Under the Auspices and the Presence of H.G. Bishop David
Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York & New England
SPSA invites you to
Greece & Ephesus
Footsteps of Apostle Saint Paul
When: Friday, May 15 (Travel) – Monday, May 25 (Departure), 2025
Price: $3,500 per person, Land/cruise portion (Double Occupancy)
Single supplement: $1,100
To Reserve More information, please call/text
Father Andrew
203-455-7447
Payments can be done through Venmo, Zelle, or Checks
Checks should be Payable to “St. Peter & St. Andrew Church.”
Attention Father Andrew Awad
138 Evergreen Hill Road
Fairfield CT 06824
RECOMMENDED FLIGHT TO MATCH THE ARRIVAL TIME
Here are the recommended group flight windows: arrive in Thessaloniki (SKG) on Saturday afternoon (e.g., JFK–LHR–SKG arriving around 14:45 on Sat, May 16) to join the included group airport pickup, and depart from Athens (ATH) on Monday, May 25 in the late afternoon (e.g., 15:55 ATH–JFK) for the included group drop-off. Because our transfers are scheduled around these times, anyone arriving or departing at different times/days may either arrange their own transportation or request a private transfer at an additional cost. When booking, please select a multi-city option: fly into Thessaloniki (SKG) and return home from Athens (ATH).
All passengers traveling internationally must have a valid Passport. It should be active for more than 6 months from the expiration date. All green cardholders will need visas. Visas are the traveler’s responsibility.
Travelers must arrive in Thessaloniki by 2:45 pm for the group pickup. If you arrive later and would like us to
“We do not admire St Paul the Apostle for raising the dead or for healing a leaper, we admire him for sayings such as, ‘Who is weak and I am not weak?! Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?!’ 2 Cor.11: 29 These words are more powerful than the ability to do thousands of miracles. For these words are more precious than pearls!” (St. John Chrysostom)
Day 1, Friday, 15
Depart from JKF to Thessaloniki, Greece
Day 2, Sat, 16 Arrive Thessaloniki, Greece (Breakfast & Dinner)
Welcome to Thessaloniki. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, then continue to the city center to see the highlights and visit the Churches of Agios Dimitrios and St. Sophia (If we have time). Continue to the hotel for check-in. Balance of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Capsis in Thessaloniki.
Day 3, Sun, 17, Thessaloniki. Excursion to Philippi & Kavala (Breakfast & Dinner)
Begin along Paul’s route via Amphipolis, a wealthy city in ancient Macedonia where many Christian churches were built in the 5th and 6th centuries. Continue to Philippi, a busy Roman colony with an impressive library and theater. Here, Paul preached and established the first church in Europe, to whom he later wrote the Epistle to the Philippians while imprisoned in Rome. Proceed to Kavala, the ancient port of Neapolis. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Capsis in Thessaloniki.
Day 4, Mon, 18, Thessalonika–Veria–Kalambaka (Breakfast & Dinner)
This morning, stop in Veria (Berea in the New Testament), where Paul and Silas were sent by friends after being accused of treason in Thessaloniki. Visit the Bema of the Apostle Paul, where he preached the Gospel to the local community. Continue to Kalambaka, home to the awe-inspiring Meteora monasteries. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Amalia in Kalambaka.
Day 5, Tue, 19, Kalambaka–Meteora–Athens (Breakfast & Dinner)
A real highlight awaits today. Perched atop soaring cliffs and rock faces, the Meteora monasteries create one of the most inspirational sites in the world. Visit the Holy Monastery of Varlaam, the second-largest monastery, and the Holy Monastery of St. Stephen, which was bombed during WWII and later reconstructed by nuns. Here you will be introduced to many historical and religious treasures. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Titania in Athens.
Day 6, Wed, 20, Athens (Breakfast & Dinner)
Visit the Acropolis with the Parthenon and the Areopagus, where Paul delivered his famous sermon about the “Unknown God.” Also, visit the New Acropolis Museum, and have Free time after. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Titania in Athens.
Day 7, Thursday, 21, (Breakfast & Dinner)
Travel to Corinth to visit the excavations, where Apostle Paul worked for 18 months with tent-makers Aquila and Priscilla. Learn about this ancient city-state and its early church, recipient of Paul’s two Epistles to the Corinthians. Return to Athens for additional sightseeing (consider Ancient Agora/Plaka instead of repeating Acropolis). In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with wine at the hotel. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Titania in Athens.
