Pictures from the Holy Land

A Pilgrimage to Greece

In the Footsteps of St. Paul

Led by:

The Rt. Rev. John S. Smylie
Diocese of Wyoming
Casper, WY

December 3 – 12, 2014

Trip map

DAY 1, Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - Depart the Denver Airport for our flight on Lufthansa Airlines connecting in Frankfurt.  There we transfer to our Lufthansa Airlines flight into Athens where we board our Aegean Airlines flight into Thessaloniki, Greece. M

DAY 2: Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 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. D

DAY 3: Friday, December 5, 2014 - 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: Saturday, December 6, 2014 - 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 Rotunda 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: Sunday, December 7, 2014 - 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: Monday, December 8, 2014 - 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: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 - 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: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 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 stood and preached.  We return to Athens for our “farewell to Greece” dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 9: Thursday, December 11, 2014 - Today we will be free to explore on our own.  You may visit the Agora (marketplace) to do some shopping or explore some of the many Orthodox Churches or other sites in Athens.  Dinner and overnight in Athens. BD

DAY 10: Friday, December 12, 2014 - An early morning departure for the Athens Airport where we board our Aegean Airlines flight to Frankfurt.  There we transfer to our Lufthansa Airlines flight back to the Denver Airport. BM

Price: $3,389.00.  Price is based minimum 21 Pilgrims in double occupancy with airline taxes and fuel surcharges included (up to $748.00).  Pricing based on minimum of 17 pilgrims.  Roundtrip air from Denver, CO Airport.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement:  $399.00

Deposit $300.00 due with application and copy of passport

Final payment due August 29, 2014

Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until August 28, 2014: $100 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ August 29 - October 16, 2014: $200 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ October 17, 2014 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, M Meals on Aircraft

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