Day 01 Wednesday, May 14, 2025
DEPARTURE
Today we depart DFW for our flights to Izmir, with a connection in Istanbul.
Day 02 Thursday, May 15, 2025
ARRIVE IZMIR / KUSADASI
Welcome to Turkey–a land of minarets, ancient civilizations, and modern bustling cities! After baggage claim, passport and visa control, we meet our tour guide at the international arrivals terminal and continue to our hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight at our hotel overlooking the Aegean Sea.
Day 03 Friday, May 16, 2025
EPHESUS / SMYRNA / KUSADASI
Early this morning, we explore Ephesus, dominated by the great 24,000-seat amphitheater, cited in Acts as the place of the apostles’ courageous witness. What a privilege to walk these ancient streets in the footsteps of New Testament writers Paul and John! Excavations at Ephesus are ongoing…each season more can be seen of the city where Paul invested two years of his ministry. Archaeologists still digging at the site have reconstructed much of it, including the beautiful two-story Library of Celsus, The Temple of Hadrian, and the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the temple once had 129 columns and was the size of a football field). We continue our tour with a visit to Mother Mary’s last home–a visit to the chapel erected at this traditional site where the Virgin Mary spent the last days of her life, and a visit to the Basilica of St. John.e go to Izmir (Smyrna) to visit Mt. Pagos and see the remains of the Hellenistic Castle of Lysimachos, with a full view over Izmir, and the restored Agora of Smyrna of the Roman city.
Day 04 Saturday, May 17, 2025
KUSADASI / BOARD CRUISE / PATMOS
After breakfast we’ll travel to the Kusadasi port to board the ship and sail to the Greek island of Patmos where we will visit the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation during his exile (Rev. 1:9-11).
Day 05 Sunday, May 18, 2025
HERAKLION / SANTORINI
This morning we dock in Heraklion, the capital of Crete. The Apostle Paul ended up in Crete because of severe winds (Acts 27:7). After a short drive through the town of Heraklion the walking tour will take us to visit the church of St Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first Bishop of Crete. And we will visit the Venetian Loggia, Basilica of St Mark, medieval monastery of St Catherine and the Cathedral of Agios Minas. At the Archaeological Museum we’ll see displays of many of the treasures found during the excavation of this ancient city. Then we will continue to Santorini, the famous colorful volcanic island.
Day 06 Monday, May 19, 2025
CRUISE DISEMBARKATION / CORINTH / MYCENAE / ATHENS
Disembark this morning and continue for a visit to Ancient Corinth and see the Bema where Apostle Paul worked for 18 months with tent makers Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-18). Among the ruins see the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Agora, the Bema where St. Paul had to plead his case before the Roman governor Gallio in 52 AD, the pavement inscription of Erastus, the Roman Lechaion Road, and the Fountain of Peirene, the major source of water for Corinth. Afterwards we will continue to visit Mycenae where 19th-century excavations reveal impressions of the splendors so vividly described by Homer. Admire the Beehive Tombs, the Treasury of Atreus, Lion Gate — Europe’s oldest known monument, remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace, and the impressive fortifications of the Citadel. Continue to Athens for dinner and next two overnights.
Day 07 Tuesday, May 20, 2025
ATHENS
Today we will spend all day in Athens where we will have a panoramic tour to see the Parliament House, the Academy, Omonia Square and Panathenaic Stadium. Then we will visit the Acropolis, Parthenon. We will stop at Mars Hill where St. Paul delivered his famous sermon about the identity of "the Unknown God" (Acts 17:15-34). Next we will visit the Athens National Museum, the most important museum in the country. This afternoon we’ll have free time in in Athens’ oldest neighborhoods of Plaka. Plaka’s charming stone-paved streets, colorful houses, and beautiful little gardens create a delightful atmosphere. Dinner and overnight.
Day 08 Wednesday, May 21, 2025
ATHENS / METEORA
We drive north today to visit the breathtaking Byzantine monasteries of Meteora. Perched on a mountain of strangely shaped pinnacles in the Peneus Valley, they are far removed from the world and its distractions. Originally the only access was by means of very long ladders, steps have now been cut in the rock face. The monasteries are veritable Byzantine museums exhibiting superb icons, old manuscripts and unique mosaics and frescoes from the 11th century. There are 24 but only 6 are inhabited, and we will visit one of them. Continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Meteora.
Day 09 Thursday, May 22, 2025
KALABAKA / THESSALONIKI
We will depart our hotel to drive to Veria (Berea) "As soon as night came, the believers sent Paul to Berea "(Act 17:10). We will see the Bema where Paul found people who eagerly received his message, "examining the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). Then continue to the second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki, where St. Paul preached and founded a church and to whom he wrote two epistles (Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians). We will see the White Tower, the Arch of Galerius, the Roman Forum and Rotunda, as well as the Aristotle Square. We will stay in Thessaloniki for dinner and two overnights.
Day 10 Friday, May 23, 2025
KAVALA / PHILIPPI / THESSALONIKI
This morning we visit Philippi, named after Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. In Philippi, St. Paul had saved the servant women of evil spirit “In the name of Jesus Christ I order you to come out of her…" (Act 16:18) and as result were thrown with Silas into jail “After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail…” (Acts 16:23). We’ll visit the place where Lydia had been baptized “One of those who heard us was Lydia… After she and the people of her house had been baptized…” (Act 16:14-15). The Epistle to the Philippians was written to the people of this city. Continue on to the modern city of Kavala or Neapolis, to see the sea port where “Paul had arrived from Troas through Samothrace” (Act 16:11) and the famous mosaic of St. Nicolas church. Dinner and overnight at Thessaloniki.
Day 11 Saturday, May 24, 2025
DEPARTURE THESSALONIKI / ARRIVE USA
Early this morning we transfer to the Thessaloniki airport for our return flight back home, through a connecting flight in Istanbul.