Itinerary

1. 

   Travel to Thessaloniki (D, DR)

   Meet your fellow travelling companions and Tour Leader at your UK Airport and check-in for your flight to Thessaloniki.

   Afternoon: on arrival you will be met at Thessaloniki Airport by our expert Local Guide who will be with you throughout and transfer to your hotel to check-in for a three-night stay.

   Evening: welcome drinks get-together with an introductory talk, on the ancient sites that lie ahead and the story of St. Paul’s time in Greece, from your local guide followed by dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

2. 

   Walking and tasting tour of Thessaloniki (B, L, D)

   Morning: a day to get to know one another and begin a little immersion into Greek culture and food as you walk through the Kapani and Modiano markets to taste local delicacies and other Greek products. Also, see the flower stalls of the Louloudadika area and beautiful Athonos Square with its artists and narrow paved streets with carpenters, cobblers and machine shops. We visit part of the 4km Byzantine city walls that surround the central area and the Church of Hagia Sofia one of the oldest churches in the city and listed by UNESCO.

   Afternoon: included lunch in a local taverna followed by a free afternoon to explore the old centre of Thessaloniki under your own steam.

   Evening: dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

3. 

   Kavala – Neapolis – Church of Philippi (B, L, D)

   Morning: drive to the town of Kavala, the principal seaport in eastern Macedonia and the first place St. Paul stepped foot on the Greek Mainland. We continue to Neapolis where St. Paul and Silas were imprisoned and visit the Church of Philippi, the most supportive of all to St. Paul. We take worship in these inspiring surroundings.

   Afternoon: included lunch in a local taverna prior to visiting the stream and church in the village of Lydia, where Lydia of Thyatira was baptised, the first recorded baptism in Europe.

   Evening: dinner in a local taverna with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

4. 

   Pella Museum, Veria (Berea) and Vergina (B, L, D)

   Morning: depart Thessaloniki and visit Pella the capital of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great. Over one thousand tombs have been discovered, some containing elaborate artefacts from ceramics to precious metals, weapons and jewellery.

   Afternoon: after an included lunch in a local taverna we continue to Veria (Berea) where Philip II was assassinated and Alexander the Great became king. Paul and Silas’ visit here saw that its inhabitants were the first Christians in Europe. After, continue to your hotel in Vergina for an overnight stay.

   Evening: dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

5. 

   St. Pauls Monument, wine tasting, Agia Paraskevi – Larissa (B, L, D)

   Morning: depart for Larissa and visit the spot in Veria where it is said that St. Paul stood and preached. The so called "Apostle Paul's Podium" is now an imposing monument. Later, we visit the 13^th century Byzantine Castle of Platamon at the foot of Mt Olympus amidst stunning scenery.

   Afternoon: we continue for lunch and an included wine tasting at Rapsani on the southern foothills of Mount Olympus, the home of the gods in Greek mythology. The mountainous, sunny terrain in this part of Thessalia is well suited to the production of red wine and vineyards are scattered across the landscape. After, we continue to Larissa with a stop at the Holy Shrine of Paraskevi in Tempe for optional worship. The shrine is built into the rock and reached by an ornate bridge crossing a picturesque river setting. After, arrive in Larissa and check-in to your hotel for a three-night stay.

   Evening: dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

6. 

   Kalabaka and the great Meteora Monasteries (B, D)

   Morning: visit the Natural History and Mushroom Museum before continuing to the extraordinary Meteora Monasteries perched high on gigantic rocks. The monastic history of Meteora dates back to the 11th century and the monasteries themselves date back to the 14^th century. We shall visit at least three of these unique locations.

   ‎Afternoon: visit a local church for a coffee break, take in the scenery and take optional worship before returning in the late afternoon to Larissa.

   Evening: dinner in a nearby local taverna with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

7. 

   Farsala, Ancient Thermopylae & Delphi (B, L, D)

   Morning: depart Larissa and pass the lower slopes of Mount Parnassos to Farsala, an agricultural town famous as the birth place of Achilles, before continuing to the ancient site of Thermopylae where the Greeks fought the Persians in 480 BC at this scenic and truly narrow mountain pass, with hordes of Persians on the one side and a handful of Greeks on the other. You can almost hear the clash of steel and the screams of the wounded! Today Thermopylae has become a byword in Greek history for heroism and glory, and of dying for the idea of freedom.

