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ABOUT YOUR TRIP
Our world-class pilgrimage to Greece follows in the “Footsteps of St. Paul,” and will be an unforgettable experience. Christians have been going on pilgrimages from the very beginning of our faith. Your journey includes some of the most historically significant sites and beautiful places in the world. Strengthen your faith with visits to the House of the Virgin Mary, Ancient Ephesus, and Philippi, where St. Paul established the first church in Europe.
Tours typically include other sites like the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the monasteries of Meteora, and the beautiful whitewashed towns of Mykonos and Santorini.
Under Nativity’s excellent organization and leadership, our pilgrimages offer complete itineraries that include round-trip airfare, first-class hotel accommodations, breakfast, dinner, all transportation, daily Masses, and more!
ITINERARY
Today: Your pilgrimage begins today as you depart on your overnight flight to Istanbul. Meals and drinks served aloft.
Today: At our arrival, we will be greeted by our tour escort and driver who will transfer us to our hotel.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: City tour that includes. Hagia Sophia is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Built-in AD 360. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have “changed the history of architecture”. The Byzantine Hippodrome, The Blue Mosque, (famous for its mosaics) the Chora church- museum, the Subterranean Cisterns, and finally the Grand Bazaar
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: We leave Istanbul and travel to Bursa via Nicaea where the Nicene Creed was formed. We will visit St. Sofia of Nicea. Here the First Council of the Christian Church took place, and where the division of Rome and Constantinople was completed, as well as the division of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: We will go to Pergamum, where it is the most favored of the 7 Churches established by the apostle Paul. Here the first Christians were sacrificed by the Romans. We will also visit the Trojan temple as well as the Grand Theater. Then we will visit Thyatira, another of the 7 churches, and popular for the sale of “purple color” and its famous carpets.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: We will go to Izmir which is the third most important city in Turkey and great center of Jews and Christians. Then, we will go to Sardis which is one of the most picturesque of the 7 churches. Then, we will go to Philadelphia, referred to as “The New Jerusalem” and continue to be the basis of Christianity, and will continue towards Pamukkale.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: Early in the morning we will go up to the hill to see the thermal pools and enjoy that beautiful view. We will continue to Colossae, where the “Letter to the Colossians” was received. Then we will visit Laodicea, which is one of the churches in the “Book of Revelations”, and it was also the chair of the Christian Church where Paul rebuked the people calling them “Lukewarm Christians.”
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: We will visit the ancient city of Ephesus walking through one of the most magnificent cities excavated in the world. We will see the Odeon, the Troyan fountain, the steam baths, the Temple of Adrian, the latrines, the Celsus Library and the Grand Theater of Ephesus. Ephesus where Paul preached. Then we will visit the house of the Virgin Mary, here it is said that The Virgin lived after the Crucifixion and where she spent her last days.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: We will embark on a cruise that will take us to the Island of Patmos to visit the monastery of San Juan where we will see the original manuscripts of the Gospels. Then we will visit the grotto of the Apocalypse. It was here that we will see the details of the area where St. John wrote the “Book of Revelations,” where we will also see the crack caused by the voice of God when emphasizing honor to the Trinity.
Evening: Dinner and overnight on the boat.
Today: We will visit Crete the largest Greek island, cradle of the great civilization of the “Minoans” and the mythological home of Zeus. After a short distance we will pass through the village of Hearklion until arriving at the excavations of Knossos where the traces of a civilization existed since 4000 BC were discovered. Then we will return to Heraklion where you will have free time to do what you want. At the indicated time we will return to the ship to continue to the island of Santorini Which is the most beautiful of the islands, we will ascend by chair lift (the island is raised from the surface of the sea) and we will have opportunity to explore the island and enjoy it.
Evening: Dinner and overnight on the boat.
Today: We will go to the port of Athens and board our bus that will start a full tour of the city beginning with Corinth, the city most loved by Paul in the Saronic Gulf, and where he established the first Church, we will visit Bema (the seat of judgment) where Paul Gallo and where He preached to the Corinthians, we will go to the temple of Apollo and the old museum we will return to the center of Athens to visit the Parthenon, the Acropolis and the Olympic stadium.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Today: A boat trip through the Bosphorus Strait. We will visit the palace – museum of Topkapi, which was the royal palace of the Sultans. Then, we go to the Church of San Antonio where we will celebrate mass. Next, we visit a place where the famous Turkish carpets are made. Finally the Grand Bazaar. We will have free time to shop as well as explore on our own.
Evening: Dinner and accommodation will be in a restaurant with a typical show of belly dances.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Round-trip airfare
All airport taxes and fuel surcharges
First-class hotels
Prices based on double occupancy
Land transportation
Breakfast and dinner
Sightseeing/admissions fees
Daily Masses
Professional local guides
Printed promotional brochures and marketing materials
Medical Protection Plan
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Trip cancellation insurance (strongly recommended)
Passport & visa costs
Tips for the tour manager, guides, and driver
Personal items/expenses (hotel extras, laundry, phone calls, etc.)
GALLERY
PLAN A TRIP
Booking your spiritual journey with Nativity Pilgrimage relieves you of all the hassles. There is no need to worry about the logistics such as flights, hotels, guides and timing. Invite your parish, family & friends and let Nativity do the rest! When you choose Nativity Pilgrimage you won’t have to worry about the details; hotels, flights, Mass venues, language and cultural barriers or marketing materials.
Our team is always available to ensure the process is simple and seamless. We provide comprehensive support, process all reservations, handle all accounting, invoicing and payment processing, issue travel documents and answer any questions that come up during the process.
We will walk you through all of your options for each itinerary and our expert team will make sure we create the pilgrimage of a lifetime.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Although travel insurance is optional, it is highly recommended. Be prepared for unforeseen events that can leave you to cancel your trip, or worse, with out-of-pocket expenses! We have partnered with Trawick Insurance to offer you coverage for the unexpected. Buy it now upon registration to get “cancel for any reason.” There are 2 options for travel insurance:
- Buy directly online through our website after submitting the application
- Buy insurance from your own insurance company.