Day by Day Travel Itinerary

• Day 01 Tue . Sep . 02

  DEPARTURE

  Depart Raleigh/Durham for an overnight international flight to Athens (one connection). 

• Day 02 Wed . Sep . 03

  ARRIVAL ATHENS

  Welcome to Greece, the capital of democracy, ancient civilization and art! Upon arrival we’ll be met by our guide and driver and travel to the city for a panoramic orientation tour before arrival to our hotel to settle. We will have a free afternoon to explore the area. Dinner and the next two overnights in Athens. 

• Day 03 Thu . Sep . 04

  ATHENS

  Today we will spend all day in Athens where we will have a panoramic tour to see the Parliament House, the Academy, Omonia Square and Panathenaic Stadium. Then we will visit the Acropolis, Parthenon. We will stop at Mars Hill where St. Paul delivered his famous sermon about the identity of “the Unknown God” (Acts 17:15-34). Next we will visit the Athens National Museum, the most important museum in the country. This afternoon we’ll have free time in in Athens’ oldest neighborhoods of Plaka. Plaka’s charming stone-paved streets, colorful houses, and beautiful little gardens create a delightful atmosphere.  Dinner and overnight.

• Day 04 Fri . Sep . 05

  CRUISE EMBARKATION / MYKONOS

  After breakfast we will depart the hotel and transfer to the port to embark our cruise. Our first stop will be at the famous island of Mykonos. A shuttle bus will take us to the capital to enjoy walking in the narrow roads full of shops and restaurants. 

• Day 05 Sat . Sep . 06

  CRUISE / KUSADASI / PATMOS

  Early this morning, we explore Ephesus, dominated by the great 24,000-seat amphitheater, cited in Acts as the place of the apostles’ courageous witness.  What a privilege to walk these ancient streets in the footsteps of New Testament writers Paul and John!  Excavations at Ephesus are ongoing…each season more can be seen of the city where Paul invested two years of his ministry.  Archaeologists still digging at the site have reconstructed much of it, including the beautiful two-story Library of Celsus, The Temple of Hadrian, and the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the temple once had 129 columns and was the size of a football field). Our second stop today is at Patmos where the exiled St John received the Revelation which forms the last book of the New Testament. Included is an excursion to the Monastery which is of the 11th Century and to the Grotto of Revelation.

• Day 06 Sun . Sep . 07

  HERAKLION / SANTORINI

  This morning we dock in Heraklion, the capital of Crete. The Apostle Paul ended up in Crete because of severe winds (Acts 27:7). After a short drive through the town of Heraklion the walking tour will take us to visit the church of St Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first Bishop of Crete. And we will visit the Venetian Loggia, Basilica of St Mark, medieval monastery of St Catherine and the Cathedral of Agios Minas.  At the Archaeological Museum we’ll see displays of many of the treasures found during the excavation of this ancient city. Then we will continue to Santorini, the famous colorful volcanic island. We may take the donkey ride up the steep hill to the village or use the cable car.

• Day 07 Mon . Sep . 08

  DISEMBARK CRUISE / VERIA / THESSALONIKI

  This morning our ship will reach its final destination-Athens. We will disembark the ship and meet our guide and bus to leave Athens to drive to Thessaloniki. We will enjoy the nature of the country. Continue Veria (Berea) where St. Paul escaped the hostility he encountered at Thessaloniki, we will see the monument built to the Apostle at the southern part of the city, also known as the Bema. Continue to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece.  We will then check in at our hotel, have dinner, and spend the next two overnights

• Day 08 Tue . Sep . 09

  THESSALONIKI / PHILIPPI / KAVALA

  After breakfast we’ll drive to the ancient route of Apostle Paul to Amphipolis (Acts 17:1). Journey to ancient Philippi, which was named after the father of Alexander the Great. This busy Roman colony boasted a great library and theater. In Philippi, Paul preached, established the first church in Europe, and was to whom he wrote one of his epistles while imprisoned in Rome (Acts 16:11-40). It was in this area that Paul met Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She and her household accepted Christ and were baptized in the nearby river. Next, continue to Kavala, ancient port of Neapolis where St Paul had arrived through his mission. Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight! 

• DAY 09 Wed . Sep . 10

  THESSALONIKI /THERMOPYLAE /ATHENS

  This morning we will have a city tour of the second biggest city in Greece where we will see the castles and the Byzantine churches of St Sophia and St Demetrius, the White Tower and the Arch of Galerius and many other features of the city. Then we will take our way to Athens admiring the amazing nature of the country. We will visit on the way the site of Thermopylae famous battle of the Spartans against the Persians 480 BC and see the statue of Lionidas, the king of Sparta, in memorial to this battle of 480 B.C. Dinner and overnight. 

• Day 10 Thu . Sep . 11

  CORINTH

  Today we will depart our hotel for a short drive to visit to Ancient Corinth and see the Bema where Apostle Paul worked for 18 months with tent makers Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-18). Among the ruins see the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Agora, the Bema where St. Paul had to plead his case before the Roman governor Gallio in 52 AD, the pavement inscription of Erastus, the Roman Lechaion Road, and the Fountain of Peirene, the major source of water for Corinth. Return to Athens for our farewell dinner and final overnight.

• Day 11 Fri . Sep . 12

  DEPATURE HOME

  After breakfast this morning we’ll be transferred to the airport for our return back to the USA, arriving the same day.