Foot Steps of St. Paul [Greece & Turkey] 12 days

Our pilgrimage starts today boarding your flight to Istanbul.

Arrival. Meet our tour escort that will be with us until the end of the journey. Continue to the hotel for registration, and if time permits, we will explore the area. Dinner and overnight will be at your hotel.

City tour that includes. “Topkapi Museum”, which was the Royal Palace of the Sultan, the Byzantine Hippodrome, The Blue Mosque, (famous for its mosaics) the Chora church- museum, the Subterranean Cisterns, and finally the Grand Bazaar. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Travel to Bursa via Nicaea where the Nicene Creed was formed. Visit St. Sofia of Nicea. Here the division of Rome and Constantinople was completed, as well as the division of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Travel to Pergamum, the most favored of the 7 Churches. Visit the “Acropolis”, the ruins of the temple and Zeus. Temple of Athena. Ruins of the Library. Trojan temple. Grand Theater. Visit Thyatira, another of the 7 churches. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Travel to Izmir. Continue to Sardis which is one of the most picturesque of the 7 churches. Continue to Philadelphia, referred to as “The New Jerusalem”. Continue to Pamukkale. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Visit he thermal pools. Continue to Colossae, where the “Letter to the Colossians” was received. Visit Laodicea, which is one of the churches in the “Book of Revelations”. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Tour the city of Ephesus. See the Odeon. Trojan fountain. Steam baths. Temple of Adrian, the latrines. Celsus Library. Grand Theater of Ephesus. Visit the house of the Virgin Mary, here it is said that she lived after the Crucifixion and where she spent her last days. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Embark to the Island of Patmos. Visit the monastery of San Juan and the grotto. It was here that St. John wrote the “Book of Revelations,” where we will also see the crack caused by the voice of God. Dinner and overnight on the ship.

Visit Crete the largest Greek island. Pass through the village of Hearklion. Arrive at Knossos. Return to Heraklion where you will have free time. Return to the ship to continue to Santorini which is the most beautiful of the islands, we will ascend by chair lift. Explore the island on your own. Dinner and overnight on the ship.

Return to Athens Drive to Corinth, in the Saronic Gulf. Visit Bema (the seat of judgment). Visit the temple of Apollo. The museum. Return to Athens to visit Parthenon, the Acropolis and the Olympic stadium. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. Day 12: Athens to USA

Transfer to the airport to catch our return flight home.