Apostle Paul’s Missionary Journey and St. John’s Book of Revelation 12 days
DAY 1
Departure USA
DAY 2
Arrival Thessaloniki, the city where Paul was received by Jason. Paul was
preaching the Word of God here, until he was rushed out of the city. Our
representative will meet you at the airport of Thessaloniki and transfer
you to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 3
In the morning, drive in Thessaloniki to see the landmark of the city, the
White Tower, the Walls of the Byzantine Acropolis, the
Roman Arch of Galerius and the Rotonda. Visit two of the
city’s oldest and most admired Christian churches, the
Basilicas of St. Demetrius and St.
Sophia (Divine Wisdom),the House
of Jason where Paul lived and the
Agora where he preached. Continue to Veria –
ancient Beroea – to the memorial commemorating
Paul’s preaching to the local Jews in 54 AD. Then on to Vergina (ancient
Aiges), first capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia. Here you see
the tombs of Vergina and the breathtaking collection of golden artifacts,
which were found inside these two unplundered tombs of Philip of
Macedon and the Young Prince. Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and
overnight.
DAY 4
Follow the route of the Via Egnatia and visit, like Paul and his
companion, the area of Amphipolis, to see the famous funerary Lion of
Amphipolis, and the site of Philippi. There, you visit the
Baptistery of Lydia near the river, where Paul baptized
her. Lydia was the first convert of
Paul on European soil and the
conversion of the jailer followed.
Also, visit the ruins of the Forum of
Philippi, the Christian Basilicas, the “Prison of
Paul” and the Theater. Drive to Kavala (Neapolis),
a picturesque port and view the Byzantine Castle and the Roman
Aqueduct. Dinner and overnight in Kavala.
DAY 5
Depart from Kavala and drive through the Greek part of Thrace, passing
by the towns of Xanthi, Komotini and Alexandroupolis. Arrive at the
border between Greece and Turkey and cross over to the Turkish part of
Thrace. Your final destination is Istanbul (Constantinople), the city which
straddles two continents. The capital of the
Byzantine Empire for more than one thousand
years and of the Ottoman Empire for more than
five hundred years, Istanbul is famous for many
beautiful places and museums, which you will
have the opportunity to see the next day. You embark on your “home”
for the next 6 nights.
DAY 6
Begin your “Istanbul City tour”. The tour starts with the Blue Mosque,
the most splendid mosque in the city, distinguished by
six slender minarets and the interior decorated with blue
Iznik tile, and continues with a walk through the
Hippodrom, the center of Byzantine civic life housing
three ancient monuments.
The Obelisk of Theodosius,
the Serpentine Column and
the Column of Constantine. Visit St. Sophia
(Divine Wisdom), one of the greatest
churches in the world, built by the Byzantine
Emperor Justinian. After the conquest of the city in 1453, it was
transformed into a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror and in 1934 into
a museum by Ataturk. In the afternoon, visit the famous Topkapi Palace,
where the rich collection of Ottoman Treasures can be seen. The palace
with a base area of 700.000 msq is spread over the promontory called
the Seraglio Point; view the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of
Marmara. This legendary maze of buildings was the residence of the
Ottoman sultans and the administrative heart of the Empire. Nowadays,
it is one of the world’s greatest museums. Evening sailing for the island
of Mykonos.
DAY 7
Afternoon arrival at the world-famous island of Mykonos. The town is a
small architectural miracle, with its gleaming white-washed buildings
and windmills, and one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world.
DAY 8
In the morning you will arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey, and have the option
to drive to Ephesus, where Paul spent three years
during his ministry. The impressive remains of
Ephesus include the Agora, the Theater, the Stadium,
the Library of Celsius, the ruins of the Temple of
Diana (one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”) and many
more. Later, you will sail for the island of Patmos, where you can choose
to visit the Monastery of St. John, on one of the island’s highest points.
From there, you will walk down to the Grotto of the Apocalypse, the site
of the apocalyptic Revelations of St. John the Divine.
DAY 9
Day 9 (Wednesday)
You will spend the day on the island of Rhodes, where you can walk
around the medieval city with its
impressive walls and the Palace of the
Grand Master, which was built by the
Knights of St. John. Also, you will have
the option to drive to the picturesque
town of Lindos, to see the Acropolis and to the little Bay of the apostle
Paul.
DAY 10
In the morning arrive at Ayios Nikolaos, Crete, where you can choose to
visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, home to king
Minos and his legendary beast, the Minotaur. In
the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion you can
find the unbelievable works of
art (pieces of sculpture and
pottery, jewellery, arms, frescoes), that have been
found in a number of Minoan sites all over Crete.
Then, sail north to the isle of Santorini, the most
breathtaking of all the Greek islands. The exquisite whitewashed villages,
including the town of Fira, or Thira, cling to volcanic cliffs, accessible by
cable-car, or mule.
DAY 11
Today you disembark from the cruise ship and you admire the
architectural miracles of
ancient Athens, as you
follow your guide to the
world renown Acropolis, to
see the Propylea, the Erechteum and the Parthenon. Visit Mars Hill,
where Paul delivered his ingenious speech on the “Unknown God”. View
the Agora, the ancient center of the economic and public life of the city,
where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. During the bus tour,
you see Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus, the Old Olympic
Stadium and the Neoclassical Buildings of Athens. The afternoon is free.
Dinner and overnight in Athens.
DAY 12
Today, you start your trip to Ancient Corinth. This is the once glorious
city near the Isthmus, where Paul met Aquilla and
Priscilla and spent a year and a half preaching the
Word of God. You visit the Archaeological
Museum, the Forum, the Temples and the famous
Bema, where Paul stood before Gallio, accused by
the Jews of Corinth. Then, you drive to Cenchreae,
the little harbour Paul sailed back to Asia from, thus ending his
secondary missionary journey. Return back to Athens for your farewell
dinner as the hotel and overnight.
DAY 13
We arrive in Bari in the morning. Our deluxe motor coach will take us to Pompeii for a short visit before we continue to Rome. Check in at our Hotel. Dinner
and overnight in Rome.
DAY 14
After breakfast we will start with the full Day Tour of this eternal city. Driving through the main streets of Rome, you will marvel at monuments of this great
capital. Visit the Colosseum, which symbolizes the eternity of the Roman civilization, the Forum and the Piazza Venezia, dominated by the imposing
monument to Vittorio Emanuel II. Before return to our hotel, we stop near the Fontana di Trevi. Here, following tradition by tossing a coin into the fountain,
promising the return to Rome. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
DAY 15
Our first visit will be to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel the celebrated Chapel of the Popes and the venue of the
Conclaves for Papal elections. It is one of the most splendid masterpieces in the history of world art and is well known around the
world for its magnificent ceiling, beautifully decorated by Michelangelo. From here, your next visit will be to the Basilica of St. Peter,
the largest church in the world, which overlooks the enormous Piazza San Pietro. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
DAY 16
After breakfast transfer from your Hotel to the Airport in Rome for your return flight home, arriving the same day. Fly back home with a new insight into
Paul’s life and teachings.
DAY 17
After breakfast transfer from your Hotel to the Airport in Rome for your return flight home, arriving the same day. Fly back home with a new insight into
Paul’s life and teachings.
