Journeys of Paul in Greece with Dr. Mark Welshimer | Jan. 6, 2025
Join Dr. Mark Welshimer on a Journeys of Paul in Greece tour, starting at $3,398* from New York or $3,946* from Amarillo, departing on January 6, 2025. Journey to places such as Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Philippi, and much more!
What’s Included
- All Inclusive Pricing
- Breakfast and Dinner Daily
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Entrance and Program Fees
- First Class Hotels
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- Guided Tours
- Hotel Gratuities
- Administrative Fees
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 January 6 – DEPART THE USA
Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on your international overnight flight.
Day 2 January 7 – DEPART THE USA
Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on your international overnight flight.
Day 3 January 8 – ARRIVE IN GREECE
You will arrive in Thessaloniki, Greece, where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 4 January 9 – AMPHIPOLIS, PHILIPPI, and NEAPOLIS (KAVALA)
Follow in the footsteps of Paul and Silas to Amphipolis and explore the ruins of the many Christian basilicas there. In 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 agora, 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 before returning to Thessaloniki for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 5 January 10 – THESSALONIKI and VERIA (BEREA)
Discover Thessaloniki, where Paul was accused of turning the world upside down with his preaching of Christ (Acts 17: 3-6). 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. Look upon the agora. Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerius Arch, where 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). Continue on to Kalambaka for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 6 January 11 – METEORA and DELPHI
As you visit the rock forest of Meteora (“in the heavens above”) in western Thessaly, imagine the Apostle Paul walking that treacherous terrain on his missionary journey. Gaze up at the breathtaking Byzantine monasteries spectacularly perched on soaring, sheer-sided gray sandstone pillars. In the 13th century, monks sought refuge in cliffside caves before fleeing higher to build the original wooden shelters that later became these monasteries. After a monastery tour, travel to scenic Delphi, the religious center of the ancient Greek world and marked by the conical stone called the omphalos (“navel”). Walk the Sacra Via to the Athenian treasury, theatre, and the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle performed her prophetic rituals. As you consider the incredible amount of pagan influence just in Delphi alone, you will gain a new appreciation for the tremendous spiritual opposition the Apostle Paul faced in preaching the Gospel of Christ here. In the museum are many ancient treasures, including the fifth-century, bronzed charioteer so detailed you can see his eyelashes. Continue to Athens for your overnight stay.
Day 7 January 12 – CORINTH and CENCHREAE
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). Return to Athens for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 8 January 13 – 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 look upon the agora (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. This afternoon, you are free to explore Athens on your own or enjoy an optional visit to the New Acropolis Museum ($20). Dinner and overnight are spent in Athens.
Day 9 January 14 – RETURN TO THE USA
Return home with a new understanding of the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry.
Enhance Your Journey
Rome Post Tour Starting from $1998
January 14 - 17, 2025 Starting at $1,998*
January 14 – Fly to Rome
Driving tour of the city.
January 15 – Christian Rome
Visit the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
January 16 – Rome
Visit the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Forum, the Colosseum, the Catacombs, and the Apian Way.
January 17 – Return to the USA
Bid farewell to Rome as you transfer to the Rome airport this morning for your return flight to the USA.
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
Departure Dates
-
Monday, January 6, 2025From $3398* Register Now!