Heritage - 15 Days

THE BEST OF EUROPEAN CHURCH HERITAGE

• Explore the historical sites of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran & Baptist denominations
• See intriguing Stonehenge
• Visit beautiful Paris
• Enjoy the Swiss Alps in Zurich and Geneva

Lakes of Italy - Venice, Florence & Rome - 11 Days

LAKES OF ITALY Venice • Lake Como • Florence • Rome

• Fully Escorted in Italy
• Enjoy Lake Como and the canals of Venice
• Visit Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s largest art museum

The Very Best of Italy - 13 Days

THE VERY BEST OF ITALY Rome • Capri • Florence • Assisi • Venice

• Visit Pompeii, Capri and Sorrento
• Visit the Leaning Tower in Pisa
• Explore the rich treasures of the Vatican

Best Of Eastern Europe - 14 Days

Best Of Eastern Europe Prague • Vienna • Budapest • Warsaw

• Visits to the Schoenbrunn Palace
• Cruise on the Danube River
• Tour the Hradcany Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Splendors of Eastern Europe - 14 Days

Splendors Of Eastern Europe Berlin • Vienna • Prague • Budapest • Warsaw

• Cruise the blue waters of the Greek Isles.

Majestic England, Scotland & Ireland - 15 Days

Majestic England, Scotland & Ireland London • Ring of Kerry • Dublin • Edinburgh

• See London’s Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abby
• Tour the scenic countryside of Wales, Ireland and Lake District.
• See Shakespeare’s birthplace and his wife’s childhood home.

Scotland & Ireland - 13 Days

Scotland & Ireland Dublin • Belfast • Oban • Iona • Edinburgh

• Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, O’Connell Street, Grafton Street
• Visit the Glenveagh National Park and Glenveagh Castle.
• Tour majestic Edinburgh and Edinburgh Castle.

Spain & Portugal - 14 Days

Spain & Portugal Barcelona • Madrid • Toledo • Cordoba • Costa Del Sol • Lisbon

• World -famous Prado Museum & the treasure-filled Royal Palace
• Stay in Estepona, one of the most famous resorts of Costa del Sol
• Tour Fatima. See the Batalha Monastery.

Book A Tour

Reservation form for passengers who are making a reservation on one of our custom tour departures.

Secure Payment

Pay for your trip securely online.

INSURE YOUR TRIP

Insure your trip with Allianz.

WHILE ON TOUR

Travel blog Google Review Share your memories Facebook review

WHAT OUR ESTEEMED CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US

It is always a pleasure working with you and your team. You guys understand the importance of selecting the sites and details including selecting the right Christian guides in order for the Bible to come alive.  You have trained your guides to know exactly how to work in tandem with pastors and allow the time to teach at sites. As far as pricing goes, we feel as though we got a 13 day trip for the price of a 10 day tour. For me the highlight was when you arrived in Jerusalem for our farewell dinner and shook my hand. That truly made me believe that you really knew what “customer service” meant and went the extra mile to make us feel special. We’re ready to book our next trip!  Next year in Israel!

Thank you so much for making our trip possible in spite of all of the challenges we faced.   I recall, when the war in Israel started it was three weeks before departure. All our folks thought we would lose all our money because no one would go to Israel with rockets flying.  Insurance companies would not  pay out anything because war is not covered.  Two weeks later you emailed us and changed the dates to three months out at no added cost. Wow! That was the workings of a true Christian!  You could have charged us more to go two months later. But you did not and that’s a God fearing Christian right there. Friendship Tours, your travel ministry,  has my business for as along as I can travel.

Friendship Tours has been my only travel provider for three decades. From the Bible lands to Europe and the Reformation sites, they have always given me excellent service at the right price. I have always felt safe and satisfied. Their on the ground support has always made you know that every need will be covered. They are an industry leader you can trust.

The experts in the planning and delivery of high quality, worldwide, custom Christian group tours. ©2024 Friendship Tours   P.O.Box 1140, Moorpark, California 93021 All rights reserved Telephone: (800) 213-9155 | CST # 2069059-40 Privacy Policy Booking Terms & Conditions

Recent Blogs

• Tracing Cultural Exchange: Jewish Influences on Greek Culture and Vice Versa in Antiquity
• 7 Christian Destinations Every Believer Should Experience
• What Christians Can Learn From Paul’s Sermon to the Athenians
• A Tour of Athens – The Cradle of Western Civilization and Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
• Why Every Christian Needs To Tour Turkey and Greece

We do not serve individual travelers and we are unable to book you on one of our custom groups. Please do not submit this form if you are not already a part of a group with 15+ people..

