Overview

Join Bishop Deborah Hutterer and the people of the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA as we walk where Paul walked.  See the ruins of the Philippi, Ephesus, and Corinth.  Renew your baptism at the river where Lydia, the first Gentile Woman was baptized by Paul.  We will climb Mars Hill where Paul defended the faith as he overlooked the Roman city of Athens.  Then we will board a boat to see the island of Patmos where the book of Revelation was written.  While we are there, of course, we will see a few of the other Greek Islands to reflect and absorb all we have seen and done.  This pilgrimage will shape how the church was formed and help us cast a vision of what Jesus is doing in our church now.

DETAILS:

  • Trip departs on October 15, 2025, and returns on October 26, 2025

  • Departure Airport: Phoenix, AZ   (Other cities are available)

PRICING:

  • $4,890.00 per person based on double occupancy - book now as space is limited!

  • Single room supplement - $890

  • Land Only: $3,640.00 if booking your own flights (-$1250 airfare credit)

PAYMENT PLAN: 

  • $500.00 deposit per person with registration to secure space

  • Balance due on or before June 17, 2025

REGISTRATION:

  • Registering online? Click the "BOOK NOW" button and fill out the online form; you can pay by check or with a credit card (a 4% platform fee applies)

  • Registering by mail? Please download and complete the registration form (both the personal information page and the terms and conditions page signed at the bottom) with a copy of your passport and a deposit of $500.00 per person made payable to Elias Tours and mail to: 4941 Chalden Ln NE, Marietta, GA 30066

  • Download the Registration Form

 FLIGHT SCHEDULE:

 

* Flight times, flight numbers, equipment, gates, and seats are subject to change. For the most current information check the airline website.

October 15 - 26, 2025 15 Oct Athens, Greece
Inclusions/Exclusions

What is included in the tour

  • Airfare from Phoenix, AZ - Other cities are available
  • 10 nights in 4-star hotels (double occupancy)
  • 4-day cruise
  • Patmos and Ephesus Excursion 
  • Breakfast and dinner daily 
  • Lunch on the boat
  • Entrance fee to all sites
  • All ground transportation in a private tour bus

What is NOT included in the tour

  • Gratuities, for guide and driver
  • Lunch (Except on the Boat)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Visa if applicable
  • TRAVEL INSURANCE: For your convenience, we offer travel insurance through *Travelex Insurance Services. For questions, quotes, or to purchase travel insurance, visit Travelex Insurance or call (800) 228-9792 and use the code 26-0057 for Elias Tours.
Itinerary

 

Day 1, Oct 15: Departure from the USA

Depart from the US for an overnight flight to Thessaloniki, Greece.

Day 2, Oct 16: Beginning the Footsteps of Paul - Thessaloniki

With our arrival in Thessaloniki, we have entered into the world of the New Testament where St Paul and his companions established the first Christian communities throughout his four missionary journeys. On arrival, we will be met at the airport for a transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 3, Oct 17:  Thessaloniki - Kavala - Philippi

Begin the day in the port of Kavala where Paul landed with his disciples, Timothy and Silas.  This port was also a destination for Luke the evangelist when he sailed from Troas. See a Byzantine castle, the Roman Aqueduct, and the ruins of an acropolis. Follow the Via Egnatia, a remnant of Rome’s highway system, viewing Roman and Greek tombs and ruts of ancient chariot wheels. Next, stop in Philippi, where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the very first Christian convert on European soil. Among the ruins located on the rocky ledge above the town’s main road is the prison into which Paul and Silas were thrown. It was in Philippi that Octavian and Anthony defeated Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC. Return to Thessaloniki to explore the ancient city where Paul planted a church that would later receive two New Testament epistles. View one of the most beautiful basilicas in the city, St. Demetrius. Continue along the waterfront to the massive White Tower and nearby triumphal Arch of Galerius.  Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 4, Oct 18: Thessaloniki City Tour - Veria - Meteora 

We will start our day by visiting King Philip II of Macedon's tomb, he was the king of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, the founder of the ancient kingdom, and the father of Alexander the Great. Then to Veria, known for its numerous Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches (about 48 surviving today) and 72 originally, resulting in the name of a 'Small Jerusalem', as well as unique collections of Byzantine icons. Particularly famous is the Church of the Resurrection. Then We spend some time today marveling at this unique phenomenon of nature – 24 perpendicular rocks where 600 years ago Byzantine monks chose to worship God and build their cave-like Monastic community of Meteora. Take in the striking monasteries that crown the summits of these pinnacles with their wooden galleries and corniced rooftops. Hanging over the stunning abysses, these primitive dwellings compose one of the most fascinating sites on earth. A special treat awaits with a visit to two of these timeless monasteries to see the exquisite specimens of Byzantine art on display. Overnight in Kalambaka.

