Days / Nights
10 Days / 9 Nights
ATHENS
DELPHI
METEORA
VERIA
VERGINA
THESSALONIKI
KAVALLA
PHILIPPI
MYKONOS
KUSADASI
PATMOS
RHODES
HERAKLION
SANTORINI
ANCIENT CORINTH
Day 1: ATHENS
Upon arrival in Athens, you are met by your guide and bus driver. Transfer to your hotel with the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: DELPHI
After breakfast this morning, we will travel to scenic Delphi, one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, which in antiquity was believed to be the “Navel Omphalos” of the world. Walk along the Sacred Way to see the Athenian Treasury, the Temple of Apollo where the oracle delivered her ambiguous prophecies, and the Theater. Also visit the Museum with its splendid collection of ancient works of art, including the Sphinx of the Naxians, the Silver Bull, the Column of the Dancers, the “Omphalos” and the pride of the museum, the 5 th century B.C. bronze “Charioteer”. Dinner and overnight in Delphi.
Day 3: METEORA
After breakfast we will begin our trip to Meteora, which has particularly impressive scenery. Continue to the Meteora Monasteries, perched upon the summits of gigantic rocks which have been etched into variety of strange shapes. Grey gigantic stalagmites rising towards the sky seem to be nature’s gift to the pious who opted for monasticism and for a life totally dedicated to the worship of God. The monastic history of the Meteora goes back to the 11 th century A.D. when the first hermits sought peace and solitude in the rifts and caves of these rocks, but the first monasteries were not built until the 14th century A.D. and attained their peak in the 16th. Of the 13 large and 20 small monasteries and hermit cells, only four are not occupied: Megalo Meteoro, Monie Varlaam, Monia Aghias Triadas and Moni Aghiou Stefanou. Apart from portable icons, miniatures, ecclesiastical robes, utensils and crosses, all excellent examples of Byzantine art. The Meteora Monasteries also contain rare editions and manuscripts. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 4: VERIA – VERGINA – THESSALONIKI
Early in the morning and after breakfast, we begin our trip to Veria where we visit the monument dedicated to Paul. We see the Vema where he stood and preached to the people of Veria. “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Verea; and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.” (Acts 17:10-14) Then continue to Vergina, where Philip built a massive palace and a theater. The site also features hundreds of burial mounds across the plain, some dating back to the Iron Age. The tomb of Philip was found here 1977, undisturbed and full of treasures that are now on display in Thessaloniki’s Archaeological Museum. Continue to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: KAVALLA – PHILIPPI
“Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace and the following day to Neapolis ” (Act 16:11) “And from thence to Philippi which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony; and we were in that city abiding certain days.” (Act 16:12) We visit the beautiful city of Kavala, and from there on to Philippi which was a Roman garrison town and the chief city in the province of Macedonia. It was here that Paul won his first European convert, a woman named Lydia. Here is also the marketplace where Paul and Silas were brought before the rulers and the cistern which tradition identifies as the place where St. Paul was imprisoned. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: THESSALONIKI – ATHENS
Enjoy breakfast and after that we will begin our trip to Thessaloniki. We become acquainted with this great city, the “Queen of the North”, where Paul wrote two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. Built by King Cassandros and named after the sister of Alexander the Great, the city flourished under the Byzantine Empire and its most important buildings date back to those days. Today it is also considered to be the second capital of Greece. Our city tour takes us to Aghia Sofia Church. Aghia Sofia is a beautiful Christian church which was built in the 8 th century, modeled after the magnificent church of Haghia Sofia in Istanbul. Then see St. Demetrios Church with its valuable mosaics and frescoes. The crypt of Aghios Demetrios has been an archaeological site since its discovery in 1918. The site where the monastery of Vlatadon was built is believed to be the location where Jason’s house once stood and where Paul was accommodated during his visit to Thessaloniki. Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: CRUISE 4 DAYS
After breakfast this morning, we will board the ship and sail to the world-famous island of Mykonos. The town is a small architectural miracle, with its gleaming whitewashed buildings and windmills, and is one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: KUSADASI – PATMOS – CRUISE DAY
In the morning we will arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey, and drive to Ephesus, where Paul spent three years during his ministry. The impressive remains of Ephesus include the Agora, the Theater, the Stadium, the Library of Celsius, the ruins of the Temple of Diana, one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” and many more. Later we will sail for the island of Patmos, where we will visit the Monastery of St. John, on one of the island’s highest points. From there, you will walk down to the Grotto of the Apocalypse, the site of the apocalyptic Revelations of St. John the Divine .Dinner and overnight.
DAY 9: RHODES – CRUISE DAY
We will spend the day on the island of Rhodes, where you will visit the Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the Knights. Afterwards you can walk around the medieval city with its impressive walls and see the Palace of the Grand Master, which was built by the Knights of St. John. Dinner and overnight.
Day 10: HERAKLION – SANTORINI – CRUISE DAY
In the morning we will arrive in Heraklion, Crete, where you can choose to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, home to king Minos and his legendary beast, the Minotaur. In the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, you can find the unbelievable works of art that have been found in a number of Minoan sites all over Crete. Then sail north to the isle of Santorini, the most breathtaking of all the Greek islands. The exquisite whitewashed villages, including the town of Fira, or Thira, cling to volcanic cliffs accessible only by cable car or mule. Dinner and overnight.
Day 11: ANCIENT CORINTH – ACROPOLIS – MARS HILL
We will arrive in Piraeus, Athens, early in the morning and disembark. We will begin our trip to Corinth. Drive along the coastal road along the Saronic Gulf to the Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea. Short stop for pictures and continue to the site of ancient Corinth, Paul’s beloved city and site of his most extensive ministry. Dominated by the Acro-Corinth rising 1,700 feet above the ruins, the marketplace is laid out exactly as it stood in the days of the great Apostle. We see the Vema where Paul stood before Galilo and preached (Acts 18). “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9) The museum contains a superb collection of artifacts portraying life in ancient Corinth. Time for leisure at the port of Cenchreae. Return to Athens. We visit Athens, one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. For twenty-five centuries, the panorama of this city is dominated by the rock of the Acropolis, where we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum and the Propylaea. We will ascend Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians about the one and only God. From here we have an excellent view of the Ancient Agora, the former center of the Athenian public life. Farewell dinner in Plaka and overnight in Athens
Day 12: RETURN HOME
Transfer to the airport for your flight home at the end of a marvelous journey with unforgettable memories.
We present you various proposals of excursions but also we can customize our services “depending on your needs”