Pin It on Pinterest

The Queen of travel

Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during a royal tour in February 1977. Serge Lemoine/Getty Images

The Queen of travel Journeys of a lifetime

By Francesca Street and Mark Oliver, CNN September 13, 2022

S he was traveling the moment she ascended to the throne, and for much of the next seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II criss-crossed the world. Newly married and still just a princess, Britain’s future monarch was in Kenya with husband Prince Philip in February 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and her new regal status.

During her reign she would visit more than 120 countries, witnessing first-hand the revolutions in global travel that shrank the world as her own influence over it diminished.

The Queen lived through the advent of the Jet Age, flew supersonic on the Concorde, saw regimes change, countries form and dissolve, the end of the British Empire and the rise of globalization.

Here are some of the most memorable travel moments from her 70 years as monarch.

November 24-25, 1953

Less than six months after she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth set off on her travels again. Her debut official state trip was an epic six-month tour of the Commonwealth -- the alliance of nations which were once British colonies. Traveling by air, sea and land she visited several countries, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. First stop was the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, a British territory she would visit a further four times during her reign. The trip would go on to include stops in Jamaica, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (now part of Yemen), Uganda, Malta and Gibraltar.

December 19-20, 1953

At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in June 1953, Queen Salote Tupou III of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga won over the British public when she sat, rain-soaked, in her open carriage. They also took an interest when Elizabeth returned the visit later in the year. The two queens enjoyed an open-air feast, watched Tongan dancers and admired a tortoise that legend said was presented by explorer Captain James Cook to the King of Tonga in 1777.

December 23, 1953 – January 30, 1954

New zealand.

The Queen voyaged to New Zealand during the Antipodean summer of 1953-4. Over the course of the trip, it’s estimated that three out of every four New Zealanders got a glimpse of her. In preparation for the Queen’s visit, some New Zealand sheep were dyed in the UK flag colors of red, white and blue. The Queen returned to the country nine times over the years, including in 2002 as she marked half a century on the throne.

April 10-21, 1954

Ceylon (now sri lanka).

A visit to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, coincided with the Queen’s 28th birthday. She visited the city of Colombo where crowds joined together to sing her “Happy Birthday.” She also visited the central city of Kandy, where she watched a procession featuring a reported 140 elephants and met local chiefs.

April 8-11, 1957

The Queen had visited France as a young princess, but her first state visit as monarch was a glamorous affair. She attended the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, visited the Palace of Versailles, and dined at the Louvre with then-President Rene Coty. The Queen also laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the Scottish Church of Paris.

October 17-20, 1957

United states.

Having met President Harry S. Truman in Washington in 1951 during a visit before ascending to the throne, Elizabeth was no stranger to America when she arrived on her first trip as Queen. Her 1957 visit marked the 350th anniversary of the first permanent British settlement on the continent, in Jamestown. The monarch attended a college football game at the former Byrd Stadium in Maryland where she watched the home team lose to North Carolina. She met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House and later traveled to New York, where she and Prince Philip drove through the streets and admired panoramic views of the city from the Empire State Building.

February 1-16, 1961

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan in 1961, arriving in the port city of Karachi after completing a visit to India as part of a wider tour of South Asia. She drove through the streets of Karachi in an open-top car, before going on to visit Lahore, where a torchlight military tattoo took place in her honor and Prince Philip played in a game of polo.

February 26 to March 1, 1961

In Nepal, the Queen inspected troops in Kathmandu and met Gurkha ex-servicemen in Pokhara. The monarch rode on an elephant and visited the Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex in Kathmandu. She took part in the rather grim spectacle of a tiger hunt although didn’t shoot any animals herself. She instead recorded the experience on cine camera – a recording device that she often carried with her on her earlier foreign trips.

March 2-6, 1961

The Queen visited pre-revolution Iran at the end of her 1961 South Asian tour. Hosted by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, she toured ancient monuments including the ruins of Persepolis, once a capital of the Achaemenid Empire, later declared a World Heritage Site. She also saw Sheikh Lotfollah mosque in Esfahan and admired collections of the Archaeological Museum of Iran.

May 5, 1961

Vatican city.

