Embark upon your journey with an overnight flight to Athens. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience and get some rest on the flight. Tomorrow you will be walking where the apostle Paul walked!

We arrive in Athens mid-afternoon, where we are met by our representative and transferred to our hotel in Athens. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

In the morning, we begin with a guided tour of the miraculous city of Athens! We’ll follow our guide as we visit the world-renowned Acropolis, to see the Propylea, the Erechtheum, and the Parthenon. We visit Mars Hill, where Paul delivered his speech on the “Unknown God.” Then we see the Agora, the ancient center of economic and public life for the city, where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. During our bus tour, we also see Constitution Square with the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, along with the Temple of Zues, the Old Olympic Stadium, and the Neoclassical Buildings of Athens. Come the afternoon, we have a short drive to the port of Lavrion where we will embark on our “floating hotel”, the Celestyal Journey, which will be our home for the next 7-nights!

In the morning, we arrive in Thessaloniki where we’ll start our tour seeing the landmark of the city: the White Tower. Thessaloniki is the city where Paul was received by Jason. We’ll visit the House of Jason where Paul lived, and the Agora where Paul preached the Word of God here until he was rushed out of the city. We return to our ship for dinner and overnight.

Today we arrive at Kusadasi (Turkey), where we experience a tour of Ephesus, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. In ancient days, Ephesus was a bustling port town of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade bordered streets. Paul’s first visit to Ephesus was brief-during his second missionary tour. His second visit lasted about three years-during his third missionary tour. We’ll walk the marble-paved street with grooves made by chariot wheels. Here we see the Fountain of Trojan, the Library of Celsus, and the Great Theatre. We will also visit the House of the Virgin Mary. Here we’ll have a demonstration at a Turkey rug factory and time permitting, we may even visit the Basilica of St. John. Afterwards, we continue to Miletus; home of ancient philosopher Thales, one of the fathers of Greek geometry, astronomy, and philosophy. It was here, in the first Christian century, that Paul, on his third missionary journey, called for the Ephesian elders and preached a powerful message to them. It was also here that Paul left his friend Trophimus, who was too ill to continue. We return to our ship for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we arrive in Crete and make port in the city of Heraklion. Crete is the largest and most rugged of the Greek Islands. This is also the ancient home of the great Minoans, and the mythological god, Zeus. After a short ride through the town of Heraklion, we arrive at the Knossos excavations. Here, Sir Arthur Evan’s archaeological discoveries revealed a civilization dating back to 4000 B.C., when a great empire flourished on the island of Crete. Paul left Titus in Crete and gave him instructions on appointing church leaders in the towns (Titus 1:5ff). In ancient Greek mythology, it was said that Knossos Palace was home to a great labyrinth which housed the mighty Minotaur. This is also thought to be the site of the tale where Daedelus and Icarus formed wings of wax and feathers to escape their imprisonment before Icarus flew too close to the sun. We once again returned to our ship for dinner and overnight.

We awaken upon the beautiful city of Santorini this morning! Santorini is considered by many to be the most spectacular of all the Greek Islands. Here we can ascend the city via cable car (not included) or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can scale the pathway via donkey (not included). Santorini, or what remains, was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th Century B.C. According to Plato’s description of the mythological city of Atlantis, many signs point to Santorini which is thought to be the home of the lost mythical empire. While the true location of Atlantis is unknown, and many believe it never existed, Santorini is still home to some of the most majestic views in all the Mediterranean. Featuring Greece’s picturesque white buildings topped with blue domes, we’ll have the opportunity to explore this beautiful island at our leisure. We return to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Known as the “Island of Winds”, we arrive this morning in Mykonos. Here, we can stroll the charming walkways through a maze of white-washed buildings, explore the local shops, and indulge in one of the many culinary delights. Perched atop the hillside are the windmills dating to the 16th century just above the city. With no set itinerary, we’re free to explore the island at our leisure. In Greek mythology, Mykonos is mentioned in a various number of stories and grand tales, ranging from the island being formed from the petrification of a giant, to being the battle grounds of the false god, Zeus against the Titans. According to history, Mykonos is where the earliest amphora was discovered. This evening, we return to our ship for dinner and overnight.

Today we sail to the last of our island destinations, Milos. Many find Milos to be the most exotic of the islands in the Aegean Sea, shaped by its volcanic past and covered in beaches of red, pink, and orange. Home to the Catacombs of Milos, this is considered to be one of the most important early Christian monuments in all of Greece. Dating somewhere between the 1st and 5th century, these catacombs were home to a place of worship and refuge amongst early Christians. Many scholars also believe Milos to be the island where Paul had shipwrecked on his way to Crete from Athens. While the gospel does not explicitly list Milos as this site, it is heavily considered to be amongst the Christian community. We return to our ship for our final dinner and overnight, as we sail back to Athens in the morning.

Our ship returns early this morning to the port of Lavrion (Athens) where we disembark. From here, we begin our day with a trip to Ancient Corinth. This was the once glorious city near the Isthmus, where Paul met Aquilla and Priscilla and spent a year and a half preaching the Gospel. Here we visit the Archaeological Museum, the Forum, the Temples, and the famous Bema, where Paul stood before Gallio, accused by the Jews of Corinth. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Athens on your own. This evening, we check in to our hotel in Athens for a Farewell Dinner and overnight.

In the morning, we transfer to the Athens Airport for our return flight back to the U.S.A. As we fly back home, we reflect on our new insight into Paul’s life and teachings.