Depart on your flight to Thessaloniki.

Arrive in Thessaloniki and transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Discover Thessaloniki, where Paul was accused of turning the world upside down with his preaching of Christ (Acts 17:3-6). As you explore St. George’s Basilica, believed to be built over the synagogue where Paul preached, reflect on the two epistles the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church here. Stroll through the archaeological museum and the beautiful basilicas of St. Sophia and St. Demetrios. St. Demetrios is dedicated to a distinguished Roman proconsul martyred for his Christian faith. Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerius Arch, and you can look out over the second-largest city in Greece from the Old City Ramparts, some dating back to Roman times. Follow the path of Paul when he fled Thessaloniki for the safety of Veria (Berea), where Jews and some honorable Greeks accepted the new faith (Acts 17:10-12). Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Follow in the footsteps of Paul and Silas to Amphipolis and explore the ruins of the many Christian basilicas there. Philippi is a baptismal site commemorating where God opened the heart of Lydia (a seller of purple from Thyatira) to hear the words of Paul (Acts 16:13-15). Lydia and her household were the first Christian converts baptized on European soil. View the Roman-era crypt thought to have served as a prison for the Apostle Paul, and explore Philippi’s famous acropolis, marketplace, the Basilica of Paul, and theater. Today’s last stop is Neapolis (Kavala), one of Greece’s most picturesque mainland ports, where Paul landed with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. See the Roman aqueduct and acropolis.

Depart Thessaloniki and fly to Athens. Arrive at the Athens airport this morning, where your guide will meet you. Dinner and overnight are spent in Athens.

Enjoy the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as your guide introduces you to the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erechtheum. Stand on Mars Hill as the Apostle Paul did when he proclaimed, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom, therefore, ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23). As you stroll the agora, the ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life, recall that this was where the Apostle Paul preached “Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18) to the skeptical Athenians. Also, see the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Tour the city of Corinth, where the Apostle Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord saying, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city” (Acts 18: 10). As Paul spoke, Crispus (chief ruler of the synagogue) and many others believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8), establishing the church at Corinth to whom Paul later wrote his two epistles. Discover the archaeological museum, marketplace, and temples. As you walk among the ruins, stand on the Bema, where the Apostle Paul stood before Gallio to face charges brought against him by the Jews. Stop briefly at the port town of Cenchreae, from which Paul later departed for Syria (Acts 18: 12-18). Dinner and overnight are spent in Athens.

Depart Athens and fly to Izmir. Arrive at Izmir airport, where your guide will meet you and check in at your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Pergamum was also one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelations (Rev. 2:12). It displeased the Lord because it tolerated the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which Christ hated (Rev. 2:13-17). You will see the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the Grand Theatre, the gymnasium, and the health center (Aesclepion). Thyatira was the 4th of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation (Rev. 2:18-29). Located in Asia Minor, it was known for its trade in dyes and was admonished by the Lord not to follow the teachings and ways of Jezebel. Travel to Sardis, the 5th of the Seven Churches found in the book of Revelation. Jesus told Sardis, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead” (Rev. 3:1-6). Coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated in Sardis. Visit the site of Philadelphia, the 6th of the Seven Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation (Rev. 3:7-13). Return to Izmir for dinner and your overnight stay.

The third-largest city in modern Turkiye is Izmir, long a center for Jewish and Christian communities. In Paul’s day, the town was known as Smyrna. It was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 2:8-11). You will see the agora, the colonnaded commercial center where Roman statues can still be seen. Ephesus is the first of the Seven Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation (Rev. 2:1- 7). In ancient days, Ephesus was a bustling port town of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade-bordered streets. Today, you will be impressed with the spectacular excavations of the major streets of ancient Ephesus. You will view the library and the huge agora. The Temple of Artemis was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today, only a single column remains to mark the site. You will visit the Basilica of St. John, the traditional site of his grave. From the basilica, enjoy a commanding view of the area. You will visit the Museum of Ephesus for an up-close look at artifacts from the ancient city. You will have time to explore this powerful city on your own and retrace some of the footsteps of Paul. Check in to your hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight stay.

Today, you will set sail for the Island of Patmos. Visit the Monastery of St. John, high on the mountain overlooking the entire island. Walk down to the Grotto of the Apocalypse and the caves where the exiled Apostle John lived and, inspired by God, wrote the Book of Revelation. Return by ferry to Kusadasi for dinner and your overnight stay.

Depart from Izmir on your flight home.