In 1961, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Vatican. Dressed all in black, the Queen had an audience with Pope John XXIII, also attended by Prince Philip. She returned to the Vatican three more times during her reign, meeting Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.

November 9-20, 1961

Bombing incidents in the capital Accra left officials worried about the safety of the Queen’s visit to Ghana but, after deliberation, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan confirmed it would go ahead. During the trip, the Queen famously shared a dance with Ghana’s then-president, Kwame Nkrumah. At the height of Cold War uncertainty, this seemingly innocuous moment was seen as significant in ensuring Ghana remained affiliated to Britain and not the USSR.

May 18-28, 1965

West germany (now germany).

The Queen’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin was viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill in the post-World War II landscape. It was the first royal trip to German territory for more than 50 years and photographs such as one of the Queen and Prince Philip in a car driving past the Brandenburg Gate had symbolic resonance.

November 5-11, 1968

Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she landed in Brazil in late 1968. During the trip, the Queen wore a striking jewelry set made of Brazilian aquamarine, gifted to her in 1953 by the Brazilian president and added to over time. The monarch also attended a football match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and presented the winner’s trophy to Brazilian footballer Pele.

October 18-25, 1971

On the first of two trips to Turkey -- the second took place in 2008 -- the Queen visited the Gallipoli peninsula to remember the Allied soldiers who died there during World War I. The monarch also explored the ruins of the ancient Greek empire city of Ephesus. A media highlight of the visit came when she was photographed leaping ashore from a barge, after disembarking from her ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

February 10-15, 1972

Accompanied by Prince Philip and daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was greeted on arrival in Bangkok by a carpet of flower petals. The monarch was given a golden key to the city of Bangkok, attended a state banquet and visited Bang Pa-In Palace, the Thai royal family’s summer residence, north of the capital.

October 17-21, 1972

The Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia was her first trip to a communist country. The Central European country no longer exists -- the areas that the Queen visited are now part of Croatia. During her trip, she met Yugoslav political leader Josip Broz Tito and traveled on his famous Blue Train.

February 15-16, 1974

New hebrides (now vanuatu).

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pacific island archipelago of Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, in 1974. It’s said the royal couple’s visit to Vanuatu may have strengthened the belief among some locals on Tanna island that the Duke of Edinburgh was a divine being.

February 24-March 1, 1975

On her first of two visits to Mexico, the Queen toured ancient sites -- including the pyramids of Uxmal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monarch also received local crafts, met school children and attended a banquet. While she was driven through Mexico City, the Queen was showered in confetti.

February 17-20, 1979

Saudi arabia.

In 1979, the Queen became the first female head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, on a tour of Gulf States. At Riyadh Airport, she was met by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, pictured. The outfits she wore on the trip were carefully designed in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s conservative dress code for women. The Queen arrived on a British Airways supersonic Concorde aircraft and during the visit attended camel races and toured the National Museum.

October 26-27, 1982

The Queen visited Tuvalu, a group of nine islands in the South Pacific, in 1982. Upon arrival, the Queen and Prince Philip were carried in a flower-filled canoe from sea to shore. Thirty years later, in 2012, Prince William visited Tuvalu with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who drank a coconut from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth on this 1982 visit.

February 26 – March 6, 1983

On a star-studded trip to the United States, the Queen toured the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan and met Frank Sinatra, who she’d previously met in the 1950s, at a party given in her honor. The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Yosemite National Park in California, pictured.

November 10-14, 1983

The Queen returned to Kenya in 1983 for a state visit. When she was there 31 years previously, she'd learned that her father had passed away and she had become Britain’s reigning monarch. In 1983, the Queen and Prince Philip revisited the Treetops hotel, pictured, where they were staying at the time she was told the news.

October 12-18, 1986

The Queen’s trip to China was the first -- and, so far, only -- state visit by a British monarch to China. With Prince Philip by her side, the Queen visited the Great Wall of China, pictured, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing.

October 17-20, 1994

In 1994, in another royal first, the Queen visited Russia. Over the three-day trip, the Queen met Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, pictured here with the monarch outside St Basil’s Cathedral, as well as Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The Queen also attended the Bolshoi Ballet. In her traditional Christmas Day speech broadcast later that year, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in Moscow’s famous cathedral.

March 19-25, 1995

South africa.

In 1994, after apartheid ended, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic. The following year, the Queen traveled there, in a visit designed to renew ties between the two countries. The Queen met with President Nelson Mandela, pictured, and presented him with the Order of Merit.

