Greece & the Journeys of Paul Sample Itinerary

Itinerary

Day 1: USA/Athens

• Begin your adventure as you board your flight to Greece

Full Day Itinerary: Your exciting journey begins this evening as you check in for your overnight flight to Thessaloniki, Greece.

Day 2: Thessaloniki

• Check into your hotel in Thessaloniki
• Welcome dinner with your fellow travelers

Included meals: Dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. You'll be met by our representatives and escorted to your centrally located hotel. Enjoy free time to rest from your overseas flight then gather for an orientation meeting and welcome dinner.

Day 3: Philippi/Kavala

• Visit Kavala, where Paul landed with the disciples
• Stop in Phillippi where the first church was established

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, visit the important landmarks of Thessaloniki, including the White Tower, the Walls of the Byzantine Acropolis, the Roman Arch of Galerius and the Rotonda. Then drive to Kavala, a beautiful, modern port and the place where Paul landed with his disciples. Continue to Philippi, where Paul first preached the Gospel and where the first church in Europe was established. Marvel at the extensive ruins, including the Agora, the ancient theater and the Acropolis. Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Berea, Kalambaka & Meteora

• Explore Berea where Paul stayed and preached
• Witness the spectacular 11th Century AD Meteora monasteries

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: Drive through the plains of Thessaly, legendary home of the Greek gods, to Kalambaka. En route visit Berea, where Paul stayed, preached and planted an early Christian community on his way to Athens. Continue to the spectacular Meteora monasteries, where monks, in the 11th century AD, constructed inaccessible eagle's nests atop precipitous and isolated rocky pinnacles. Today, four are still occupied. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

Day 5: Delphi/Athens

• Visit Delphi, the land of Ancient Greek gods

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: This morning travel to scenic Delphi which in antiquity was believed to be the "navel" of the world. Walk on the Sacred Way to see the Athenian Treasury, the Temple of Apollo, where the priestess Pythia uttered ambiguous prophecies, and the Theater. Also, visit the Museum with its splendid collection of ancient works of art, including the Sphinx of the Naxians, the Silver Bull, the Column of the Dancers, the "Omphalos" and the pride of the museum, the 5th c. B.C. bronze "Charioteer". Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Athens & Cruise

• Board your cruise and set sail for Mykonos and relax on the sun splashed beaches

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast transfer to the port of Piraeus and board your Greek Island cruise ship, setting sail for the beautiful island of Mykonos. Enjoy time to explore the waterfront, the famous windmills and the white-washed alleyways of this lovely island.

Day 7: Kusadasi & Patmos

• Continue on to Kusadasi and tour the ancient city of Ephesus
• Sail to Patmos, where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive at Kusadasi this morning and visit the ancient city of Ephesus where you'll find an archeological site that ranks among the wonders of the world. Tour the Agora, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus and other sites and visit the house of the Virgin Mary. Board the ship and continue sailing to the Island of Patmos, where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation. Visit the cave where St. John lived and the nearby Monastery, built on one of the island's highest points, housing priceless icons and manuscripts in its Treasury.

Day 8: Rhodes

• Tour the "Island of Roses" including Lindos and St. Paul's Bay

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: Today you'll visit Rhodes, the beautiful "Island of Roses". In the heart of the city of Rhodes is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe, a fascinating web of Byzantine, Turkish and Latin ruins. Its mighty fortifications provide the finest surviving examples of defensive architecture of the time. Visit Lindos, the island's most picturesque village then drive along the coastline to see the medieval walls constructed by the kinghts of St. John in the 13th century. View St. Paul's Bay, where the apostle cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus, then visit the Church of the Virgin Mary and other important sites.

Day 9: Heraklion & Santorini

• Arrive in Crete and visit the home of King Minos and his legendary Minotaur
• Sail north to Santorini for breathtaking views

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: In the morning arrive at Heraklion, Crete, where you can choose to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, home to king Minos and his legendary beast, the Minotaur. In the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion you can find the unbelievable works of art (pieces of sculpture and pottery, jewellery, arms, frescoes), that have been found in a number of Minoan sites all over Crete. Then, sail north to the isle of Santorini, the most breathtaking of all the Greek islands. The exquisite whitewashed villages, including the town of Fira, or Thira, cling to volcanic cliffs, accessible by cable-car, or mule.

Day 10: Athens & Corinth

• Witness the places where Paul founded the Corinthian church in 50 AD
• Continue to Athens and visit the Acropolis, Erechteum and the Parthenon
• Visit Mars Hill where Paul delivered his speech on the "Unknown God"
• Say farewell at dinner with your fellow travelers

Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

Full Day Itinerary: Disembark your cruise cruise at Piraeus and meet your guide and coach to begin your tour to Ancient Corinth. Here, under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, Paul preached and lived for two years. The church he founded here in 50 AD caused him much grief and prompted him to write at least four letters to the Corinthians. Visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. See the remains of first century shops, the agora where Paul's trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of Peirene, Temple of Apollo and the Bema. Continue to Athens and visit the spectacular architecture of ancient Athens, including the Acropolis, the Erechteum and the Parthenon. Then visit Mars Hill, where Paul delivered his ingenious speech on the "Unknown God". View the Agora, the ancient center of the economic and public life of the city, where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. Finish your explorations of Athens with a panoramic tour including Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus, the Old Olympic Stadium and the Neoclassical Buildings of Athens. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 11: Greece/USA

• Transfer to the airport for your return flight

Included meals: Breakfast.

Full Day Itinerary: Bid farewell to Athens as you are escorted to the airport to board your return flight to the USA. Arrive in the USA later today.