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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Greece. The "Cradle of Western Civilization," Greece is
a land where the glories of antiquity blend with a vibrant
modern culture to form a fascinating mixture of the old and
the new.
DAY
2 ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI (2 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manager/guide
where we board our own private coach and transfer to our hotel.
We begin with a walking tour along Aristotelous Square and
walk east past the White Tower towards the bright lights of
the city's amusement park at the other end of the promenade.
In Roman times Thessaloniki was visited by Saint Paul, who
preached the new religion and who later addressed his two
well-known epistles to the Christians of Thessaloniki.
DAY
3 DAY TRIP TO KAVALA AND PHILIPPI
Arriving in
Kavala this morning we begin with a Walking Tour of the city.
A picturesque citadel looks down from a rocky promontory in
the east. It was here that Saint Paul landed in A.D. 50, en
route to Philippi, and established the first Christian Church
of Europe. It is also thought to possibly be the home of Saint
Luke. We will take a guided tour of the Excavations including
the well preserved Forum, The Philippian Jail that once held
Saint Paul; and the Egnatian Way, the main road between Byzantium
and the Adriatic Ports that Saint Paul traveled spreading
the Christian faith. We return to Thessaloniki for the night.
DAY
4 THESSALONIKI - VERGINA - KALAMBAKA
(1 NIGHT)
We begin this morning with a visit to the Thessaloniki
Archaeological Museum, where we will view relics from King
Phillip of Macedon's Tomb. We continue to the nearby village
of Vergina where we will explore the excavation sights of
the Royal Tombs. While here we also see the Macedonian Tombs,
underground chambered structures known for their ornate decorations.
We will continue on to our hotel in the Kalambaka area for
the evening.
DAY
5 KALAMBAKA - METEORA - DELPHI (2 NIGHTS)
This morning we will make an early start and journey
into northern Greece and a visit to Meteora, which means "suspended
rocks." We will begin with a visit to Megalo Meteoro, the
first and highest monastery founded in the region. We will
also visit Varlaam and its magnificent church, Katholikon,
featuring beautiful frescoes and Rousanou, the most spectacularly
located of all the monasteries. We will travel to Delphi on
the southern slope of Mt. Parnassus, which towers 2,457 meters
over the Gulf of Corinth.
DAY
6 DELPHI
Today we make an early start and explore Ancient
Delphi, which to the Greeks was one of the most sacred spots
in their world. Its setting is dramatic, a natural amphitheater
that faces the sea and lies under the shadow of Mt. Parnassus.
At the center of Delphi stands the Sanctuary of Apollo, for
many centuries antiquity's largest center of pilgrimage. Our
exploration of ancient Delphi will include: a walk up the
Sacred Way, which winds up the hill to the Temple; the treasury
buildings of the various ancient city-states; and the spectacular
ruins of the Doric Temple of Apollo, the home of the Pythia,
the oracle who would deliver the prophecies of the gods. After
exploring the sacred site, we will visit the Archaeological
Museum of Delphi, with a collection of sculptures and architectural
remains of an importance second only to those of the Athenian
Acropolis.
DAY
7 DELPHI - CORINTH - ATHENS (2 NIGHTS)
Leaving Delphi we travel to Corinth, one of the largest and
most prosperous cities in ancient Greece and the site that
Saint Paul visited in 52 AD. We begin with a visit to Ancient
Corinth, including the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, the
most striking structure in the city. We will also see the
Temple of Octavia, a temple dedicated to the sister of Emperor
Augustus, and The Bema (platform) where the Corinthians accused
Saint Paul of sacrilege. Our afternoon will consist of a visit
to the second part of Corinth, a site beyond the city, known
as the Acrocorinth. We will explore the remains of the huge
rock fortress, which could withstand lengthy sieges due to
the presence of the upper Peirene spring on the southeast
side of the ramparts. In addition to the fascinating remains
of the Acrocorinth, we will also be afforded one of the most
sweeping views in all of Greece. Our panoramic views stretch
over 35 miles in all directions, from the Geraneia range in
the northeast to the peaks of the Ziria in the southwest.
We travel to Athens for the night.
DAY
8 ATHENS
Our morning commences with a visit to the Acropolis, which
has dominated the skyline of Athens for over 2,000 years.
A citadel was built on the rock in Mycenaean times and was
the first of a series of temples that honored Athena, the
city's divine patroness. In 480 BC the Persians captured the
Acropolis, and the Athenian leader Pericles rebuilt the site
according to his plan of unsurpassed beauty and grandeur.
During our tour of the Acropolis, we will view: the Propylaia,
the monumental entrance to the complex; the Temple of Athena
Nike; the Parthenon, the temple to Athena which crowns the
Acropolis; the Erectheion, dedicated to Poseidon and Athena;
and the Theater of Herodes Atticus, originally built in AD
161. Our time on the Acropolis concludes with a visit to the
Acropolis Museum, featuring a superb collection of treasures
excavated from the area. Our day continues as we view Hadrian's
Arch, an enormous triumphal arch built by the Roman Emperor,
which is still a symbolic entrance to Athens. The Temple of
Olympian Zeus is the largest temple in Athens, and we will
get a sense of its enormous size on our visit when we view
the 15 columns that remain of the original 104. We will also
see Areopagos Hill where St Paul delivered his first sermon
and gained his first convert. This evening we will explore
and dine in the lively Plaka Area, the historic heart of Athens.
DAY
9 DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your
guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight
home.
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