The Bema (Veria) Pilgrimage Cruise-Tour

Arrival in Athens airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in the hotel in Athens.

Depart for a half day guided tour of Athens. We see the Constitution square, the Parliament, the Presidential Palace, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the marble Olympic Stadium; we arrive at the Acropolis (visit of the museum and the site). We leave Athens afterwards and drive South West to the Corinth Canal which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea (short stop). Drive on and visit the Ancient Town of Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for two years. The remains of the city, which include the Agora (market place) and Apollo’s Temple (6th century B.C.) clearly show how rich and important Corinth was in Ancient Times. A short stop at the Site of the Ancient Port of Cehries, where St. Paul disembarked, will conclude the visit. Return to Athens and overnight.

Depart Athens and via Thebes, drive to Delphi, the ‘’Omphalos’’ (Navel) of the Earth, whose prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic World. Pass through Levadia and the picturesque village of Arachova, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Arrive in Delphi and visit the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the Delphi Museum, containing such masterpieces of Ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. From Delphi, drive to Kalambaka to visit Meteora, the ageless Byzantine Monasteries, part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage List with priceless historical and religious treasures. Built in the 15th century by Christian Monks to evade the Ottoman Turks, they stand, suspended like, between earth and sky on top of huge granite rocks. Overnight in Kalambaka.

We depart Kalambaka and pass by the majestic Venetikos River; we visit Veria to see The Bema, built on the site where St Paul The Apostle preached and then drive to Thessaloniki. Overnight.

Today we begin a comprehensive sightseeing tour of Thessaloniki, the largest city of Northern Greece and an important city for Christianity as The Apostle preached here in 49-50 AD. We visit the triumphal Arch of the Roman Emperor, Galerius, the Via Egnatia, the Cathedral of St Demetrius and a most interesting Archaeological museum. We then drive and visit Philippi where The Apostle preached for the first time in Europe and baptized Lydia the first European Christian convert. Then we visit the Roman forum where the prison where Paul and Silas were thrown is located. Continue into the modern port city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis, where Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy, first set foot in Europe. Return to Thessaloniki and overnight.

From Thessaloniki we visit Dion, the famous and sacred Macedonian town and continue southward to Athens. Overnight in Athens.

Athens-Piraeus. Embarkation on a 3-Day cruise. Sail to Mykonos at 18:00. Arr. 18:00. Dep. 23:00.

Rhodes, Greece. Arr. 09:30. Dep. 19:30.

Patmos, Greece. Arr. 06:30. Dep. 10:00.
Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey. Arr. 14:00. Dep. 18:30.

Piraeus-Athens. Disembark and transfer Athens airport for departure.