Itinerary
Wednesday, October 7
Depart the U.S.
Our spiritual adventure begins as we depart from the U.S. for our long-awaited destination!
Thursday, October 8
Welcome to Turkey
Your Day Includes
- Arrive Istanbul
- Welcome Dinner - enjoy dinner and fellowship as you rest and prepare for the incredible journey awaiting you!
Accommodations
Occidental Taksim – Istanbul
Turkey
Topkapi Palace
Friday, October 9
Istanbul
Your Day Includes
- Yerebatan Underground Cistern - A water storage system built by Emperor Justinian and famous for its hunderds of beautiful marble columns
- Topkapi Palace - The main residence of the Ottoman Sultans for over 400 years
- Grand Bazaar - One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, encompassing 61 streets and over 3,000 shops with unusual antiques, colorful spices, beautiful jewelry, and richly textured fabrics
Accommodations
Occidental Taksim – Istanbul
Saturday, October 10
Istanbul
Your Day Includes
- Blue Mosque (external only) - A stunning example of traditional Islamic architecture, known for its six delicate minarets and a striking blue Izanik-tiled interior
- Hagia Sophia (external only) - recently re-opened as a mosque, this 1,500 year-old structure has a colorful past as a Byzantine-era basilica, a Roman Catholic Church, an imperial mosque, and museum
- Afternoon flight to Kusadasi
Accommodations
Charisma De Luxe Hotel – Kusadasi
Blue Mosque
Ephesus
Sunday, October 11
Ephesus
Your Day Includes
- Ephesus - “The Loveless Church” cautioned to remember their first love and repent
- Homes of the Elites - the excavated ruins of the Roman elite’s luxurious homes
- Evening flight to Thessaloniki
Accommodations
Holiday Inn Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki
Monday, October 12
Thessaloniki
Your Day Includes
- Thessaloniki - an important destination on Paul’s second missionary journey, and to the citizens of which he wrote two of his epistles
- Agora – Thessaloniki - the ancient Roman-era forum of the city
- St. Demetrius Church - the Byzantine church dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki. St. Demetrius was martyred on this site on the orders of Galerius and secretly buried here.
- Arch of Galerius - built in the 3rd century AD to celebrate the victory of the tetrarch Galerius over the Sassanid Persians at the Battle of Satala
- Archaeological Museum
- Old Walls / Upper City / White Tower - built by the Ottomans in the 15th century, it has been a prison, place of execution, a symbol of the city, and now a museum
Accommodations
Holiday Inn Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki
White Tower
Philippi
Tuesday, October 13
Philippi
Your Day Includes
- Philippi - the city where an earthquake miraculously freed Paul and Silas from prison
- Lydia’s Stream – Communion - a special communion service on the banks of the stream where Lydia was confronted with God’s irresistible grace
Accommodations
Holiday Inn Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki
Wednesday, October 14
Berea
Your Day Includes
- Berea - the city where Paul, Timothy, and Silas preached after Thessaloniki.
- Walking Tour of Jewish Quarter - this Jewish quarter, established not long after Paul and Silas visited, is proof that a Jewish community existed in Berea and “received the word with all eagerness” (Acts 17).
- Royal Tombs of Macedonia (Aigai) - the burial place of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. One of the tombs is identified as that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.
Accommodations
Divani Meteora Hotel – Kalambaca
Royal Tomb of Macedonia
Meteora Monasteries
Thursday, October 15
Meteora Monasteries
Your Day Includes
- Meteora Monasteries - a complex of Eastern Orthodox monasteries precipitously built on a unique rock formation in central Greece
Accommodations
Electra Rhythm Hotel – Athens
Friday, October 16
Athens
Your Day Includes
- Mars Hill - the location where Paul preached about idolatry and the altar to the “unknown God”
- Acropolis - a high, rocky outcrop rising above the city of Athens which is home to several historic temples including the Parthenon
- Ancient Agora – Athens - ancient meeting ground or marketplace of Athens, and the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis
- Plaka – Time at Leisure - a neighborhood built around the ancient Agora and a great place for people watching and souvenir shopping
Accommodations
Electra Rhythm Hotel – Athens
Acropolis
Corinth
Saturday, October 17
Corinth
Your Day Includes
- Corinth Canal - also known as the Isthmus of Corinth, the canal connects the Ionian and the Aegean Seas making the passage of cargo and passenger ships much quicker
- Doilkos - an ancient roadway crossing the Isthmus of Corinth, allowing traders and travelers to avoid the dangerous circumnavigation of the Peloponnese peninsula
- Corinth - the decadent city where Paul lived for 18 months and wrote the book of Romans
- Cenchera - the sea port of Corinth where Paul had his hair shorn in Acts 18 before sailing to Syria
- Farewell Dinner - our dinner will be the culmination of our journey together, celebrating the making of new friends and deepening relationships with old. With the remembrance of the beauty of God’s creation, and the sites where God’s story unfolded, we begin the journey home.
Accommodations
Electra Rhythm Hotel – Athens
Sunday, October 18
Homeward Bound
With heart-changing memories of our walk in the footsteps of history, we arrive back home. May we never be the same!
Click here to view the optional Rome extension
*Itinerary is subject to change. To best serve the group, the schedule may be altered or substitutions made at the discretion of your tour leader and guide.