October 12-18, 1997

The Queen visited India for the third time in 1997, her first public engagement since Princess Diana’s funeral just weeks before. The trip marked 50 years since India’s independence from Britain. Most memorably, the monarch visited the site of the Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, of April 13, 1919. She also expressed regret at a state banquet in New Delhi for the “distressing” episode in which British soldiers gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians. The gesture was seen by some as inadequate. “The Queen is doing everything she can to make India like her. But so far it does not seem to be working,” wrote the UK’s Independent newspaper at the time.

October 4-15, 2002

The Queen visited Canada many times. In 2002, her trip to the North American country coincided with her Golden Jubilee festivities, celebrating 50 years of her reign. During the trip, the Queen attended an ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, and dropped the ceremonial puck.

March 11-16, 2006

The Queen visited Australia 16 times as Head of State. In 2006, she traveled to Melbourne to open the Commonwealth Games. She was greeted by a welcoming party in Canberra, visited the Sydney Opera House, attended a Commonwealth Day service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and toured Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

May 17-20, 2011

The Queen’s trip to Dublin was the first time a British monarch had set foot in the Irish Republic since its 1922 independence. At Dublin Castle the Queen delivered a well-received speech on the history of Anglo-Irish relations. In County Tipperary, she also toured the medieval Rock of Cashel, pictured, once a seat of power for Ireland’s ancient kings.

November 26-28, 2015

From 1949 to 1951, before she was Queen, Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta. In 2015, the monarch paid her last visit to the island, touring the Grand Harbour in a Maltese fishing boat and waving to members of the British Royal Navy.

United Kingdom

In the later years of her reign, the Queen cut back on foreign travel, passing on the mantle to the younger royals. In more recent years, royal tours have also been looked at with more skeptical eyes, as Britain reckons with its colonial past.

While she didn't travel abroad in the later years of her reign, the Queen continued to vacation in the UK. Most notably, the Queen’s ties with Scotland remained strong throughout her reign and her residence there, Balmoral Castle, was a favorite refuge. It was at Balmoral that the Queen died on September 8, 2022.

Early life and Marriage

Elizabeth was the second child and daughter of Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, a daughter of Queen Victoria. She was also the elder sister of Alexandra Fyodorovna , the last empress of Russia. Elizabeth was affectionately called Ella by her family.

In the winter of 1878, diphtheria swept through the Hesse household, killing both Elizabeth's youngest sister and her mother, Princess Alice. Elizabeth was not in Hesse at the time and was the only member of the family not affected by this outbreak.

Orphaned at the age of 14, she was partly brought up by her grandmother, Queen Victoria. [1] Having had an English mother and then living in England, she and her sister Alexandra were most comfortable speaking English, and most of the letters exchanged between Tsar Nicholas, Tsaritsa Alexandra, and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth are written in English.

Elizabeth once caught the eye of her elder cousin William II, but she flatly rejected him and instead married Grand Duke Sergei of Russia in June 1884.

She and her husband, Grand Duke Sergei, adopted and raised the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovitch and his sister Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna after their mother died during Dmitri's birth.

Of her conversion to Orthodoxy, Metropolitan Anastassy recalls:

Like many converts to the Orthodox Faith, the Grand Duchess had to deal with the negative reaction of her family.

The Kaiser is thought to have been behind the claim that her husband had forced her to convert, but Elizabeth explained that it would be "lying before God" to "remain outwardly a Protestant." [4] Of all her family, Queen Victoria showed the most understanding, and provided her with moral support for her decision. [5]

The Grand Duchess was received by Chrismation on Lazarus Saturday, 1891, and then during that Holy Week she was able to receive Holy Communion with her husband for the first time.

Assassination of her husband

Tragically, Elizabeth's husband was assassinated with a bomb on February 18 , 1905, while on duty in the Kremlin, by Social-Revolutionary (SR) Ivan Kalyayev.

Life as a nun, devoted to the poor

Afterwards, Grand Duchess Elizabeth became a nun , giving away her jewelry and selling her most luxurious possessions. With the proceeds she opened the Martha and Mary Home in Moscow to foster the prayer and charity of devout women. For many years she helped the poor and orphans in this Moscow home. Here there arose a new vision of a diaconate for women, one that combined intercession and action in the heart of a disordered world. In April 1909 Elizabeth and seventeen women were dedicated as Sisters of Love and Mercy. Their work flourished: soon they opened a hospital and a variety of other philanthropic ventures arose.

