A 12-day Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece and Turkey

Day 1 – Tuesday
USA / ATHENS
Our journey begins as we depart the United States en route to Athens, Greece. Meals are served on board our transatlantic flight.

Day 2 – Wednesday
ATHENS
Today we arrive in Athens and are met by our Pilgrimage Tours’ tour director. We enjoy a motor coach tour of classical Athens, including a visit and celebration of Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Dionysius. We arrive at our hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 3 – Thursday
ATHENS / CORINTH / CENCHREA
This morning we drive along the picturesque Corinthian Gulf to Corinth, where the Apostle Paul lived and from where he sent his first and second letters to the Corinthians. We visit the market place where Paul preached to the Corinthians. To stand in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps and place of public worship where Paul preached, will enhance your understanding and love of Corinthians I, II. We also visit the sixth century BC Temple of Apollo, the Museum of Corinth and the Bema Seat of Saint Paul. We continue on to Cenchrea, the ancient seaport from where Apostle Paul set sail for Ephesus across the Aegean Sea. In the afternoon we return to Athens and visit the legendary Acropolis to see the spectacular Parthenon and the Temple of Athena and its Winged Victory statue. Next we visit the Areopagus or Mars Hill where Paul was brought before the council and made his famous “Men of Athens” speech on the “Unknown God”. Following Mass at the Bema Seat of Saint Paul, we continue with a driving tour where we see such sites as Constitution Square, the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus, the Old Olympic Stadium and the neoclassical buildings of Athens. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 4 – Friday
ATHENS / AEGEAN SEA / MYKONOS
Late this morning we board our cruise ship. During our sailing to Mykonos, we pause for a celebration of Mass. Late afternoon we enjoy dinner aboard our ship, prior to arriving at our first stop, Mykonos. We see a hilly, rock-ribbed island of 29 square miles dotted with more than 350 tiny chapels built by 19th-century pirates to invoke the protection of their patron saints. We visit a fishing harbor with shops and boutiques selling handmade sweaters, dresses, fabrics, jewelry and more at bargain prices. Overnight at Sea.

Day 5 – Saturday
KUSADASI / EPHESUS / PATMOS
This morning we arrive at the port of Kusadasi to enjoy a tour of Ephesus, the best preserved of the original Seven Churches of Revelation. Ancient tradition holds that Mary the Mother of Our Lord lived here with Saint John. The Apostle Paul spent two years in Ephesus and wrote his First Letter to the Corinthians here. We celebrate Mass at the House of the Virgin Mary, where Mary spent the final years of her life. Following Mass we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Ancient Ephesus where we will see among other sites, the Magnesian Gate, the Agora, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the Thermal Baths of Scholastica, Trajan’s Fountain, the Prytaneum, Hadrian’s Temple and the Great Theatre. Our tour concludes with a visit to the Covered Bazaar of Kusadasi with free time for shopping. Next we sail to the Island of Patmos, where Saint John wrote the Book of Revelation. Following dinner on our ship, we disembark the ship for a visit to Patmos, where we will visit St. John’s Monastery and the Grotto of the Apocalypse. We return to our ship for overnight at Sea.

Day 6 – Sunday
CRETE / 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). A short ride takes us to the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos, which is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos. At the Archaeological Museum we’ll see displays of many of the treasures found during the excavation of this ancient city. We re-board our ship and celebrate Mass en route to Santorini, believed by many travelers to be the most breathtaking of all the Greek Isles. Following dinner on board, we visit Santorini and see the beautiful whitewashed houses, narrow streets and open-air cafes that cling to steep cliffs that are accessible only by cable car or mule. An interesting fact about Santorini is that in recent Minoan excavations, evidence was discovered that have led scientists and archeologists to believe that Santorini may be the fabled lost continent of Atlantis. We depart Santorini for our overnight sailing to Athens. Overnight at Sea.

Day 7 – Monday
ATHENS / DELPHI / KALAMBAKA
Our ship returns to the port of Piraeus where following breakfast onboard we drive to Delphi, the center of the Ancient world, the “omphalos” (navel) of the earth – whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. On the slopes of Mount Parnassos, in a landscape of unparalleled natural beauty and majesty, lies the archaeological site of Delphi. We visit the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians and the Archaeological Museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. After the tour we continue on to Kalambaka, where we celebrate Mass at our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

Day 8 – Tuesday
KALAMBAKA / METEORA / VERIA / THESSALONIKI
We depart Kalambaka for a visit to spectacular Meteora with its thousand-year-old Byzantine monasteries perched precariously on huge finger-like rocks, where we enjoy a wonderful view. We continue on to Veria (ancient Berea), on the terraced foot of Mount Vernon to see the Monument where Paul preached. Here we pause for our own celebration of Mass. Finally, we depart for Thessaloniki where Paul also preached and to where he sent his first and second letters to the Thessalonians. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 9 – Wednesday
THESSALONIKI / PHILIPPI / KAVALA
Today we enjoy a panoramic drive to the Old City Walls where we have excellent views of the city and the opportunity to take pictures. During our driving tour we see the White Tower, the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda standing on the Egnatian Way. In the afternoon we drive to Philippi, where Paul established the first church in Europe. Here we see the ancient forum and jail where Paul & Silas were imprisoned as well as the river where Lydia were baptized. Following Mass near the site of Lydia’s baptism, we drive to the beautiful port city of Kavala (Neapolis), where Paul landed when he sailed from Troas. Dinner and overnight in Kavala.

Day 10 – Thursday
KAVALA / ISTANBUL
Today we drive from Kavala to the Greek-Turkish border, passing the towns of Xanthi, Komotini and Alexandroupolis. We say goodbye to our Greek guide and driver and we continue our journey with our Turkish guide and driver. We continue on to Istanbul, ancient Constantinople, where we arrive at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit for our celebration of Mass. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 11 – Friday
ISTANBUL
Formerly called Byzantium, the center of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire for more than 1,000 years, this city is built on seven green hills and situated astride two continents. We begin our day with a celebration of Mass at the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua. Following Mass we visit the popular Sultan Ahmed or Blue Mosque with its six minarets and thousands of blue tiles, followed by a visit to the Basilica of Saint Sofia, (Church of the Divine Wisdom), now a museum, converted to a mosque from a Christian basilica after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In the afternoon we visit the famous Topkapi Palace with its collection of Ottoman Treasures. This legendary maze of buildings was the residence of the Ottoman sultans and the heart of the Empire. From Seraglio Point we have a wonderful view overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Finally, we visit Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, a place that exudes the local culture, where numerous merchants have items for sale. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 12 – Saturday
ISTANBUL / USA
This morning we drive to the airport to board our departing flight for home. Though our pilgrimage draws to a close, its blessings will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer to the Lord.