11-Day Steps of Paul

DAY 01: USA / EUROPE.  Tour members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours prior to their departure to Europe.  Dinner and breakfast will be served in-flight.

DAY 02: EUROPE / TEL AVIV. Upon our arrival at the Tel Aviv airport we will be met and transferred to our hotel in a suburb of Tel Aviv - situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  Dinner will be served at our hotel.  Weather permitting, we suggest a walk after dinner on the beach.

DAY 03: TEL AVIV / GALILEE.   After a good nights rest and a hearty breakfast we will begin the thrilling journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus.  Ancient Joppa on the Sea is where Jonah set sail, and where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead.  Joppa was the home of Simon the Tanner.  At Caesarea by the sea we'll visit the Crusader's Castle, the Roman Amphitheater and water duct, and the port from which the Apostle Paul sailed to Rome. Driving through the Jezreel Valley to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and Megiddo.  Continuing northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Haifa and Mt. Carmel - the biblical site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal (I Kings:18). Traveling westward across Galilee we will view Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), Deboriya - the hometown of the prophetess Deborah - at the foothill of Mt. Tabor (Judges 4 and 5). Overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.

DAY 04: TIBERIAS / CAPERNAUM / CAESAREA PHILLIPI / MT. HERMON / GOLAN HEIGHTS.  This day will be an exciting day in the Galilee area after a delicious breakfast.  We will depart from the Roman hot springs resort city of Tiberias via a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (John 6:24) to visit the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matt. 4:13-17).  Then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt. 5-7) and to Tabgha - the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes - (Mark 6:34-44).  We will then proceed to upper Galilee and the site of Peter's confession (Matt. 16:16) at Caesarea Phillipi and to Mt. Hermon (Psalm 89:12) the probable site of the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together.  We will follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea.  We will stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River.  Return to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 05:  TIBERIAS / NAZARETH / JERICHO / BETHLEHEM / JERUSALEM.  Early morning departure to Cana and then on to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, where we will visit the Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1:5-42) and Mary's Fountain (Luke 4:16-22).  We continue past Bethshean and then south through the Jordan Valley to ancient Jericho where the walls came tumbling down (I Kings 17:1-6 and II Kings 2:19-22) and a commanding view of the Mt. of Temptation (Matt. 4:1-11) and Elisha's Fountain.  Then continue to Bethlehem and the Church of The Nativity, Manger Square, the Christmas Bell and Rachel's Tomb. Visit the Fields of Boaz and Shepherd's Fields and Caves.  Shopping time in Bethlehem before driving to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

DAY 06:  JERUSALEM.  Drive up to the Mt. of Olives for a panoramic early morning view of the city.  Visits include the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit.  Walk the Hosanna Road if you like.  Stop at the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations.  View the Golden Gate, the Pool of Siloam and Hezekiah's Tunnel are visited.  Afternoon visits include St. Peter's in Gallicantu, Mt. Zion, King David's Tomb, Room of the Last Supper, Shrine of the Book housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Yad Vashem Memorial.  View Chagall's famed windows, the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Menorah, Kennedy Memorial and Hebrew University.  Final stop at the remarkable Model of Ancient Jerusalem.

DAY 07:  DEAD SEA / QUMRAN / JERICHO / MASADA / BETHANY / OLD WALLED CITY.  Early morning departure to the Dead Sea, lowest point on earth.  Then to Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.  Visit the garden city of Jericho, oldest city in the world, dominated by the Mount of Temptation.  Continue to Masada, truly a remarkable piece of history.  Ascend to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress, where from 70 -73 A.D. the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome, and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a 6th century Byzantine Church are still on view.  Depart for Jerusalem where our afternoon walking tour takes in everything within the ancient Old Walled City, highlighted by the Western (Wailing) Wall, the Temple area, Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa, Ecce Homo Arch, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Pilate's Judgment Hall, Chapel of the Flagellation, Pool of Bethesda, David's Tower, Damascus and Jaffa Gates.

DAY 08: JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV / ATHENS / PATMOS.  This morning we travel to Tel Aviv for our flight to Athens, Greece.  Upon arrival, we will have a panoramic tour of the city of Athens before boarding our overnight ferry to the Isle of Patmos.  Dinner and breakfast served on board.

DAY 09: PATMOS.   Morning arrival at the island of Patmos, considered a sacred island for the Christian religion. It was here in Patmos where John the Divine, while in exile, wrote the Apocalyptic Revelations which constitute the last part of the new Testament.  Our 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. This afternoon we board our overnight ferry for the return to Athens.  Dinner and breakfast served on board.

DAY 10:  PIRAEUS / ATHENS / CORINTH.

"Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are religious.  For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription ‘to an unknown God’.  What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you . . .”

Today we visit Athens, one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. For twenty five centuries, the panorama of this city is dominated by the rock of the Acropolis; we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum and the Propylae. Thereafter, we will ascend Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians about the one and only God.  From here we have an excellent view of the ancient agora; former center of the Athenian public life. We continue for a drive through the city to see the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square, the evzones in their picturesque uniforms guarding the Presidential Palace and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also see the Library, the University, the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympics of the modern era were held, the temple of the Olympian  Zeus and Adrian's Arch.

“Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city. " (Acts 18:9)

We board our coach for Corinth, taking the coastal road along the Saronic Gulf to the Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea.  Short stop for pictures and continue to the site of ancient Corinth, Paul's beloved city and site of his most extensive ministry. Dominated by the Acro-Corinth rising 1700 feet above the ruins, the marketplace is laid out exactly as it stood in the days of the great Apostle.  We see the bema (the judgment seat) where Paul stood before Galilo and preached (Acts 18).  The museum contains a superb collection of artifacts portraying life in ancient Corinth.  Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

DAY 11:  ATHENS / NORTH AMERICA.  Transfer to the airport for your flight home, the end of a marvelous tour.