Footsteps of Apostle Paul from Athens to Corinth, Private Day Tour





Description
This tour gives us the opportunity to visit and explore the places where St. Paul preached to the ancient Greeks in Athens and Corinth, in a day. The tour starts by visiting the “Areos Pagos” (literally, Mars Hill) at the foot of the Acropolis. Continuing our tour to our next stop, the “Agora”, we’ll have the opportunity of a sightseeing in the centre of Athens. (Temple of Zeus-1896 Olympic stadium-Presidential Palace-Greek Parliament-Changing of the Guards). With our visit to the “Agora” we conclude the Athens part of our tour and we continue to visit Corinth and the Corinth Canal. The Canal (approx. 6 km long connecting the Aegean with the Ionian Sea)where we have a brief stop for photos. Then we visit Ancient Corinth where we visit the museum and the archaeological site where the “Bema” is. We conclude our tour in Corinth with lunch in a traditional Greek taverna and we start our return trip to Athens via Kechries, the port of Corinth from where St. Paul sailed to Ephessus.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Areopagus is a prominent rock outcropping located northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. In pre-classical times (before the 5th century BC), the Areopagus was used as the council of elders of the city. In classical times, it functioned as the court system. In Roman times, it was from this location, drawing from the potential significance of the Athenian altar to the Unknown God, that the Apostle Paul is said to have delivered the famous speech. The term “Areopagus” also refers to the judicial body that subsequently formed the higher court of modern Greece.
The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice. The site was occupied without interruption in all periods of the city's history. It was used as a residential and burial area as early as the Late Neolithic period (3000 B.C.). Early in the 6th century, in the time of Solon, the Agora became a public area. Here, Apostle Paul preached Christianity for the first time to Greeks in 51 A.D.
The temple of Olympian Zeus (124-132 AD) had three rows of eight columns (tripteral octastyle) on the two narrow sides and two rows of twenty columns (dipteral eikosastyle) on the long sides. It once housed the chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus and the statue of the emperor. Sixteen of the temple's columns survive today, thirteen of them, on the east side, intact. Of the remaining three on the west side, one collapsed in 1852.
It was originally a natural hollow part of the ground between the two hills of Agra and Ardettos, over Ilissos river. It was transformed into a stadium by Lykourgos in 330-329 BC for the athletic competitions of the Great Panathinaea Festivities. Between 140 and 144 AD, Herodes Atticus restored the Stadium, giving it the form that was found at the 1870 excavation: the horseshoe construction with a track 204,07 meters long and 33,35 meters wide. It is believed that the Stadium had a seating capacity of 50.000 people. Separating scales were built between the tiers and on the base of the sphendone there was a portico with Doric-style columns; another portico was placed in the stadium's facade. At the Roman times, the Stadium was used as an arena, with the addition of a semi-circular wall on the north that was corresponding to the sphendone of the southern side.
The triumphal arch lies on an ancient street that led from the old city of Athens to the new, Roman section, built by Hadrian. It was constructed by the Athenians in A.D. 131, in honor of their benefactor emperor. Two inscriptions are carved on the architrave, one on each side: the first, on the side towards the Acropolis reads "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus"; the second, on the other side, facing the new city reads "This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus".
Also known as Constitution Square, Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos) is a huge public plaza stretching out in front of Athens’ parliament building. Gleaming with white marble and beautiful statues, it’s a great place for people watching. Many of the city's most important streets begin here, including Ermou Street and Vassilissis Sofias Avenue.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the House of the Greek Parliament. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during war. It was sculpted between 1930 and 1932 by sculptor Fokion Rok. The tomb is guarded 24-7 by the Evzones (Presidential Guards).
Changing of the Guard ceremonies take place at the Presidential Mansion and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is off Syntagma Square below the Hellenic Parliament. The Changing the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in particular has become a popular tourist attraction in Athens.
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy's main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is a public university in Athens, Greece
The National Library of Greece is situated near the center of city of Athens. It was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, as part of his famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens University.
The Corinth Canal is one of the oldest man-made canals in the world and a very important navigational route in the Greek archipelago connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. The canal’s position, thereby also separates the peninsula of Peloponnese – conveniently converting it into an island – with the Greek mainland. And, while the Greece canal is quite narrow, it is a fact that the canal is a vital lifeline for ships wanting to enter the Aegean Sea. Spanning a distance of 6.3 kilometres, the Corinth Canal has a depth of 26 feet and its width alters between a minimum of 69 feet and a maximum of 82 feet at the bottom and at the surface respectively. Surrounded by walls standing at a height of 170 feet, the canal helps a ship to save a journey of 185 nautical miles.
The apostle Paul first visited the city in AD 49 or 50, when Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was proconsul of Achaia.[57] Paul resided here for eighteen months (see Acts 18:11). Here he first became acquainted with Priscilla and Aquila with whom he later traveled. They worked here together as tentmakers (from which is derived the modern Christian concept of tentmaking), and regularly attended the synagogue. In AD 51/52, Gallio presided over the trial of the Apostle Paul in Corinth. This event provides a secure date for the book of the Acts of the Apostles within the Bible. Silas and Timothy rejoined Paul here, having last seen him in Berea (Acts 18:5).
