Your pilgrimage begins with an overnight flight to Rome. Meals will be served on board.

Upon landing at Athens Airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the Arrivas Hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/-or driver. Board the bus to transfer to your hotel. Enjoy some time to relax after check-in. After a delicious meal, overnight in Athens.

Today, you will have a full day tour of Athens – ancient Athens was one of the most glorious cities in the world and the cradle of western civilization as we know it today. After breakfast at the hotel, start with a tour of Athens. Visit the rock that has dominated the panorama of Athens for twenty-five centuries, the Acropolis. At the Acropolis, you will see the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum, and Propylene. After, you will ascend Mars Hill of where Saint Paul spoke to the Athenians about the one and only God (Acts 17:22). While in this city, view the ancient Agora, the former public center of Athenian life. It held the focus of a political, commercial, social, religious, and cultural center. As you are in the former political center, proceed with a drive through the city to view the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square. Also, have the opportunity to view the University of Athens, the oldest higher education institute in Greece and, the National Library of Greece that holds 4,500 Greek manuscripts. Visit Panathenaic Stadium, the beautifully marbled multi-purpose stadium. It is home to the Olympian Zeus and the site of the first modern-era Olympics (1896). You’ll end with a visit to Plaka, the most famous and charming neighborhood of Athens. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Athens.

After breakfast, you will proceed to ancient Corinth. Under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, Saint Paul lived in Corinth for two years. While here, Saint Paul felt great grief over what the Gentile Church in Corinth has become. As a result, he wrote four letters, all with the overarching theme of love. In Corinth, you can view the remains of the first century shops, the site of the Saint Paul’s trial by Gallio, the Fountain of Peirene, and the Temple of Apollo. Next you’ll visit the Corinth Canal, then go to Cenchraea, the ancient seaport of Corinth, which was visited by St. Paul and where there was an early Christian community. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the Athens airport for your short flight to Istanbul. Arrive in Istanbul, check into your hotel, and enjoy the afternoon on your own. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Following breakfast, we will begin our full day guided tour exploring the ancient city, including the magnificent Topkapi Palace (the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans) and the Byzantine Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races. We will visit St. Sophia Basilica, the historic seat of the Byzantine Church. Built in 360 A.D., this church is now a museum, whose mosaics, stained glass windows, and decorated domes have been crafted to create breathtaking beauty. Enjoy a short walk through the gardens and proceed to the Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet the First, built in 1616, famous for its unparalleled ceramic tile work. Visit the Grand Bazaar. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy another full day touring Istanbul. Today you will take a Bosphorus Cruise, then go to the Balat and Fener neighborhoods, which are on the UNESCO heritage sites list. The Ecumenical Patriarchal Church of St. George is located in the Fener district. At the end of your day, have dinner and enjoy a restful overnight in Istanbul.

Following breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your short flight to Izmir. Upon landing, drive to Kusadasi and visit the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John. Dinner and overnight in Izmir.

Following breakfast at the hotel, drive to Pergamum for a visit to the Acropolis. From there you will visit Thyatira, one of the seven churches from the Book of Revelation. Then it’s back to your hotel for dinner and a restful night’s sleep in Izmir.

Following breakfast, you will transfer to Izmir airport for your homeward-bound flight. You will say your heartfelt farewells to pilgrimage memories that will last a lifetime.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.