The Footsteps of St. Paul (Greece & Turkey) with FR. BENJIE LEDESMA

Upon arrival in Athens in the afternoon, we will be met and assisted by a local representative. Have lunch, then celebrate private Mass in one of the Catholic Churches. Transfer to the hotel for check – in, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, see the center of the city, Constitution Square the House of Parliament, Memorial to the Unknown Soldier, National Library, and the Presidential Palace. See the Hadiran’s Arch, visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus. At the Acropolis, visit the Museum and the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena, Nike the Erechtheionand. Finally, visit the Parthenon. After lunch, we drive southwest until we reach the Corinth Canal which connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian Sea for a short photo stop. Drive on the ancient town of Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached. A short stop at the site of the ancient port of Kechries. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast, cross the fertile plains of Beotia, pass by the town of Thebes to Thermopylae (where we can have an optional stop to see General Leonidas’ monument), and the town of Lamia. Drive through the plain of Thesaly and the Tempi Valley. We reach the ancient city of Veria, another of the places where St. Paul preached. We will be able to stand on the very marble synagogue steps where St. Paul stood and preached. Continue to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, an orientation tour of Thessaloniki will show you the old ramparts of the city, the Archeological Museum, the Church of St. George, and the Emperor Galerius’ Arch of Triumph built in 303 B.C. Stop at the two strikingly beautiful basilicas in the city: St. Demetrius, and St. Sophia. Proceed to Kavala for dinner and overnight.

This ancient city of Neapolis was visited by Paul, Timothy, Silas and Luke and was renamed Chrisoupolis, the first European city to accept Christianity. Visit the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis. Continue to Philippi, the place where Paul preached his first sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. Visit the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica and the Ancient Theater. Continue through the region of Thrace, and cross the Turkish border arriving in Canakkale, for dinner and overnight.

In the morning, visit Troy, the legendary city of Homeros and Alexandria. Continue to Pergamon. Visit the Acropolis, the steepest theater of the ancient world. See the Temple of Trajan, the Library, Asklepion, the ancient healing center and the Red Basilica, which is one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. Dinner and overnight in Izmir.

Drive to Sardis, the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, and see the church which was built on the foundations of the Temple of Artemis, then to the famous Synagogue from 3rd century, the Gymnasium and the new excavation area. Continue to Alasehir where the ancient Philadelphia Church is located. Walk the streets of Philadelphia. Return to Izmir. Rest of the day is free to explore the ancient bazaar.

Depart for Ephesus. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, the Archaeological Museum, the Temple of Diana and Basilica of St. John. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

Enjoy a morning visit to Eskihisar, the ancient Laodicea on the Seven Churches of the Revelation. Continue on to the ancient Roman thermal city of Hierapolis, where we will visit the Martyrium of St. Philip amidst the sites’ extensive ruins. Visit St. Philip’s Octagon. Touring the beautiful snow – white ‘frozen waterfalls’ see the wonderful formation of stalactites in Pumakkale, the Roman thermal baths, theater, main streets, gates and Necropolis. Dinner and overnight stay in Pumakkale.

Early departure to Demre, one of the six great cities of the Lycian civilization. The rock tombs, theater and Church of St. Nicholas commemorate the life and work of this fourth century bishop. Continue to Antalya for dinner and overnight.

Full day excursion to the ancient Pamphylian, Hellenistic and Roman cities of Perge and Aspendos and to the Antalya Archeological Museum. Dinner and overnight.

Early departure to Konya. Visit the Mevlana Museum and the famous 13th century Whirling Dervish Monastery. Then continue on to Cappadocia, land of unique landscapes and the unusual rock formations to see the carved underground dwellings and churches lavishly decorated with frescoes. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Full day exploring Cappadocia. Visit Goreme Open Air Museum, Avanos, the pottery making town, the Citadel of Uchisar and the monastic Zelve Valley and the underground city of Kaymakli. Dinner and overnight.

Drive to Tarsus. Visit the birthplace of St. Paul and overnight in Antioch, the headquarters of St. Paul’s Missionary Journeys.

In Antioch, visit the cave church where St. Peter first celebrated Mass. South of the church, see the Iron Gate, one of the actual entrances of Biblical Antioch. Drive to Seleucia Peria and visit the Temple of Zeus for a bird’s eye view of the harbor. Then proceed to the famous Titus water tunnel. Dinner and overnight in Adana.

Fly to Istanbul with TK2481 at 1240 hrs and arrive Istanbul at 1430 hrs. Take a boat trip through the Bosphorus Strait, viewing the beauty of the Asian and European shorelines on each side. Transfer to the hotel for check-in, dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast and check-out, we will visit Hagia Sophia Museum, the Blue Mosque, the Roman Hippodrome, and then Topkapi Museum. Have a quick visit at the Grand Bazaar. Transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight back to Manila.

Arrival in Manila. “HOME SWEET HOME”!!!