General
A pilgrimage to the lands where the“Apostle of Nations” preached. Experience awe and spiritual awakening in a true journey to some of the most important Christian sites in Greece and Turkey.
7 DAY CRUISE 10 Destinations
From Greece, Athens (Lavrion) to Thessaloniki, Kavala, Istanbul (Turkey), Dikili (Turkey), Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Syros, Athens (Lavrion)
Day 1 – Friday
Athens (Lavrion) Departure at 17:00
60 kilometres from Athens, Lavrion is a bustling port and is an ancient silver mining center. The city’s silver mines date to prehistory and a bustling port. From here you can tour the following.
Day 2 – Saturday
Thessaloniki Arrival at 08:00 / Departure at 18:00
This is Greece’s “second largest city” also known as the “Bride of the Thermaic Gulf. “The Apostle John preached here during the winter of 49-50 – he wrote two Epistles for the ancient Thessalonians and founded the area’s first church. The ruins of this ancient church lie near the Arch of Galerius and Rotunda; nearby are the city walls, the house of Jason and the ancient forum. We’ll also visit Veroia, a small city southwest of Thessaloniki, whose patron saint is Saint Paul. Here you may “touch” the Tribune of Saint Paul, the site where it’s believed Paul preached the gospel to the inhabitants of Veroia, also home to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ the Savior (Anastasis), the Church of Christ.
Day 3 – Sunday
Kavala Arrival at 08:00 / Departure at 16:00
The biblical Neapolis, Kavala is built amphitheatrically on the slopes of Mt. Symvolo and is one of the most picturesque cities in Greece. Just outside the city, at Philippi, Saint Paul preached his first sermon in Europe. Philippi is also where the Saint baptized the first Christian in Europe, the “woman by the name of Lydia.” We will also visit the prison where Saints Paul and Silas were held.
Day 4 – Monday
Instanbul Arrival at 09:30 / Departure at 20:00
This is one of the world’s great cities, home to Byzantine and Ottoman architectural jewels.
Day 5 – Tuesday
Dikili (Turkey) Arrival at 12:00 / Departure 20:00
This coastal town is quite picturesque both along its shoreline and in its interior parts, and is a popular summer resort.
Day 6 – Wednesday
Kusadasi (Turkey) Arrival at 08:00 / Departure at 23:30
The area has been a center of art and culture since some of the earliest recorded history, and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded in 3000 BC. Kusadasi is currently one of the finest is resort town on the Aegean coast.
Day 7 – Thursday
Patmos Arrival at 06:30 / Departure at 11:30
Many believe John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelations in a mountainside grotto where he heard the voice of God. Further up the mountain, within the white walls of Hora, the monastery founded in his honor in 1088 stands sentinel above this verdant island.
Syros Arrival at 18:00 / Departure at 23:30
Syros is the capital of Cyclades and once the center of all trade activities. You can still see and admire the mansions built by the island’s bankers, merchants and ship owners. Ermoupolis is a beautiful city with cobbled streets, two hills, the orthodox and the catholic one staring at each other and a magnificent central square that is definitely worth visiting.
Day 8 – Friday
Athens (Lavrion) Departure at 07:00
60 kilometres from Athens, Lavrion is a bustling port and is an ancient silver mining center. The city’s silver mines date to prehistory and a bustling port. From here you can tour the following.