Footsteps of St. Paul / 8 Days / 13 Days / 13 Day Plus Cruise

Athens, Corinth, Meteores, Thessaloniki, Philippi, Plus a 3 night Greek Island cruise - 13 days

Day 1 - Canada / Athens
Depart from Canada on an overnight transatlantic flight to Greece. Meals on board.

Day 2 - Athens
Arrival in Athens, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 3 - Athens
This tour gives us an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides take us to see the center of the city, Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. Driving down Herod Atticus street, you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform 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 Olympian Zeus and Hadrians Arch. On the Acropolis visit its museum and the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylae, the Temple of Athena, Nike, the Erechtheion and finally "the harmony between material and spirit," the monument that "puts order in the mind," the Parthenon. It is believed that Paul paid only one visit to Athens, but St. Luke describes it as an important one. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 4 - Ancient Corinth
Leave by 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. "After this he left Athens and went to Corinth" (Acts 18:1-3). Dominated by the Acro-Corinth rising 1700 feet above the ruins, the marketplace is laid out exactly as it stood in the days of the great Apostle. We see the bema (the judgment seat) where Paul stood before Galileo and preached (Acts 18), the Doric styled temple of Apollo, the Fountain of Pirene and the Agora. The museum contains a superb collection of artifacts portraying life in ancient Corinth. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 - Delphi
Depart for Delphi driving north through the picturesque villages and towns of central Greece. We arrive at Kalambaka, a quaint little town settled just below the Meteores Monasteries. Visit Meteores, a particularly impressive scenery where ageless monasteries containing priceless historical and religious treasures stand suspended between earth and sky on top of huge granite rocks. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

Day 6 - Veria / Thessaloniki
Continue our tour north with a short stop in Veria to visit the monument to St. Paul. Continue to Thessaloniki, the second capital of Greece and the 1997 European Cultural capital. Thessaloniki has a rich and varied history. Built in 316BC by Kassandros on the site of the formerly insignificant township known as Thermi. When Macedonia became a province, Thessaloniki became its capital. The city flourished under the Byzantine Empire and its most important buildings date to this time. Paul came to Thessaloniki with Silas and following his usual custom he went to the synagogue where he used the Jewish scriptures as the source of his preaching. He founded a church here and the New Testament Books of Thessalonians are his correspondence with the people of this church. Among the highlights of the city are the old ramparts, the white tower built in the 15th century. We will also see the most beautiful basilicas in the city, St. Demetrius and St. Sophia. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 7 - Philippi / Kavala
In the morning we will visit 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 from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods. Visit the Baptistry of Lydia, the Market Place (where Paul and Silas were brought before the rulers) and the cistern which tradition identifies as the place where Paul was imprisoned. We continue to Kavala, on the site of ancient Neapolis where Paul, Timothy and Silas landed on the coast of Thrace. You will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis. Dinner and overnight in Kavala.

Day 8 - Athens
This morning we depart for Athens, driving through the valley of Tempis, Larissa, Larnia, and Thermoplyae. Arrive in Athens in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 - Three Day Cruise - Mykonos
Transfer to pier to embark vessel for 3 day cruise. First port of call, Mykonos. Cubic white houses and those world-famous windmills. All meals served on the cruise.

Day 10 - Rhodes
A full day in Rhodes, the island of butterflies and roses. Optional tour to the Acropolis of Lindos and to the Old Town. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 11 - Kusadasi / Patmos
Kusadasi - from here an optional tour to the ancient city of Ephesus, where Paul preached. The apostle John was one of the early leaders of the church of Ephesus. Next port of call Patmos - a sacred island for the Christian religion. The famous Monastery of Apostle John on the hilltop overlooks a landscape of striking beauty. Optional visit to the Monastery and the grotto where John wrote the book of Revelations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 12 - Port in Athens
End of cruise. Early morning arrival in Athens. Transfer to your hotel and balance of day at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 13 - Canada
Transfer to airport after breakfast for your flight home to Canada.