Introduction:
Day-1:
Athens - Thermopylae - Vlatades Monastery of st. Paul - Thessaloniki
Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 08:30 and
we will have our first stop at arround 11:00 at Thermopylae
in order to admire the statue of Leonidas, as a memorial of the battle of the 300.
We will continue to have our second stop at the Vale of Tempe at arround 14:00.
We have a short stop at the Vale of Tempe before to arrive at Thessaloniki.
We will check in and after we rest, we will visit the Vlatades Monastery,
where it is said that Apostle Paul stopped there to drink some water.
This is why it is called “Apostle Paul’s Holy Water". Believers from all over the world
worship the space of Holy Water and enjoy the magnificent panoramic view to Thermaikos Gulf.
In the same area is also located the Orthodox Church of St. Paul.
Afterwards, we suggest you to taste the delicious Greek cuisine or to walk at the coast line of the city,
the second bigger city of Greece!
Overnight in Thessaloniki
Day-2:
Thessaloniki - Nea Fokea - Philippoi - Kavala
We leave Thessaloniki to reach at the small town of Nea Fokea,
to visit the ''Agiasma of St. Paul'', an underground corridor, which ends to a chamber,
where St. Paul was hidden when the people of Thessaloniki run after him.
Our next visit is at Philippoi, where St. Paul preached his first evangelical sermon
and baptized the first Christians in Europe!
Visit the ''Baptismal'' site, where Lydia was baptized, as the first European woman,
and the secret crypt where Paul was imprisoned.
Finally, we will visit the Acropolis of Filippoi.Our day ends at the city of Kavala,
or "ancient Neapolis".
Overnight in Kavala
Day-3:
Kavala - Cruise tour at mount of Athos
After our breakfast, we will drive along to Ouranoupolisin order to take the ferry for Mount Athos,
also called Virgin Mary's garden,and the jewel of Orthodoxy.
Mount Athos is the place where Holy Fathers
have lived for centuries in enlightenment and continue to do so.
For the devout, it is a place of spiritual enlightenment, a place of worship,
a chance for reflection, meditation and spiritual renewal.
The ferry departs at 14:00 starting from Ouranoupolis.
We will visit 7 monasteries, for which our English-speaking guide will explain to you everything about.
The duration of the tour will be approximatelyt 3 hours.
At the end of the tour, at about 19.00, our driver will pick you up and will drop you off at your hotel.
Overnight in Thessaloniki
Day-4:
Thessaloniki - Veroia - Vergina - Meteora
After our breakfast, we will explore Thessaloniki,
where st. Paul preached and wrote two epistles
to the Ancient Thessalonians, during the winters of 49-50 AD.
See the ramparts of the city: the triumphal Arch of Galerius,
the Rotunda, one of the most imposing monuments of Thessaloniki.
Visit St. Demetrius Basilica, in which is located the underground ancient “Crypt",
the Acheiropoietos Church, one of the first churches of Christianity,
founded sometime between 450 and 475 AD.
At the end of our private tour in Thessaloniki,
we will reach at the beautiful town of Veroia at Northwestern Greece.
We will visit the church of Apostle Paul and the marble ''Vima of Apostle Paul'',
the place st. Paul preached to the people of one of his beloved towns for many days.
We will continue to the Ancient town of Vergina, to visit the King's tombs,
which one of them belongs to the father of Alexander the Great and ex-king.
Afterwards, we will head to Meteora.
Overnight in Kalambaka (Meteora)
Day-5:
Meteora - Delphi
Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at around 09:00
and we will visit the Byzantine Monasteries of Meteora,
that are a part of the Unesco world heritage monument list.
We are having our first stop at The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro,
which is the biggest and oldest one of all.
It was called the monastery that was "suspended in the air" (meteoro),
because of the formation of the gigantic rock on top of which it was built.
Our second visit will be to the great monastery of St. Stephan.
The Monastery of St. Stephan, which is a small church built in the 16th century,
decorated in 1545, rests on the plain rather than on a cliff.
This wonderful tour will be completed at the picturesque villages of Kalambaka,
where you will have a traditional Greek lunch! Afterwards, we will leave to Delpfi.
Overnight in Delphi
Day-6:
Delphi and Monastery Hosios Loukas
After breakfast we will visit ancient Delphi.
Delphi was the most famous oracle of the ancient world.
It was considered the center of the world. Between the 6th and 4th centuries BC,
the oracle at Delphi became internationally known for the divinatory powers of the Pythia,
the priestess who sat on a tripod, inhaled ethylene gases
and muttered unintelligible words that foretold the future.
Cities, rulers, and commoners consulted the oracle, expressing their gratitude with great
gifts and spreading its fame throughout the world.
We will visit the temple of Athena Pronaia, the Castalia Spring,
where the Pythia and the pilgrims washed to purify themselves,
the Stadium where the athletes competing in the Pythias trained,
the temple of the god Apollo, the sacred way, the treasury of the Athenians and the old theater.
At the Delphi Museum you can admire unique treasures, such as,
the world-famous bronze Heniochus, a masterpiece of classical Greek art.
After ancient Delphi we will visit the modern city of Delphi where we will stop for lunch,
in one of the traditional taverns with a very picturesque view, of the Corinthian Gulf and the city of Itea.
After that, we will drive through Arachova,
to the Monastery of Saint Loukas, located in the folds of Mount Helicona.
It was founded around 1011 AD.
Saint Loukas is one of the most important monuments
of Middle Byzantine architecture and art and has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
together with the monasteries of Nea Moni in Chios and Dafni in Attica.
This octagonal Byzantine structure is in excellent condition and contains
many well-preserved mosaics and paintings.
After our visit to the monastery we continue to Ancient Corinth.
Overnight in Loutraki
Day-7:
Ancient Corinth
We will drive along the mainland coast to Peloponnese,
to have a short stop at the Canal of Corinth.
Continue to reach at Ancient Corinth which was one of Saint Paul's beloved cities.
We will have the chance to visit the Ancient Market and the Bema of Apostle Paul or Galionas.
We will have the chance to walk at the same paths that Apostle of Nations,
walked and preached, hundreds of years ago.
Then, we will visit the commercial town of Corinth,
and The Apostolos Pavlos (Apostle Paul) metropolitan church.
Our next stop will be at "Kechrias Port", where st Paul was there,
during his second missionary journey and the ruin of the early Christian 5th Century basilica.
Kekrines were the port of Corinth in antiquity,
the Entry-Exit Gateway to the East.
Extending the tour by one day you will have the chance to see the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, the glorius Ancient Mycenae and the historic first capital of Greece Nafplion as follows:
Continue to the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus known for its excellent acoustics.
Then drive towards the town of Nafplion located at the foot of Palamidi, a very well preserved medieval historic fortress. Walk through the picturesque alleys with the mansions of the first capital of the country and enjoy the local cuisine. Overnight in Nafplion.
(Additional day)
After breakfast we shall visit the Ancient Mycenae while on our way to Athens we'll have a short stop at a local winery to taste the famous local wines complimentary from us. Arrival in Athens at the afternoon, end of the tour
