Day 1: Istanbul Arrival Arrive in Istanbul where you will be met with your your guide. After a short orientation transfer to the hotel for a welcome dinner and overnight stay in Istanbul. Day 2: Istanbul Discover the Byzantine and Ottoman treasures of Istanbul. Visit the Blue Mosque unique with six minarets, the Roman Hippodrome Square, and the St. Sophia Church which is considered one of the world's greatest architectural marvels. In late afternoon we will have a night boat tour on the Bosphorus waterway. Return to hotel for dinner at your leisure. Day 3: Istanbul - Troy - Canakkale In the morning, visit Istanbul's Archaeological Museum. Drive to Gallipoli (Gelibolu) and cross the Dardanelles Strait (Canakkale) by ferryboat. Visit the ancient Troy, the immortal city of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey - of the legendary Helen of Troy - the Trojan horse. Check-in at hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Day 4: Troas - Pergamum - Izmir (Smyrna) After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to the archeological site of Troas where the Apostle Paul received the "Macedonian Vision" (Acts 16:6-13). We will then proceed to Pergamum, actually called Bergama, one of the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 1:11; 2:12). At Pergamum, we will explore the impressive Acropolis, the steepest theatre in the world, the Asklepieion, famous medical centre of classical times, the Alter of Zeus which is mentioned as the "Throne of Satan" in the book of Revelation, the marble columns of the Temple of Trajan, and the Library which was foremost in the world and was long a rival of the equally famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Its wealth of volumes was estimated at over 200,000. It inspired the invention of parchment. We will also visit the Red Basilica. After the tour, we continue on to Izmir for check-in at hotel, followed by dinner and overnight stay. Day 5: Ephesus-Izmir In the morning, we drive to Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient sites in the world. Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings. Among them are the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Theatre. The Temple to the Goddess Diana of the Ephesians was enormous in size and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After the tour, we return to Izmir for dinner and overnight stay. Day 6: Izmir - Kusadasi (Embarkation on cruise ship)-Patmos At 11:00 a.m. we embark on cruise ship from Kusadasi and sail for Patmos, Greece, at noon. At 3:30 p.m. we arrive at the beautiful mysterious rocky island where the exiled Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation. We enjoy a short journey to the village of Chora where the Monastery of St. John the Evangelist is built within the walls of a strong fortification. As we walk uphill towards the entrance of the Monastery we will admire the wonderful panoramic view of the island. We will see the courtyard, the Monks' dining room and the old bakery before entering the main church. Then we will visit the small museum containing priceless ecclesiastical treasures. Then we will return to our motor-coach to continue on to the nearby Grotto of the Revelation, the "traditional site" where the heavenly voice of God revealed to St. John the future of humanity (Rev. 1:12-21). Above the Grotto stands the church of the Apocalypse, a sub-unit of the main Monastery. We will walk down the steps to visit the Grotto and see the silver niches in the wall, which tradition states mark the pillow and ledge used as a desk by the author of the Book of Revelation. After the visit, drive back to the port of Scala and embark on the ship for an evening sailing to Rhodes at 8:30 p.m. Day 7: Rhodes, Greece At 7:00 a.m. we arrive at Rhodes. This stronghold was built by a Crusading Order, which originated from Palestine, and in older days, it boasted of another achievement of the then known world - The Colossus of Rhodes. Our optional morning half-day excursion takes us to visit the Temple of Athena on the majestic rocky Acropolis of Lindos, with the blue Aegean Sea beneath it and the sophisticated, whitewashed artists' colony at its foot. We have the afternoon free in Rhodes for a most delightful experience. Stroll around the medieval walled city; enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere from one of the elegant cafes in the marina. Sail for Heraklion, Crete at 6:00 p.m. Day 8: Heraklion Crete, - Santorini, Greece At 7:00 a.m. we arrive at Heraklion Crete. An optional excursion takes us from the lively bustling city to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos, legendary home of the Minotaur (half bull and half man). The Palace houses the Hall of the Royal Guard. Decorated with frescoes and shields, the Hall of the Double Axes, the King's Chamber housing the alabaster throne amidst paintings of griffins and lilies and the Queen's Apartment, adorned with murals of dolphins and spirals reminding us of the legend of the Labyrinth. We return to our motor-coach and drive to the city of Heraklion where we will have free time for browsing at the shops. Return to the port for embarkation on the ship and sail for Santorini at 11:30 a.m. We arrive in Santorini at 4:00 p.m. Disembarkation by tender-boats, weather permitting. For our optional excursion we take a mule or the cable car up to the whitewashed town of Thera; perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano, the eruption of which (1,600 BC) literally buried a flourishing Bronze Age town, which has now been excavated at Akrotiri. Sail for Piraeus at 9:00 p.m. Day 9: Piraeus, Athens At 6:00 A.M. arrive at Piraeus. We disembark approximately 7:30 A.M. After breakfast we meet the local Greek guide and start our morning city tour. We climb up to the marble-capped Acropolis and visit the famous Parthenon and the Erechtheion. Our tour continues with the highlights of modern Athens: we pass by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Parliament House, Presidential Palace, Panathenian Stadium, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Academy, the University and the National Library. After the tour we check in at the hotel in Athens. Dinner and overnight stay. Day 10: Athens - Delphi After breakfast, we depart from Athens and drive to Delphi, one of the centers of Hellenic world. We visit the Theatre and the Sanctuary of Apollo legendary center of the Oracle of Delphi], the Treasury of the Athenians and the Archaeological Museum, which contains some of the finest examples of Greek sculptures including the highly regarded bronze "Charioteer". We will see the great ancient training center with its Gymnasium where athletes trained for the Pythian Games. This visit to Delphi gives an excellent insight into Greek culture that impacted the early church. Return to our hotel in Athens. In the evening we will have our optional farewell dinner in one of the Greek traditional restaurants in Plaka. Day 11: Athens Departure Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

Acropolis - Athens

Santorini

Greece