Western North Dakota Synod Footsteps of Paul Tour with Bishop Craig Schweitzer

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

Depart from the US 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.

Breakfast at the hotel and we travel directly to the Acropolis to 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. Then on 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 we visit the ancient Roman agora. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

Begin the day with a drive to the Port of Lavrio and step aboard The Olympia, to start a 3-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.

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.

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.  

Arrival at the port and after breakfast, disembarkation. Depart for a full-day tour to 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. Bus to Kalambaka for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will 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. A special treat awaits with a visit to two of these timeless monasteries to see the exquisite specimens of Byzantine art on display. On to Veria, which is 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 on 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.

After breakfast, we travel to 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. Then on to 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. Back to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

Depart after breakfast for Athens from Thessaloniki (appx. 5.5 hours). Free time in Athens upon arrival. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

After breakfast we depart for 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.

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.