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Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece with Revd Dr Colin McClure

Prices from £2,870 pp

Single Supplement £520

Next available tour:

Tour leader: The Revd Dr Colin McClure

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St Paul is one of the towering figures of our Christian faith. He always seems to elicit profound emotions in those who are followers of Jesus, with some seeing him as a forward-thinking visionary, whilst others dismiss him as a somewhat bigoted and rigid personality.

We invite you to travel with us in the footsteps of St Paul, from landing in the northern port of Neapolis to preaching his famous sermon introducing the unknown God in Athens. We travel the length of Greece visiting Philippi, Thessaloniki, Athens and Corinth and offer optional worship in some ancient and very special locations. As well as the Pauline sites and the history of Ancient Greece we see stunning landscapes as we journey through the Pindus Mountain Range to the engineering marvel of the Corinth Canal and stay in the heart of Athens with the opportunity to explore nearby islands. Highlights include the Meteora Monasteries; Delphi where the Oracle was consulted by both states and individuals and highlighted the religious background to St. Paul’s preaching of the gospel; from the Acropolis walk down to the site of St. Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill (Aeropagus) where Paul had a mixed reception in making known the ‘Unknown God’. We then visit Agora the centre of public life in Athens at the time of Paul. As we travel, we see how St Paul’s life and journeys enabled faith in the Resurrection of Jesus to spread beyond the confines of the Holy Land to the ends of earth.

 

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Itinerary

  1. Travel to Thessaloniki

    Early Ryanair flight from Dublin to Thessaloniki, the city where Paul was received by Jason. Paul was preaching the Word of God here, until he was rushed out of the city. Our guide will meet us at the airport for the transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

  2. Philippi and Kavala

    Follow the route of the Via Egnatia and visit, like Paul and his companion, the area of Amphipolis, to see the famous funerary Lion of Amphipolis, and the site of Philippi. There, we visit the Baptistery of Lydia near the river, where Paul baptized her. Lydia was the first convert of Paul on European soil and the conversion of the jailer followed. Also, visit the ruins of the Forum of Philippi, the Christian Basilicas, the “Prison of Paul” and the Theater. Drive to Kavala (Neapolis), a picturesque port and view the Byzantine Castle and the Roman Aqueduct. Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

  3. Thessaloniki

    In the morning, drive in Thessaloniki to see the landmark of the city, the White Tower, the Walls of the Byzantine Acropolis, the Roman Arch of Galerius and the Rotonda. Visit two of the city’s oldest and most admired Christian churches, the Basilicas of St. Demetrius and St. Sophia (Divine Wisdom). Continue to Kalambaka for dinner and overnight.

  4. Meteora Monasteries

    Here we find scenery of unique and striking beauty: on top of huge granite pinnacles, we see the ageless Meteora Monasteries full of treasures of Christian art. Visit one of the amazing Byzantine monasteries of Meteora, perched on top of gigantic rock pinnacles. Afterwards travel to scenic Delphi, one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, which in antiquity was believed to be the “navel” (omphalos) of the world. Dinner and overnight in Delphi.

  5. Delphi

    This morning walk on the Sacred Way to see the Athenian Treasury, the Temple of Apollo, where the priestess Pythia uttered ambiguous prophecies, and the Theater. Also, visit the Museum with its splendid collection of ancient  works of art, including the Sphinx of the Naxians, the Silver Bull, the Column of the Dancers, the “Omphalos” and  the pride of the museum, the 5th c. B.C. bronze “Charioteer”. Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight.

  6. Corinth and Athens

    After breakfast, we drive to Corinth. Here under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, St. Paul preached and lived for two years. The vigorous and mostly Gentile Church he founded here in 50 AD caused him much grief and prompted him to write at least four letters to them. Visit the ruins of the ancient city where St. Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. See the remains of first century shops, the agora where St. Paul's trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of eirene, Temple of Apollo and the Bema. In the afternoon, we return to Athens to admire the architectural miracles of ancient Athens, as we follow our guide to the world renown Acropolis, to see the Propylea, the Erechteum and the Parthenon. Visit Mars Hill, where Paul delivered his ingenious speech making known the “Unknown God”. View the Agora, the ancient center of the economic and public life of the city, where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. During the bus tour, we see Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Temple of Zeus, the Old Olympic Stadium and the Neoclassical Buildings of Athens. The rest of the day is free. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

  7. Depart for the UK

    Today we  make our way to the airport for our return flight to Dublin.

Essential Information

The cost is £2,870 per person sharing a double or twin room. 

A number of single rooms are available for a supplement from £520.

For booking received by Friday 31 JULY we offer a lower deposit payment of £200 pp (instead of £500).

Included 

Two nights in Thessaloniki, are followed by one night in Kalambaka and one night in Delphi.  The final two nights are spent in Athens.  Hotels are of a good standard and locally graded three and four stars.

