Footsteps of Apostle Paul in Biblical Athens and Corinth Tour

The tour starts with a visit to the ancient Athenian Agora.
The agora was considered to be the heart and soul of Athens during the city’s peak, having the role of a business, political, and legal center.
When Apostle Paul arrived in Athens around 50 A.D., the city was a renowned center of philosophy, culture, and learning — home to the great schools of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. His visit is described in detail in the Book of Acts (Acts 17:15–34).

As Paul walked through the city, he was struck by the multitude of temples and idols dedicated to various gods. According to the Book of Acts (Acts 17:22–23), Paul saw the altar “to an unknown god” in Athens, likely near or on the slopes of the Areopagus (Mars Hill), or within the Agora.

His spirit was moved, and he began to reason daily in the Agora of Athens, the bustling marketplace and heart of civic life, where philosophers, merchants, and citizens gathered to debate new ideas.

Curious about his teaching, some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers invited Paul to present his message at the Areopagus (Mars Hill), a rocky outcrop beneath the Acropolis that served as the meeting place of the ancient city council and a forum for public discourse.

This will be the second stop of the tour.

Here, Paul delivered one of his most famous sermons — the “Areopagus Address.” Speaking to the Athenians about their altar “to an unknown god,” he declared that this “unknown” God was the one true Creator of heaven and earth. Paul called the people to turn away from idolatry and to seek a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, whom He had raised from the dead.

Although his message met with mixed reactions — some mocked, others were curious, and a few became believers — Paul’s speech at the Areopagus remains one of the most powerful examples of Christian engagement with Greek philosophy and culture.

Our tour continues with a 45-mile drive on the National Highway towards Peloponnese.

On our way, we reach the well-known Corinthian canal or else Isthmus canal that connects the Saronic and the Corinthian Sea.

After a short stop for pictures, we will continue with a ten-minute drive through orange and lemon tree fields arriving at the remains of the ancient port of Kechries - one of the two ports of Corinth, serving the eastern trade routes via the Saronic Gulf.

Corinth was a bustling, wealthy city known for its commercial prosperity and moral decadence, located strategically on the Isthmus connecting mainland Greece with the Peloponnese.

The port was likely a starting point for Paul when he left Corinth on his third missionary journey heading towards Ephesus (Acts 18:18).

From there, we will head to the village of Examilia, about a 10-minute drive, following the route Apostle Paul traveled on foot during his time in Corinth.
We will then stop at the small nearby Church of Apostle Paul in Ancient Corinth, before heading to the ancient Corinth archaeological site.

There you will see the Bema (step), which is in the ancient agora of Corinth, from where Apostle Paul conveyed the faith to Jesus to the ancient city in the most emphatic of ways.

Paul stayed in Corinth for approximately 18 months during his second missionary journey, around 50–52 AD (Acts 18:1-18). To support himself financially, Paul worked as a tentmaker alongside his ministry (Acts 18:3), a trade he learned earlier.

His letters to the Corinthians are among the earliest Christian writings, offering insight into the early church’s life and theology. His famous 1st Epistle to the Corinthians is a text that still inspires people and is among the most beautiful texts of Christianity.

Since you will already be inside the archaeological site, you may also wish to visit the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth, which, although it does not contain artifacts directly related to Paul, houses an extensive collection of finds from the surrounding region.

Within the site, you can also see the Temple of Apollo, dedicated to the god of oracles and the sun. Built around 560 B.C.E., it is one of the earliest Doric temples on the Greek mainland. Nearby stand the remains of the Roman baths, a substantial bathing complex from the Roman period.

Our final stop will be at the Metropolitan Church of Apostle Paul in modern Corinth, the city’s impressive cathedral dedicated to its patron saint. The church was built in the 1930s on the site of an older church that was destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 1928.

At the end of the tour, you will enjoy lunch at a traditional Greek restaurant in Corinth, where you can savor authentic Greek cuisine with its unique Mediterranean flavors.

Finally, we will drive back to Athens.