ESCORTED PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• Flights NYC-Athens, Thessaloniki-NYC - Other departure cities available.

• Airline fuel surcharges

• 11 nights accommodation

• 8 nights First Class Hotel accommodation

• 3 nights Athens

• 2 nights Kalambaka

• 3 nights Thessaloniki

• 3 nights Aegean Cruise, standard Category B outside cabin

• All transfers

• 24 meals: 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 9 dinners

• Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motorcoach

• Shore excursions on day 7

• Services of English-speaking tour escort/manager throughout

• Services of local guides in all major cities

• Entrance fees per itinerary

• Port taxes

• Restaurant tips (except on cruise)

• Donation to local churches

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Acropolis, Athens

• Temple of Apollo, Corinth

• Monastery of St. John, Patmos

• House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus

• Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi

• Byzantine Monasteries, Meteora

• Church of Christ, Veria

• The Rotonda, Thessaloniki

• Ancient port of Nefpolis, Kavala

• Ruins of Philippi

• Wine, mineral water & coffee with all included dinners (except on cruise)

• Soft drink & coffee with all included lunches (except on cruise)

NOT INCLUDED: airport taxes, fees and September 11th Security Fee, and tips to guides, driver, and tour escort/manager (call for terms and conditions).

TOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1, Monday
Depart the USA to Athens, Greece. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey

DAY 2, Tuesday
Arrive in Athens and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy an orientation meeting with your tour escort, followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant (D): ATHENS

DAY 3, Wednesday
Your morning tour of Athens includes visits to the legendary Acropolis and its museum, the Panathenian Stadium, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure (B): ATHENS

DAY 4, Thursday
Today, travel to the Peloponnesian Peninsula and the biblical town of Corinth. Passing the Corinth Canal which links the Aegean and Ionian Seas, you arrive in Corinth, the very town St. Paul visited for 18 months (51-52 A.D.). Visit the excavations, the Bema Seat, and the Temple of Apollo, before continuing to Cenchra, the eastern Roman seaport connecting the Aegean and Corinthian Seas. The tour continues to the archaeological site of Mycenae, the Homeric city of Atreides, to visit the Lion's Gate, the Cyclopean Walls, and the Royal Tombs. From here we depart for Nafplion, the ancient port city crowned by the ramparts of the Palamidi Fortress. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant. We then travel to Epidaurus, the ancient Christian healing center of the Classical world. Here you will visit the well-preserved theatre for which the city is famous, before returning to Athens in the early afternoon (B, L): ATHENS

DAY 5, Friday
Transfer to the pier in Piraeus (Athens, Greece) to board ship for 11:00 a.m. departure. Enjoy the evening at leisure in Mykonos (Greece) from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (B, L, D): CRUISE

DAY 6, Saturday
Full day in Rhodes (Greece) from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. A selection of optional shore excursions are available (bookings aboard the ship only) (B, L, D): CRUISE

DAY 7, Sunday
Morning in Patmos (Greece) from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This morning, enjoy a tour of Patmos Island, known as the site of the apocalyptic Revelations of St. John the Divine, as written during his exile from the Roman Empire. Visit the cave where he lived and the Monastery of St. John, erected on the island’s highest point, and whose Treasury keeps a variety of priceless icons and historical manuscripts. From here, return to the ship and continue for an afternoon in Kusadasi (Ephesus, Turkey) from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ephesus, which lies not far from the port of Kusadasi, is home to the single remaining pillar from the Temple of Artemis—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Enjoy a guided walk through the heart of Ephesus, and a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary (B, L, D): CRUISE

DAY 8, Monday
Disembark cruise in Piraeus at 7:00 a.m. and continue to Delphi, the ancient site of the Apollonian Oracle. Upon arrival, visit the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo and the theater, followed by a visit to the Delphi Museum where you will find the sacred Omphalos, once kept in the Adyton of Apollo's Temple, along with the Kourus Statues, Kleobis and Viton. Continue to the small yet charming town of Kalambaka, situated amidst smooth sandstone cliffs in the foothills of Meteora (B, D): KALAMBAKA

DAY 9, Tuesday
This morning, visit Meteora, meaning “suspended in the air,” with its mystical monasteries nestled high atop huge sandstone rock formations. Beginning in the 14th century, over 20 monasteries were constructed here, and today, only six remain. Visit Saint Stefanos Monastery perched on a massive stone pedestal to view exquisite specimens of Byzantine art, among other priceless historical and religious treasures therein. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure (B, D): KALAMBAKA

DAY 10, Wednesday
Depart Kalambaka for Veria, a small city settlement on the site of the ancient city of Beroea. Upon arrival, visit the Church of Christ, one of the finest examples of early brick churches. Founded in the 14th century, the church's interior features beautiful frescoes portraying the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the apostles. Afterwards, continue to Thessaloniki, a city renowned for its well-preserved monuments of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. Named after the sister of Alexander the Great, this industrious port city was founded in 315 B.C., and today serves as Greece's second major economic and cultural center (B, D): THESSALONIKI

DAY 11, Thursday
This morning, journey into the heart of Thessaloniki to see some of the city's finest historical monuments. Tour the city center to view the ancient walls, the White Tower, Saint Demetrius, and Saint Sophia. Continue to visit the Rotonda, the oldest building in the city center which served as a mausoleum for Emperor Galerius in the 4th century, and now serves as the Church of Saint George. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore the Thessaloniki on your own (B, D): THESSALONIKI

DAY 12, Friday
Today's sightseeing includes a full day excursion to Kavala and the ancient city of Philippi. Drive to the seaside city of Kavala (biblical Nefpolis) where Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy first set foot in Europe from Troy. The tour continues along the Via Egnatia, a remnant of Rome's highway, to Philippi. It was here that St. Paul preached his first sermon in Europe and "baptized a certain woman named Lydia," Europe's first convert to Christianity. While in Philippi, view the ancient ruins of the Roman City Forum, the market, and early basilicas. See the site where Paul was flogged, imprisoned, and later released. Continue in Paul's footsteps through Amphipolis and Apollonia. Tonight, celebrate your last evening in Greece at a farewell dinner at a local restaurant (B, D): THESSALONIKI

DAY 13, Saturday
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home (B).

Click on image above for a larger map

DATES & RATES

2008 - Available only for groups of 20 or more.
Operates April through October, please call to inquire.