All guests, no matter what time you arrive today (June 9th), will be met at the airport and transferred to our lovely hotel, the Electra Palace. Get settled into our hotel and then enjoy fellowship and breathtaking views during our rooftop dinner.

Overnight in Thessaloniki at the Electra Palace Hotel.
(R,D)

At Philippi, we visit the site of Lydia’s baptism (Acts 16:14), and explore the ancient excavated city, including Paul’s prison. If we were traveling with the Apostle Paul, and were on our way to Philippi, the first place we would have set foot in this area would have been Neapolis - as this is where Paul, Silas and Timothy first landed (Acts 16:11).

From here they traveled out into Macedonia. One enters ancient Philippi by the Via Egnatia, the road Paul would have taken.

Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki at the Electra Palace Hotel.
(B,L,D)

We will start the day with a visit to the Byzantine Church of St. Dimitrios or have our own communion service at the hotel. The Church of St. Dimitrios is one of the grandest Churches in all of Greece and has five eighth century mosaics. The church has been built on the site where Saint Dimitrios was actually martyred. Located in the church are three major Roman monuments all associated with the Roman Emperor Galerius, who was a notorious persecutor of Christians. These are the ruined Palace of Galerius- still with flooring mosaics, columns and some walls, the Arch of Galerius, and the Rotunda, where the Emperor Constantine made Thessaloniki’s first church.

Overnight in Thessaloniki at the Electra Palace Hotel.
(B,L,D)

We visit Berea where Paul traveled and shared the Gospel in both the synagogue and agora. Then on to the ancient city of Vergina, site of the Royal tombs of the Macedonian kings including Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. The most important recent finds were made in 1977 when the burial sites of several kings of Macedon were found, including the tomb of Philip II which had not been disturbed or looted. The archaeological museum of Vergina was built to house all the artifacts found at the site and is one of the most important museums in Greece.

During the Roman empire, Berea became a place of worship for the Romans. Within the city walls there was a Jewish synagogue where Paul was summoned to preach. In Vergina, we will stop and see the beautiful modern mosaic of the Apostle Paul. After these visits, we will continue on to Meteora.

Overnight in Kalambaka at Divani Meteora Hotel.
(B,L,D)

The town of Kalambaka, the gateway to Meteora, serves as a starting point to visiting the great monasteries of Meteora. Meteora, meaning “suspended in the air”, is listed as a World Heritage Site and for very good reason. It is a mass of jutting pinnacles and rock formations upon which are built six Byzantine monasteries. As the Turks gradually invaded the plains around them, these monasteries became refuge for the religious of that day. Today, there are four monasteries that house men and two that house women. We will visit two of these magnificent clifftop monasteries.

Overnight in Athens at the Royal Olympic Hotel.
(B,L,D)

This morning we will have an orientation tour of Athens. We will visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Areopagus. The Acropolis is an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and a continuing symbol of Athenian Democracy. The Areopagus or Mars Hill is a bare marble hill next to the Acropolis in Athens. In pre-classical times (before the 5th century BC), the Areopagus was the meeting place of the council of elders of the city, like the Roman Senate.  

It is here that St. Paul addressed the elders of Athens on the subject of religion. He begins by telling them that he sees that “in every way you are very religious...” and goes on to comment that he even sees an altar “to an unknown god.”  He then proclaims to them that God who made the world …is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not dwell in temples on earth... (Acts 17:22-31). That is what happened upon this hill. This Areopagus speech is important because it is all that has come down to us from the New Testament to illustrate how Paul preferred to deal with the pagan culture that he encountered every day of his life. We’ll talk much more about this on the very spot.

After lunch we will spend time at the Acropolis Museum –considered to be one of the most important museums in the world. This archaeological museum is focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

Overnight in Athens at the Royal Olympic Hotel.
(B,L,D)

After this (Acts 18:1) Paul left Athens and went to Corinth – and so this morning shall we!  Ancient Corinth bustled with people from all corners of the Mediterranean where St. Paul lived and preached here for two years between 52 and 53 C.E. and again between 57 and 58 C.E.  We will explore ancient Corinth: we will feature the Agora, where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place and its myriad of important structures; the Temple of Apollo; the Fountain of Peirene; the Lechaion Road; and the Bema, where St. Paul was brought before the tribunal, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. 

Overnight in Athens at the Royal Olympic Hotel.
(B,L,D)

We embark on our pilgrimage to sites that can only be reached by ship. This morning we will embark on our Greek Ship (the Celestyal Discovery) and sail to the islands and ports in which pivotal events of the early church took place as we follow Paul and John.

This evening is our first stop, Mykonos. We arrive by 6 p.m. and dock there until 11 p.m., giving anyone time to stroll around the town should they desire. Mykonos is the most cosmopolitan of the Greek Islands and attracts many visitors from all over the globe, including large numbers of artists and intellectuals.   

Overnight on the ship.
(B,L,D)

This morning we have an early start for Ephesus, one of the largest and best excavated cities of the ancient world. Because of Ephesus’ centrality to the world, Paul did not need to venture out into it as the world came to him there. He spent some of the longest time in one place in Ephesus – three years. From Ephesians 4:17-6:20 the Epistle to the Ephesians gives practical advice in how to live a holy, pure, and Christ-inspired lifestyle. Many devotional thoughts and sermons have been drawn from this section of the New Testament. Our guided walking tour will take us through one of the most magnificent excavations in the world, including the Odeon (concert hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the steam-heated Baths of Scholastica, the Temple of Hadrian and the Latrians, the Library of Celsus and The Great Theatre, the largest one in antiquity with a capacity of 24,000 seats where St. Paul preached. We will walk along the Arcadian Way, where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession. Before returning to the ship, get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets, jewelry and leather goods. We return to the ship for lunch and rest.

Patmos (perfect sunset and service) 
The port on Patmos is where the Monastery of St. John, built 900 years ago, is built within the walls of a strong fortification. We will get a view of the courtyard, the monks’ dining room and the old bakery before visiting the main church noted for its outstanding frescoes and interior decoration. Next, visit the small museum where priceless ecclesiastical treasures, books, manuscripts, mosaics, icons, splendid medieval textiles, vestments and jewelry are housed.  

We will then continue to the nearby Grotto of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of the Apocalypse above it. Here we will see the niches in the wall that mark the pillow and ledge used as a desk by the Apostle John, the author of the Book of Revelation, and the crack in the rock made by the voice of God honoring the Holy Trinity. We’ll return to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Overnight on the ship.
(B,L,D)

We have all day on Rhodes, where we will have a tour and time for personal exploration. We will drive along the medieval walls to the summit of Mount Smith, the Acropolis of ancient Rhodes. From the Temple of Athena, we will view the nearby Temple of Apollo, the stadium of Diagoras and the port, once protected by the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. We continue across the island to Philerimos. The summit of Philerimos was the site of Ialysos, one of the three ancient cities of Rhodes. Later sites include the restored Byzantine Church of Our Lady of Philermos, and the ruined Castle of the Knights Hospitaller, who later moved and became the Knights of Malta.  

We will also have a guided walking tour of the old walled city to the Porte d’Amboise. It is a pleasure to stroll the street of the Knights with its medieval buildings, winding alleys, towers, turrets and emblazoned façades. We will then visit the impressive Grand Master’s Palace and have the chance to see the superb mosaics. There will be time for those who are interested to return to the old walled city for personal exploration. 

Overnight on the ship.
(B,L,D)