Day 8, Friday, 22, Athens–Piraeus (Embarkation)–Mykonos (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner)
Awaken refreshed this morning and ready to begin your 3-night CRUISE around the Greek Isles and Turkey. Headfirst to mountainous Mykonos with its iconic windmills and brilliant whitewashed houses. Watch for Petros the Pelican, the island’s most famous resident since 1954! Dinner & overnight on the Cruise Celestyal Olympia
Day 9, Saturday, 23, Kusadasi, Turkey–Excursion to Ephesus–Patmos, Greece (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner)
Visit the Turkish port of Kusadasi for an included excursion to the RUINS OF EPHESUS, the former capital of the Roman province of Asia. Walk in the footsteps of Apostle Paul, who lived and preached here, and meditate on what life must have been like for the early Ephesian Christians in this pagan society. Also see the House of Mary, where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last days. Continue your cruise to the island of Patmos, the “Jerusalem of the Aegean,” and visit the MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN and the CAVE OF THE APOCALYPSE, where John the Evangelist received the visions that he recorded in the Book of the Revelation during his exile. Dinner & overnight on the Cruise Celestyal Olympia
Day 10, Sunday, 24 Cruising: Crete, Heraklion–Santorini (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner)
The first port of call today is Heraklion on Crete. An included excursion is available to nearby KNOSSOS, the center of the 3000 BC Minoan civilization and historic site of mythology’s tales about the Minotaur and the labyrinth. Afternoon call (weather permitting) at Santorini, the “Black Pearl of the Aegean.” An optional shore excursion takes you up to the cliff-top village of Oia for one of the world’s most glorious panoramic views. Dinner & overnight on the Cruise Celestyal Olympia
Day 11, Monday, 24 Piraeus (Disembarkation)–Departure (Breakfast)
Disembark and transfer to the airport
RATES INCLUDE:
- Accommodation on a half-board basis (breakfast & dinner at hotels) as follows…
o 2 nights at a hotel in Thessaloniki
o 1 night at a hotel in Kalambaka
o 2 nights at a hotel in Athens - Accommodation 3 nights on full board on the cruise in CAT/IB inside cabins on Celestyal Cruises
- Ephesus & House of Mary shore excursion in Kusadasi
- St. John’s Monastery and the cave of Apocalypse excursion in Patmos
- Minoan Palace of Knossos excursion in Heraklion (Crete)
- Shuttle service in Mykonos between the port and the town
- Unlimited drink package during the cruise
- Gratuities on the cruise
- Port taxes
- Excellent English-speaking guide for the land tour
- Deluxe coach for all tours and transfers
- Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the program
- Whisper phones (headsets) during the land tour
- Single Supplement $500
RATES DO NOT INCLUDE:
- Greek Sustainable Tourism Development Fee (port taxes, charged only if you go ashore):
- May 22 — Mykonos: €12 per person
- May 23 — Patmos: €3 per person
- May 24 — Heraklion (Crete): €3 per person
- May 24 — Santorini: €12 per person
- Porterage: at hotels, total USD 8 per person (in/out). At the airport, trolleys are available for €1 coins each.
- Hotel overnight tax: €3 per room per night, typically paid directly to the hotel.
- Tips (suggested): Guide: €5 per person per day; Driver: €4 per person per day.
- Lunches on the land portion of the tour (lunches are included on the cruise).
♰ Suggested Readings by Site (NKJV)
Thessaloniki (Thessalonica) – Paul’s preaching and the church he planted.
Read: Acts 17:1–9; 1 Thess 1:2–10; 2 Thess 1:3–12.
Amphipolis (en route) – On Paul’s road to Thessalonica.
Read: Acts 17:1 (travel sequence: Amphipolis → Apollonia → Thessalonica).
Philippi – First church in Europe; Lydia; the jailer’s conversion.
Read: Acts 16:12–40; Phil 1:1–11; Phil 4:4–9.
Kavala (Neapolis, port of Philippi) – Where Paul landed in Europe after the Macedonian vision.
Read: Acts 16:9–12.
Veria (Berea) – “Noble” Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily.
Read: Acts 17:10–15; Ps 119:9–16.
Athens – Areopagus – Sermon on the “Unknown God.”
Read: Acts 17:16–34; 1 Cor 1:18–25.
Corinth (with Cenchreae) – 18 months of ministry; letters to the Corinthians; Gallio’s bema.
Read: Acts 18:1–18; 1 Cor 1:1–9; 2 Cor 5:10.
Optional: Rom 16:1–2 (Phoebe of Cenchreae).
Ephesus (via Kusadasi, Turkey) – Major mission center; uproar of Artemis; farewell to the elders.
Read: Acts 19:1–20:1; Acts 20:17–38; Eph 1:1–14; Rev 2:1–7.
Optional: 1 Tim 1:3.
Patmos – Exile of St. John; the Revelation given.
Read: Rev 1:9–11; Rev 1:12–20; Rev 2–3.