DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY: 

Depart from Chicago for an overnight flight to Athens, Greece.

With our arrival in Athens, 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 Athens.

We start the day at Mars Hill. 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 here where he addressed the religious idolatry of the Greeks who even had an altar to the “Unknown God." Then we will visit the ancient roman Agora (marketplace). On the Acropolis, we will visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and finally the Parthenon. Return to the hotel. Free evening in Athens. Overnight in Athens.

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. Dangerously hanging over the stunning abysses, these primitive dwellings compose one of the most fascinating sites on earth.  Overnight in Kalambaka.

We travel to the small village of Kalambala this morning. We will have a walking tour and free time, then return to Athens. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

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.

Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning. Transfer to the airport in the afternoon to take our flight to Izmir. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (The flight time is 50 minutes)
 

Breakfast at the hotel. Continuation to Ephesus, the best preserved ancient city in Asia Minor during the 1st and 2nd centuries had a population of 250,000 inhabitants, monopolizing the wealth of the Middle East. We will visit the Temple of Hadrian, the Roman Baths, the Library, the Odeon, and the Theater. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel in Kusadasi.

Breakfast at the hotel, free morning in the village of Kusadasi, transfer to the airport and return to Athens. Overnight in Athens.

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.