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DAY 01: NORTH AMERICA / ATHENS.
Tour members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours
prior to their departure to Europe.
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.
"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 04: ATHENS / VERIA / VERGINA / THESSALONIKI.
“The brethren
immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea; and when they
arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.”
(Acts 17:10-14)
This morning we continue to Veria (Beroea) where we visit
the monument dedicated to Paul; we see the Bema where he stood and
preached to the people of Veria. Continue to Vergina, where excavations
in 1978 discovered three very important royal tombs. The most important
tomb is believed to be that of Philip II of Macedonia, the father of
Alexander the Great. We return to Thessaloniki and explore this great
city starting with a drive along the water front to the massive White
Tower and nearby Triumphal Arch of Gallerius, built in 303 AD. We shall
also see St. Demetrios Church with its valuable mosaics and frescoes and
will drive up to the upper town which offers a marvelous view of the
city. The site where the monastery of Vlatadon was built is believed to
be the location where Jason’s house once stood and where Paul was
accommodated during his visit to Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight in
Thessaloniki.
 DAY
05: THESSALONIKI / KAVALA. Today we begin our
travels with a tour of Thessaloniki, the “Queen of the North”, where
Paul wrote two epistles to the ancient Thessalonians. Built by King
Cassandros and named after the sister of Alexander the Great, the city
flourished under the Byzantine Empire and it’s most important buildings
date from those days. Today it is considered the second capital of
Greece, the Queen of the north. Our city tour takes us along the
waterfront to the massive White Tower and nearby Triumphal Arch of
Galerius, built in 303 AD. We shall also see St. Demetrios Church with
its valuable mosaics and frescoes will drive up to the upper town which
offers a marvelous view of the city. The site where the monastery of
Vlatadon was built is believed to be the location where Jason’s house
once stood and where Paul was accommodated during his visit to
Thessaloniki. We then continue to the beautiful city of Kavala for
dinner and overnight.
DAY 06: KAVALA / CANNAKKALE.
Visit Kavala, the
modern port city, ancient Neapolis, where Paul accompanied by Silas,
Luke, and Timothy, first set foot in Europe. We drive to the
Greek/Turkish border. Cross and continue to Cannakkale for overnight.
DAY 07: PERGAMUM / IZMIR.
Drive to Pergamum, the
great city of Bergama, a city of the Book of Revelation, where one of
the seven churches is located. One of the best preserved ancient sites
in Turkey. Paul embarked by ship to Palestine and to Truva, the city of
Troy, where the vision of a man from Macedonia appeared to Paul
beseeching him to “come and help us.” Continue to Izmir for overnight.
 DAY
08: Izmir /
Philadelphia / Pamukkale.
Morning
tour of Izmir, the biblical Smyrna, home to one of the Seven Churches.
Continue to Alasehir, the site of Philadelphia, the youngest of the
Seven Churches. See part of the city wall and the remains of the early
Church. Drive to Pamukkale for overnight.
DAY 09: PAMUKKALE / KUSADASI / EPHESSUS.
Visit the principle tourist attraction of western Turkey, and several
large pools with water temperature at 95 degrees. In the crystalline
waters of the spring one can clearly see the columns and column capitals
of ancient Hierapolis. Visit ancient Hierapolis with its rich Roman and
Christian remains, its extensive well-preserved Necropolis and some
Church ruins. Proceed to Kusadasi and visit the ruins of Ephessus - the
most impressive archeological site in Turkey. Extensive excavations
have facilitated the restoration of old Ephessus. From the harbor a
thirty five feet wide marble paved and pillar lined street led into the
interior of the city. Paul would have approached the city through this
street, entering it through the northern gate, called the Magnesian.
Paul suffered many trials and tribulations in Ephessus leading finally
to his imprisonment. Overnight in Kusadasi.
DAY 10: KUSADASI / ISTANBUL.
This morning we fly to
Istanbul. Visit the Church of St. Sophia, the oldest Christian Basilica
where the ecumenical councils were held, the Hippodrome of old
Constantinople. Continue with visits to the Imperial Topkapi Palace,
residence of the Ottoman Sultans between the 15th and 19th
centuries and contemplate the world’s richest porcelain collection of
the Ming Dynasty of China. Overnight in Istanbul.
 DAY
11: ISTANBUL.
Our first stop will be the Blue Mosque. The only mosque
built with 6 minarets, decorated with famous Iznik tiles. Then on to
the famous Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of over 4500 little shops, it has
been built in the 15th century. It is the major highlight of
the city and very popular among locals and tourists. Shops mainly
sell gold jewelry, carpets and silver bibelots ceramics. Continue for
the Bosphorous tour, the winding strait separating Europe & Asia. Along
the shores is a delightful mixture of the past and the present, as well
as the grand splendor and quaint beauty of the modern hotels, ancient
wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortress and small fishing villages.
Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 12: DEPART.
Transfer to the airport for our return flight home- the end of a most
enjoyable pilgrimage. |
