Bible Lands Cruise

Depart Athens on the Norwegian Dawn.

Our adventure on Crete takes us to the White Mountains. We embark on a safari tour aboard premium off-road vehicles. Be aware that the roads are very windy and those prone to motion sickness may not enjoy the experience. The driver tells us all about the area as we journey to the White Mountains. We visit Therissos a traditional Cretan village and learn about the lifestyle of the Cretan shepherd. Our educational experience includes stepping inside an original shepherd's hut. We enjoy a traditional Greek lunch together in the village. Price: TBD

We are picked up from the old port of Fira where we take a water taxi to Athinios port and our bus. We enjoy a guided walk through the quiet, picturesque village of Magalochori. Following our visit, we drive to Profitis Ilias, the highest point on the island, for a scenic photo stop. Our next stop be the Monolithos Black Beach (no swimming) where we have a short time to enjoy the water and beach. We then journey to Oia, the northern most village where we see the classic blue domed buildings, the ruins of a Venetian castle and admire the breathtaking view over the caldera. We have time on our own to explore or eat. We take in any sights we might have missed as we enjoy the journey back to the port. Price: TBD

The Kusadasi port to take us to Ephesus, where we will enter through the Magnesia Gate to the ruins of the ancient Roman Capital. We will go see the ancient ruins known as the Odeon, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theatre, which is the place many believe Paul preached to the Ephesians. After visiting the ruins of Ephesus, we will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, which is believed by some to be the final resting place of Mary. The tour will conclude as we visit the Temple of Artemis, which is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This tour comes with a local lunch included at a nearby village.

Our day begins with a visit to the Hippodrome, once a huge stadium seating over 100,000 chariot race spectators. We walk from there to the famous Blue Mosque built between 1609 -1616. We visit the domed Basilica of St. Sophia, one of the oldest standing churches in the world. Our next destination is the Topkapi Palace which served as the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for about 400 years. It is home to many holy relics. We examine the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the cisterns running underneath Istanbul. We feast on authentic Turkish cuisine. After lunch, we stroll through the Grand Bazaar. It is truly an experience not to be missed.

We take a short water taxi ride from the port to the town of Mykonos. We have a guided walking tour of the city with some time to explore on our own. We then board our coach for a tour of the island. We enjoy beautiful vistas including a photo stop as we make our way inland to the village of Ano Mera and its 16th century monastery. Following our time in Ano Mera, we tour a local dairy where we meet the producer, learn about the history of his operation and enjoy a sampling of his cheeses and other local products. We then return to the ship. $70 if paying by check. A light snack is included.

Day at sea.

We begin our Egyptian adventure at the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa which contains 300 tombs cut in the rock under the ground. It dates back to the 2nd century A.D. and is the only cemetery of its kind. We stop for a photo at Pompey's Pillar which is a Roman triumphal column. We enter the archaeological site of the Roman Amphitheater. This theater also dates back to the 2nd century. Here we see the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria or Pahros of Alexandria. We leave this fascinating area and head to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina which is a library built to commemorate the Library of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. On our way back to the port, we take a picture near the Qaitbay fortress which was built on the same location as the Pharaohs of Alexandria. We have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the ship or stroll along the seaside walking path on Corniche Avenue.

Tour

We begin this tour atop the Mount of Olives where we have a panoramic view of the Old City and Dome of the Rock. We then take a short walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane. We travel to the Garden Tomb, where we see the spot many believe to be the location of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Before going to the Old City, we visit the Jerusalem Center for a short tour. After our visit, we head to the Western Wall, where we see the holiest of sites for the Jews and the remnants of the retaining wall that surrounded Herod’s temple. Here we see St. Anne’s church and the pools of Bethesda and take a short walk through the Old City following the traditional via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, passing by Antonio’s Fortress. There we have free time in the Old City for those who would like to shop or visit the Church or the Holy Sepulchre. We visit the Western Wall and the Davidson Center (south steps of the Temple Mount).

We get off the ship as early as possible and make our way through the northern parts of Israel and the Sea of Galilee region. This is the area where many of Christ’s greatest teachings and miracles took place. If time permits, we start the morning at Caesarea Phillipi. We then visit Capernaum, where we see the remnants of the synagogue where Christ possibly taught. We discuss the miracles that took place here. We take a boat ride onto the Sea of Galilee and visit one the proposed sites for the Mount of Beatitudes. Lunch is included on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.