Day 01- Depart Athens.

We will depart from our New York City’s JFK Airport for our non-stop flight to Athens.

Day 02 - Athens - Thessaloniki

Upon our arrival at the airport in Athens, we will be met by our English-speaking guide, who will take us by private air-conditioned motorcoach to Thessaloniki. After check-in, there will be free time for rest and freshen-up before our included group dinner at the hotel. (D.)

Day 03 – Thessaloniki, Amphipolis, Kavala, Philippi, Thessaloniki

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for a full-day of sightseeing. Amphipolis - Acts 17:1. Traveling east by coach, pass Apollonia to arrive at Amphipolis and visit part of the extensive site, including the North Wall. See both Beta and Gamma gates, and the remains of the Strymon Bridge. View the 4th century B.C. Lion Statue that was prominent on the ancient Egnatian Way that St. Paul would have traveled. Kavala - Acts 16:11. Stop near the harbor of Kavala (biblical Neapolis), St. Paul’s gateway to Europe, a busy port with a striking castle and an imposing aqueduct built by Suleyman the Magnificent. See Agia Sofia, the Greek Orthodox seaside church that marks Paul’s landing spot. Lunch will be on our own and then we continue our sightseeing tour. Philippi - Acts 16:12-40. As a prosperous Roman colony, Philippi had a spacious forum and Agora, as well as a theater that was also a gladiator arena. Nearby there is a crypt, which has been honored since the fifth century as the place of St. Paul’s first imprisonment, where Paul and Silas sang hymns until an earthquake set them free. Philippi is the place where the Apostle Paul arrived on the mainland of Europe in response to the vision of a Macedonian he saw at Troas. Here in Philippi, St. Paul first preached the Gospel in Europe. Outside the ancient city, the River Gangites still flows through quiet countryside where St. Paul addressed his first European congregations and the businesswoman Lydia, a ‘seller of purple’, was the first to be baptized by him; there is a fine chapel commemorating this event. Return via the coastal road to Thessaloniki and our hotel, with free time to rest and freshen-up before our included group diner at the hotel. (B.D.)

Day 04 – Thessaloniki, Pella, Berea, Vergina, Kalambaka

After breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out and depart for another full day of sightseeing. Thessaloniki - Acts 17:1-9. In Roman times this commercial and military center reached a population of 200,000, becoming the capital of Macedonia. Christian Focus: See the Church of George (Rotonda), built at the end of Roman times, about the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century AD. It is an important monument of that era, built with bricks and part of the palace complex of Galerius (293-310 AD). Its original use is not clear, possibly was a mausoleum or a temple of eastern deities. In Byzantine times, emperor Theodossios (379-395 AD) was christened in Thessaloniki and turned the building into a Christian church, making many architectural rearrangements. Rotonda was the cathedral church of Thessaloniki for more than 1,100 years. At St. Dimitrios, descend to the crypt where St. Paul is believed to have preached and Dimitrios was later martyred. Pause at the cave and well of St. Paul at the Monastery of Vlattadon and the ‘House of Jason’, built where St. Paul stayed for about three weeks. Depart Thessaloniki and drive west into the mountains to Pella, a royal city of ancient Macedonia and the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Visit the beautiful House of the Lion Hunt and view the outstanding mosaics preserved in its museum. There is free time for lunch on our own in town before continuing with our sightseeing to Berea, Acts 17:10-15. Approach Mount Vermion and Veria, (biblical Berea) to see the Hellenic tower and walls, St. Paul’s Steps, commemorating the willing audience the apostle found amongst both Jews and Gentiles and Ayios Christos Church, which marks the growth of the gospel. Then we will continue on to Vergina for a stop to visit the local museum and see the Macedonian Tombs before continuing to Kalambaka and the hotel to check-in with free time to rest and freshen-up before our included group dinner. (B,D)

Day 05 – Kalampaka, Meteora, Delphi

After breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out and depart for yet another fantastic day of sightseeing. On the western edge of the Plain of Thessaly, just as the Pindus Mountain Range begins to form, one comes upon a unique phenomenon of nature: 24-perpendicular rocks on which Byzantine monks chose to worship God and built Meteora, their monastic community. The ‘Monasteries Hanging in the Air’ is known for their ancient icons. We will visit two of these stunning mountain locations and then have free time for lunch on our own before continuing on our journey. Driving through the contours of diverse landscape, such as thickly wooded green slopes, hills with pines, oaks, poplars and fast-moving streams separated by flat lands, plateaus and lakes, alternating harmoniously with the countless bays and intricate network of coves, brings us to Delphi and the hotel to check-in, with free time to rest, admire the beautiful scenery and freshen-up before our included group dinner at the hotel. (B,D)

