Bible Lands Cruise – Journeys of Paul

We are offering a pre-cruise hotel & transfer which includes a half-day tour of the Athenian Riviera. (March 24-25)

Lectures at sea.

Today we travel to northern Israel and the Sea of Galilee region. We visit Capernaum, where we see the remnants of a synagogue where Christ might have taught. We take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit one of the proposed sites for the Mount of Beatitudes. We see Magdala (hometown of Mary Magdalene) and enjoy a fish lunch. If time permits, we visit Mt. Carmel and discuss the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal. $350 per person if paying by check. Price includes all 3 days of Israel tours.

We begin our tour atop the Mount of Olives where we enjoy a panoramic view of the the Old City. We then walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane. We continue our journey by entering the Old City beginning at the Biblical pools of Bethesda and St. Anne's Church. We walk down a portion of the Via Dolorosa. We enjoy time on our own to explore and eat lunch. We head to the Western Wall and the southern steps of the temple mount & the Dome of the Rock. We pass through Hezekiah's tunnel to the pools of Shiloam. We stop at an olive wood shop before returned to our ship.

We start the morning on Mount Zion and visit the House of Caiaphas and Church of Gallicantu. From there we walk to the Room of the Last Supper, which is the place many believe to be the actual site of the Last Supper. We will visit the BYU Jerusalem Center, if it is open. Then we head to the sites traditionally recognized as the Garden Tomb & Golgatha. Before heading back to the ship, we stop in Bethlehem and see the traditional location of Christ's birth and visit a shepherd's field.

Lectures 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. $250 per person if paying by check. Price includes both Alexandria and Cairo tours.

Today we board a bus and journey to Cairo. It takes 3 hours and we have the opportunity to see what Egypt looks like outside of the populated cities. We visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest museum for Egyptian Antiquities in the whole world. We spend several hours there. We enjoy an Egyptian lunch together. Then we head to Giza to see the famous Pyramids area and the Sphinx. These are the only survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We hop on our bus and journey back to the port and our ship.

Lectures at sea.

Today our tour takes us to one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world, Ephesus. We tour the terrace houses that are part of the Ephesus site. We see the Odeon, the marble street where Paul held daily discussions, the Library of Celcus, the Temple of Hadrian and the great theater. We will spend several hours strolling through this site. Following this we board the bus for a quick photo stop at the Artemision or Temple of Artemis. We return to the port at Kusadasi and you have the option of remaining on land for shopping or boarding the ship and relaxing. $70 per person, if paying by check.

We start our exciting day with a one-hour scenic bus ride to visit ancient Corinth where Paul arrived in 51 AD. We take a look at the famous Corinth Canal and enjoy lunch featuring authentic Greek cuisine. We then head back to Athens where we visit the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, Erechteion, Temple of Athena Nike and more. We will also be able to see Mars Hill where Paul once preached. We drive by other interesting sites as we make our way back to our ship. Please note this does not include a transfer from the ship to the airport. $130 per person, if paying by check. Lunch is included.

Disembark in Athens and depart home. Arrange your own transfer to the airport.