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

Upon landing at Makedonia Thessaloniki Airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the arrival hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/-or driver. Board the bus to transfer to your hotel. Enjoy some time to relax after check-in before the group get together for Mass. Enjoy delicious welcome dinner and 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 he established the 1st 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). It is also 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. View the prison (now in ruins) where 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.

Start your day with breakfast at the hotel. In the winter of 49-50 A.D., Saint Paul wrote two epistles to the Thessalonians. These letters urged Christians to “live blamelessly” and to refrain from living idly while they wait for the second coming of Christ. While in Thessaloniki, you will witness several ancient artifacts, such as the triumphal Arch of Galerius found at the start of Via Egnatia. Due to the convenient location, this arch was once a strategic artery of the Roman Empire and constructed to honor the Roman Emperor Galerius following the Roman victory over the Persians. We also see St. Demetrios Church with its valuable mosaics and frescoes and from here we walk to view the Roman Agora, a place St Paul was preaching. Then drive to the upper town which offers a marvelous view of the city. We drive through the modern church of St Paul and reach the site where the Monastery of Vlatadon was built and is believed to be the location where Jason’s house once stood and where St Paul was accommodated during his visit to Thessaloniki. Following the city-tour we drive to VERIA (Berea). According to historical resources, Paul the Apostle had visited Veria at least twice between 50 AD and 57 AD in order to teach the life of Jesus to the people of the region.The Apostle of the Nations was warmly welcomed since his first visit and his preaching had a great impact on the Verians and the Jews. Paul’s the Apostle passage through Veria and the impact of his preaching, reveal the significance of the town at the first steps of Christianity and the important role that the town played for the spreading and establishment the Christian faith in Greece. In the modern city stands a “Triptych monument” in remembrance of St Paul’s work. The monument includes three steps that were removed from a salvage dig at a nearby school property. The steps were reputed to have been from the location of the ancient synagogue. The display is made of colorful mosaic tile and displays three panels: the Macedonian man vision St Paul, and the address to the Bereans. Continue to Vergina and visit the Museum of the Royal Tombs. The Royal Tombs were built by the ancient Kingdom of Macedon. The underground museum contains the burial cluster of Philip II of Macedon, and are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Transfer to Kalambaka for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, board the motorcoach for a short drive to breathtaking Byzantine monasteries of Meteora. In the eleventh century, some monks settled within caves. However, as the Turkish occupation increased, the monks were forced to move their settlements higher upon the rocks until they were unreachable by any opposing enemy. These settlements became Monasteries by bringing building and lifting materials by ladders and baskets. Notorious for preserving the Hellenic religion as well as their academics and arts. During your visit, you will be able to view stunning Byzantine art, as well as the breathtaking scenery that surrounds the monastery. Continue to Delphi, the center of the ancient world (navel) of the earth. Its prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. On the slopes of Mount Parnassus in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. Its history dates to the Mycenaean period and in Homer’s Iliad, the site was referred to as Pytho. The oracle or the Pythia as it was called was a woman over 50 who abandoned normal life and lived her life in seclusion to serve the many who came to have their questions answered. The Pythia would pronounce her prophesies while the priests wrote them down and translated them to the people. Among the most noted to come with questions were King Croesus and King Midas.Dinner and overnight in Delphi.

