12 Days Pilgrimage to Turkey and Greece

Upon arrival in Thessaloniki you will be greeted by your tour guide and driver. We transfer to the hotel to unpack and take a moment to settle in. Depending on the arrival time and if the group has the energy, we may enjoy a city tour. Enjoy a relaxing evening with your fellow pilgrims.

We begin in Thessaloniki, in the winter of 49-50 A.D., Saint Paul wrote two epistles to the Thessalonians. These letters urged Christians to “live blamelessly” and to refrain from living idly while they wait for the second coming of Christ. While in Thessaloniki, you will witness several ancient artifacts, such as the triumphal Arch of Galerius found at the start of Via Egnatia. Afterward, we continue to Philippi, the city where Saint Paul the Apostle delivered his first sermon and, he established the 1st church in Europe. Visit the Roman Forum, where Saint Paul cast a spirit out of a fortune-telling woman. View the prison (now in ruins) where Saint Paul and Silas were thrown into by the owners of the fortune-tellers. Return to Thessaloniki.

We make our way from Thessaloniki to Athens, enjoying the scenery as we make stops along the way. Upon arrival in Athens we enjoy a short panoramic tour of the city before we settle in. Enjoy a relaxing evening in Athens. Tomorrow, we continue our tour of Athens.

Today we begin with a tour of the oldest city in the world, Athens! Visit the rock that has dominated the panorama of Athens for twenty-five centuries, the Acropolis. At the Acropolis, you will see the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum, and Propylene. After, you will ascend Mars Hill of where Saint Paul spoke to the Athenians about the one and only God (Acts 17:22). While in this city, view the ancient Agora, the former public center of Athenian life. Afterward, we continue our tour to Corinth, the city where St. Paul founded the first Church. After that, we'll also see the Olympic Stadium, the Parthenon, the Acropolis, the Temple of Apollo, and the old museum. Spend the evening with your fellow pilgrims and have a great remainder of the night in Athens.

We'll set sail for a cruise of the Greek Islands today, stopping first at the Island of Patmos. We'll go to the St. John monastery to see the original Gospel manuscript. Afterward, we visit the Grotto of the Apocalypse, where The Book of Revelation was written.

The largest Greek Island, Crete, is the subject of our tour today. After that, we'll go through Heraklion to the Knossos Excavations, where human habitation dates back to 4000 BC. We will then continue to enjoy the rest of the day in stunning Santorini.

We climb a hill to the well-known thermal pools and take in the breathtaking panorama from the top. Colossae will be our next stop as there is where the "Letter to the Colossians" was delivered. Following that, we'll go to Laodicea, one of the churches mentioned in the "Book of Revelations," which is also the seat of the Christian Church and where Paul chastised the populace for being "Lukewarm Christians."

We will travel to Ephesus today, one of the most stunning ancient cities ever discovered and excavated. Additionally, we'll visit a number of stunning locations, including the Odeon, the steam baths and latrines, Celsus Library, the Trojan Fountain, the Temple of Adrian, the Ephesian Grand Theater, Crucifixion, and lastly the home of the Virgin Mary, where she resided and spent her final days.

We start in Pergamum, where the Romans sacrificed the first Christians. The Grand Theater and the Trojan Temple will also be on our itinerary. The last church we will visit is Thyacea, one of the seven churches known for its famous carpets.

We visit Nicaea, the birthplace of the Nicene Creed. Afterward, we continue and explore Bursa. We'll also pay a visit to St. Sofia of Nicea, the site of the first Christian church council as well as the split between Rome and Constantinople and the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Continue to Istanbul to enjoy the rest of the night with your fellow pilgrims.

Today we board our return flight home. This concludes our services, thank you for traveling with Holy Travel.