Sample 11-Day Greece Itinerary Footsteps of Paul

Coral Travel & Tours’ friendly and qualified staff will work closely with you to customize the Greece itinerary that best suits your travel needs. Our customized travel for Christian groups allows participants to view this ancient land from a biblical perspective.

Greece Footsteps of St. Paul Tour & Cruise

Walk in the Steps of St Paul. During this Greece Tour visit such extraordinary places as Athens, Philippi, Thessaloniki and Berea. Plus, enjoy a three-day cruise to visit the Greek Islands and Turkey.

Lindos Acropolis on Rhodes Israel, Greece

DAY 1

USA / ATHENS

Flight from USA to Athens

DAY 2

ATHENS

Welcome to Greece. Arrival in Athens; meeting by our host and transfer to your 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 together.

DAY 3

ATHENS TOUR

Today we see the chief jewel of the Acropolis – the Parthenon, the Temple of Winged Victory, the Propylea and the Erechteum with its peerless Porch of Maidens. Beneath the Acropolis is the Areopagus or Mars Hill. This is where St. Paul made his famous “Men of Athens” speech revealing a considerable knowledge of the Greek philosophy and character. After lunch, we visit the Ancient Agora located on the foot of Acropolis Rock close to “Theseion” metro station. In antiquity, Agora was not only a commercial center but a political, cultural and religious one as well. This area included administrative buildings, temples, public services and courts. Athenians gathered here to buy and sell products, to get informed on current affairs, criticize the government, exchange ideas or just start a conversation. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 4

CORINTH / MYCENAE – ATHENS

After breakfast, we 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 MarketPlace, the Bema, and the Temples. To enjoy a devotional amid 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 we return east to Athens for check in at our hotel followed by dinner.

DAY 5

ATHENS / LAVARIO / CRUISE / MYKONOS

Transfer to the port where we will set sail this morning from Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. Time at leisure to 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 6

EPHESUS / PATMOS / CRUISE

This morning our ship docks in Kusadasi where our excursion takes us the most spectacular ruins of the world are to be found in Ephesus, the early Christian of city to whom St. Paul wrote his famous epistle. Together with your tour guide, you will pass the Magnesian Gate. Traces of the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Christian period are scattered everywhere: the Agora, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the marble-paved main Street of the Kouretes, the Thermal Baths of Scholastica, Trajan’s Fountain, the Public Latrines, and the Houses of the Patricians, the Prytaneum, Hadrian’s Temple, and the Great Theatre. We return to our ship for lunch where we continue on to Patmos, which was considered sacred and is often referred to as the “Jerusalem of the Aegean.” It was here that the Evangelist St. John received the inspiration for the Apocalypse. Our excursion visits the Monastery of St. John, a huge fortress-like building dating from the 11th century. We also visit the grotto, where tradition says that St. John wrote the Book of Revelation. We return to our ship and overnight.

DAY 7

CRETE / SANTORINI CRUISE

This morning, we arrive at Crete. We will visit the ancient city of Knossos, with constant habitation from the Neolithic era until the 5th century A.D., is beyond doubt the land that “gave birth” to the first civilization of Europe, the Minoans. We visit the excavations first begun in 1878 by the Heraklian Minos Kalokairinos and later the British Sir Arthur Evans were to complete the scientific research, bringing to light the Minoan palace in its entirety, which was, according to tradition, the residence of the wise King Minos. Return to our ship for lunch while sailing to Santorini. This afternoon, we visit Santorini, the island thought by many to be the lost continent of Atlantis. Here we join a visit to Oia Village. On route admire the panoramic view of the Aegean Sea and neighboring islands. Built on the Caldera rim, Oia Village is an excellent example of Cycladic architecture. We explore by walking along the cobble-stone streets and the white-washed houses with blue shutters which appears as a beautiful travel poster. Our excursion ends in Fira where our guide will show us the way to the cable car back to the ship.

DAY 8

KALAMBAKA / METEORA

This morning, we arrive in Lavrio where we disembark and drive the highway north catching a glimpse of Mt. Olympus and proceeding through the towns of Lamia and Larissa. We arrive in Kalambaka and continue to nearby Meteora whose pillar-like rocks provide an amazing site. The Meteora (meaning “suspended rocks,” “suspended in the air,” “in the heavens above”) is one of the largest and one of the most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries in Greece. The six Monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly. After visiting two of the monasteries we continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 9

BEREA / THESSALONIKI

This morning, we depart Kalambaka and we drive through the plains of Thessaly, the legendary home of the Greek Gods to Veria (Berea of the New Testament) where Paul visited on route to Athens and the Scriptures say the people were “more noble than in Thessaloniki.” Paul and Silas were taken here after the Thessaloniki pagans attacked them. After lunch we continue to Thessaloniki. We drive to the old town to see the place where St. Paul preached the gospel to the Thessalonians. Then we visit the St. Demetrius Church, the white tower, the Arch of Gallerius and get into the spirit of this fabulous town. Continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 10

THESSALONIKI / PHILIPPI / KAVALA

We begin the day by following the massive battlement Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of the city. Next, we will 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 sod 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 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. We return to Thessalonica and visit St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert. On to your hotel for dinner and final night.

DAY 11

THESSALONIKI / USA

This morning, we transfer to the airport for our return flight home arriving later today with memories of a lifetime.

HIGHLIGHTS

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