Saturday, May 6: Philippi- Thessaloniki                                                                                       

   Following an early breakfast, we will arrive to Philippi where Paul preached his first sermon and baptized the first Christians in Europe. We will visit the baptismal site where Paul preached to Lydia, a Roman-era cistern believed to have been Paul’s prison, the ancient forum, Byzantine Basilica and the Philippian theatre. We then travel west along the coast and arrive in Thessalonica, where the New Testament letters of I & II Thessalonians spring to life. On our way to the hotel we visit the old city ramparts, the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument that was transformed into a church and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Roman road, the Via Egnatia. before arriving at your hotel, we will see St.Demetrius Basilica, which was dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Thessaloniki. (B,L,D)  

Sunday, May 7: Thessaloniki – Veria - Vergina - Meteora – Kalambaka  

We depart from Thessaloniki and travel South, deep into the beautiful Greek countryside. Our first stop is Veria (Berea), where we visit St. Paul’s Bema and the Jewish quarter—near the location where Paul planted a church and the noble Bereans studied the Scriptures to verify his message. Our next stop is Aigis, where we visit the royal tomb of King Philip the Macedon—Alexander the Great’s Father. We continue our journeyinto the heart of Greece, to the world famous of Meteora, Medieval monasteries precariously perched on the summits of towering sandstone pinnacles. Dinner and overnight. (B,L,D) 

Monday, May 8: Kalambaka – Athens  
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Athens, crossing central Greece through the beautiful. We stop at Thermopylae and climb the small hill of the last heroic stand of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans—where his small band of Spartan soldiers held off the huge Persian army for three days. 

Arriving in Athens, we end the day with sightseeing on the way to our hotel, passing by the Prime Minister’s Residence, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, St. Paul’s church, the National Garden, Syntagma Square—location of the parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier—and much more. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Athens. (B,L,D)    

Tuesday, May 9: Corinth & Athens 

After breakfast, we depart for Ancient Corinth along the coastal road, where we stop to view the Corinth canal—a breathtaking man-made waterway connecting the Aegean and Ionian Seas. After a short drive, we reach the ancient city of Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for two years. We visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul spread the Word with Aquila and Priscilla, including the remains of their first-century shops, the Agora and Bema where Paul stood trial before Gallio, the Fountain of Peirene and the iconic Temple of Apollo. We make a quick but memorable stop in Cenchrea, where Paul took ship, concluding his Second Missionary Journey. We then return to Athens for a city tour, visiting the Athenian Acropolis, location of the great Parthenon, the Propylae, the Temple of Athena Nike and the stunning Erechtheion with its porch of Maidens. From there we take a short walk to Mars Hill—where Paul spoke to the Areopagus about the identity of “The Unknown God” (Acts 17). After a short stop to Panathinaiko Stadium—home of the first modern Olympic Games, we return to our hotel for dinner and LI. (B,L,D) 

Wednesday, May 10: Free day at leisure. A special farewell dinner will be served in the Plaka. (B,D) 

Thursday, May 11:  Transfer to the airport for return flight back home.  (B) 

Flights :

Flights from the USA

April 24, 2023

Lufthansa#455

Departs San Francisco at 2:40 PM, Arrives in Frankfurt at 10:30 AM, the next day.

April 25, 2023

Lufthansa#1300

Departs Frankfurt at 1:05 PM, Arrives in Istanbul at 5:00 PM.

Flights back to the US:

Itinerary subject to change

Basic Airport / Flight Information

• Your airline ticket will be issued electronically.  When you arrive to the airport, please be prepared to present a passport to an airline representative in order to receive your boarding pass.
• All group seat assignments are under airport control.  Seat assignments online are not available for groups.  Pre-check in is not available to groups.
• You should arrive at the airport two hours before your flight departs.
• You are allowed one free checked bag and one free carry on.

Luggage (per person) limitations:

• Checked:  weight = 50 pounds max
  Maximum Size:  total of length + width + depth = 62”
• Carry-ons:  you are allowed to bring one piece that will fit in an overhead compartment (up to 14”w x 22”h x 9” deep) plus a smaller piece that will fit under your seat (up to 10”w x 17”h x 9” deep).
• All carry-on luggage items such as liquids, gels and aerosols must be in 3.4 ounce (100ml) or smaller containers.  Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed.  There is not a limit on the types of liquids, gels and aerosols in your checked baggage.

Hazardous materials see:  https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/resources/media/PackSafe_for_Passengers_English.pdf