Arrive at Athens International Airport and fly to Thessaloniki. Please be sure your flight will arrive by 10:00AM to Athens where you will need to get through customs and meet up with the group in front of the Kourlourades Snack Shop, next to Arrival Hall A. We will have someone there to meet the group with a Biblical Expeditions sign. They will also hand out tickets for the flight to Thessaloniki and lead the group to the Aegean check-in counter where the group will be directed to the departure gate for the Thessaloniki flight. Once we have arrived in Thessaloniki the group will enjoy a welcome dinner together and stay overnight at the Grand Hotel Palace.

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 on 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 the Grand Hotel Palace in Thessaloniki for dinner together and stay 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 the Grand Hotel Palace in Thessaloniki for dinner together and stay 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. We will arrive to the V Hotel in Delphi where the group will enjoy dinner together and stay overnight.

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 the Divani Palace Acropolis in Athens where the group will enjoy a group dinner and stay 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. Dinner will be on your own and we will continue to stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis for our 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. Dinner will be on your own and we will continue to stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis for our overnight in Athens.

Today is a free day in Athens. People are free to explore the city, shop, or rest. We depart Athens in the mid-afternoon to drive along the Athenian Rivera to Cape Sounion, where we will visit the Temple of Poseidon and take-in the breathtaking sunset. We will have dinner on our way back to Athens. Dinner tonight is on your own and we will stay overnight at Divani Palace Acropolis.

We leave Athens today and drive south into the Peloponnese, the peninsula of southern Greece. We drive 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. Dinner will be on your own and we will continue to stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis for our overnight in Athens.

Today we depart from Athens International Airport and return home challenged and encouraged in our faith!