13-Day Steps of Paul - Greece & Italy

DAY 01:  U.S.A. /ATHENS.  Departure from North America for overnight flight to Athens, Greece.  Dinner and breakfast served aloft.

DAY 02:  ATHENS.  Upon our arrival at the Athens airport we will be met by our representative and transferred to our hotel in Athens where the remainder of the day will be at leisure.  Dinner and overnight in Athens.

DAY 03:  ATHENS / CORINTH.   This morning we begin with a half day tour of Athens. Our sightseeing includes the Stadium and Temple of Zeus, Theatre of Dionysus and the Hill of Muses for a panoramic view of Athens and the Acropolis.  See Mars Hill, where Paul addressed the citizens of Athens, and the monuments of the Acropolis - including the Parthenon, the Agora (marketplace) and Socrates' Prison.   This afternoon we continue to 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:  PIRAEUS / MYKONOS.  Transfer to port and embark the cruise vessel for your 3 day cruise. Our first port of call is the island of Mykonos; cubic white houses and those world famous windmills. Free time to explore this lovely island.

DAY 05:  RHODES.  Rhodos, the island of "roses", is the legendary home of the sun god Apollo. The old town (which is the largest inhabited medieval town of Europe) and its mighty fortifications (built by the crusaders of St. John) are the finest surviving example of defensive architecture and is of great interest to all visitors. An optional tour takes us to Lindos. This entire city is guarded by medieval walls which were constructed by the Knights of St. John in the 14th century. Within, stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis a breathtaking view covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul's Bay, where the Apostle cast harbor during his historic voyage to Ephessos.

DAY 06:  KUSADASI / PATMOS.  Continue to Kusadasi, a lively Turkish port and gateway to ancient Ephessos. Our optional 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.  You pass architectural masterpieces like the Magnesian Gate and the Library of Celsus before arriving to the Great Amphitheater where Paul spoke to the Ephesians.  We continue our cruise for the island of Patmos ; considered a holy 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.  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.

DAY 07:  PIRAEUS / ATHENS / THESSALONIKI.  After we disembark the ship, we begin our journey to Thessaloniki.  Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 08:  THESSALONIKI / PHILIPPI / THESSALONIKI.  Today you will visit Philippi, which was a Roman garrison town and the chief city in the province of Macedonia.  It was here that Paul won his first European convert, a woman named Lydia, the market place (where Paul and Silas were brought before the rulers), the cistern which tradition identifies as the place where St. Paul were imprisoned.  We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

DAY 09:  THESSALONIKI / METEORES / OVERNIGHT FERRY.  Early morning departure to the Meteora Monasteries, perched upon the summits of gigantic rocks, which have been etched into variety of strange shapes. Grey gigantic stalagmites rising towards the sky, they seem to be nature's gift to the pious who opted for monasticism and for a life totally dedicated to the worship of God.  The monastic history of the Meteora goes back to the 11th century A.D. when the first hermits sought peace and solitude in the rifts and caves of these rocks, but the first monasteries were not built until the 14th century A.D. attaining their peak in the 16th. Of the 13 large and 20 small monasteries and hermit’s cells, only four are not occupied: Megalo Meteora, Monie Varlaam, Monia Aghias Triadas and Moni Aghiou Stefanou.  Apart from portable icons, miniatures, ecclesiastical robes, utensils and crosses, all of them excellent examples of Byzantine art, the Meteora Monasteries also contain rare editions and manuscripts. Continue to the port to take our overnight ferry to Rome.

DAY 10:  ITALY / ROME. This morning we disembark our ferry and travel by motor coach to Rome.  Afternoon is free at leisure. Dinner is on our own tonight to try the local flavors.  Overnight at our hotel.

DAY 11: ROME. A morning visit to the Vatican City includes the Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, Church of St. Peter, Basilica of St. Paul, the ancient Appian Way and the catacombs of St. Caliztus.  Afternoon sightseeing will include Moses' Fountain, Quirinale Palace, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the Coliseum - site of early Christian martyrdom - and Mamertine Prison, possibly the final place of confinement of the Apostle Paul before his execution. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. 

DAY 12:  ROME / NAPLES / POMPEII / SORRENTO.  Leave Rome on the way to Naples.  We will see the Abbey of Monte Cassino.  Then onto Naples and after a short sightseeing tour featuring Mergellina, Lugomare Caracciolo, the Royal Palace, the San Carlo Theater and the harbor proceed to Pompeii, founded around 600 B.C. and was buried under the ashes of erupting Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.  Continue to Sorrento, a romantic town overlooking the sea and renowned for its mild climate.  After a panoramic visit, return to Rome along the scenic coastal road.  

DAY 13: ROME / NORTH AMERICA. We transfer to the airport for our departure from Rome to North America.  The close of our unforgettable tour - to have walked in the paths of the Master and the early Christians.