Day 06 – Delphi, Athens

After breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out and visit the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo, in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Visit the impressive archeological site associated with the mythology and history of the ‘Oracle’. Among the many points of interest you will see are the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Doric Temple of Apollo, the Sacred Way, the 5,000 seat theater, where the Delphic Festivals were held, the Stadium, where the Pythian Games took place every four years, the Castalian Fountain, the Sanctuary of Athena and the Tholos Rotunda. A visit to the museum is also included and here on can see, among many other artifacts, the amazing ‘Charioteer’, an ancient bronzed statue. We will then break for lunch at our own expense and then continue to Athens and our hotel with free time to rest and freshen-up before our included group dinner. (B,D)

Day 07 – Athens, Ancient Corinth, Athens

After breakfast meet our motor coach and local guide, as we begin our half-day city tour. This tour starts at the Dipylon Gate near the ancient Roman Market and then visits the Temple of Hephastos, spending time exploring the Ancient Agora and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalus and its museum, visiting the water-clock of Andronicos and Hadrian’s Library. We will then climb Mars Hill, associated with Paul’s address to the councilors and philosophers of the Areopagus, view St. Paul’s Well and the foundations of the church dedicated to Dionysius the Areopagite, one of St. Paul’s converts (Acts 17:16-34). After visiting the famous Acropolis and the Parthenon, we will continue the tour by visiting the Acropolis Museum and its many artifacts, then continuing on to view the Filopapou Monument, Hadrian’s Arch and the Olympic Stadium.

After lunch at our own expense, we will travel to Ancient Corinth (Acts 18:1-18), where St. Paul arrived in A.D. 50-51 to preach the teachings of Christ. Stop at the archeological site housing many statues and artifacts, such as the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Agora, the Bema Courthouse, where St. Paul’s enemies brought him before Gallio, the pavement inscription of Erastus, the Roman Lechaion Road and the Lower Fountain of Peirene. It was here in Corinth that St. Paul wrote First Thessalonians and also, most likely, his Epistle to the Romans. Continue to Athens and cross the Corinth Canal, stopping briefly to learn the history of this famous man-made construction - one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Then return to Athens and for free time to rest and freshen-up before dinner (on your own). (B.)

Day 08 – Athens, Piraeus, Mykonos, Sailing

After breakfast at the hotel, we will be transferred to the port city of Piraeus. Here we will board our ship and prepare to sail the Greek Islands and Turkey on our 4-day/3-night cruise. All meals and entertainment will be included while onboard. Our first port of call will be the island of Mykonos. Here, on this jet-set island, beautiful beaches, chic boutiques and elegant nightclubs all vie for the tourist’s attention. Beneath its sophisticated surface, however, lies a quintessential Greek island. Hundreds of tiny chapels dot the island and sheep graze in the shadow of whitewashed windmills. Your free shuttle will take you to Little venice in Mykomnos, find a table on the waterfront and bask in the serenity of sunset over the picturesque harbor. Be sure to send your regards to Pete the Pelican and then board the ship to sail through the night. (B.L.D.)

Day 09 - Patmos, Kusadasi (EPHESUS), Sailing

After breakfast onboard the ship, we will arrive on the island of Patmos. This serene island is known as the site of the apocalyptic revelations of St. John the Divine, written here during his exile from the Roman Empire and an included shore excursion allows one to see everything that the island has to offer. The cave where he is said to have lived is now the site of the Monastery of the Apocalypse. In the 11th century, the Abbot Christodoulos founded the Monastery of St. John on one of the island’s highest points. Here, priceless icons and manuscripts are on display for all to see.

This afternoon, we will arrive into Kusadasi. Your nearby shore excursion of Ephesus is included and here, history truly comes to life. Walking towards the ancient harbor, down a marble road rutted by the wheels of countless chariots, you pass architectural masterpieces like the Magnesia Gate and the Library of Celsus before arriving at the Great Amphitheater where St. Paul was arrested and cast out of the city. We then continue on to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent the last years of her life before turning to the ship and sailing through the night. (B.L.D.)

Day 10 - Crete (HERAKLION), Santorini, Sailing

Good morning, and welcome to Crete. After breakfast onboard the ship, our included shore excursions to visit Heraklion, the capitol city of Crete and its main commercial port. Just 3-miles away are the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos; discovered in 1899 by Sir Arthur Evans and partially reconstructed, the elaborate palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of Ancient Minoan culture. We will then return to the ship and set sail for our next port-of-call.

In the afternoon, we will arrive on the island of Santorini, perhaps the most breathtaking of all Greek islands. Around 1500 B.C., a volcanic eruption destroyed the center of the island, leaving a crescent shaped rim of cliffs around a harbor formed in the volcano’s caldera. The town of Fira, and its whitewashed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques, clings to these cliffs, accessible mostly by cable car or donkey. To the south is Akrotiri, where recent Minoan excavations support the theories that Santorini might be the fabled lost continent of Atlantis. We will then return to the ship for our final night, sailing to Piraeus. (B.L.D.)

Day 11- Athens – Athens Airport – Depart for USA:

After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport for our return flight along with a stronger belief and firmer commitment to our Christian faith. (B.)