Greece

Especially designed for

Sequoyah Hills
Presbyterian Church

Space is limited, so registration is open first for SHPC members and their immediate family. Register today!

Use group code 26013 to register for the pilgrimage online.
For instructions on how to register, click here.

Arrive in Thessaloniki
Meet your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a panoramic tour of the city. Thessaloniki is a treasure trove of architecture as we’ll see the ramparts of the city, the Triumphant Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda (oldest of Thessaloniki’s churches), the Via Egnatia, Aristotelous Square, and the Monastery of Vlattadon
Late-afternoon hotel check-in
Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
This morning we will visit Kavala, known anciently as Neapolis, where Paul landed on his first voyage to Europe as we make our way to nearby Philippi. See magnificent places such as Lydia’s Baptistery and the great Amphipolis Lion statue. We will also marvel in the beauty of the Forum Romanum
Lunch, on own
We will visit Krinides (or Crenides), an area that includes the archaeological site of Philippi in the Kavala Prefecture. The area of Krinides was well known from the era of the early Macedonian Kings for its fertile soil and thermal water. It was also in Philippi that Paul met with a woman named Lydia, a purple-dye merchant who became the first Christian convert
Return to Thessaloniki for evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
This morning we will visit beautiful Berea (Veria) to see Paul’s Bema where both he and Silas preached to a Jewish settlement after leaving the Thessalonians.
Lunch, on own
We will then continue to Kalambaka, home of the Meteora Monasteries. The Meteora which means “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above,” is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. We will start at the Meteora Monastery, then the Grand Meteoron Monastery which is built upon the highest rock and considered one of the most beautiful Byzantine monasteries.
Return to Kalambaka for evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to Athens via Delphi.
Labeled the omphalos (navel) of the earth, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world. Today, in a most beautiful and ruggedly majestic landscape, we’ll explore the ruins of the Temple of Apollo and museum.
Lunch, on own
Continue to Athens
Evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
Begin our day in a place aptly called the “divine city”! Our sightseeing tour begins with the Acropolis where we will explore the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess, Athena. We will also visit the Aeropagus which in classical times functioned as the high court of Appeal and from which the Apostle Paul gave his famous sermon about The Unknown God.
Lunch, on own
Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city to see the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square, Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern-day Olympics were held, and the Olympieion (constructed in the 6th century B.C.). The Olympieion is a colossal ruined temple that was dedicated to Zeus
Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure for additional sightseeing, shopping, or other activities
Evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
This morning we will take an excursion to Corinth, one of the oldest towns in Greece, which, in classical times rivaled Athens and Thebes in wealth. Paul lived in Corinth establishing the church, but as we know, the Corinthians caused Paul much grief
Lunch, on own
Visit the ruins of this ancient city including remnants of the first-century shops, the agora (where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place), the Fountain of Peirene, and the Temple of Apollo, one of the oldest stone temples in Greece overlooking the remains of the Roman marketplace (where Paul preached to the Corinthians)
Return to Athens for Farewell Dinner and overnight

Breakfast at the hotel
This morning we will leave for Piraeus and set sail into the Aegean Sea
Lunch on the ship
In the evening we will arrive at Mykonos. The mountainous island of Mykonos has about 400 churches and consists of picturesque white houses and its trademark windmills. Must “sees” in Mykonos include the Church of the Virgin Paraportiani, the Cathedral on the main square, and many boutiques and taverns to along the tiny paved streets
Evening dinner and overnight

Breakfast onboard the cruise ship
We will arrive at the Turkish port city of Kusadasi. From here we will explore Ephesus, where Mary lived with John in a small house on the hill behind the city. We will walk the marbled roads rutted by wheels of countless chariots and pass the ruins which are architectural masterpieces. It is here that Paul preached to the Ephesians and was arrested and cast out of the city
Lunch on the ship
Visit the island of Patmos, where John wrote the apocalyptic Book of Revelations. We will visit the cave where he lived, now the site of a monastery housing priceless icons and manuscripts
Evening dinner and overnight onboard the cruise ship

Breakfast onboard the cruise ship
Wake up at Crete, the largest island in Greece, and home of St. Titus. Visit the ancient Minoan civilization, the Knossos Palace and the city of Heraklion.
Continue to the volcanic island of Santorini. You can take a cable car (not included in the cost) up to the exquisite whitewashed villages of Fira or Thira.
Lunch on the ship
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure for sightseeing, shopping, or other activities
Evening dinner and overnight onboard the cruise ship

Breakfast onboard the cruise ship
Disembark the cruise ship and reunite with your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach and travel to Epidauros to see the sanctuary of Asclepius, one of the most celebrated healing centers of the Classical World. We will explore this open-air theatre and be amazed at its exceptional acoustics which permit an almost perfect hearing of unamplified spoken words to all 15,000 spectators regardless of seating
Return to Athens for dinner and overnight