Day 5, Oct 19: Delphi - Athens

Breakfast at the hotel and we begin our exploration of the ancient site of Delphi. The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious center and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world. We then travel directly to the center of Athens for free time for the rest of the day. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Day 6, Oct 20:  Athens - Start the 4-night cruise - Mykonos

Begin the day with a drive to the Port of Lavrio and step aboard The Olympia, to start a 4-day Greek Islands cruise. Spend the afternoon exploring the Island of Mykonos, world-renowned for its lovely windmills, small cobblestone streets, and countryside. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Day 7, Oct 21:  Ephesus (Turkey) - Patmos (Greece)

Step off the ship at Kusadasi and into nearby Ephesus, Turkey, Asia Minor’s greatest archeological site. This Greek and Roman city has been remarkably preserved. Step along with the broad marble where Paul walked. Gaze at the Temple of Artemis (Diana), the Temple of Hadrian, and The Celsus Library. Marvel at the massive theater where Paul was opposed as he spoke boldly about Christ. In the afternoon, enjoy cruising aboard The Olympia to the island of Patmos, built on a mass of volcanic rock. The island marks the site where the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. Visit the Monastery of St. John and the cave where he was imprisoned. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Day 8, Oct 22:  Rhodes

Arrival at the Island of Rhodes around 07:00 hrs. Disembarkation. You´ll have the opportunity to visit the medieval Rhodes and the Acropolis of Lindos, with the ancient temple of Athena built in 300 BC. You will have the opportunity to see the houses of the captains and the Church of Our Mrs. Lindos, the acropolis with the Doric temple of Athena, which was built on a previous monument. Then, in the city of Rhodes, go through the Porta d'Amboise to walk along the street of the knights, where you will see the residences of the knights separated according to the order and whose shields they still display today. In the afternoon, boarding at 6:00 p.m. and departure to Crete. Full board on board.  

Day 9, Oct 23:  Crete - Santorini

Arrive in Heraklion, Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands and the cradle of the Ancient Minoan Civilization. This island is where the Apostle Paul spent time as he was being transported to Rome as a prisoner and where Titus remained to help the churches. Take a walking tour through town and stop at the Church of St. Titus, Paul’s true son in the faith and the first Bishop of Crete. Board The Olympia for an afternoon cruise to the famous island of Santorini, formed by the half-submerged crescent of a volcanic caldera. Perched atop high cliffs, savor the island’s breathtaking views from Oia. Dinner and overnight on the ship

Day 10, Oct 24:  Athens - Corinth

Arrival at the Port and after breakfast, disembarkation. Depart for a full-day tour to Ancient Corinth. Departure to Ancient Corinth, the city, which was the center of trade for many centuries. To begin, we will stop at the famous channel, called the Isthmus in Greek, the place where the Peloponnese and central Greece meet, as well as the Aegean and Ionian seas. The canal was completed at the end of the 19th century by the government of Charilaos Trikoupis and saves ships the more than 400 km it takes to go around the Peloponnese peninsula. We will visit Ancient Corinth with its amazing artifacts, some of which date back to 6000 B.C. The remains of the city, which include the agora (market) and the temple of Apollo (6th century BC) clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in antiquity. The Romans rebuilt the city in 44 B.C. to later make it the provincial capital of Greece. On our way back to Athens, we will make a brief stop at the site of the ancient port of Cehries, where Saint Paul disembarked from Thessaloniki. For Christians, Corinth is mentioned in the New Testament, when Saint Paul addressed the residents of the city in his two epistles, First and Second Corinthians. It is mentioned again in the Acts of the Apostles during the evangelical work of Saint Paul. At the end of the tour, return to Athens. Overnight in Athens.

Day 11, Oct 25:  Athens - Acropolis - Mars Hill

Breakfast at the hotel and we travel directly to the center of Athens to start our half-day panoramic city tour of Athens, which gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens. Then to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896. Continue and pass by the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, Rising some 377 feet above the land below and not far from the Acropolis and Agora (marketplace), Mars Hill served as the meeting place for the Areopagus Court, the highest court in Greece. Mars Hill is the location of one of Paul’s most important gospel presentations at the time of his visit to Athens during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:16–34). It was where he addressed the religious idolatry of the Greeks who even had an altar to the “Unknown God" Then visit the ancient Roman agora, On the Acropolis visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts the order in the mind”, the Parthenon. return to the hotel. Free Afternoon in Athens. Overnight in Athens.

Day 12, Oct 26:  Athens - USA

Following breakfast at our hotel, we are met by our English-speaking concierge for our private transfer to Athens Airport (ATH). We fly home and arrive the same day.

 

 

NOTE: The schedule is subject to change due to various factors and the tour guide’s discretion.

 
Tour Location
Athens, Greece View on Map