Day 1: Departure from US
Today we embark on our Journey to the lands of ancient treasures and Christian history with an overnight flight to Athens. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience. Get some rest on the flight…Tomorrow you will be walking where the apostles walked!

Day 2: Arrive Athens
We arrive in Athens and check into our hotel. You will have the remainder of the day free to relax or take a stroll along the streets of Athens to enjoy the flavor of the city. This evening our group will enjoy the first of many delectable European style dinners.

Day 3: Cruising Mykonos
We sail this morning from Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. Experience the waterfront lined with shops and cafes and then stroll the charming walkways through a maze of whitewashed buildings before returning to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.

Day 4: Ephesus and Patmos 
Docking in Turkey, enjoy an optional tour of Ephesus, the city of the Bible and one of the largest restorations still in progress with miles of ancient treasures. Ephesus was once a thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city. We'll view the Library, Agora, Temple of Artemis and visit the Basilica of St. John. The basilica is believed to be the site of the grave of  John. From here we'll also enjoy a panoramic view of the area. This afternoon we visit the Isle of Patmos, under statutory protection as a historic monument. Here we have a optional tour to see the fortified monastery of St. John and the cave claimed to be where John received the Revelation. Back on the ship, enjoy the Captain's dinner before settling in to your cabin for the night.

Day 5: Crete and Santorini
Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands.  Take an optional tour to Heraklion and the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. This afternoon visit the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. The town of Thira where white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques cling to steep cliffs, is accessible by foot path, cable-car or mule.   You may choose to take an optional tour of sailing around an active volcano crater and swimming in the water heated by hot springs or enjoy this lovely island on foot.  Again we return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.

Day 6: Disembark Cruise – Athens
We disembark the cruise this morning and travel into Athens, the foundation of democracy. We visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Erectheum before viewing Athens atop Mars Hill where Paul stood and preached the truth to the Gentile nation. Additional sites include the Agora (ancient market place and center of Athenian public life), the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Olympic Stadium, and Presidential Palace.  A short walk from your hotel is the famous Plaka with a multitude of shops and cafes. Our lodging is in Athens for the next two evenings.

Day 7: Corinth and Mycenae 
Following breakfast this morning we depart Athens. We immediately travel west with a rest stop and photos at the Corinth Canal. We then travel to the ancient city of Corinth, another treat for the New Testament scholar. Corinth is the city that inspired many of Paul's most familiar letters. See the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema, and the Temples. To enjoy a devotional in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps, and public worship place where Paul preached will enhance your understanding and love of I & II Corinthians. The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked.  The engineering skill and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow from ancient to modern day. Our guide will be sure to show you the room dedicated to the medical care of that period. After the visit to ancient Corinth we travel to Mycenae where the remains of the ancient city date back to the Bronze Age to see the famous Lionesse Gate, the Tomb of Agamennon in the shape of a Beehive, and many other sites before continuing back to Athens.

Day 8: Athens Free Time
Your day is free with many things to do and see. Athens has a variety of excellent museums as well shopping values for all tastes. Relax and enjoy this wonderful city.

Day 9: Frankfurt, Erfurt
An early morning flight to Frankfurt and we begin our travel to the delightful historic Luther city of Erfurt where we have dinner and two nights lodging. The remainder of your day is free.

From a Priest to a Protestant
Tour sights are colorful with historic charm that cannot be found anywhere else.  The study of how a large portion of our doctrine of today came to be could not have a more picturesque setting.  Be challenged by the faith and courage of our church fathers on this wonderful tour vacation.

Day 10: Eisenach, Erfurt 
This morning we travel to Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was here at the formidable Wartburg Castle that Luther, under "house arrest", translated the New Testament into the German language in only 11 weeks during 1523. This fantastic castle includes many restored rooms including a ballroom designed after King Ludwig’s famed Neuschwanstein, Luther's apartment and lovely panoramic scenery. This afternoon we spend time in nearby Erfurt, where Luther attended the university. A highlight will be the Augustinian Monastery where he spent his early years as a monk. You will find it interesting and uplifting to hear how the studies here brought him to his understanding of scripture. The remainder of your day is free in this charming city.

Day 11: Erfurt, Eisleben, Leipzig
Leaving Erfurt, we visit Eisleben which is noted among the most significant in Luther's history; he was born here in 1483, died here in 1546 and old manuscripts indicate that he felt a special affinity to Eisleben.  We will see the house of his birth and death, St. Andrews Church where he preached his last sermon, the Luther Monument, and St. Anne's Church with the famous Biblical scenes hewn in stone and many other sites.  This afternoon we travel to the beautiful city of Leipzig, Bach's city, with free time and a visit to St. Thomas Church where Bach was choir master and organist.  Our lodging for the next two nights will be in Leipzig.

Day 12: Wittenberg, Berlin
Continuing on to Berlin, we enjoy a inspirational guided tour of this fascinating city including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and many other sights. We continue on the Reformation Trail today with a visit to Wittenberg where Martin Luther lived and taught for 36 years. You will see the Castle Church door area where Luther posted his 95 Theses, giving birth to the Reformation.  This beautiful church is also the burial site of Luther.  We see the university where Luther taught and the Luther House which is the greatest museum of Reformation History in the world with a detailed history display of his life and accomplishments, historical documents and an outstanding collection of period paintings of his life and family members.

Day 13: Coburg, Wurzburg  
Wasting no time today we set out through scenic Thuringer Wald to view the fortress of Coburg known as Veste, the place of Luther's imprisonment in 1530. We visit the apartment where he stayed and continued his translation work, a chapel where he spoke and worshiped, and a gallery of period paintings. Continuing southward into Bavaria, our lodging for the next to nights will be in the Wurzburg area.

Day 14: Augsburg, Rothenburg, Romantic Road
Early this morning we travel the panoramic "Romantic Road" and visit the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe, Rothenburg. We see the quaint Rathaus (town hall) with its tower, have free time for coffee and shopping in the many delightful shops. You may choose to visit on your own the Kriminal-museum, housing all manner of medieval instruments of torture. Next, we travel south along the Romantic Road to the ancient city of Augsburg, the place where the Augsburg Confession was presented. Our drive will allow for time to rehearse this important document and digest the tremendous meaning it has as the basis for much of our doctrine today. It was here in 1518 at St. Anne's Church that Luther met the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan, who demanded that Luther submit to the pope. Augsburg was also the site of another Imperial Diet (1530) and in the town hall the Peace of Augsburg was signed in 1555 ending for a time the religious wars in Germany between the Catholics and the Protestants.

Day 15: Heidelberg, Worms, Frankfurt
This morning, we travel on to one of the most charming cities in all of the world - Heidelberg, ancient capital of the Palatinate and home of Germany's oldest university. But most importantly, it was a stronghold of German Reformed Protestants beginning in 1560. One of the great confessional statements of the Reformation, the Heidelberg Catechism was produced here in 1563. Heidelberg Castle, a most impressive historic landmark of Germany, stands majestically overlooking the Neckar River. The structure, now largely in ruins, preserves numerous examples of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque German architecture. Our next stop is in Worms. It was here, during the Imperial Diet in 1521, that Martin Luther challenged the entire Roman Catholic establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of Protestantism. It was also here that William Tyndale completed the printing of his English version of the New Testament in 1525 which he had begun in Cologne. After seeing St. Peter's Church and the symbolic Luther memorial near the town square, we will stop in nearby Mainz for commentary and a picture of the Gutenberg Monument dedicated the German printing of the Bible. Our lodging for dinner and the evening will be in Frankfurt.

Day 16: Departure
We transfer to the airport early this morning for our flight home.