Footsteps of Saint Paul Pilgrimage Greece and the Mediterranean

Price Per person Based on Double Occupancy

Date	Price	Single Supplement
Main Tour: May 10 – 20, 2025	$3,819* Land Only: $2,809	$919
Optional 4 Day Rome Extension: May 20-23, 2025	$1,629	$227
*Includes airfare from Los Angeles. Standard Outside Cabin Upgrade: $180.00 Premium Outside Cabin Upgrade: $240.00 ($80.00 single supplement) Reservation Due: October 15, 2024 Final Payment Due: March 1, 2025

Included - Main Tour

Roundtrip air from Los Angeles including current air taxes and fuel surcharges (taxes and fuel charges are subject to change), 5 nights lodging at 4-star hotels, 4 nights cruise lodging in inside cabins, Breakfast and dinner daily, Full time English speaking tour escort, Services of air-conditioned deluxe motor coach, All guides, entrances, touring and transportation as appears on itinerary, Baggage handling at hotels (one piece), Tips to driver, guides, and hotel staff, Pilgrim payment processing by check, Visa, Master Card, or Discover, Whisper Headsets

Not Included - Main Tour

All lunches, drinks with meals, Optional travel insurance, Crete and Santorini cruise excursions ($90 each)

Included - Extension

Roundtrip air from Los Angeles including current air taxes and fuel surcharges (taxes and fuel charges are subject to change), Airfare from Thessalonica to Rome, 3 nights lodging at 4-star hotels, 2 Breakfast meals and 1 dinner meal, Full time English speaking tour escort, Services of air-conditioned deluxe motor coach, All guides, entrances, touring and transportation as appears on itinerary, Baggage handling at hotels (one piece), Tips to driver, guides, and hotel staff, Pilgrim payment processing by check, Visa, Master Card, or Discover, Whisper Headsets

Day 1: Departure from US (10th)

Today we embark on our Journey to the lands of ancient treasures and Christian history with an overnight flight to Athens. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience. Get some rest on the flight…Tomorrow you will be walking where the apostles walked!

Day 2: Arrive Athens (11th)

We arrive in Athens and check into our hotel. You will have the remainder of the day free to relax or take a stroll along the streets of Athens to enjoy the flavor of the city. This evening our group will enjoy the first of many delectable European style dinners.

Day 3: Cruising Mykonos (12th)

We sail this morning from Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. Experience the waterfront lined with shops and cafes and then stroll the charming walkways through a maze of whitewashed buildings before returning to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Ephesus and Patmos (13th)

Docking in Turkey, enjoy a tour of Ephesus, the city of the Bible and one of the largest restorations still in progress with miles of ancient treasures. Ephesus was once a thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city including the Agora, the Odeon, the Library, the marble-paved main Street, the Baths, Trajan’s Fountain, the Residences of the Patricians, the Prytaneum, and Temple of Hadrian. The Great Theatre, built in the 4th century B.C., could accommodate 24,000 spectators and it is famous even nowadays for its acoustics. Before leaving, we explore the House of Mary shrine on Mount Koressos. Next we travel to the Isle of Patmos, under statutory protection as a historic monument. Here we have a tour to see the fortified monastery of St. John and the cave claimed to be where John received the Revelation. Back on the ship, enjoy the Captain's dinner before settling in to your cabin for the night. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Rhodes (14th)

Today our destination is the island of Rhodes. Visit the Palace of the Grand Master, a medieval castle in the Old Town. Explore the rooms, courtyards, and enjoy panoramic views of the town from the towers. We stroll through the Street of the Knights, a cobblestone street lined with medieval buildings that once housed various knightly orders. After lunch, explore the Grand Master's Palace, another iconic historical site in the Old Town. Admire the Gothic architecture and learn about its fascinating history. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Crete and Santorini (15th)

Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. Take a tour to Heraklion and the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. This afternoon visit the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. You may choose to take an optional panoramic bus tour viewing some of the most spectacular scenery of the Aegean. Travel through countless villages and settlements with delicate architecture and beauties eventually arriving in Oia. During your time in Oia, visit the many narrow streets, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques. Upon returning to the ship, we view the lace-like caldera, the little islands of Thirasia, Palea, & Nea Kameni. We arrive at the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Disembark Cruise – Athens, Ancient Corinth & Cenchreae (16th)

We disembark the cruise this morning and we tour Athens, the foundation of democracy. We visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Erectheum before viewing Athens atop Mars Hill where Paul stood and preached the truth to the Gentile nation. From atop Mars Hill we view the Agora below, the ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life. Additional sites viewed during our panoramic bus tour are, the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Olympic Stadium, and Presidential Palace. Next we travel west with a rest stop and photos at the Corinth Canal. Next, we visit ancient Corinth, the city that inspired many of Paul's most familiar letters and is a highlight for the New Testament scholar. See the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema, and the Temples. To enjoy a devotional in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps, and public worship place where Paul preached will enhance your understanding and love for the Bible. The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked. The engineering skill and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow from ancient to modern day. Our guide will be sure to show you the room dedicated to the medical care of that period. We travel on to the top of the nearby Acropolis where our guide will speak on the worship practices and point out the bird’s eye view of what was a bustling city of around 800,000 during Paul’s stay. Another important stop is a visit to Diolkos where we view the paved trackway which enabled boats to be moved overland across the Isthmus of Corinth and served as a life line for Corinth. This shortcut allowed ancient vessels to avoid the long and dangerous circumnavigation of the Peloponnese peninsula. Before returning to Athens, we will visit Cenchreae, the ancient port region of Corinth. Acts 18:18 states the Apostle Paul stopped at Cenchreae during his second missionary journey, where he had his hair cut to fulfill a vow.

