Greece

Price Per person Based on Double Occupancy and a minimum of 25 passengers

Date	Price	Single Supplement
July 7 – 13, 2024	$1,750*	$524
*Airfare not included Reservation Due: March 29, 2024 Final Payment Due: April 29, 2024

Included

Airfare from Tirana to Athens, 6 nights lodging in 4-star hotels, Breakfast and Dinner Daily, Full-time English-speaking Greek tour guide, Porterage at Hotel, Whisper Headphone Systems, Tips to drivers, guides, and hotel staff, Services of long-distance deluxe motorcoach as appear on itinerary., 1 Group Airport Arrival Transfer / 1 Group Airport Departure Transfer, All guides, entrances and transportation appear on itinerary., Pilgrim Payment Processing / Including Credit Card Processing

Not Included

International airfare, Lunches, Additional Private Transfers on Arrival & Departure ($80.00 per person, per transfer), Optional Travel Insurance (US Residence Only), Visa needed for entry to Greece (each passenger will be required to obtain the needed documentation to enter Greece [if necessary])

Day 1: Arrive Athens: July 7

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 2: Athens: July 8

Following breakfast this morning 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. An option later this afternoon is a visit to the famous Plaka with a multitude of shops and cafes.

Day 3: Ancient Corinth & Cenchreae: July 9

This morning and 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 4: Meteora Monastery: July 10

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 5: Vergina, Berea, Thessalonica: July 11

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 6: Thessalonica/Philippi/Kavala: July 12

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 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 returning to the hotel for our final night.

Day 7: Homeward Bound: July 13

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