A Pilgrimage to Greece

In the Footsteps of Paul

Led by:

The Rev. Pamela Bakal
Grace Episcopal Church
Nutley, NJ

April 20 – 28, 2015

DAY 1: Monday, April 20, 2015 - Depart the United States from Newark Airport for a nonstop flight to Frankfurt, Germany where we connect to our final flight into Thessaloniki, Greece. M

DAY 2: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - We arrive at the Macedonia International Airport of Thessaloniki and meet our guide who will be waiting for us at the arrival hall.  We transfer by bus to our centrally located hotel.  We will have a “welcome to Greece” dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki. MD

DAY 3: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - After breakfast we start our full day excursion in eastern Macedonia and visit Philippi, the city which Paul visited twice and where he wrote his Epistle.  We visit the Agora, the 5th century basilica and the Roman Baths.  We visit the nearby village of Lydia where Paul baptized Lydia, a woman from the city of Thyateira.  Lydia is mentioned in the New Testament as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe.  We continue to the port of Kavalla, the ancient Neapolis, where Paul had landed after sailing from Troas (Troy).  Kavalla is an attractive town located on the shores of the northern Aegean.  We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 4: Thursday, April 23, 2015 - Today we explore Thessaloniki and some of its unique monuments.  We walk from the hotel to St. Demetrius Church, one of the most probable sites where Paul preached.  We continue with a visit to the church of Acheiropoiitos and then on to the Rotonda of St. George and the Arch of Gallerius.  We depart for Veroia, where Paul preached the new faith, and visit the monument erected to his honor.  Continuing further, we visit Vergina where we see the impressive ancient tomb of Philippos, King of Macedonia, and father of Alexander the Great.  In the extraordinary and extremely interesting museum of Vergina, we’ll see some of the most impressive finds of the site.  After Vergina, we drive south to the region of Thessaly to see Mt. Olympus where the ancient Greeks had placed their gods.  We continue to Meteora for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 5: Friday, April 24, 2015 - There are not enough words to express the beauty of the geological formations known as Meteora which in Greek means “rocks suspended in the air”.  This is where, in ancient times, people trying to find refuge for themselves and their faith, climbed and built little hermitages which gradually grew to be the well-known monasteries we see today.  We shall visit two of the most important monasteries, treasuries of incredible pieces of the religious art of the Orthodox Church.  After the visit, you will have some free time in the nearby town of Kalambaka and then on to Delphi by following one of the most scenic routes of central Greece.  We arrive in Delphi for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 6: Saturday, April 25, 2015 - Today we explore Delphi where the ancient Greeks worshipped the god Apollo, the god of music, the arts, the oracle and the light!  Delphi was the center of the ancient world and pilgrims were coming from all over the Greek world to consult the oracle about their future.  We visit the Delphi Museum where some of the most important sculptures of ancient Greek art can be seen.  We drive to Athens for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 7: Sunday, April 26, 2015 - Today we explore Athens on foot.  We’ll start from the Acropolis Museum, one of the most beautiful museums in the world!  Its modern, but symbolic structure, will bring us back to the ancient times.  We’ll experience the ancient Athenian neighborhoods through the glass floors of the museum.  The top floor will allow us to have an incredible view of the Acropolis itself.  After the museum, we’ll walk up to the Acropolis, stopping first at the Hill of Mars or in Greek “the Areopagus”. This is where Paul met the Athenian judges and preached to them. Afterwards we’ll continue our climb to reach the top where the eternal temple of the Parthenon still stands.  Dinner and overnight Athens. BD

DAY 8: Monday, April 27, 2015 - This morning we head for Corinth.  The drive on the SW coast of Greece will allow us to view the Saronic Gulf and its islands where Paul had crossed on his way by boat to ancient Corinth.  We reach the famous and impressive Corinth canal which connects the two seas, east and west of the Greek mainland, the Aegean to the Ionian.  Nearby is located the ancient site of Corinth, the city where Paul had spent 18 months on his first journey and created the biggest Christian community in Europe.  We visit the Temple of Apollo, the Agora and of course the Bema where Paul tood and preached.  We return to Athens for our “farewell to Greece” dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 9: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - We will depart from the Athens, Greece airport for our flight to Munich, Germany where we change planes and continue to Newark, NJ arriving later this afternoon. BM

Price: $2,899.00.  Price is based on minimum of 12 pilgrims traveling together, double occupancy with roundtrip air on Lufthansa German Airlines from Newark Airport, without airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement:  $399.00

Pricing is based on the exchange rate of 1.26 Euro to the dollar.  If rate changes, price will change.  Pricing excludes airline taxes and fuel surcharges which are currently $673.29 and may change.  These will be added to your final invoice.

Deposit of $300.00 per person due with application and copy of passport by January 1, 2015.

Final payment due January 15, 2015

Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until January 14, 2015: $200 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ January 15, 2015 or later: NO REFUND

An application for travel insurance will be included with the receipt for your deposit.  We strongly recommend that you seriously consider this coverage.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, S Snack

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.