The tour includes daily breakfast and dinners.

Touring is by air-conditioned coach and we will be accompanied by our tour guide who will look after the formalities of hotel check-ins, etc.

All entrance fees are included as well as gratuities; these will be disbursed locally to those who help us on our journey.

The tour price also includes return flights to Greece, flying from UK. All airport and security charges are included.

Our team in Greece

This holiday includes a qualified local guide to bring the history of Greece, St. Pauls time in Greece, as well as the wonders of Ancient Greece, to life. They will be staying with you and escorting you throughout.

 

 

Practical information

Entry requirements

British Citizen and EU Citizen Passport holders can currently enter Greece freely with no restrictions or other documentation required. Stays within the EU can be up to 90 days (can be spread over multiple visits) within any 180-day period.

Please note your passport must be valid for six months after your return from Greece.

Full details of entry requirements and any required vaccinations will be detailed in your final paperwork 14 days before departure.

For the latest and most up to date travel advice including entry requirements please consult the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office travel advice website.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Health & wellbeing

For travel within the EU you should ensure that you have the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which is free of charge.  You can apply for the GHIC card by calling 0191 218 1999 or applying on line at…

www.nhs.uk/ghic

The level of cover offered by the GHIC card varies by country visited and is only applicable in state-run health facilities. In some countries coverage may just be a partial contribution.

Adequate insurance cover will be required for all hospital emergencies and doctors’ visits.

Climate

In Thessaloniki and Athens the average daily lowest and highest temperature range during your tour in October should be around 21-24 degrees centigrade. When travelling in the Pindus Mountains temperatures will be a few degrees cooler particularly in the mornings and evenings. Rainfall is rare at this time of year and usually just the odd short thunderstorm.

Clothing

Dress is cool and casual throughout your time in Greece. You may wish to take one or two smarter items for the evenings. Casual clothing is recommended in the day-time with evenings being smart/casual. As this tour requires a certain amount of gentle to intermediate walking, we suggest you take a pair of lined shoes or boots with decent grip. Sports shoes or trainers are fine as well as walking boots. It is advisable to bring just a couple of warmer items for the evenings as well as coastal walks where the wind may reduce the temperatures.

Mobility

There is a certain amount of walking, light undulations with just one or two steep sections but a number of stairs involved on a daily basis during your time in Greece so please make sure you pack comfy footwear for this so that you are prepared. Your Local Guide will keep you updated on a daily basis with what to expect the following day. If you are finding it difficult to keep up then please make sure you tell your Local Guide who can help you to find places to rest and relax and then you can re-join the group at a later stage.

Some streets in towns and villages that you will visit will be cobbled and ancient sites can have some uneven ground. We suggest you take a pair of comfortable shoes with good grips or trainers.  You must be prepared to be on your feet for up to 90 minutes without the necessity to sit down and walk up to a mile miles unaided. Hiking sticks are fine.

The McCabe Educational Trust

The McCabe Educational Trust is an independent registered charity with the aim of helping inspiring people we meet on some of our pilgrimages. As ‘the haves’ encounter the ‘have nots’ the Trust has become a practical tool for one to help the other.

McCabe Pilgrimages invite all travellers to become partners in this work. A £20 voluntary donation to the Trust’s work is added to every pilgrim’s invoice and all money raised in this way is given in full to the projects the Trust supports. This scheme is voluntary and confidential with nobody put under any pressure to participate.

Travel insurance

Ensuring that your holidays are appropriately protected is one of our main priorities. That’s why we have specifically chosen Holiday Extras as our *preferred travel insurance provider to ensure that you are protected before and whilst you are travelling. Holiday Extras offer McCabe Travel guests favourable rates for single trip, multi-trip and annual policies.

For more information or to obtain a quote click below for their website

https://www.holidayextras.com/travel-insurance

Or call them on 0800 083 3551 to speak to a friendly advisor.

Please quote AG628 upon calling to receive the best rates

Full financial security

All money paid to McCabe is fully secure. Holidays including flights are covered by our ATOL license from the Civil Aviation Authority, and holidays without flights are protected by our membership of the ABTOT bonding scheme. If a pilgrimage is cancelled, for instance through lack of numbers or for political considerations, McCabe will promptly refund all monies paid.

AITO Quality Statement

McCabe Pilgrimages is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. McCabe abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter.

You can read McCabe reviews on the AITO website here

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Dates

Our Programme Tour Leader Tour Dates Availability
In the Footsteps of St Paul - 7 day Footsteps of St Paul in Greece with Revd Dr Colin McClure Departing From Dublin Prices from £2870 pp The Revd Dr Colin McClure 17/10/2027 for 7 days Download brochure Book now Make an enquiry

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