Much of the story of the New Testament recounts the spread of Jesus’ movement into the Greco-Roman world and the Roman Empire. As the Jewish followers of Jesus spread his movement, they confronted a world culturally, politically, and religiously opposed to them - a world very similar to what we live in today, where similar challenges face followers of Jesus.

Traveling to Greece with Celebration Church will provide you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the Greco-Roman world, discover how first century followers of Jesus navigated their world, and better understand the historical accounts and teachings of the the New Testament.

The heart of this journey is to empower you to become the disciple God created you to be. By better understanding the world of the Bible, you will better understand the words of the Bible, transforming your ability to study it, do what it teaches, and share it with others. Join us for an experience unlike any other as we take you behind the scenes to explore the lands of the Bible in a way that will change your life forever.

Depart USA. Get ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

Arrive in Athens no later than 11:00 AM. Fly to Thessaloniki. Stay overnight Thessaloniki.

We begin our morning driving out of Thessaloniki journeying east towards Philippi (Acts 16:11-40; Philippians). Our first stop is the site of Amphipolis (Acts 17:1) where one of the things we will see is the Lion of Amphipolis. We will also visit the small, but important museum at Amphipolis, which contains artifacts from the Roman period. We continue to the modern city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis (Acts 16:11), where Paul first came onto the European continent. After visiting Kavala and eating our lunch there, we visit Philippi where Paul encountered Lydia (Acts 16:11-15) and established a community, to which he wrote one of his letters. At Philippi, we see the theater, the Agora, as well as the Byzantine Basilica. After visiting the small museum of Philippi, we will see a stretch of the ancient Roman road, the Via Egnatia, which stretched across northern Greece, and was utilized by Paul as he journeyed through the region. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

Our first stop this morning is the ancient site of Vergina where we visit the royal tombs of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. After lunch in Vergina, we drive to Berea, where the Apostle Paul arrived and according to custom went to the synagogue. We will see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating Paul’s visit to Berea (Acts 17:10-11), and we will visit the Jewish Quarter of Berea with its old synagogue. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

The focus of our tour today is the city of Thessaloniki. Amid the bustling modern city, we will explore the remains of the ancient city of Thessaloniki (Acts 17:1-9; 1 and 2 Thessalonians). We begin our morning visiting the Roman Agora in the center of the city. We then visit the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, where we will learn about the history of the city, especially in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. After visiting the museum, we drive to Delphi. Along the way we will have several stops. Dinner and overnight in Delphi.

Our tour today visits the ancient site of Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi was the most important and well-known oracle in the ancient world. In addition to the site, we visit the museum at Delphi, which contains artifacts from the site and illustrates the importance of this mountainous settlement. After our visit, we drive to Athens for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we start a bit later and visit the National Archaeological Museum where we will see artifacts from Greece’s magnificent ancient history. From the museum, we continue with a city tour that introduces us to the highlights of the city of Athens. Much of the afternoon will be free for you to explore the marvelous city of Athens and shop in its markets. Overnight in Athens.

Today our touring explores the ancient city of Athens, the birthplace of democracy. Our morning begins at the New Acropolis Museum. This beautiful, state-of-the-art museum is dedicated to the artifacts and excavations of the Acropolis. After gaining an appreciation for the ancient site, we walk up the Acropolis, and visit the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena. We then walk down to visit the Areopagus, Mars Hill where Paul encountered the council of Athens (Acts 17:16-34). Continuing down the hill, we come to the Agora of Athens and the Stoa of Attalos. Overnight in Athens.

We leave Athens today and drive south into the Peloponnese, the peninsula of southern Greece, to Corinth (Acts 18:1-17; 1 and 2 Corinthians). Our visit includes the small, but important museum of Corinth, visiting the theater and the inscription of Erastus, the city treasurer (Romans 16:23), as well as the Bema of Gallio and the agora of Corinth. After lunch, we visit the upper city of Corinth, the Acro Corinth, and the ancient harbor of Cenchrea (Acts 18:18). On our way back to Athens, we stop to see the Corinthian Canal. Overnight in Athens.

Those returning home today will have a group transfer to the airport to catch their flights returning home challenged and encouraged in their faith.

For those continuing on for the optional Turkey Extension we will transfer to Lavrio port where we will board our ship for a 4-day cruise to the Aegean Islands and Turkey. We will set sail for Mykonos at 1:00 PM. Upon our 6:00 PM arrival we will disembark and enjoy the evening walking and exploring the pebbled streets of cosmopolitan Chora and have a coffee in “Little Venice”. We will return to the ship by 10:30 PM and sail for Kusadasi, Turkey at 11:00 PM. Overnight on board.

At 7:30 AM we dock at the port of Kusadasi in Turkey, starting point for our included shore excursion to visit the ancient city of Ephesus, where the Apostle Paul preached and lived for three years (Acts 18:19-21). Free time for souvenir shopping in Kusadasi. Sail at 1:00 PM to Patmos, Greece, where the Apostle John was exiled and wrote the Book of Revelation (Rev 1:9). We enjoy our included excursion, which takes us up to visit to St. John’s Monastery and the Grotto of the Revelation. Sail for Heraklion, Crete at 9:00 PM. Overnight on board.

Arrive at Heraklion Crete, (Acts 27:7-13) at 7:00 a.m. and enjoy an optional excursion to the Minoan Palace of Knossos, first European civilization and the legendary home of the Minotaur (half bull and half man). Then sail to Santorini. (Disembarkation by tender-boats, sea & weather permitting). Take the cable car up to the town of Fira, perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano. Free time for taking photos, browsing, shopping and enjoying the breathtaking view. Sail for Lavrio at 9:30 PM. Overnight on board.

At 7:00 a.m. arrive at the port of Lavrio. Disembark after breakfast at about 7:45 and drive to the airport in Athens to catch our flight to return home challenged and encouraged in your faith.