US Flights - Rome

Today depart your home cities and travel overnight to Rome.

Rome, Italy

Welcome to Rome! Upon our arrival into Rome, we will be met at the airport and begin our adventure and exploration of the Eternal City with a tour of the Vatican, including the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Tonight, we enjoy our welcome dinner and introductions.

Rome, Italy

Today we travel outside the "old city" of Rome to see the Rome Temple Visitor’s Center and Temple. For those who wish to do proxy work in the temple, time will be allotted to do so. Afternoon sightseeing includes old town Rome with Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. Evening at leisure.

Rome, Italy

This morning, we return to the LDS Rome Temple site to attend church services. This afternoon we complete our exploration of Rome with a guided tour of Imperial Rome with the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Evening at leisure.

Rome, Italy – Civitavecchia Cruise Port

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you board your coach to the cruise port city of Civitavecchia to board your awaiting ship.

Naples, Italy

With a skyline defined by towering Mount Vesuvius, Naples is a bustling Italian city brimming with beauty. Experience its rich neoclassical architecture at sites like Gesu Nuovo Church, with its lavish interior adorned with detailed frescoes, statues and gold inlay. Go even deeper into history at the San Gennaro catacombs, where Naples' first bishops were buried in the second century A.D. Walk along the Miglio Sacro ("Holy Mile") and people-watch your way through the cafes and shops of the Sanita district with a zuccherato (sweetened espresso) in hand. Jump onboard a Naples cruise and take the short bus ride to the base of Mount Vesuvius — it's an easy 20 to 30-minute hike will take you to the summit — and tour the ruins of Pompeii afterward. Tonight, we enjoy an onboard lecture with our religious teacher Anthony Sweat for those who'd like to join us.

Optional Private Group Shore Excursion in Pompeii (Naples) - $204 per person

Today our private group will be met at the port by our host to start our tour of the amazing town of Pompeii and discover this city hidden for hundreds of years under the ash of Mt Vesuvius. This city tells many stories of the ancient Romans and their lifestyle and will surely be a tour highlight for all. After an included lunch stop, we will travel back to the coast and discover why the Amalfi Coast captures many with its pastel-colored towns and thriving fishing port framed by the turquoise waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Sicily (Messina), Italy

Messina is Sicily's panoramic gateway — located on the northeastern corner of the island, the city just kisses the boot of mainland Italy's southern tip. Get lost among the patchwork of churches and antique palaces. The Messina Cathedral is in the heart of the city, and its famous bell tower houses the largest mechanical clock in the world — every day at noon, the statues move to Schubert's "Ave Maria." In front of this church, you'll find the Fontana di Orione, a 16th-century fountain that's a work of art in itself, with sculptures of figures from ancient mythology. Cruise to Sicily and take a leisurely walk to the Sacrario di Cristo Re, a hilltop church with panoramic views of the town and the surrounding mountains.

Optional Private Group Shore Excursion in Taormina (Messina, Sicily) - $230 per person

Visit Taormina and Castelmola on this tour from Messina. During a quick stop in the village of Castelmola, admire a view of the surrounding Sicilian landscape, including Mt Etna. Then head to Taormina to see sights like Isola Bella and the Greek Theatre. Browse local shops or bars, if you wish, and take a walk along Corso Umberto. Lunch in Taormina included.

Day at Sea

Enjoy your day at sea exploring the ship and all the fun areas it has to offer. Today we will also enjoy a faith-based devotional with Anthony Sweat for those who'd like to join us.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is one of the world’s most popular islands, known best for its dramatic scenery, whitewashed villages and fiery volcanic activity. Here adventure bubbles above the Aegean Sea in the most bold and breathtaking ways. A cable car takes you to the capital of Fira, a bustling cliff-top town awash with old cathedrals, enthralling museum collections and cozy tavernas. Venture to the coast for a swim in the deep blue waters that lap red and black pebbled beaches. And peel back layers of lava and history among excavated Akrotiri. Whether it’s by bicycle, ATV or on your own two feet, exploring this Cyclades Isle never fails to impress.

Optional Private Group Shore Excursion in Santorini, Greece - $195 per person

This morning, we meet at the Santorini port and start our sightseeing tour of this amazing island as we drive to the Black Sand Beach. Upon arrival you will have time for swimming or sunbathing on the included beach chairs before our group lunch. Next, we drive to Oia. Here our guide will teach us the history of the island and show us the best spots for pictures and then give us free time for shopping and exploring. After our free time, those who would like to go back to the ship will be transferred back to the port. Directions will be provided for those who would like to spend more time at Oia and return later to the ship on their own.

Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey

The UNESCO World Heritage ruins of Ephesus impress even those familiar with the world's other ancient cities. Though excavations have been underway for 150 years, only 20 percent of the city has been uncovered. Check out the the Celsus Library — built in 117 A.D., the site is made up of towering columns highlighted by the statue of the goddess of wisdom. Cruises to Ephesus will give you a taste of Turkish life by strolling the seafront promenade and the bustling city center. Walk Marble Street, paved with actual marble slabs, which takes you from downtown to the Temple of Artemis — you can still see one lone remaining column from this wonder of the ancient world.

Optional Private Group Shore Excursion in Ephesus, Turkey - $126 per person:

In Ephesus, we will depart the port of Kusadasi and drive to “Mary’s House” one of the believed sites of where Mother Mary, the virgin, may have lived and died after her son's crucifixion. From here we travel to the ancient site of Ephesus where Paul preached and converted many. It is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman sites with much to see and explore. After our included lunch stop, we will visit the Basilica of John before driving back to port Kasadasi. Here you will have free time for exploring and shopping before you board our awaiting ship.

Mykonos, Greece

Nestled in the heart of Greece’s Cyclades archipelago, Mykonos pulses with irrepressible energy. With its powder white houses, sparkling blue waters, and red-hot nightlife, The Island of the Winds is as colorful as the people who call the island home. You can walk narrow marble pathways laced with purple bougainvillea blooms or go cycling on two wheels past off-the-path Ano Mera village. Explore Greece’s maritime history at Armenistis Lighthouse and check out the Folklore Museum’s Mykonian ship models. Join in the raucous beach party on Super Paradise’s shimmering sands, or watch the sun burn out beyond an Aegean horizon from an open-air seaside taverna.

No Private Group Excursion Today

Athens (Piraeus), Greece – Corinth, Greece

After disembarkation from the ship, we drive to the ancient site of Corinth. We will follow in the footsteps of Paul, who spent time living in Corinth and wrote two letters to the Corinthians. Following the included lunch, we drive to Athens to visit the Acropolis of Athens and Marsh Hill. In Athens, it is all about Paul and Acts 17. As our guide gives us a wonderful tour of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and Mars Hill, your heart will start to race. We’ll hear Paul's sermon about the unknown Gods and climb to the top of the Parthenon and walk around the monumental ruins of the UNESCO-listed site.

Following dinner at our hotel, we will have our final devotional with Anthony Sweat.

Athens Airport - Flights Home

Today we return home with a heart full of the many spiritual and historical sites we've experienced that are forever part of us and memories to last a lifetime.