Friendship Tours Clergy Education Tour
of the Steps of St. Paul

Greece in the Steps of Paul 10 Days with 4 days cruise.

March 23 – April 1 2023

Dear Pastor,

We are delighted to see you are interested in being a part of this amazing experience as we walk in the steps of Paul. This trip includes a cruise where you will visit biblical Ephesus & Patmos. The trip is offered to Sr. Pastors only! Consideration will be given to the church size as well as your ability to return in the near future with a group of your own. The trip is limited to just 25 passengers.

Tour cost: Pastor: $2346  Companion: $2545

These rates include:

  • Economy Class airfare from New York’s JFK
  • Airport taxes & fuel surcharges
  • Three nights at a four star hotel in Athens
  • Three nights on Celestyal Cruises, Greece
  • Full buffet breakfast & dinner at the hotel
  • All meals while on board the ship
  • Shore excursions listed below
  • Entrance fees to sites mentioned below
  • Portage of one bag per person

Please email us at tours@friendshiptours.com with your website.

Should you return within 24 months with a group of 25 or more paying passengers, we will refund you the $1979.00

We look forward to the opportunity of serving you.

Be Blessed!

YOUR DAILY ITINERARY

THU, MARCH 23      JFK • ATHENS

Depart from the USA on our flight to Athens. Meals and overnight on board. After dinner relax and enjoy the on-board entertainment.

FRI, MARCH 24       ATHENS

Arrive Athens where you will be met by your Friendship Tours representative and transferred to the hotel. The remaining day is at leisure. Dinner & overnight in Athens.

SAT, MARCH 25     ATHENS CITY TOUR

Today’s tour will touch the highlights of this center of one of the world’s greatest civilizations and the cradle of Western civilization. First visit the Acropolis and wander through the ruins of some of the most architecturally perfect buildings ever constructed. We’ll see the Propylaea, the Temple of the Wingless Victory, the Erechtheum with its peerless Porch of Maidens and Mars Hill where Paul was brought before the council. Finally, we reach the ‘harmony between matter and spirit’, the monument that ‘puts order in the mind’, the Parthenon. On a drive through the city we’ll see the National Library, the University, the Academy, the Presidential Palace, the Stadium, Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. We will visit the National Museum. The afternoon is at leisure. Dinner & overnight in Athens.

SUN, MARCH 26        CORINTH • MYCENAE • NAUPLIA

Today we tour to Corinth driving through Daphni and Eleusis. After crossing the Corinthian Canal which connects the Aegean and Ionian Seas, we will arrive in ancient Corinth. We visit the ruins of Corinth where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. Included are the First Century shops, the Agora, Temple of Apollo and the Bema Seat. Still gurgling under the ruins is the water of the springs of the mighty Acropolis above, which once fed the Fountain of Pirene. Continue your drive up to Acrocorinth, in Paul’s time site of the great Temple of Aphrodite. We will drive to Mycenae and visit the Gate of the Lions, the Acropolis, and visit a beehive tomb. Return to Athens where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Dinner and overnight.

MON, MARCH 27       ATHENS • MYKONOS

This morning we drive to Piraeus and embark on our cruise through the Aegean to Turkey. Arrive at Mykonos in the afternoon. The afternoon is at leisure on this small and famous gleaming white Aegean Island, with its golden beaches, windmills and picturesque narrow roads. All meals on board our cruise ship.

TUE, MARCH 28      KUSADASI (EPHESUS) • PATMOS

This morning we arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey. Kusadasi is a colorful harbor town and the starting point for an optional excursion to the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, site of one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Excavation still continues in this once great and important city, which was founded in the 10th century BC and was subdued by both Croesus and Alexander the Great. Walk through history along streets lined with magnificent public buildings, among them the Baths of Skolasticia, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the theatre. Ephesus also played an important part in the life of the Apostle Paul, who wrote an epistle to its inhabitants. This afternoon we spend our time cruising the beautiful, blue Aegean arriving after lunch in Patmos. Patmos is the beautiful, rocky island where the exiled St. John the Divine received the mystical Revelation which forms the last book of the New Testament. Optional excursion to the Grotto of the Revelation and then on to the 11th Century Monastery of St. John, which houses an original manuscript of the Gospel. Enjoy the panoramic view from this superb, fortress-like complex, high on a hill.

WED, MARCH 29      RHODES

Early morning arrival in Rhodes. This fortified stronghold was built by a Crusading Order which originated from Palestine. After your stroll, enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere from one of the elegant cafes on the yacht harbor, or take an optional excursion to visit the Temple of Athena on the majestic, rocky Acropolis of Lindos, with the blue Aegean beneath it and the sophisticated, whitewashed artists’ colony at its foot. Overnight onboard.

THU, MARCH 302        CRETE • SANTORINI

This morning we wake up at Heraklion, Crete, the home of the great Minoan Civilization. Visit the Knossos excavations dating back to 4000 B.C. and the Palace. Return to our cruise ship to sail to Santorini, for a visit on this interesting island. OPTIONAL: Enjoy a short trip by local boat to Athenios harbor where we board our motor coach to visit Oia Village, built on the Caldera rim which is an excellent example of Cycladic architecture .A unique sight is the various layers of lava that can be seen on the face of the rock, each layer being another phase of the volcano activity. Proceed through the beautiful countryside to Fira, an attractive town perched on the Caldera rim where the land slopes gently in one direction and falls steeply into the sea in the other. Enjoy the town at leisure or perhaps relax over a coffee as you gaze down upon Kamenes, the two black volcanic islets in the Caldera Bay. Afterwards, return to the small pier of Scala by cable car or mule, where the vessel’s tenders will take you back to the ship. Overnight on board our cruise ship.

FRI, MARCH 31      ATHENS (DISEMBARK)

This morning we disembark the ship in Piraeus and transfer to our hotel in Athens. This entire day is yours to explore the city of Athens, shop and re-visit some of the sites you saw during your sightseeing tour. Dinner and overnight.

SAT, APRIL 1      ATHENS  • JFK

We transfer to the airport for departure from Athens for New York. Arrive today with wonderful memories of a magnificent journey.

Important Note: Tour operator reserves the right to alter the program.

Contact Friendship Tours for qualification details.

(800) 213-9155  Tours@friendshiptours.com