Duration: 9 Days
Dates: June 4, 2024 to June 12, 2024
Departure City: Chicago, Illinois (ORD)

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Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1: Tuesday, June 04, Departure to Rome
Today, we start our journey together. Flying to Rome, Italy. We will meet at the airport and board out international flight to Rome.

Day 2: Wednesday, June 05, Rome/Ostia /Rome Stepping Back into the Roman World – Ostia Antica
Theme: To be a Roman - how goods, services and transport held an Empire together. Rome was both an Empire and an idea. Today we will examine what held the identity of this vast empire together. Arriving at the airport we will be met by our tour manager. Drive a short distance to the well preserved archaeological park of Ostia Antica. Ostia was a cosmopolitan city, which is reflected by the various temples dedicated to Mitra (Persian), Cibele (Turkish), Iside (Egyptian) and even a synagogue. No better place to understand that Rome was the right place for Christianity to start being a worldwide religion. Upon arrival in Rome, we will drive towards the sea to visit the site of Ostia Antica, the harbor city of Ancient Rome. We explore the well-preserved excavations and step back in time into Roman antiquity. Break for lunch. Make our way to the Eternal City. Check in at our hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 3: Thursday, June 06, Rome. Paul in the World that was Rome (4 hours walking tour) 
Theme: how God used a man with a Hebrew heart, a Greek tongue and Roman mind. Rome was held together as much by spectacle and entertainment as by anything else. Paul used motifs in his Epistles that sprung from the daily images of Roman life. Depart the hotel after breakfast, we will be dropped off and visit on foot the Capitoline Hill, once political and religious center of the town, which today is the seat of the Municipality. We will see the magnificent result of a single project by Michelangelo, a copy of the most famous equestrian statue in the world, the statue of Marcus Aurelius. Stop at a panoramic point over the valley of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. Here, in 753 B.C., Romulus founded the town. Starting with Augustus, the great emperors settled here. Next we will visit the the Mamertine Prison, the site of Paul’s incarceration. Continue the tour by walking through the valley of the Roman Forum, the great Rome with its important buildings will revive before our eyes; the Curia, seat of the Roman Senate, the State Archive, the basilicas, palaces of justice, the temple of Vesta, and the House of the Vestals, temples, columns and arches of triumph erected to commemorate gods of Roman history. Leaving the Roman Forum we’ll find the Arch of Constantine erected to commemorate the victory of the emperor over Maxentius in the 4th century A.D. (tradition says that before the battle the Emperor saw a brilliant cross in the sky and said the famous words "in hoc signovinces", meaning "In this sign you will conquer"). The tour ends at the Colosseum, everlasting symbol of the greatness of Rome and the stage for the historical fights of the gladiators. Break for lunch. In the afternoon, continue our Roman visit with Holy Steps. According to tradition, these steps (now covered with wooden planks) are the very ones Jesus climbed in the house of Pontius Pilate only to see the Roman governor wash his hands of the self-styled messiah. Martin Luther, on his trip to Rome to meet the Pope, climbed on his knees, a tradition still maintained. We will then drive along the Ancient Appian Way, to visit the Catacombs of Santa Domitilla. The Christian catacombs are extremely important for the art history of early Christians. At first they were used both for burial and the memorial services and celebrations of the anniversaries of Christian martyrs. Many modern depictions of the catacombs show them as hiding places for Christian populations during times of persecution. Return to the hotel, for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Friday, June 07, Rome.
Paul was not the only Apostle associated with Rome. Peter was martyred on the Vatican Hill. This morning we board our bus and drive a short distance to reach the Vatican Museums. We will visit the greatest art collections in the world, the Vatican Museums. Walk through the richly decorated galleries. Continue on to the Sistine Chapel, the private chapel of the Popes, where Michelangelo best expressed his genius in monumental frescoes. Daily Itinerary tour continues in St. Peter’s Basilica. Take in the awesome architecture and the statuary adorning this largest of all Christian churches, including Michelangelo’s magnificent “Pieta.” On our own, with time permitting, we may wish to go to the Vatican Crypt to see and the tomb of St. Peter and where numerous pontiffs are buried, among incredible works of art. Break for lunch. This afternoon, enjoy a walking guided tour: Visit the the beautiful and lively Piazza Navona, with time to browse through the artists’ stalls to buy a painting or just look and a chance to buy one of Rome’s most famous products, a “tartufo” (ice cream) at the Gelateria “Tre Scalini.” Continue to the Trevi Fountain, and toss in a coin to ensure your “Arrivederci, Roma.” This is the time to visit the local shops and street vendors. We will take our flight to Athens this evening (pending confirmation).

