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Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage Tour with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

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Perfect for Catholic Foodies!  Visit Greek Holy Sites and several wineries.  Taste Greek wine, olive oil, and mushrooms.

Tour Details for the Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

Departure & Return Location

Your local airport of choice — Or you can choose land only and make your own flight arrangements.

Departure Time

Arrive for Check-in 3 Hours Before Flight Time

Price Includes

  • Air fares - Round trip airfare listed below Airfare is included for most major airports
  • 1 Checked Bag with the Airlines
  • Hotel Accommodations - First Class Hotelswith Porterage
  • Meals - Breakfast and Dinner Daily and all Meals while on Cruise!Wine & mineral water with dinners
  • Wine & Mushrooms, and other Food tastings as indicated in the itinerary
  • Olive oil tasting
  • All Transportation in Mainland Greece, including Transfers between Airport, Lodging and Cruise ShipAirconditioned Motor Coach with Bottled Water and WiFi available onboard
  • Professional English Speaking Tour Guides
  • Entrance Fees - Sightseeing and Shore Excursions as per itineraryWhisper Headsets where needed
  • Daily Mass and Spiritual Activities Coordinated
  • 3 Day Cruise to Greek IslandsAccommodations in Twin bedded, OUTSIDE Cabins with private facilities
  • Shore excursions while on ship include:
  • Mykonos Island - Walking tour
  • Kusadasi Port - Ephesus & the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • Isle of Patmos - Monastery of St. John & Grotto of Apocalypse
  • Isle of Crete - Palace of Knossos
  • Santorini and Thira & Oia Village

Price Excludes

Complementaries

  • Name and Luggage tags
  • Neck Wallet
  • Travel Bag
Itinerary - Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

Day 1Depart USA

Greece Flag on Mykonos pilgrimage tour footsteps of st paul greek islands cruiseToday we embark on our Journey to the lands of ancient treasures and Christian history with an overnight flight to Greece. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience. Get some rest on the flight…Tomorrow you will be walking where the apostle Paul walked!

Day 2Arrival Thessaloniki

thessaloniki night greece pilgrimage tourWe arrive in Thessaloniki and check into our hotel. You will have the remainder of the day free to relax or take a stroll along the streets of Thessaloniki to enjoy the flavor of the city. This evening our group will enjoy the first of many delectable Greek dinners.

Day 3Tour Thessaloniki, Philippi and Kavala & Wine Tasting in Drama

LAZARIDIS TASTING ATTIKI greece food and faith pilgrimage tourWe begin the day by following the massive battlement Byzantine wall to the citadel for a panoramic view of the city. Next, we will visit Philippi and Kavala. Kavala is Greece’s prettiest mainland port with a most elegant harbor. St. Paul landed here with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. Luke, the Evangelist, also came here from Troas. This ancient city of Neapolis was later renamed Christoupolis because it was the first European city to accept Christianity. Imagine walking on the same sod as these men of the Bible! We will see the Roman Aqueduct and the ruins of the Acropolis in this beautifully located city, known since the 5th century as Kavala. Continue on to Philippi where Paul preached his first evangelical sermon and baptized the first Christians on European soil. We will view the baptismal site where Lydia surrendered her life to Christ and visit a crypt dating from the Roman period that is thought to have served as a prison for Paul. See the famous Acropolis, the Market Place, Basilica, and the Theatre. Before returning to Thessaloniki, we stop at Drama to visit Domain Lazaridis. There you will enjoy a guided visit to the winery followed by a wine-tasting session.

We return to Thessalonica and visit St. Demetrius Basilica, dedicated to a distinguished member of the Roman army and a martyred Christian convert, before returning to the hotel for our overnight.

Day 4Thessaloniki City Tour and Berea Tour & Wine Tasting in Naoussa

kir yianni wine robert parker award greeceBefore we leave Thessaloniki we drive through town we see remnants of the original Roman road that spanned the nation during Paul’s time. En route, we will view the old city ramparts; the newly excavated Forum, St. George Church, an ancient Roman monument that was transformed into a church, and the Galerius Arch which rises over the famous Via Egnatia. Then we continue to Berea to view the ancient synagogue where Paul spoke and the Bema surrounded by mosaics of Paul and the plaque of scripture regarding the “more noble” church. Continue to Naoussa, famous for the Xinomavro wine, a red grape variety. Enjoy a visit and a wine-tasting session at Kir Yiannis Winery. We will spend the night in Kalambaka.

 

Day 5Meteora Monasteries - Τruffle Hunting - Wine & Mushroom tasting

metorea greece pilgrimageFollowing Breakfast this morning we begin with our tour of the Meteora Monasteries. Here we see the world-famous Byzantine monasteries that are perched precariously on summits of gray rock pinnacles of varied and beautiful shapes. Their history goes back to the 14th century when the monks sought refuge in the cliffside caves then fled higher to build the original wooden shelters, later transformed into monasteries. Later you will continue with a visit to the museum and a truffle hunting session. You will have the opportunity to do a mushroom product tasting with 5-6 kinds of mushrooms and traditional mushroom spoon sweets which are accompanied by a glass of local wine. From there our tour travels southward past Thermopylae where we learn of the famous Spartan battle of 300. Our lodging tonight is in Athens.

