Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece

Depart UK from London Gatwick to Athens. Your guide will be there to meet you on arrival to take you to your hotel. We check-in to our hotel and dinner at a local restaurant. Mass will be arranged depending on time of arrival.

After breakfast, we visit the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth. Saint Paul preached his faith to the people of Corinth with an inspiring and touching letter. St. Paul’s Hymn to Love is one of the most beautiful texts of Christianity - open air mass. After we will travel to Cenchrea and visit the ancient Greek port of Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) where Paul was during his second missionary journey and the ruin of the early Christian 5th Century Basilica. Free time for the rest of the day.

After breakfast, we visit the church of St Dionysius the Areopagite, an early Christian convert of St Paul and also famous for its mural paintings. Then proceed to The Holy Church of Lykodemos Sotira (The Russian Church), the largest medieval of Athens and one of the most important Byzantine monuments of the 11th century. We then visit the Church of Panagia Kapnikarea near Monastiraki Square, located in the heart of Athens. It is one of the oldest and most significant Christian churches in Athens, dating back to the 11th century. It’s dedicated to the Virgin Mary and features lovely Byzantine frescoes and mosaics. Our last stop will be Fr Alban’s old parish, St Theresa’s Catholic church at 12:00 for Mass. Free time for the rest of the day.

After breakfast, we check-out of our hotel and our first stop is the Monastery of Hosios Loukas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site decorated extensively with frescoes and mosaics. After, we travel to Delphi and visit the archaeological site and museum of Delphi. The panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the ’navel of the world’. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world. We then travel to Kalambaka and check-in to our hotel for one night. Dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, we check-out of our hotel after visit two of the Meteora Monasteries. In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these ’columns of the sky’ from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremitic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting. We then travel to Veria for a tour of the old town and open air mass at the Bema. We then visit the archaeological site of Vergina, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, an important period of the Greek history. Vergina is the most impressive archaeological site of Northern Greece. The museum of Vergina houses Macedonian treasures and unique exhibits including the shield and armour of King Phillip the second and the famous Golden Larnax found in the sarcophagus of the King. We travel to Thessaloniki where we check-in to our hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast we travel to Philippi, where Saint Paul the Apostle said his first sermon and where he established the first church in Europe. “And from there (He went) to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman Colony. We remained in this city some days...” (Acts 16:12-18). Also, it is the site where Saint Paul baptised a woman named Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe. Visit the Roman Forum, where Saint Paul cast a spirit out of a fortune-telling woman. While here, you will have the opportunity to view the prison in which Saint Paul and Silas were thrown into by the owners of the fortune-tellers. After we go to the port city of Kavala, which was once the ancient Neapolis. This port is where Saint Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy landed when they sailed into Europe. Free time for the rest of the day.

Church of St Demetrius, the most significant church in Thessaloniki. It is dedicated to St Demetrius, the city’s patron saint. Then walk to the Church of Panagia Chalkeon, known for its mosaics of the Virgin Mary. We then visit the Church of the Prophet Elias, the White Tower and the Byzantine fortress of the city, then onto the monastery of Vlatadon, founded in 1360. After lunch, we visit St Sofia. Originally a Christian basilica and later converted into a mosque under Ottoman rule before being restored as a church. Our last stop of the day is St George, known locally as "the Rotunda". Originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Galerius, it was later converted into a Christian church and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mass will be arranged at the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception. Free time for the rest of the day and our last night in Greece.

After breakfast, we check out from our hotel and depart for Thessaloniki airport for our flight back to London Gatwick. Note: Itinerary is subject to change E&OE.