In ancient times, Kechries was one of the two ports of Corinth. This is the port from where St. Paul sailed to Ephessus.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Traveler pickup is offered Pick up time can be scheduled according to your preferences. Please make your request at the special requirement’s section & we will contact you after your booking. Travelers can be picked up from all Athens centre & Piraeus Hotels and Piraeus Cruise Port. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points. For pickup from Airbnb or any other location/apartment, please provide the exact address. Please note that in case the requested pickup location is in a pedestrian zone or it is not accessible by cars/vehicles, we will notify you, upon booking, of the best alternative pick up location. Please be at the meeting point 5-10min before your scheduled pickup time, in case parking or waiting time for your driver is limited. Piraeus Ferry Port Piraeus, Athens Drop off is at the same location as pick up
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Our company complies with all the health instructions of the World Health Organization about COVID-19.
- Please note that your personal professional driver, will provide commentary in fluent English, en-route but cannot enter the archaeological sites. We can arrange for you to have a private licensed guide to escort you in the sites, at an extra cost, depending always on the availability. You may contact us on the phone number or by the email provided by Viator and we will confirm accordingly.
- The proposed itinerary may need to be adjusted in case of emergencies or special circumstances that are out of our control (e.g. extreme weather conditions, police instructions, safety reasons etc).
Reviews(63)
Apostle was the most kind and accommodating private guide. Excellent driving ( with A/C!) and great information, He was polite, interesting and engaging with everyone in our group. We even had 2 under the weather family members -he found a pharmacy and shuttled us back and forth to the hotel for rest. After hitting the Acropolis area, museum and Plaka, we ended our day with wonderful drive up to the tip top of Athens for a Birds Eye view of the city. He gave us full rein on what, where, and for how long we wanted to see the sights.
Maki’s not only gave us the tour we purchased, but went out of his way to be sure we had seen the parts of Athens that connected the history to our time in Corinth. He was super knowledgeable and friendly too! You’re quite fortunate to get him as a tour specialist, because he answered so many related questions to the interconnected aspects of philosophers and how the Apostle Paul’s journey was affected.
George was wonderful. His extensive knowledge is impressive. His comfortable style was inviting to questions and he took the time to do what we preferred. Lunch was not only very tasty but the view was exceptional. Highly recommend George as a guide!
This is the perfect way to tour a new area of the world. Our guide/driver was courteous and knowledgeable. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour and the knowledge we acquired. We highly recommend a private tour when visiting new areas in the world.
We had an incredible private “Footsteps of Paul” tour in Athens and Ancient Corinth with Yannis as our guide. He was extremely friendly, made our trip very comfortable, and was so knowledgeable about both ancient Greek history and biblical history. His explanations brought everything to life and made the experience so meaningful and memorable. This tour was truly one of the highlights of our time in Athens. We highly recommend this experience, and especially Yannis as your tour guide!
This tour was amazing. Our driver was Yannis. He was very knowledgeable and informed us of many details through the tour. He even had maps and other graphs to help him explain things. He also made recommendations for food which was heIpful. greatly appreciated his professionalism and knowledge. I would recommend requesting him as a driver. The company was very good to work with and communicated well
Oh my heavens! What a spectacular tour! We hit it off with Lambros right away! He wisely took us to Corinth first, then back to Athens to see all the ruins and all the sites. Soooo much information. He was soo knowledgeable and so personable. He could answer any question about the city, the country and about the archaeology. He even gave us the GREATEST lunch recommendation. I highly recommend this tour and especially if Lambros is your guide. ❤️
We had a fabulous day with Yannis touring in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul - the Corinth Canal, Paul's first landing spot in Greece, The Archeological Museum of Ancient Corinth, the Acropolis of Corinth, etc. Yannis also recommended a delightful place for lunch in Ancient Corinth. All in all a wonderful day and way to end our trip to Greece and Turkey.
Our Footsteps of Apostle Paul private day tour from Athens to Corinth was an absolutely unforgettable experience, made truly exceptional by our incredible guide, Konstantinos. From the moment we left Athens, Konstantinos made us feel welcome and completely at ease. His knowledge, passion, and storytelling brought every stop along the journey to life. The drive itself was smooth and comfortable, with beautiful scenery along the way and insightful commentary that deepened our understanding of the historical and spiritual significance of the route. Our first major stop at the Corinth Canal was breathtaking—Konstantinos gave us plenty of time to take in the views and explain its fascinating history. Visiting the baptist site at the ancient port of Kenchreae was particularly moving, and his explanations helped us truly appreciate its importance in Apostle Paul’s journey. We also enjoyed a lovely, relaxed lunch break at a local spot Konstantinos recommended—delicious food and a great chance to recharge before continuing the tour. Exploring the Acropolis of Corinth was a highlight, with stunning views and rich history at every turn. Konstantinos shared so many interesting details that we would have otherwise missed. Finally, visiting St. Paul’s Church in Corinth was a meaningful and reflective way to end the day. What truly set this tour apart was Konstantinos himself—professional, friendly, deeply knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what he does. He went above and beyond to ensure we had a memorable and enriching experience. We highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in history, culture, or faith—and if you can, ask for Konstantinos. He truly made the day special.
George was fantastic! He was so very knowledgeable and friendly. Funny too! He showed us everything we wanted to see and things we didn't know we needed to see but were so happy we did! We truly enjoyed this adventure and would absolutely recommend it to anybody interested in not only history but biblical history. THANK YOU GEORGE!