In 1918, the Communist government exiled her to Yekaterinburg and then to Alapaevsk , where she was violently killed by the local Bolsheviks on July 18 , 1918, along with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov; the Princes Ioann Konstantinovich, Konstantin Konstantinovich, Igor Konstantinovich, and Vladimir Pavlovich Paley; Grand Duke Sergei's secretary, Fyodor Remez; and Nun Barbara Yakovleva, a sister from the Grand Duchess Elizabeth's convent who had refused to leave her Abbess. They were herded into the forest, pushed into an abandoned mineshaft, into which grenades were then hurled. An observer heard them singing Church hymns as they were pushed into the mineshaft. After the Bolsheviks left, he could still hear singing for some time. The last thing Elizabeth did as she lay dying in the mineshaft was to bandage the wounds of Prince Ioann with her handkerchief. Later the White Army briefly recaptured this area, and her relics were recovered and the account of the person who witnessed it recorded. Her relics were first taken by the White Army to Beijing and placed in the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and then they were taken to Jerusalem and placed in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene , which she and her husband had helped to build.

Glorification

She was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1981, and by the Russian Orthodox Church as a whole in 1992 as New-Martyr Elizabeth . Her principal shrine in Russia is the Ss. Mary and Martha Convent she founded in Moscow. Most of her relics remain in Gethsemane , but in in 2004, a reliquary containing portions of her relics, as well as those of the Nun-Martyr Barbara, were taken to Russia, and visited 61 dioceses of the Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and were venerated by over 10 million people. [8] A portion of these relics were given to the Ss. Mary and Martha Convent, and remain there. [9] She is also one of the 10 20th-century martyrs from across the world who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey in London.

Her feast day is celebrated on July 5 (she was martyred on July 18 , according to the New Calendar , which was July 5 on the Old Calendar ). She is also commemorated on the feast of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia , celebrated on the Sunday nearest to January 25 , which was the date of the martyrdom of Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev , the first of the new martyrs.

Troparion , Tone 4:

Kontakion , Tone 4:

• ↑ Ludmila Koehler, Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr , (New York: The Orthodox Palestine Society, USA, 1988), p. 12.
• ↑ Metropolitan Anastassy, Life of the Holy New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth , Orthodox Life , vol. 31, no. 5 (Sept.-Oct., 1981), pp. 3-14.
• ↑ Ludmila Koehler, Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr , (New York: The Orthodox Palestine Society, USA, 1988), p. 25.
• ↑ Ludmila Koehler, Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr , (New York: The Orthodox Palestine Society, USA, 1988), p. 26.
• ↑ Ludmila Koehler, Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr , (New York: The Orthodox Palestine Society, USA, 1988), p. 30.
• ↑ Fr. Demetrios Serfes, Life of the Holy Royal Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth , March 27, 2007
• ↑ From Sedmitza.ru, as posted on the Official Web site of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, The Relics of Holy New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and Nun Varvara are Greeted at Christ the Savior Church , February 22, 2005
• ↑ From Interfax/Sedmitza.ru, as posted on the Official Web site of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Press Conference Held on the Visit of the Holy Relics of SS Elizaveta and Varvara to Russia , February 25, 2005
• Wikipedia:Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna (some material included)
• Philanthropy

External links

• The Life of the Holy Royal Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth
• Life of the Holy New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth, by Metropolitan Anastassy
• The Alexander Palace Time Machine
• American Reporter Interviews Elizabeth in 1917
• HIH Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna by Countess Alexandra Olsoufieff
• Elizabeth and Romanov Discussion Forum
• Murder of the Romanovs at Alapayevsk
• Pilgrimage to Alapaevsk
• Photo Library of St. Elizabeth
• Another Photo Gallery
• Akathist to the New Martyr Elizabeth
• Canon to the New Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Barbara
• Russian Saints
• Modern Saints
• 20th-century saints

Navigation menu

Personal tools.

• Request account
• View source
• View history
• Featured content
• Browse categories
• Recent changes
• Random page

interaction

• Community portal
• Trapeza (Discussion)
• What links here
• Related changes
• Upload file
• Special pages
• Printable version
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Cite this page
• This page was last edited on June 17, 2020, at 14:43.
• This page has been accessed 192,347 times.
• Copyright Information
• Privacy policy
• About OrthodoxWiki
• Disclaimers
• Mobile view