DAY 5: Saturday, June 08, Athens full day tour
We will drive to Athens. On this tour to Athens you will view many significant historical and archaeological monuments that date back to the Golden Age of Pericles, in the 5th century BC. During that time, the wealthy, newly democratic and invigorated city-state decided to rebuild the Temples on top of the Acropolis in great splendor. Visit the Parthenon, dedicated to the Goddess Athena, a unique masterpiece of Greek Architecture. This monument is recognized as the culmination of Greek architecture and sculpture. Examine the Propylea, which blends Doric and Ionic building principles. Continue to the Temple of the Athena Nike (Wingless Victory) and the Erechtheum Temple, which was formerly used for cult worship and consists of three basic parts: the main Temple, the north extension and the famous Porch of Maidens. Explore the Museum of the Acropolis housing many masterpieces. The Acropolis museum is considered one of the most important archaeological museums in Athens and ranks among the most important museums of the world. The museum houses more than 4,000 artifacts from the Acropolis site, and its exhibits cover the Greek Bronze Age as well as the Roman and Byzantine periods. You will also visit Mars Hill, where Paul preached Christianity. You will have a chance to see the Ancient Agora, Tower of the Winds, Herodes Atticus Theater, Theater of Dionysus, Temple of Zeus, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the former Royal Palace which is now the House of Parliament. Continue on to the Panathenian” Olympic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. {You will have the chance to enjoy lunch at a traditional restaurant in the center of Athens. Then you will have the chance to stroll at the Plaka which is the historic heart of Athens. Blending with the adjacent Monastiaki district, the Plaka" area seems to have a little of everything, from the ancient ruins of a Roman forum, the Greek Agora, and Byzantine-influenced churches, to restored 19th-century neoclassical homes and modern day stores, boutiques and cafes sprinkled throughout. Back to hotel in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.

DAY 6: Sunday, June 09, Ancient Corinth
Start our day with a Sunday worship service at the hotel. Corinth is a city blessed with a superb location, fertile plains and virtually impregnable refuge. Excavations reveal that the ancient city was huge and wealthy; a survivor of the numerous invasions but devastated by earthquakes. St. Paul lived and worked in Corinth for 18 months, making converts where he could. The Bema (platform) where the Roman governor tried him is still visible. See one of Corinth’s most striking ancient buildings – the Temple of Apollo, seven of whose original columns still stand. Walk through the remains of the Market Place, a colonnaded square once surrounded by many small shops. See the celebrated Fountain of Priene, which has produced water from earliest times, and the Lechaion Road, formerly the main thoroughfare to the port of Lechaion. You will then visit the incredible Corinth Canal. The concept of cutting a canal through the Isthmus of Corinth to link the Ionian and Aegean seas was first proposed by the tyrant Periander, founder of Ancient Corinth. The magnitude of the task defeated him so he opted instead to build a paved slipway across which sailors dragged small ships on rollers- a method used until the 13th century. Nero, Rome’s most infamous emperor, inaugurated one attempt in 67 AD with his golden spade, but it was finally completed in 1893. Then return to Athens for dinner and overnight.

DAY 7: Monday, June 10, Hydra
Transfer early in the morning to the port of Piraeus for your ferry ride to the Saronic Gulf island of Hydra. Return to Athens late afternoon. We will take our flight to Egypt this afternoon (pending confirmation).

DAY 8: Tuesday, June 11, Tour the pyramids in Cairo.
Today, we will spend the day touring the world famous pyramids in Cairo.

DAY 9: Wednesday, June 12, Flight back home
Today, we will board our international flight back home with unforgettable memories.

* In case of unforeseen events, this itinerary is subject to change.*