Footsteps of Apostle Paul (11 Days) 

     Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

     Transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director, then enjoy this evening’s welcome dinner with your traveling companions. (D)

     Enjoy sightseeing with a Local Guide in Athens, the most important city in ancient Greece and famed for its culture, learning, and great philosophers. Visit the ACROPOLIS with the Parthenon and AREOPAGUS, where Paul delivered his famous sermon about the identity of “the Unknown God” (Acts 17:15-34). Afterwards, continue to Corinth for a guided visit of the EXCAVATIONS and where Apostle Paul worked for 18 months with tent makers Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-18). (BB)

     Begin your 3-day Greece and Turkey CRUISE with a visit to the mountainous island of Mykonos. Free time to explore the island before returning to the ship for evening entertainment. (BB,L,D)

     Dock in Rhodes where Apostle Paul landed in 51 A.D. (Acts 21:1). Admire the medieval-walled city with its palaces and “inns” built by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. Marvel at the beauty of the island, or you may wish to join an optional excursion to charming Lindos with the acropolis and imposing Knight’s Castle. (FB,L,D)

     Visit Patmos with free time to discover the “Jerusalem of the Aegean.” You may wish to join an optional tour to the Monastery of St. John and tour the Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation during his exile (Rev. 1:9-11). Continue your cruise to the Turkish port of Kusadasi, from where an optional excursion is available to the ruins of Ephesus, to whose inhabitants Apostle Paul wrote his famous epistle (Acts 18:19-26; Ephesians) and which was once the capital of the Roman province of Asia and the House of Mary, where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last days. (FB,L,D)

     Disembark near Athens and journey north to Thessalonika. Enjoy guided sightseeing of this city, named after Alexander the Great’s sister, and which figures prominently in the New Testament at which time this provincial capital was considered a worldcultural center. This community was the center of Paul’s activities in Northern Greece as it is where he preached and founded a church and to whom he wrote two epistles (Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians). (FB,D)

     Full-day excursion along the ancient route of Apostle Paul to Amphipolis (Acts 17:1). Journey to Ancient Philippi which was named after the father of Alexander the Great. This busy Roman colony boasted a great library and theater. In Philippi, Paul preached, established the first church in Europe, and was to whom he wrote one of his epistles while imprisoned in Rome(Acts 16:11-40; Philippians). It was in this area Paul met Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She and her household accepted Christ and were baptized in the nearby river (Acts 16:11-15). Next, continue to Kavala, ancient port of Neapolis (Acts 16:9-11). (BB,D)

     This morning, stop in Veria (Beroea of the New Testament), where Paul and Silas were sent by friends after being accused of treason in Thessalonika (Acts 17:5-15). Visit the BEMA OF APOSTLE PAUL, where Paul is said to have stood and preached the Gospel to the local community. Continue to Kalambaka. (BB,D)

     In Meteora, visit VARLAAM and ST. STEPHEN’S MONASTERIES. Situated atop vast rocks, the 14th-century monasteries compose one of the most breathtaking sites in the world. Inside the monasteries, discover many historical and religious treasures. Return to Athens and enjoy this evening’s farewell dinner. (BB,D)

     Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)