Greece

Highlights of Greece
14 Day Tour
In the Steps of Paul
and the Early Church

Attn. Group Leaders:
This itinerary can be changed to an 11 or 12 Day Tour.


Reservation Form (PDF)

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Price Per person double occupancy

Dates Land & Air from NYC
2017
July 21-August 3 $3,000.00

Single Supplement: $395.00

Information & Reservations:
Tim Nyce | 800-322-0788 | tnyce@pilgrimtours.com

Price Includes: Roundtrip air from JFK including air taxes of $620, roundtrip motor coach transportation from Action to JFK with driver tip included, 12 nights lodging, all meals, professional English speaking Greek tour guide, all transportation and entrances to sites as listed in tour itinerary, tips to guides, drivers and hotel staff.


Not Included: Optional travel insurance- $87 if under $34 years old, optional credit card payments- additional 3% of amount paid.

July 21: Depart USA

We depart early this afternoon by private charter bus and travel to JFK airport in New York. We’ll fly overnight to Athens, Greece. Sit back, enjoy the in-flight service and get some rest. Tomorrow you’ll be walking where the Apostle Paul walked!


July 22: Arrive in Thessaloniki

We arrive in Thessaloniki this evening and are welcomed by our Greek tour guide. We’ll transfer to our hotel where we’ll enjoy our dinner and overnight.


July 23: Morning Church & Service & Sports Opportunities

This morning we’ll attend church with a local Evangelical congregation and see what Christian life is like in Greece. This afternoon is free to fellowship with the church or be involved in some type of local ministry.


July 24: Service & Sports Opportunities

We’ll enjoy a full day of local service opportunities.


July 25: Philippi, Romans Road, Lydia’s Spring & Kavala

Today we enjoy a full day learning about the Apostle Paul and his work with the early church as we visit Philippi and Kavala. Kavala is Greece's prettiest mainland port with a most elegant harbor. Paul landed here with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city of Neapolis was later renamed Christoupolis because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. Imagine walking on the same roads as these men of the Bible! We will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis in this beautifully located city, known since the 5th century as Kavala. Continue on to Philippi where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. We will view the baptismal site where Lydia surrendered her life to Christ and visit a crypt dating from the Roman period that is thought to have served as a prison for Paul. See the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica, and the Theatre.


July 26: Thessalonica Tour & Afternoon Service & Sports Opportunities

The New Testament books of I & II Thessalonians will come alive to us today as we tour the delightful harbor city of Thessalonica. We will view the old city ramparts; the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument which was transformed into a church and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Via Egnatia. We’ll visit St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert. This afternoon we’ll enjoy being part of a local service opportunity.


July 27: Berea & Vergina

This morning we check out of or hotel and travel south towards Meteora. A stop will be made in Berea to view the ancient synagogue where the Apostle Paul spoke and the Bema surrounded by mosaics of Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the "more noble" church. Driving through town we see remnants of the original Roman road that spanned the nation during Paul’s time. Continuing our travel we visit King Phillip's (Alexander's father) tomb in Vergina, one of the most outstanding archeological finds in all of Greece. Arriving in Kalambaka we check into our hotel and enjoy our overnight.


July 28: Meteora Monastery and Kalambaka hiking

This morning we enjoy a visit to the world-famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of gray rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliffside caves then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. This afternoon we enjoy some hiking and outdoor activities in the Kalambaka region.


July 29: Travel to Athens, Sports or Service Opportunity

This morning we drive south arriving in Athens early this afternoon. We enjoy an afternoon of local service or sports ministry opportunities.


July 30: Athens Mars Hill, Acropolis, Sports or Service Opportunities

Following breakfast this morning we tour 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. From atop Mars Hill we view the Agora below, the ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life. Additional sites viewed during our panoramic bus tour are, the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Olympic Stadium, and Presidential Palace. This evening we’ll have some time to take part in local service.


July 31: Service & Sports Opportunities

We’ll enjoy a full day of local service opportunities.


August 1: Full Day Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth & Cenchrea

Following breakfast this morning we depart Athens and 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. This afternoon we’ll visit the Acropolis of Corinth where the ancient temple of Aphrodite was located. The temple area was a center of religious prostitution. Some ancient authors claimed that over 1,000 prostitutes worked here, and as a result Acrocorinth was notorious for its licentiousness all over the ancient world. The views atop Acrocorinth are fantastic! You can see beyond Corinth to Mount Parnassus in the north, then towards Attica in the east, and on to the mountains of the Peloponnese in the south.


August 2: 3 Island Aegean Cruise

Enjoy a full day three isle Aegean cruise with visits to the isles of Hydra, Poros and Aegina all offering three unique experiences. In Hyrda we’ll admire the unique architecture and dramatic landscapes of the island, whose small narrow stone-paved streets await you to explore them. We’ll see the small Isle of Poros with the pretty view of Poros Old Town and the beautiful landscape of Aegina. As we sail back to Athens we’ll enjoy a Traditional Greek Folk Show with singers and dancers in original costumes.


August 3: Return Home

This morning we head to the Athens airport and travel home with many memories and life lessons learned of our time in Greece.