Following breakfast proceed to the Piraeus port, where you will board your 3-day cruise. Your first stop will be the Island of Mykonos, the most cosmopolitan of the Greek islands that attract visitors from all over the world. After docking, transfer to Hora, the capital of the island. Enjoy a walking tour that will take you on the narrow cobbled streets of the city. Pass by chic boutiques, elegant nightclubs, and white-washed houses to arrive in Alefkandra. This part of Mykonos, known as the “Venice of Mykonos”, as homes have wooden balconies and are built on the sea. Historically, these homes were of the wealthy merchants and captains. Return to the cruise ship for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy breakfast on board in the lively Turkish port of Kusadasi. We then transfer to the small village of Mt. Koressos. Visit the stone chapel situated upon the site, where the Virgin Mary spent her last days following the crucifixion of Christ. Following this visit, walk through the Magnesian Gate to the ancient Ephesus. Enjoy a walking tour that will take you through the most magnificent excavations in the world. Some of the sites include the Odeon (concert hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the Scholastica, the Temple of Hadrian and the Latrians, the Library of Celsus. The last stop on the walking tour is the Great Theatre. The largest ancient theatre with a capacity of 25,000 people and is a site where Saint Paul preached. Follow the exact route that Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession via the Arcadian Way. This main street runs from the Great Theatre to the city harbor. On your transfer back to Kusadasi, have the opportunity to view the Basilica of Saint John. In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian erected this structure over the grave of the evangelist, John. Upon arrival in Kusadasi, enjoy free time to explore on your own before returning to the ship. The cruise journey continues to Patmos, where you will transfer to the village of Chora. While in this capital, visit the monastery of Saint John the Theologian. This marvelous structure, built nine-hundred years ago, continues to be supported by the walls of a strong fortification. In addition to the stunning main church that contains outstanding frescoes, you will have the opportunity to view the beautiful courtyard, dining room, and bakery. Visit the small museum, where you will view priceless ecclesiastical treasures such as books, manuscripts, mosaics, icons, textiles, vestments, and jewelry. Board the bus and transfer to the monastery. Visit the Grotto of the Apocalypse believed to mark the spot where John of Patmos received his visions that he recorded in the Book of Revelation. The silver niches in the wall mark the pillow and ledge were used as a desk by the author. View the three-fold crack made by the voice of God, who emphasized the importance of honoring the Holy Trinity. Your day will culminate with a transfer to the port of Scala. While in this quaint and picturesque harbor, enjoy free time before returning to the ship.

This morning awaken and transfer to the largest city on the island of Crete, Heraklion. While in this administrative capital, visit the in 1899 discovered ancient ruins of the Palace of Knossos. The palace is currently partially reconstructed and believed to have been the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. Here is where Saint Paul met the owner/-and captain of the ship and was warned by him of continuing his journey to spread Christianity in Rome. Following this historical visit, embark by ship to the idyllic island of Santorini. Santorini is definitively the most breathtaking island of all of the Greek Islands. Upon arrival in Santorini, visit Thira with its iconic white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes, and glittering boutiques that cling to cliffs. This evening enjoy your last dinner and overnight on the cruise ship.

Today marks the end of your cruise. Following disembarkation, you will have tour of Athens, one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. We begin with Mass followed by a tour that will include the agora, where Paul addressed the Athenians. According to the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17:16-34), while he was waiting for his companions Silas and Timothy to arrive, Paul was distressed to see Athens full of idols. His sermon at the Areopagus, the high court in Athens, is the most dramatic and fullest reported speech of his missionary career. We will also visit the famed Acropolis (the ancient citadel) located on a rocky outcrop above the city, and the Parthenon, Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Zeus. The reminder of the day is at leisure to explore the city. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

As you are in the former political center, proceed with a drive through the city to view the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square. Also, have the opportunity to view the University of Athens, the oldest higher education institute in Greece and, the National Library of Greece that holds 4,500 Greek manuscripts. Visit Panathenaic Stadium, the beautifully marbled multi-purpose stadium. It is home to the Olympian Zeus and the site of the first modern-era Olympics (1896). Following your visit to Athens, you will proceed to ancient Corinth. Under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, Saint Paul lived in Corinth for two years. While here, Saint Paul felt great grief over what the Gentile Church in Corinth has become. As a result, he wrote four letters, all with the overarching theme of love. In Corinth, have the opportunity to view the remains of the first century shops, the site of the Saint Pauls trial by Gallio, the Fountain of Peirene, and the Temple of Apollo. Before ending the tour and return to Athens, we will visit the ancient Greek port of Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) where Paul was during his second missionary journey and the ruin of the early Christian 5th Century basilica. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, you will say your heartfelt farewells to a journey that will last in your memory forever. Transfer to 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.