Greece

You’ve arrived in Athens! You will meet your guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel for check-in.  Then, we have dinner and overnight in Athens.  

After enjoying our first breakfast in Greece, we begin our journey with an excursion to Corinth, with a brief stop at the Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese from the mainland.  Then, we will visitAncient Corinth site, the museum, the Market Place, and the Bema where Paul spoke to the Corinthians.  

In the afternoon, we head back to tour Athens.  We will visit the Acropolis to see the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum, and Propylae.  We will also ascend Mars Hill, view the Agora (ancient marketplace where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians). We will drive past the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Presidential Palace, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Panathenaic Stadium.  Then, we transfer back to the hotel for dinner and overnight in Athens.  

In the morning, we leave Athens to begin our tour to Northern Greece, beginning with a visit to Delphi, the center of the Ancient world – the “omphalos” (navel) of the Earth – whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world.  We will view the slopes of Mount Parnassus and its landscape of beauty.  We will see the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios.  After visiting the site and museum, we will continue to Meteora, an amazing rock formation where the monasteries are built.  We then enjoy dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

We begin our day with a visit to Meteora Monasteries. We will take in the breathtaking scenery of the monasteries sitting atop huge rocks, seemingly suspended in mid-air. We will also see specimens of Byzantine art.  

On the way to Thessaloniki, we will stop in the Christian community of Veria, that was devoted to Paul’s work. St. Paul and Silas preached here in ancient Berea in 54 or 55 A.D. We will then drive to Thessaloniki for a panoramic tour, with check-in, dinner, and overnight to follow.

We begin our morning with a visit to Philippi, where Paul delivered his first sermon in Europe, sowing the seeds of Christianity.  Here, Paul baptized a “certain woman named Lydia” the first Christian convert in Europe.  

We will see the Roman forum, completely excavated, from the time of Paul.  Among the ruins is the prison where Paul and Silas were thrown.  Following our tour, we will drive back to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast and check-out, we will tour Thessaloniki, where Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians.  Our tour will include the Roman Market, the theatre and baths, Arch of Galerius, the City Walls, the White Tower, and Byzantine Churches including the Church of St. Dimitrios.  We then enjoy dinner and overnight in Athens.

We have the day free to explore the city! We have the option to join a one day cruise to the Saronic Islands Aegina, Hydra, and Poros. We then enjoy dinner and overnight in Athens.

We will check out, and you will be transferred from the hotel to the airport for your flight home.