Greece

10 Days / 9 Nights PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Day Before KLIA / ISTANBUL (Meals onboard)

Assemble at KLIA at 8 pm for flight to Istanbul via TK 61. Arrive at Istanbul airport at 0515 the next morning. A short break before departing for Thessaloniki at 0720 on TK 1881

Day 01 ISTANBUL / THESSALONIKI (Meals on board / L / D)

Arrive into Thessaloniki at 0840, clear immigration and customs, and start on our tour of Thessaloniki. Lunch at a local restaurant. See the White Tower, (the symbol of the city), the Church of St. Dimitrios, Arch of Galerius, Rotunda, Upper City, Citadel, Byzantine Walls, Roman Agora. Visit the Archaeological Museum and see artifacts that have a bearing on the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Paul’s ministry in this city (Acts 17:1-9). Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki Hotel.

Day 02 THESSALONIKI / KAVALA (B /L/D)

Breakfast in hotel. Drive to Kavala (Biblical Neapolis) where the Apostle Paul and his team first landed in Greece (Acts 16:11-12). We will view the ancient harbour of Neapolis and then walk to the church dedicated to the landing of Paul in Greece. Proceed to visit Philippi. See the remains of the Agora, the Octagon, the remains of the Basilicas, St. Paul’s prison, Lydias’ Baptismal site, Church of St Nicholas, Old Port, Aqua docks. Visit Philipi Archaeological Museum. On the way back we view the ancient road Via Egnatia and pass the ancient cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki Hotel.

Day 03 THESSALONIKI / VERGINA/VERIA/KALABAKA (METEORA) (B/L/D)

Breakfast in the hotel. Drive to the mountain town of Veria (ancient Berea) where Paul visited and preached in the Synagogue. See the monument dedicated to Paul. Continue to Vergina the old capitol of the Macedonian Kingdom. Visit the Archeological site and Tomb of Philip the 2nd father of Alexander the Great. Drive south, into central Greece, to Kalambaka, the town nestling at the foot of Meteora. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka hotel.

Day 04 KALAMBAKA / DELPHI (B/L/D)

Breakfast in the hotel. Visit Meteora with its impressive scenery, visit 2 monasteries, suspended between earth and sky. Inside, see priceless historical and religious treasures. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue on the southern part of Greece to visit Dephi. This city helps us understand ancient Greek culture better and was a city dedicated to the worship of Apollo. We will be walking along the road through the Delphi excavations. Delphi was considered in Greek mythology to be the center of the earth and had the famed oracle temple of the god Apollo. Visit the Archaeological museum and view the famous Delphi Inscription that helps us date the chronology and date of the New Testament events. Dinner and overnight in Delphi hotel.

Day 05 DELPHI / OLYMPIA (B/L/D)

Breakfast and check out of the hotel. Visit the archaeological site of Delphi. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassus, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. See and visit the Doric Temple, the Treasury of the Athenians and see Castalia Spring. Visit also the museum holding masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture such as the bronze charioteer. Drive to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic games. Dinner and overnight in Olympia hotel.

Day 06 OLYMPIA / CORINTH (B/L/D)

Breakfast in the hotel. Visit the original Olympic Stadium and the Archaeological Museum. Drive to Corinth and transfer to a local restaurant for dinner. After dinner, transfer to the hotel and check-in. Overnight in Corinth hotel.

Day 07 CORINTH / ATHENS (B/L/D)

After breakfast, visit Ancient Corinth. See the Bema, the Temple of Apollo, the remains of the Agora, and Pyrene Fountain. Visit Cenchreaes and see from where St. Paul departed on his journey. Stop to see the Corinth Canal, which connects the Aegean and the Ionian Seas. After lunch depart for Athens. Proceed on a full-day tour: see Syntagma Square, the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the National Library, and the Hadrian’s Arch. View the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896. Dinner and return to the hotel for overnight.

Day 08 ATHENS (B/L/D)

After breakfast, visit the Acropolis, an architectural masterpiece of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the Parthenon. Continue and visit the place where at last the statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era, the museum of Acropolis. Overnight in Athens.

Day 09 ATHENS – CRUISE (HYDRA-POROS-AEGINA) (B/L/D)

After breakfast, pick up from the hotel and transfer to the port for the Full Day Cruise to the 3 Saronic islands of Hydra, Poros, Aegina. Lunch served on board. At each island, get off the boat to discover each island's own individual character. Hydra: an artist's delight, again with boutiques, shops, and cafes dotted around the harbor. Poros: a pretty island with a chance for shopping. Aegina: The largest of the Saronic Islands, famous for BBQ seafood and pistachio nuts. Arrive back at the port in the evening and transfer to the hotel.

Day 10 ATHENS / ISTANBUL (B/ D)

Breakfast in the hotel and check out. We store our luggage at the hotel. Free at leisure for conducted visits for shopping to the Plaka area and Syntagma Square. Lunch on your own. (Optional) Later depart for McArthurGlen Designer Outlet. Depart for the airport. Board flight TK 1884 for Istanbul. Arrive into Istanbul at 2355.

Day 11 ISTANBUL / KLIA (meals onboard)

After a short break, board flight TK 60 for our journey home. Return home with many fond and happy memories of your biblical study tour of Greece.