For the Victorian public, the Bible was the main source of information about the Holy Land. The life of Christ and stories from the Old Testament would have been widely known.

Travelling overland on horses, the royal party was taken to visit sites that had strong biblical associations, such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Galilee. The Prince was also given permission to visit two sacred Islamic sites – the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Mosque at Hebron. Bedford received special permission to take photographs at both locations.