MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30
Depart From Columbia, MO to Chicago via American Airlines for your flight to Thessaloniki, Greece via Turkish Airlines. Beverages and meals will be served on board.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 1
We arrive in Thessaloniki and meet our guide. We will get right to it and begin to discover Thessaloniki, where Paul was accused of turning the world upside down with his preaching of Christ (Acts 17: 3-6). As you explore St. George’s Basilica, believed to be built over the synagogue where Paul preached, reflect on the two epistles the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church here. Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerus Arch, and you can look out over the second largest city in Greece from the Old City Ramparts, some dating back to Roman times. Check in to our hotel in Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
Dinner and Overnight: – Thessaloniki
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2
Follow the path of Paul when he fled Thessaloniki for the safety of Veria (Berea), where Jews and some honorable Greeks accepted the new faith (Act 17: 10-12). We continue to the rock forest of Meteora (“in the heavens above”) in western Thessaly, and imagine the apostle Paul walking that treacherous terrain on his missionary journey. Gaze up at the breathtaking Byzantine monasteries spectacularly perched on soaring, sheersided grey sandstone pillars. In the 13th century, monks sought refuge in cliff-side caves before fleeing higher to build the original wooden shelters that later became these monasteries. Continue on to Kalambaka and check in to our hotel.
Dinner and Overnight: – Kalambaka
THURSDAY OCTOBER 3
Travel to scenic Delphi, religious center of the ancient Greek world and marked by the conical stone called the omphalos (“navel”). Walk the Sacra Via to the Athenian Treasury, Theatre and the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle performed her prophetic rituals. As you consider the incredible amount of pagan influence just in Delphi alone, you will gain a new appreciation for the tremendous spiritual opposition the apostle Paul faced in preaching the Gospel of Christ here. In the Museum are many ancient treasures, including the 5th century bronzed Charioteer, so detailed you can see his eyelashes.
Dinner and Overnight: - Athens
FRIDAY OCTOBER 4
We sail early afternoon from Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. Experience the waterfront lined with shops and cafes and stroll the charming walkways through a maze of whitewashed buildings. Enjoy the nightlife of Mykonos before returning to the ship.
Dinner and Overnight: - Cruise
SATURDAY OCTOBER 5
Visit the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. The town of Fira 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.. Again we return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.
Dinner and Overnight: - Cruise
SUNDAY OCTOBER 6
Early morning disembarkation in Turkey, enjoy an included tour of Ephesus, the city of the Bible and one of the largest restorations still in progress with miles of ancient treasures. Ephesus was once a thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city including the Agora, the Odeon, the Library, the marble-paved main Street, the Baths, Trajan’s Fountain, the Residences of the Patricians, the Prytaneum, and Temple of Hadrian. The Great Theatre, built in the 4th century B.C., could accommodate 24,000 spectators and it is famous even nowadays for its acoustics..This afternoon we visit the Isle of Patmos, under statutory protection as a historic monument. Here we have an included tour to see the fortified monastery of St. John and the cave claimed to be where John received the Revelation. Back on the ship.
Dinner and Overnight: - Cruise
MONDAY OCTOBER 7
Disembark the ship to enjoy the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as your guide introduces you to the world renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Erectheum. Stand on Mars Hill as the apostle Paul did when he proclaimed, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23). As you stroll the Agora (ancient market place and center of Athenian public life), recall that this was where the Apostle Paul preached “Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18) to the skeptical Athenians. Also see the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This afternoon journey to Sounion to visit the famous Temple of Poseidon.
Dinner and Overnight: - Athens
TUESDAY OCTOBER 8
Embark on our journey to Ancient Corinth. Stop and photos at the Corinth Canal. Next, we visit ancient Corinth, the city that inspired many of Paul's most familiar letters and is a highlight for the New Testament scholar. 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 for the Bible. 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. Our guide will be sure to show you the room dedicated to the medical care of that period. We travel on to the top of the nearby Acropolis where our guide will speak on the worship practices and point out the bird’s eye view of what was a bustling city of around 800,000 during Paul’s stay. Another important stop is a visit to Diolkos where we view the paved trackway which enabled boats to be moved overland across the Isthmus of Corinth and served as a life line for Corinth. This shortcut allowed ancient vessels to avoid the long and dangerous circumnavigation of the Peloponnese peninsula. Before returning to Athens, we will visit Cenchreae, the ancient port region of Corinth. Acts 18:18 states the Apostle Paul stopped at Cenchreae during his second missionary journey, where he had his hair cut to fulfill a vow.
Dinner and Overnight: - Athens
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9
Morning transfer to airport for your return flight home.
Arrive in the USA!
PLEASE NOTE! We reserve the right to omit any site and/or change the itinerary
Should it be necessary due to local conditions.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
September 30 to October 9, 2024
