New Testament tour – Greece and Rome

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!