JeriCo Christian Journeys - Pilgrimage to Biblical Lands

             Catholic Pilgrimage to the Biblical Lands

                Greece with Athens and Corinth, Turkey with Ephesus and the House of Mary,
                                                                     Egypt with Cairo and Sinai

Did you know that after Israel, Turkey is a land that has more biblical sites than any other country in the Middle East? The three major apostles Peter, Paul, and John either ministered or lived in Turkey and Greece and on islands in the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea. Many of us Christians don't realize that geographically Minor Asia and Anatolia is Turkey today! St. Paul was born here, almost two-thirds of the New Testament actually takes place in this part of the world that we shell travel through. It was very important to plant the seed of Christian religion, to plant the seed of The Word of the God in the cradle of the civilization, Greece.

On this tour we will also visit Egypt and for Christians throughout the world the holy places of Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery. Only those who come an join us will have a chance to celebrate Holy Mass at the sun rise on the top of Mt. Sinai!

Catholic Pilgrimage to the Biblical Lands Greece with Athens and Corinth, Turkey with Ephesus and the House of Mary, Egypt with Cairo and Sinai Did you know that after Israel, Turkey is a land that has more biblical sites than any other country in the Middle East? The three major apostles Peter, Paul, and John either ministered or lived in Turkey and Greece and on islands in the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea. Many of us Christians don't realize that geographically Minor Asia and Anatolia is Turkey today! St. Paul was born here, almost two-thirds of the New Testament actually takes place in this part of the world that we shell travel through. It was very important to plant the seed of Christian religion, to plant the seed of The Word of the God in the cradle of the civilization, Greece. On this tour we will also visit Egypt and for Christians throughout the world the holy places of Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery. Only those who come an join us will have a chance to celebrate Holy Mass at the sun rise on the top of Mt. Sinai!

-- TOUR IS ARRANGED ONLY UPON REQUEST -- SEE OUR PHOTO-ALBUM OF THE BIBLICAL LAND TOUR	Travel map

Day 1 Depart U.S.A. for Athens aboard your transatlantic flight. Complimentary meals served in-flight.

Day 2 - Athens Arrival to Athens the cradle of democracy and Western Civilization. Meet with a guide and transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.	Acropolis by night

Day 3 - Corinth We will leave for Corinth, one of the oldest town of Greece, to which St. Paul came after he left Athens and where he remained for one and a half years. We will visit the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place and famous temples. After stop at Corinth (18: 1-18;Cor.) we meet with the St. Paul, we will see marketplace where the Apostle preached to the Corinthians, the Temple of Apollo and the Corinth Museum. The port of Cenchreae is also scheduled, short visit to once very important port. Along the Corinthian Canal, started by emperor Nero and finished in the 19th century, we continue on to Athens. Dinner and overnight stay is at our hotel in Athens.

Day 4 - Cruise: Piraeus and Mykonos Around 11 a.m. we will sail into the Aegean Sea. Our first island is one of the islands belonging to the Cyclades group of islands. This mountainous island of Mykonos has about 400 churches. It is a city of a picturesque white houses, and island's trademark the charming windmills. This is a place of unique architecture of both Byzantine and Western characteristics. Places to visit include Church of the Virgin Paraportiani, a cathedral on the main square and an old Catholic Church as well as many boutiques and taverns along tiny paved streets. Boarding before 10 pm when we sail overnight to Ephesus.

Day 5 - Ephesus and Patmos In the early morning we will arrive to the Turkish port city of Kusadasi. From here we will travel to Ephesus, where the Blessed Virgin Mary lived with St. John in a small house on the hill behind the city. Here you will have Holy Mass before traveling down to the ancient city where you can walk the marble roads rutted by wheels of countless chariots and pass the ruins of architectural masterpieces. It is here that St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and where he was arrested and cast out of the city. In the afternoon you will visit the island of Patmos, where St. John wrote the apocalyptic Book of Revelations**. On the excursion one can visit the cave where Saint lived, now the site of a monastery housing priceless icons and manuscripts.	House of Mary near Ephesus

Day 6 - Crete and Santorini Today our group will enjoy a morning on the island of Crete, the biggest island in Aegean Sea, free visit of Heraklion. In the early afternoon visit Santorini, true Mediterranean island with whitewashed villages of Oia and Fira.Our cruise will end with Gala dinner that we will have onboard the vessel. Ships sales over the night back to land Greece and Piraeus.

