Make your way to your local airport where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Welcome to Thessaloniki! Apostle Paul visited Thessaloniki on his 2nd Missionary Journey after his visit to Philippi. Thessaloniki was and is still today an important port in Macedonia for the Aegean Sea. During his visit he stayed in the house of Jason and preached about Christianity in the Synagogue. Upon landing at Makedonia Thessaloniki Airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrival’s Hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. You will be escorted to the bus to be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy some time to relax after check in and this evening enjoy a delicious meal. Overnight in Thessaloniki.

After breakfast, start your journey in Greece with the first stop of the day in Philippi. Philippi was the city where Saint Paul the Apostle delivered his first sermon and where he established the first church in Europe. “And from there he went to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman Colony. We remained in this city some days…” (Acts 16:12-18). Also, it is the site where Saint Paul baptized a woman named Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe. Visit the Roman Forum, where Saint Paul cast a spirit out of a fortune-telling woman. While here, you will have the opportunity to view the prison (now in ruins) in which Saint Paul and Silas were thrown into by the owners of the fortune-tellers. Continue to the modern port city of Kavala, which was once the ancient Neapolis. This port is where Saint Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy landed when they sailed into Europe. After enjoying this city by the sea, return to Thessaloniki for a delicious meal and restful overnight.

Following breakfast this morning we begin with our tour of the Meteora Monasteries. Here we see the world famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of gray rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliff side caves then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries.From there our tour travels southward past Thermopylae where we learn of the famous Spartan battle of 300. Our lodging tonight is in Athens.

The cruise portion of the tour begins today! Before we get onboard the majestic MSC Lirica, we will begin our day with a tour of Athens. Visit among other masterpieces of the “Golden Age” the Acropolis, the Agora and the Mars Hill where Paul taught. Athens – the birthplace of democracy. See Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the University, the Academie and the National Library. Driving down Herodes Atticus Street and the Avzones in their picturesque uniforms and the Presidential Palace. On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Panathenaic Stadium (where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896), the Temple of Olympia Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. On the Acropolis mount, you will visit the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylee, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally the Parthenon – the monument that “puts order in the mind” and “is harmony between material and spirit”. Upon the completion of the city tour we will have some leisure time before heading to the port of Piraeus of Embarkation. Dinner and overnight on board.

Today you are docked in Kusadasi, Turkey and start your excursion to ancient Ephesus. Ephesus was one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world and its former glory can still be appreciated today from its well- preserved streets, temples, fountains, public baths, terraced houses, and theatres. Paul went to Ephesus on his third Missionary journey, staying and preaching for a period of about two to three years,and where several certain incidents took place (Acts 19:120, 20:20). It was to this community that Paul may have written his epistle to the Ephesians. You will visit the ancient Agora and go back in time where Demetrius, the silversmith, sold his silver shrines to the Ancient Greek goddess, Artemis. See the Library of Celsius and view the Great Theatre mentioned in the Book of Acts.

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”(Acts 21:13) Travel to Bethlehem. View Shepherds’ Field. Continue to Jerusalem where you will visit the Upper Room, the House of the High Priest Caiaphas and the Western Wall. Visit the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. You’ll walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Enter the Old City and visit the Pool of Bethesda. Worship together in the Garden Tomb.

The first visit on Paul’s first journey was the island of Cyprus. Barnabas and John Markaccompanied Paul on this part of the journey and the three preached the word of God on the island in the “sunagogues of the Jews” (Acts 13:4-5). Today you will arrive in Paphos where Paul and Barnabas brought the gospel to the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus.

Rhodes, the island of “roses”, is the legendary home of the sun god Apollo. The old town (the largest inhabited medieval town of Europe) and its mighty fortifications (built by the crusaders of St. John) are the finest surviving example of defensive architecture. An optional tour takes us to Lindos, which is guarded by medieval walls which were constructed by the Knights of St. John in the 14th century. Within, stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis a breathtaking view covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul’s Bay, where the Apostle cast harbor during his historic voyage to Ephesus.

This morning you are visitng the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. The town of Thira where white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques cling to steep cliffs, is accessible by foot path, cable-car or mule. You may choose to take an optional tour of sailing around an active volcano crater and swimming in the water heated by hot springs or enjoy this lovely island on foot. Again we return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.

This morning we are back in Athens. After our disembarkation we then travel to the ancient city of Corinth. Corinth is the city that inspired many of Paul’s most familiar letters. See the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema, and the Temples. To enjoy a devotional in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps, and public worship place where Paul preached will enhance your understanding and love of I & II Corinthians. The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked. The engineering skill and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow from ancient to modern day. Check into hotel before our farewell dinner. Overnight.

Today marks the end of your cruise. Following disembarkation, you will say your heartfelt farewells to a journey that will last in your memory forever. You will be transferred to the Athens airport for your return flight(s) home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.