This is the proposed tour . Details may change closer to the event.
February 5 – Departure from Shanghai
Depart from Shanghai and arrive in Athens, Greece. You will be met
by our representative and transferred to the hotel for dinner and
overnight in Athens.
February 6 – Athens & Acropolis Museum
Enjoy the architectural splendors of the ancient city of Athens as you
follow your guide to the world renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the
Parthenon, and the Erectheum. View Mars Hill where the apostle
Paul stood and said, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO AN
UNKNOWN GOD. Whom you therefore ignorantly worship, Him I
declare unto you” (Acts 17:23). See the Agora, the ancient market
place and center of Athenian public life. Here Paul preached “Jesus
and the Resurrection” (Acts 17:18) to the skeptical Athenians. Pass
the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier. Overnight in Athens.
February 7 – Corinth, Acrocorinth, & Mycenae
Wander the streets of ancient Corinth, home to the tent makers
Aquilla and Priscilla. Here the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, saying
“I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have
much people in this city” (Acts 18:10). Here Crispus the chief ruler
of the synagogue believed in the Lord, and many Corinthians also
believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8). This was the beginning of
the church at Corinth, to whom Paul would write two epistles. Stand
on the Bema where Paul stood before the magistrate Gallo facing
charges from the Jews. Walk the Marketplace and Temple of Apollo.
Visit Acrocorinth “Upper Corinth” and enjoy spectacular views of the
city of Corinth while exploring the Byzantine Fortress built upon the
Greek Acropolis and Roman citadel. Travel to Mycenae, an
archaeological site, which, in the second millennium BC, was a major
center of Greek civilization. Here take time to look upon the
impressive Lion Gate. Even headless, the lions convey a sense of the
power and majesty that was Mycenae. Continue up to the citadel, to
Grave Circle A, a cemetery of royal tombs that dates from 16th
century BC. Return to your hotel in Athens.
February 8 – Delphi
Home to the religious center of the ancient Greeks and thought by
them to be the center of the world. A conical stone marks the earth’s
omphalos (“navel”). Walk the sacred Via to the Athenian Treasury,
the Theater and the Temple of Apollo. In the temple the oracle would
perform the rituals of prophecy. With innumerable pagan ruins
surrounding your walk, appreciate the challenge Paul faced in
preaching the Gospel of Christ in Macedonia. Stop at the Museum
where many ancient treasures are stored, including a 5th Century
bronzed Charioteer so finely detailed that he even has eyelashes!
Overnight in Athens.
February 9 – Catacombs, St Paul Outside the Walls, Panoramic Tour
Depart Athens and arrive in Rome. Explore the Catacombs and visit
St.Paul Outside the Walls. Enjoy a panoramic view of Rome and
transfer to your hotel for dinner.
February 10 – Ancient Rome & Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps
Depart Athens and arrive in Rome. History is woven through the
streets and neighborhoods of Rome as in no other city. Today you’ll
explore the many wonders of ancient Rome when you visit the
magnificent Colosseum, Mamertine Prison and the Pantheon. From
the most sacred hill of ancient Rome, Campidoglio, you’ll view the
Forum. You’ll also view the Circus Maximus, the Arch of Titus, the
famous Baths of Caracalla and the Arch of Constantine. You’ll see
the Victor Emanuel Monument and the Monti Region, Rome’s most
ancient neighborhood which spreads over three of her seven hills.
In the afternoon, you’ll discover why Rome is also known as the “City
of Love”. You’ll explore the romance of Rome as you climb the
graceful Spanish Steps and stop at the famous Trevi Fountain.
Legend says those who toss a coin into the fountain will one day
return to Rome to toss another into the waters of Trevi.
February 11 – Christian Rome & Vatican City
Christianity came late in her long history, conquering and changing Rome in a way few other invaders
have. Today, you will experience the glory of Christian Rome when you visit the Vatican, home to one of
the greatest museums in the world. And, of course, you’ll enter St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel,
where you’ll view Michelangelo’s frescoes which have been restored to their full, colorful glory.
February 12 – Naples & Pompeii
Visit Naples, a dazzling city perched on a beautiful rock coast. Paul landed in the bay of Naples on his
way home to Rome. Journey inland to ancient Pompeii, where you can see the spectacular ruins that
were covered by ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Return to Rome for overnight.
February 13-14 – Free Time in Rome & Arrive home in Shanghai
Depart Rome tonight and arrive home in Shanghai tomorrow morning with memories to last a lifetime!