Day 7 - Athens Return to Piraeus, after breakfast onboard we will spend the entire day in Athens (Acts 17: 16-34) exploring the city.We shall Acropolis with Parthenon, the greatest monument of its time, dedicated to the goddess Athena, Erechtheum with the beautiful six Caryatids and finally Areopagus (Areios Pagos = Hill of Ares) that was visited by Pope John Paul ll, the same hill where St. Paul gave his famous sermon of "Unknown God". We will also visit the ancient Agora that was the commercial and religious center of life of ancient Athens. For the end of the day one can explore Plaka, the old quarter of the city for our last-minute shopping and the dinner will be in one of the taverns with the Greek cuisine and “bouzuoki” music.

The way Moses looked down the Mt. Sinai	Ephesus Roman City, St. Paul's city

Day 8 - Athens - Cairo Going to Cairo early morning meeting with the escort guide and transfer to our hotel for leisure time and overnight stay in Cairo hotel overlooking the river Nile!

Day 9 - Cairo - Old Cairo Breakfast at the hotel and then excursion to Old Cairo. We will be visiting the very Old Coptic Churches (Obelisk of Ain Shams, The Tree Of Virgin At Matarya, The Church Of Virgin In Zayton, Al Moalqa (Hunging Church), Church Of St. Barbara, Church Of St, Sergious (Abu Serga) Church Of Virgin Maria At Maadi and the Oldest Jewish Synagogue of Beni Ezra. Our tour continue with visit to the Citadel of Salah El-Din, the Mohammed Ali Mosque, and the "medieval bazaars" of Khan-El-Khalili, where one can bargain buying jewelry and hand-tooled leather items in hundreds of shops within 10 minutes of walk. Return to your hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 10 - Cairo Breakfast followed by sightseeing, we will start with visit to the Pyramids of Giza. Cheops (Khufu) Pyramid, the largest of the three, was built in the 3rd Dynasty about 2690 BC, and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the Pyramid of Chephren (Khafre), we find the Sphinx carved from a single piece of stone. It is a lion with a Pharaoh's head thought to be a portrait of the pharaoh Chephren (Khafre). Enjoy a camel ride around the Pyramids area, and then continue your tour visiting the Egyptian Museum, famous for its antiquities from Egypt's Pharaonic period, which dates back about 50 centuries and includes the treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 11 - Cairo, St. Catherine Monastery We leave our hotel and take a several hours bus ride. Along the coast of the Red Sea we will enter peninsula passing by Bedouins villages before reaching St. Catherine's Monastery. Time permitting short visit of the monastery before going to our hotel, we are deep in the Sinai peninsula.	St. Catherine Monastery

Day 12 - Mt. Sinai & St. Catherine Early morning climb to look down from the summit of Mount Sinai, Gebal Mousa. After Holy Mass on the Mountain and some time in spent solitude on the mountain we will return to the Monastery late morning.	View from Mt. Gebal Musa
MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS TOUR
Day 13 - St. Catherine Monastery After breakfast we will visit the sacred and centuries-old St. Catherine's basilica. Afterwards we will leave for Cairo for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 14 - Cairo departure Transfer to Cairo airport for flight back home to the USA!

RATES: FROM NEW YORK: - ........ US$ per person in double room/cabin - ........US$ single room and cabin supplement DEPARTURES FROM ALL MAJOR HUB CITIES - SPECIAL RATES FOR GROUPS OF 15 OR MORE SEND US YOUR E-MAIL OR CALL FREE.... 1 - 877 - 453 - 7426.... INCLUDED: English speaking escort for the entire tour Airfares New York - Athens - Cairo - New York with all taxes GREECE SERVICES Half-board accommodations in Athens in a first class hotel (4) - buffet breakfast 1 dinner in the Plaka quarter, a restaurant with Greek folk dancing/music Private coach for transfers according to itinerary English speaking guide for Athens (entire day tour) and the day tour to Corinth Entrance fees to sites/museums Assistance at the airport and port Porterage of one piece of luggage CRUISE SERVICES Accommodation in cabins Outside Superior TB class, rate will be adjusted to category if above changed All meals while on board including farewell dinner EGYPT SERVICES 5 star Hotel in Cairo Sheraton or similar Half-board accommodations in St. Catherine's Plaza 4* Hotel English speaking guide in Cairo and escort to Sinai All Transfers by air-conditioned coach according to the itinerary Entrance Fees Camel ride when going to Mt. Sinai, climb at about 2:00 am optional NOT INCLUDED extra meals, drinks, extra visits, personal expenses port tax on cruise ( $ 60.00) tips for guides on land part of the tour tips for cruise staff ($ 10.00 per day per person) visa for Egypt for US citizens (15 $) obtained at the border/Cairo airport offshore excursions Patmos with St. John, Kusadasi with Mary's House and Ephesus