Espiritour: Apostle Paul - Life & Ministry Tour

You’re never more than a few steps away from the past in Athens. Accompany your Tour Director to the Plaka, the historic district that borders the Acropolis. In its twisting narrow streets you’ll catch glimpses of an older city, from wrought-iron balconies bursting with geraniums to traditional Greek dancing in basement tavernas. Continue on to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun in the 6th century B.C. and finished in A.D. 132 by the emperor Hadrian. Its enormous columns provide a sense of the scale of the original temple. Nearby, the elaborate Hadrian’s Arch separated the ancient and imperial sections of the city.

Not just another crowded dusty city, Athens has developed from the birthplace of democracy to a bustling modern metropolis. With a local licensed guide, start your time travel at the ancient hot spots of the first Olympic site and the sprawling Acropolis, classical Athens’ religious and civic center. The awe-inspiring Parthenon -- a temple dedicated to Athens’ patron saint Athena -- is the obvious centerpiece, but take time to examine the building next door, where sculpted women hold up the roof with their heads, and the amazing view of modern Athens below. Jump back to the present in Syntagma Square, the center of the modern city, to see the Parliament building and the British-style changing of the guards ceremony. (There’s a rather un-British flair to it, however -- the Greek guards wear white skirts, head scarves, and shoes and knee bands adorned with pom-poms.) Continue to Omonia Square, Athens' other main meeting point, to relax by the splashing central fountain ringed with palm trees.

Signup for every optional shore excursion (Veria; Philippi & Baptisery of Lydia; St. Sofia, Topkapi & Blue Mosque; Pergamon & Sardis; Ephesus & Miletus and Monastery & Cave of St. John) for one special package price

Thessaloniki-Visit the Walls, The House of Jason where Paul lived and the Agora where he preached. Continue to Veria-ancient Beroea- to the memorial commemorating Paul's preaching to the local Jews in 54 AD.

Kavala (ancient Neapolis), the site where Paul, Timothy and Silas landed on the coast of Thrace. From there, choose the optional shore excursion to visit Philippi where Paul lived, preached and was imprisoned and the Baptistery of Lydia, where the first baptism on European soil took place. Cruise to Istanbul.

The dynamic gateway between Europe and Asia, Istanbul straddles the two continents with grace. Open-air markets, little changed since the Ottoman Empire, offer silks, carpets, and spices, while cars speed past the modern hotels, cafés, and skyscrapers catering to the city’s newfound popularity as a tourist destination. Domes and minarets still dot the skyline, however, from the immense church of Hagia Sophia -- the absolute masterpiece of Byzantine architecture and the fourth-largest church in the world, with a dome 180 feet high -- to the beautiful Blue Mosque, designed for the 19-year-old Sultan Ahmet in 1609. Please note that planned shore excursions range between $75 and $125 and will be sold through the cruise ship in Greece.

In the morning we arrive in Istanbul, one of the world's greatest historic cities. Formerly Byzantium, the center of the Eastern Roman Empire, this city is built on seven green hills and situated astride two continents. East meets West in every way. You can have personal time to visit Istanbul or choose the optional shore package visits the Topkapi Palace with its harem and fabulous treasure chambers, the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque with its six minarets, and St. Sofia, converted to a mosque from a Christian basilica after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Cruise to Dikili.

Spend time in Dikili or take the tour from Dikili to Pergamon, the great city of Bergama and a city of the Book of Revelation. It is one of the best-preserved ancient sites in Turkey. We continue by visiting Sardis, the most picturesque of the Seven Churches. Cruise to Kusadasi.

On Turkey’s west coast, Kusadasi (“Bird Island”) was named for the many pigeons that made their homes in and around the island’s 14th-century fort. Now tourists from around the world flock to this top Turkish resort for its miles of sandy beaches, beautiful rugged scenery, and proximity to important archaeological ruins. Wander through the market, where intricate carpets and glittering jewelry vie for buyers’ attention. Please note that planned shore excursions range between $75 and $125 and will be sold through the cruise ship in Greece.

Arrive at Kusadasi for a visit. Or choose the optional shore excusion to visit Ephesus, the most impressive archeological site in Turkey, including the Great Amphitheater where Paul spoke to the Ephesians. An afternoon tour to Miletus, where Paul delivered his touching farewell address the elders of Ephesus and predicted his death, for those wishing to visit the place. Cruise to Patmos.

When he was exiled here for a year, Saint John the Evangelist was inspired to write the Book of Revelation by Patmos’s barren, haunting landscape. The monastery built to commemorate his stay still dominates the island. Inside the church are spectacular Byzantine icons and art, and from the hill on which it stands are incomparable views of the sparkling Aegean.

Strategically placed between the Peloponnese, central Greece, Italy, and Turkey, Corinth once rivaled Athens for commercial control of the Mediterranean. Corinth was eventually surpassed by the Greek capital, and over the centuries successive waves of invaders have left the city littered with an unusually eclectic collection of ruins -- Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian, and Turkish gates, fountains, baths, and chapels still stand in Acrocorinth, the site of Corinth's acropolis. The majestic Temple of Apollo in the ancient city, along with other excavated ruins, gives a sense of the enormous scale and wealth of the place during Roman times.