Day 8: Meteora Monastery (17th)

Please prepare for a dress code today. In Meteora, women are required to wear skirts below the knee and men, pants. From Athens, our tour travels northward past Thermopylae where we learn of the famous Spartan battle of 300. We continue through the mountains to Meteora. Here we see the world famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of gray rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliffside caves then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. Our lodging this evening will be in Meteora.

Day 9: Vergina, Berea, Thessalonica (18th)

Traveling northward into Macedonia we visit King Phillip's (Alexander's father) tomb in Vergina, one of the most outstanding finds in all of Greece. A stop will be made in Berea to view the ancient synagogue where Paul spoke and the Bema surrounded by mosaics of Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the "more noble" church. Driving through town we see remnants of the original Roman road that spanned the nation during Paul’s time. The New Testament books of I & II Thessalonians will come alive to us today as we arrive in the delightful harbor city of Thessalonica. En route to the hotel we will view the old city ramparts; the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument which was transformed into a church and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Via Egnatia. We spend two nights here.

Day 10: Thessalonica/Philippi/Kavala (19th)

We begin the day by following the massive battlement Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of the city. Next, we will visit Philippi and Kavala. Kavala is Greece's prettiest mainland port with a most elegant harbor. Paul landed here with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city of Neapolis was later renamed Christoupolis because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. Imagine walking on the same sod as these men of the Bible! We will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis in this beautifully located city, known since the 5th century as Kavala. Continue on to Philippi where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. We will view the baptismal site where Lydia surrendered her life to Christ and visit a crypt dating from the Roman period that is thought to have served as a prison for Paul. See the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica, and the Theatre. We return to Thessalonica and visit St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert, before we take our lodging for our final night.

Day 11: Homeward Bound (20th)

We transfer to the Thessalonica airport for our flight home.

Optional 4 Day Rome Extension
May 20-23, 2025
Day 11: Arrive Rome (May 20)

We arrive at the Rome airport and transfer our lodging for the next three nights. This afternoon we will take a tour of the Catacombs where thousands of Christians were buried in a remarkable tiered series of galleries. (D)

Day 12: Forum, Mamertine, Coliseum, Ostia Antica (May 21)

We begin our walking tour at the ancient Roman Forum, where our guide will divulge its secrets. We will visit the Arch of Titus which commemorated the sack of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70. We will view the Mamertine Prison exterior, where tradition says the Apostle Paul was imprisoned. The Roman church would say that Peter was imprisoned here as well, but there is no imperial evidence that Peter was ever in Rome. Next, we visit the Coliseum, where thousands of people and animals perished during gladiatorial games. The Coliseum first opened in AD 80 and within 100 days of its opening, 5000 wild beasts perished here. The slaughter of both humans and animals continued for three more centuries. Historians believe the Coliseum could hold between 40,000 and 80,000 people depending on how close the seating was. The floor has recently had a plank placed over the middle making it accessible for people to walk over the labyrinth of brick cells, ramps, and elevators used to transport animals and gladiators into the arena. Hear the stories of the games that have fascinated people for hundreds of years. Our last stop in the city today is the Pyramid of Cestius. We conclude our day at the ruins of Ostia Antica, which provides an excellent example of city life in classical times and the Ostian Gate, today called the Gate of St. Paul. (B)

Day 13: Vatican Museums, St. Peter's, Scala Santa, Abbey of Three Fountains, St. Paul Outside the Wall (May 22)

After breakfast you will begin a full day of sightseeing. First visit Vatican City where you will see the Basilica at St. Peter, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums with stunning works of art at every turn. After some free time for lunch, you will stop at The Abbey of the Three Fountains, the traditional site of Paul's martyrdom and the ancient street that he walked on. Next, visit the 4th century Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the site of Paul’s tomb, and the Scala Santa, where Martin Luther made his stand against the practice of indulgences. This fascinating museum houses the Steps from Pilot's Judgment Hall in Jerusalem brought to Rome by Helena, the mother of Constantine. Additional sights include the Arches of Constantine and Titus, Circus Maximus and the beautiful marble monument called the Wedding Cake. (B)

Day 14: Homeward Bound (May 23)

We transfer to the Rome airport for our flight home.

Itinerary subject to change while touring for the best interest of the group.