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DAY 01: U.S.A./ATHENS.
Departure from North America for overnight flight to Athens, Greece.
DAY 02: ATHENS.
Upon arrival in Athens, you are met by your guide and bus driver.
Transfer to your hotel with the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and
overnight at the hotel.
 DAY
03: ATHENS.
Your sightseeing will begin with an Athens city tour including Mars
Hill, the Agora, the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier, the Presidential Palace, the evzones in their picturesque
uniforms in Syntagma Square and of course Parthenon on Acropolis Hill.
Afterwards, enjoy a tour of Corinth. Taking the coastal road, we will
follow fairly the same route that Apostle Paul took. We will see the
first century shops, Fountain of Peirene, the temple of Apollo and the
Bema Seat. Return to Athens hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 04:
ATHENS / MYKONOS. We transfer to Piraeus to
embark on the three day cruise. Our first port of call is the dazzling
white island of Mykonos. Overnight on the cruise ship.
DAY 05:
MYKONOS / RHODOS ISLAND. Optional tour to
Rhodos Island, one of the most beautiful of the Greek islands. Rhodos
has a long history behind it. The tour take us to visit the old city of
Rhodos and the Acropolis of Lindos. Overnight onboard.
 DAY
06: PATMOS / KUSADASI / IZMIR.
Patmos is a sacred island for the Christian religion. It was here that
St. John lived and wrote the Book of Revelations. Optional tour takes
us up to the monastery of St. John which still keeps its character of a
medieval fortress. Inside the walls you will be able to admire the
Byzantine wealth of the Christian Orthodox religion while from its
ramparts you will have the most stunning panoramic view of the luminous
sea. Kusadasi is an enchanting Turkish port and the gateway to the
ancient Greek city of Ephesus. Disembark the ship in Kusadasi. Our tour
takes us to visit Ancient Ephessos, the Greek colony founded by the
Athenians. Here history truly comes to life; walking towards the ancient
harbor down a marble road rutted by the wheels of countless chariots.
Continue to Izmir, the third largest city in modern Turkey, long a
center for Jewish and Christian communities. It was one of the Seven
Churches of Asia (Rev 2:8-11). You'll see the Agora, the colonnaded
commercial center where Roman statues can still be seen. Overnight at
our hotel.
DAY 07:
SARDIS / PHILADELPHIA / LAODICEA / IZMIR. Day
long tour to Philadelphia (present-day Alashehir) and Sardis, once the
capital of Lydia. Both sites are referred to in the Book of Revelations,
with Sardis remaining “one of the most picturesque of any of the Seven
Churches”. Continue to Laodicea, where we see the ruins of this ancient
city. Back to Izmir for overnight.
DAY 08:
SMYRNA / PERGAMUM / THYATIRA / IZMIR / ISTANBUL.
In Izmir (Smyrna) a tour of the city and a visit to the
Church of Smyrna. Here was located one of the seven churches which the
Risen Lord addressed epistles. Polycarp, the noted bishop of the church
of Smyrna, was martyred here about 169 AD. The ruins of the Roman agora
- the market place - takes a visitor back to apostolic days. Drive to
Pergamum where the first Christian was put to death by the Roman state.
Visit the site of the Homonym Church as well as the Acropolis, the
Asclepion, the Red Basilica and the church of Pergamum. Afternoon
departure to Thyatira, where one of the mother churches was located.
Return to Izmir for our flight to Istanbul.
DAY
09: ISTANBUL.
Istanbul is considered by many travelers to be the most beautiful city
in all the world. In this wondrous city you can see St. Sophia Museum,
Hippodrome, Suleymaniye Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, home of the
Ottoman Sultans, with its jewel-encrusted thrones, the world's largest
emerald and the famous Topaki dagger (general admission included). You
won't want to miss the legendary Blue Mosque with six minarets, or the
Grand Bazaar, a covered labyrinth with over 4,000 shops. Dinner and
overnight at your hotel.
DAY 10: ISTANBUL.
After a filling breakfast, we drive to the dock of Eminoni for a cruise
up the Bosphorus to Anadolu Kavagi. The highlight of the cruise is
seeing the beautiful mansions along the banks of the river. This
afternoon is at leisure to visit a museum or two, or the Kariye Mosque
and Holy Church. Dinner is on your own tonight.
DAY 11: ISTANBUL / NORTH AMERICA.
After breakfast we depart our hotel to the Istanbul airport for our trip
to North America - the end of a most unforgettable tour. |