   ‎Afternoon: an included late lunch at Bralos Village where in October 1917, during World War I, the 49th Stationary Hospital was established along with rest and recuperation camps for Allied troops. It remained in use until April 1919. Many of the dead from the hospital—chiefly from the influenza epidemic—are buried in the British Cemetery. Bralos was also the site of fighting between British Commonwealth troops and the Germans in the Battle of Thermopylae (1941). Later check in to your hotel near Delphi for a two-night stay.

   Evening: dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

8. 

   Pilgrim walk in Delphi and the Temple of Apollo (B, L, D)

   Morning: deeply engraved on the record of Greek history, Delphi was a place of incalculable religious and political importance which attracted pilgrims from all over the Hellenic world. Here the Oracle was consulted by both states and individuals; it highlights the religious background to St. Paul’s preaching of the gospel. Walk around the sights and be guided as your guide brings this ancient site to life.

   ‎Afternoon: included lunch in a local taverna followed by optional worship in the setting of the ancient amphitheatre. After return to the hotel in the mid-afternoon to relax.

   Evening: dinner in a nearby local taverna with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

9. 

   Hosios Loukas Monastery – Athens (B, L, D)

   Morning: depart from Delphi for the drive to Athens stopping first at the Hosios Loukas Monastery meaning “Esteemed Saint Luke”, not built in honour of Luke the Evangelist, but was established by the Greek monk Loukas. He was buried in the crypt of the monastery when he died in AD 953. Attached to the abbey is a large church, Katholikon, which in its turn is attached to a smaller temple, or Theotokos, erected between 997 and 1011 to honour the Virgin Mary. The temples are beautifully decorated with numerous frescoes and mosaics, all perfectly preserved.

   ‎Afternoon: included lunch in a local taverna in this mountain region before continuing for the afternoon drive to your hotel in Athens and check-in for a four-night stay.

   Evening: dinner in the hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

   Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

10. 

    Half day Athens city tour and the Acropolis (B, D)

    Morning: a later breakfast before your tour on coach and foot taking in the Hellenic Parliament with the “Evzones” Presidential Guard found outside the Hellenic Parliament. They have become synonymous with the city of Athens and were originally founded in 1868 as a regiment of the Greek army. We then continue to the historical neighbourhood of Plaka, a labyrinth of streets with neoclassical architecture clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. known as the "Neighborhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites. We continue to the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena Nike, the foremost site of Classical Greece, with the Parthenon. We 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.

    ‎Afternoon: free leisurely afternoon to enjoy lunch (at own cost) wander the Plaka to shop, maybe visit the National Archaeological Museum of Greece or numerous other museums or head to the waterfront and marina in Piraeus. Your guide as always will advise of plenty of options.

    Evening: dinner in a local restaurant with water and tea or coffee included.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

11. 

    Kingdom of Korinthos and Epidaurus (B, L, D)

    Morning: we head out of Athens for the day and cross the Corinth Canal making a stop to view this engineering marvel. We then visit the ancient town of Corinth where St. Paul stayed for 18 months and wrote two letters to Corinthians, which are mentioned in the New Testament, of whom he is the patron saint. An impressive church has been built in his honour. The remains of the city include the marketplace and Temple of Apollo and clearly show the importance of Corinth in ancient times. After, we make a short stop at the site of the ancient port of Cenchreae from where St. Paul departed for Ephesus.

    ‎Afternoon: an included lunch of simple and fresh local produce before continuing to Epidaurus with its Great Theatre with its great acoustics, Sanctuary of Asclepius and join together in optional worship at this great location.

    Evening: dinner in a local restaurant close to your Athens hotel with water and tea or coffee included.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

12. 

    Depart for the UK (B)

    After breakfast transfer to Athens Airport for the return flight to the UK, bid farewell to your Local Guide, Tour Leader and fellow travelling companions.

    Key to symbols: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, DR = Drink

Essential Information

Practical information

Dates