 

Day 6Cruising Mykonos

mykonos harbor greece pilgrimage tourWe sail this morning from Athens to the quaint isle of Mykonos, called the island of windmills. Experience the waterfront lined with shops and cafes and then stroll the charming walkways through a maze of whitewashed buildings before returning to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.

Day 7Tour Ancient Ephesus and Isle of Patmos

island of patmos greece food and faith pilgrimage tourDocking in Turkey, enjoy an included tour of Ephesus, the city of the Bible, and one of the largest restorations still in progress with miles of ancient treasures. Ephesus was once a thriving port town of 250,000 people. Today you can still see the spectacular excavations of the major streets in this ancient city including the Agora, the Odeon, the Library, the marble-paved main Street, the Baths, Trajan’s Fountain, the Residences of the Patricians, the Prytaneum, and Temple of Hadrian. The Great Theatre, built in the 4th century B.C., could accommodate 24,000 spectators and it is famous even nowadays for its acoustics. This afternoon we visit the Isle of Patmos, under statutory protection as a historic monument. Here we have an included tour to see the fortified monastery of St. John and the cave where John received the Revelation. Back on the ship.

Day 8 Calling Crete and Santorini & Afternoon Wine Tasting in Santorini Winery

Palace of Knossos front pilgrimage tour

Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. Take an optional tour of Heraklion and the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. This afternoon visit the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. The town of Thira where white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes, and glittering boutiques cling to steep cliffs, is accessible by footpath, cable car, or mule. During your stay in Santorini, you will visit Santo Wine Winery for a Visit and a wine-tasting session. The Volcanic terrain of the island is ideal for the cultivation and production of unique white and red wine varieties. One of the most famous ones is Assyrtiko Wine. Again we return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. 

 

Day 9Ancient Corinth Tour and Nemea Wine Tasting

temple of apollo corinth greece pilgrimage tourThis morning we disembark and start our tour west towards the Peloponnese with a rest stop and photos at the Corinth Canal. We then travel to the ancient city of Corinth, another treat for the New Testament scholar. Corinth is the city that inspired many of Paul’s most familiar letters. See the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place, the Bema, and the Temples. To enjoy a devotional in the midst of the ruins of the church of Corinth and see the pillars, steps, and public worship places where Paul preached will enhance your understanding and love of I & II Corinthians. The ruins of this important cultural center are fascinating as we walk along the stone path that the Apostle Paul walked. The engineering skill and intellect of these people are evident in the water systems that still flow from the ancient to the modern day. After your tour in Corinth, you will drive to Nemea, an area producing one of the famous Greek red wines Agiorgitiko, You will visit a local winery for a tour and a wine-tasting session.  Lunch in the winery.  Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Day 10Nafplio to Sparta, Olive Oil Museum - Olive Oil Tasting & Mezze

lithos olive oil bottleThis morning we drive north to the glorious town of Sparta. Here we visit the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil. The museum walks its visitors through the culture, history, and technology of olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. The museum’s objective is to highlight the ineffable relationship between the olive and the identity of Greece. The olive and olive oil are presented here from a variety of angles, such as the economy, nutrition, the olive’s uses, religious worship, art, and technology. After visiting the museum, we drive towards the LITHOS olive oil production facility, a modern refinery where we will have the opportunity to see how olive oil is produced and packed live. See how this olive oil is ranked #1 here.  This olive oil is the best of the Peloponnese, awarded as one of the three best olive oils in Greece by the gourmet and wine magazine `Weinwelt`, which writes: The oil smells fruity and fresh of lime and freshly cut olives and tastes fine-fruity, slightly grassy and very elegant with good spice and peppery aftertaste. Ideal for the Mediterranean-inspired spring and summer kitchen!  An olive oil tasting will be the highlight of our visit but also the Greek meze before we farewell Peloponnese. Continue to Athens. Dinner at The Hotel.

Day 11Athens Tour & Cooking Class

Acropolis Parthenon Greece pilgrimage tour paulThis morning we visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Erectheum before viewing Athens atop Mars Hill where Paul stood and preached the truth to the Gentile nation. Additional sites include the Agora (ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life), the House of Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Olympic Stadium, and the Presidential Palace. Following your tour you will enjoy a cooking class with a Greek chef to enhance your Greek culinary knowledge. Free time in Athens and continue to the Hotel.

Farewell Greek traditional Dinner in the Plaka area.

Day 12Departure home

Transfer to Athens International Airport for your flight back home.

Map of the Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

Photos for the Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise
Travel Insurance for Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

Travel Insurance is available for Greece and Turkey and – is recommended!

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Travelex

FAQ for Greece Food Faith & Wine Pilgrimage with 3 Day Greek Isle Cruise

 

Do you have hotel information?  coming soon.

Do I need an electrical adapter in Greece? Yes, you will need an adapter for Greece.

Do you have other tours to Greece?  Yes.  We have the Greece and Greek Islands Pilgrimage Tour.

Would you like to lead your parish or group on this pilgrimage?  Click Here to get started.