Pilgrimage to Greece in the Footsteps of St Paul Tour 2026 & 2027

Make your way to your local airport where you will begin your Greece Pilgrimage by boarding your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Athens is one of the most magnificent cities in the world and the birthplace of Western civilization as we know it today.  You will be greeted at the airport by your guide and driver and taken to your hotel.  Enjoy time to relax, connect with your fellow pilgrims, have dinner, and spend the night in Athens.

We will visit the Acropolis to see the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum, and Propylaea.  For twenty-five centuries, the panorama of this city has been dominated by the Acropolis rock; we observe the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erectheum, and the Propylaea.  Afterward, we will ascend to Mars Hill, where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians about the one true God.  From here, we have an excellent view of the ancient agora, the former center of Athenian public life.  We will continue driving through the city to see the House of Parliament at Syntagma Square, the evzones in their picturesque uniforms guarding the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Additionally, we will see the Library, the University, the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held, the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, and Hadrian’s Arch.

This afternoon, we continue our tour of Ancient Corinth.  Here, under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, St. Paul preached and lived for two years.  The vigorous and mostly Gentile Church he founded here in 50 AD caused him much grief and prompted him to write at least four letters to them.  Visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla.  See the remains of the first-century shops, the agora where Paul’s trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of Peirene, the Temple of Apollo, and the Bema.  Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

This morning you will travel to Delphi, the center of the ancient world where sat the famous oracle.  Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all of ancient Greece where questions about the future were answered.

In Delphi, you will explore the fascinating archeological sites including the Sanctuary of Apollo,  the Sacred Corycian Cave, and the Castalian Spring, which are nestled in the forested slopes and rocky crags on the south side of the sacred mountain called Parnassus. A landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty, Mount Parnassus, is also the legendary home of the muses and it is the sight of inspiration for poets. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Our first port of call is Mykonos; the whitewashed streets and windmills of this Cycladic Island will simply enchant you. Mykonos combines uniquely the luxuriant and sophisticated lifestyle with the simple yet charming life of a Cycladic Island.  Mykonos Town, also known as Chora is a stunningly picturesque Cycladic town with a maze of tiny streets and whitewashed step lanes, houses, and churches, gathered around its harbor in the middle of a wide bay.  The streets are lined with little shops, boutiques, art galleries, cafes, stylish bars, and restaurants with its traditional Cycladic architectural style and character have remained firmly intact,

Free time to stroll the winding narrow streets full of boutiques, visit tiny chapels, and take pictures of the famous windmills. Or perhaps, just sit by the waterfront and enjoy the beautiful sunset!

Kusadasi is a lively Turkish port and the gateway to the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the most impressive ruins of the Biblical world. Drive to Mt. Koressos located behind the ancient city of Ephesus, where you will visit the house where the Blessed Virgin Mary spent her last days. Pope John Paul II came to Ephesus and declared the House of Mary a pilgrimage place for Christians.  This holy site was also visited by Pope Paul VI and Benedict XVI. There will be time for prayer and reflection before traveling back downhill to Ephesus where you will enjoy a guided walking tour through one of the most magnificent excavations in the world. See the Great Theatre where St. Paul preached, which is the largest theatre in antiquity having a capacity of 24,000 people. Just outside Ephesus, view the Basilica of St. John, erected over his grave in the 6th Century AD by Emperor Justinian. Before returning to the ship, enjoy free time in Kusadasi.

Continue our journey to the island of Patmos, where we will enjoy a short ride up to the village of Chora where the Monastery of St. John is located. Visit the courtyard, the church with its outstanding frescoes, and a small museum that houses ancient books and manuscripts, mosaics, Icons, splendid medieval textiles and vestments as well as jewelry.  Return to your motorcoach and continue to the nearby Grotto of the Apocalypse where the apostle, St. John wrote the Book of Revelations during his exile from the Roman State. Return to the port of Scala and enjoy some free time in this quaint and picturesque harbor before boarding the ship.

In the morning we will visit the largest city on the Island of Crete, Heraklion, and see the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan civilization widely regarded as the first in Europe.  In Heraklion, St. Paul met the owner and captain of the ship who warned him of continuing his journey to Rome.  The Apostle Paul ended up in Crete because of severe winds (Acts 27:7).

In the afternoon we will cruise on to the idyllic island of Santorini, the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. Accessible by cable car or mule, the town of Thira reveals white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes, and glittering boutiques that cling to steep cliffs.  This gorgeous island, with breathtaking panoramas and rugged landscapes, is a volcanic crater immersed in the sea.  See Oia Village with its cobble-stoned streets.   Return to the ship.

This morning you will disembark from your cruise and travel north to Kalambaka to visit the Meteora Monasteries. Among striking scenery, perched on top of huge rocks, that seem suspended in mid-air, stand ageless monasteries where you can see exquisite specimens of Byzantine art.  At one time there were 24 active monasteries. Today only six monasteries are active with a few monks or nuns residing on Meteora.  In 1988, the Meteora monasteries were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List because of the outstanding architecture and beauty of the complex, in addition to its religious and artistic significance.  Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

Today you travel further north to Thessaloniki where Saint Paul preached during the winters of 49-50 AD and wrote two epistles to the Thessalonians. Thessaloniki is now the second-largest city in Greece.  In 2013, National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide.  We will have mass at the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  See the ramparts of the city, the triumphal Arch of Galerius, starting at the Via Egnatia, once a strategic artery of the Roman Empire.  Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Today’s excursion takes us to Philippi, where Saint Paul, in AD 49/50, delivered his first homily in Europe, sowing the seeds of Christianity.  “And from there, He went to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman Colony.  We remained in this city some days…” Acts 16:12-18.  Among those who heard the Apostle Paul’s preaching was a woman called Lydia.  St. Lydia decided to be baptized in the waters of the River Zygaktis, and she thus became the first Catholic and Christian woman in history.  The Apostle Paul visited Philippi on another three other occasions, a fact that, along with his Letter to the Philippians, shows the long and close relationship between the saint and the community of Philippi.  The Roman Forum, wholly excavated, is from after St. Paul’s time, where he cast an evil spirit from a fortune teller.  Among the ruins, located on the rocky ledge above the town’s main road, is the prison you will visit, where Paul and Silas were thrown.  Continue into the modern port city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis, where Paul, accompanied by Silas, Luke, and Timothy, first set foot in Europe.  Return to Thessaloniki for a farewell dinner overnight.

After an early breakfast, you will bid farewell to your pilgrimage to Greece and transfer to the Thessaloniki airport for your return flights home.