Tour Brochure            Faith Based Expeditions Tour Code SLC922BC

SILVERDALE LUTHERAN CHURCH ITINERARY
9-DAY “IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL AND THE APOSTLES” TOUR IN GREECE WITH AN
OPTIONAL ROME, ITALY EXTENSION

DAY 1: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 – DEPART USA FOR ATHENS, GREECE
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 – ARRIVAL INTO ATHENS
Arrive in Athens, Greece. The tour group will be met at the airport and assisted with arrival procedures. Enjoy a city tour in route to the hotel. Free to relax at the hotel or stroll along the streets of Athens for the remainder of the day. Dinner and overnight in Athens.
Dinner

DAY 3: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 – ATHENS
We begin our day in Athens, the city with the most glorious history in the world! We start our day at the magnificent Acropolis, the crown jewel of Greece. Our guided tour will take us to the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, The Parthenon – the most famous surviving building of Ancient Greece. We will climb Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul confronted the idolatrous beliefs of the “Men of Athens” and delivered his famous speech about the identity of “the Unknown God” (Acts 17). We continue on to the Dionysus Theater, House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the ancient Agora (marketplace). Dinner and overnight in Athens.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 – CORINTH / MYCENAE
Following breakfast, we leave Athens for the ancient city of Corinth, the once glorious city near the Isthmus, where Paul met Aquila and Pricilla and spent a year and a half preaching the Word of God. Corinth is the city that inspired Paul’s most famous letters 1st and 2nd Corinthians. We will visit the Archaeological Museum, the Forum, the Temples and the famous Bema, where Paul stood before Gallio, accused of sacrilege by the Jews of Corinth. The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked. Leaving Corinth, we will travel to Mycenae to tour the remains of the ancient city dating back to the Bronze Age (1700-1100 BC). Return to our hotel in Athens for dinner and overnight.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2022 – METEORA
This morning we depart Athens for Meteora (“suspended rocks”) in Western Thessaly where world-famous Byzantine monasteries perch precariously on top of these rock pinnacles. First used as a religious retreat by hermits in AD 985 followed by the building of a small church in the 14th century, 23 monasteries were eventually built upon these vertical rock faces. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life since the 14th century. We will have an opportunity to visit one or more of the monasteries. Dinner and overnight in Meteora.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 – VERGINA / VERIA (BEREA) / THESSALONIKI
Traveling north this morning, our first stop will be a visit to King Phillip’s (father of Alexander the Great) tomb in Vergina, one of the most outstanding archeological finds in all of Greece. Leaving Vergina, we take a short tour of picturesque Veria (Berea). In Veria, we will view the monument commemorating the site where Paul preached to the locals in AD 54. Paul visited Berea three times as did Silas and Timothy. Continuing to Thessaloniki, where Paul’s letters to them will come alive, (time permitting) we will tour the 5th-century Church of Agios Dimitrios, the largest church in Greece and renowned for stunning mosaics and frescoes. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 – THESSALONIKI / PHILIPPI / KAVALA (NEAPOLIS)
We begin the day by following the massive Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of the city of Thessaloniki. Following the Apostle Paul today will include excursions to Philippi and Kavala (Neopolis). Kavala, (ancient Neapolis) is one of the most attractive port towns in Greece and where Paul landed with his disciples, Timothy, and Silas. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city of Neapolis was the first European city to accept Christianity. In Philippi, the first place in Europe where the apostle Paul and Silas preached, we will visit the ruins, the tribunal (Bema) where Paul was beaten, the prison where Paul and Silas were held in wooden stocks, and the small “Church of Lydia”, the stream where Paul baptized Lydia, the first Christian convert on European soil. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 – THESSALONIKI / ATHENS
Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and depart for the Thessaloniki Airport for our return (flight) to Athens. This day has no planned itinerary leaving time to explore Athens on your own. Dinner and overnight in Athens.
Breakfast, Dinner (Lunch is on your own)
DAY 9: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 – ATHENS AIRPORT FOR THE FLIGHT BACK TO THE USA OR TO ROME, ITALY
Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel. Those travelers not going on Rome, Italy extension will transfer to the airport for flight back to the USA. Travelers going on Rome, Italy Extension will transfer to the airport for flight to Rome, Italy.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (lunch and dinner only for those on the Rome, Italy Extension)

OPTIONAL ROME, ITALY EXTENSION

DAY 9: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022, 2022 – ROME, ITALY: COLOSSEUM / TREVI FOUNTAIN, FORUM
After breakfast, we transfer to Athens Airport for our flight to Rome. We are met by our Italian representative and transferred to our motor coach for our sightseeing tour of this eternal city. Driving through the main streets of Rome, marvel at the monuments of this great capital. We will enjoy a visit to the Coliseum, which symbolizes the eternity of the Roman civilization, the Forum and the Piazza Venezia, dominated by the imposing monument to Vittorio Emanuel II. Before arriving at our hotel, we stop near the Fontana di Trevi, where, following tradition, one must toss a coin into the fountain, promising a return to Rome! Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 – VATICAN / SISTINE CHAPEL / BASILICA OF ST. PETER
Our first visit will be to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, the celebrated Chapel of the Popes and the venue of the Conclaves for Papal elections. It is one of the most splendid masterpieces in the history of world art and is well known around the world for its magnificent ceiling, beautifully decorated by Michelangelo. From here, visit the Basilica of St. Peter, the largest church in the world overlooking the enormous Piazza San Pietro. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 – CATACOMBS / ST. JOHN LATERAN / SAN PIETRO IN VINCOLI / ST. PETER IN CHAINS
Today we enjoy our sightseeing which will include a special visit to the Catacombs to explore tunnels and see the carvings on the walls from early Christians. From here we visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome, the Pope and known as “Cathedral of Rome and of the World. Conclude our day with a stop to see St. Peter in Chains, a minor basilica that houses St. Peter’s chains. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022 – DEPART FOR U.S.A.
Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for return flight home.
Breakfast