Follow the Apostles
A Mediterranean Retreat
March 2028
10 nights. Greece & Italy. Lifelong friendships.
Not just a tour. It's a retreat into the world of the early church.
Pay in full today for $6,995, or put $100 down and split the rest into easy monthly payments.
More than a tour.
It's a retreat in the world of the Bible.
Philip's House takes Timberlake Church to the Mediterranean shores where the Apostles turned the world upside down, across Greece and Italy, and gives you space to encounter God there. Hotels near historic sites, guides who work alongside your pastor, and unhurried margin to stop, read, and pray where the Bible was written.
Activate
WALK like an apostle. Step on the pavement where Paul once stood and scan the same horizon he saw. Shake off the spectator and step into the story.
Meditate
PAUSE on location. Just five minutes of quiet where the Bible was written is enough to set you up for an encounter with Jesus.
Relate
MEET local believers. God is still at work in Greece and Italy today. Make friends with the followers of Jesus who live where Paul taught.
People come home changed.
Real reviews from real Philip's House travelers.
"This was definitely the trip of a lifetime. The accommodations, the food, the tours were top of the line. Our guide was historically and biblically knowledgeable and funny. We're going again in 2027!"
"Of all my trips to Israel this was the best by far — professional, kind, and knowledgeable from guide to photographer."
"A profound and enriching experience… memories that will last a lifetime. Highly recommended for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of Israel, its people, and its faith."
"I cannot put into words how life changing my time in Israel was. Philip's House had all the details planned out so all I had to do was rest in the presence of Jesus. I've changed because of my experience!"
"Philip's House gives you the time to stop, read your Bible, pray and let the Holy Spirit speak. Other tours rush you site to site — here you soak in the beauty and essence of the land. The Bible came alive and it really is true."
"Philip's House stayed the course with us through every reschedule and cancellation, and guided us through a difficult season until our trip finally happened. I would definitely go with Philip's House again and highly recommend others to do so."
The Journey
Greece to Italy
Two countries, one unfolding story. We begin in Thessaloniki, fly south to Athens and west to Rome, then travel by coach to the Bay of Naples and Pompeii before returning to Rome, tracing the gospel into Europe and on to the capital of the empire.
Day by Day
Itinerary
Click any day to explore what you will see. Follow the footsteps of the Apostles through Greece and Italy.
Depart from Seattle or your USA departure airport to connect with an international flight to Thessaloniki, Greece. (Airlines, flights, times, hotels, and sites are subject to change without notice.)
Arrive Thessaloniki (SKG). Met on arrival by our Greek guide, a private, air conditioned transfer takes us to our hotel on the seafront, minutes from the ancient Agora at the center of Paul's city.
The afternoon is at leisure to settle, rest, and shake off the flight, a deliberate buffer and not a tour.
In the evening, our welcome gathering and opening devotional: the journey ahead and the calling of Acts 1:8, the gospel from Jerusalem to the nations.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 1:8; Acts 16:6-10, the Macedonian call, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
Dinner: welcome dinner at the hotel (included).
- Overnight: Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki
The big picture first, then room to breathe.
Orientation morning at the hotel: the shape of the journey and the story we are stepping into.
A relaxed day in Thessaloniki, the city where Paul planted a church in three short weeks and to which he wrote his earliest letters. The seafront promenade and the White Tower are a short walk away.
Free time to explore the shops and restaurants of Thessaloniki at your own pace; dinner out on your own, a first taste of local flavor.
Scripture & Teaching: Matthew 28:16-20, the Masterplan of Jesus, the Great Commission worked out across the Mediterranean in Acts 16-18 and 28.
Dinner: a night out at your cost.
- Overnight: Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki
Where Europe first heard the gospel.
Drive to Philippi: the forum, the traditional site of Paul and Silas's imprisonment, and the ruins of the first Christian congregation on European soil (Acts 16).
At Lydia's Baptistry by the river, where the first European believer was baptized, we pause for teaching and the option of communion together by the water.
Continue to Kavala (ancient Neapolis), the port where Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke first stepped onto the continent.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 16:11-40, Lydia's conversion, the Philippian jailer, and midnight songs in prison; Philippians on joy in suffering.
Dinner: a night out at your cost.
- Overnight: Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki
Noble hearts that searched the Scriptures.
Berea (Veria) and St. Paul's Bema, honoring the Bereans who "received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day" (Acts 17:11).
Thessaloniki's biblical sites: the ancient Agora where Paul reasoned in the synagogue, the Via Egnatia and Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda, and St. Demetrius (Acts 17:1-9).
An afternoon flight south to Athens; evening arrival and orientation.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 17:1-15; 1 & 2 Thessalonians, the gospel under pressure, and the hope of Christ's return.
Dinner: at the hotel (included).
- Overnight: Amalia Hotel, Athens
The unknown God, made known.
The Acropolis and Parthenon for context, the Ancient Agora, and, the focus, the Areopagus (Mars Hill), where Paul addressed the philosophers of Athens.
We stand where Paul stood and read his sermon aloud on the rock itself: the altar "to an unknown god," now made known in Christ.
An early afternoon finish leaves free time in the Plaka for shops and fellowship, the unstructured time where friendships are made.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 17:16-34, "In him we live and move and have our being": Paul's engagement with culture and the call to repentance.
Dinner: a night out at your cost.
- Overnight: Amalia Hotel, Athens
A messy church Paul loved fiercely.
To ancient Corinth by way of the Isthmus and its dramatic canal. At the site: the Temple of Apollo, the marketplace, and the Bema where Paul stood trial before the proconsul Gallio (Acts 18).
Stop at Cenchreae, Corinth's eastern port, where Paul set sail and where Phoebe served the church (Romans 16:1).
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 18:1-18; 1 & 2 Corinthians, grace for a divided church, love (1 Cor 13), and resurrection hope (1 Cor 15).
Dinner: at the hotel (included).
- Overnight: Amalia Hotel, Athens
The road to Rome begins where Paul's did.
A morning flight Athens (ATH) to Rome (FCO). Met on arrival by our Italian guide, a private coach takes us south to Naples, with a panoramic tour of the city before checking in at our hotel.
Free time on the Bay of Naples, where Paul himself came ashore at Puteoli and found believers waiting for him (Acts 28:13-14).
Evening teaching: Paul's storm tossed voyage and shipwreck, and his arrival under guard in the capital of the world.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 27-28, the voyage, the shipwreck at Malta, and Paul "proclaiming the kingdom of God with all boldness" in Rome.
Dinner: at the hotel (included).
- Overnight: Starhotels Terminus, Naples
He came to the capital a prisoner, and a free man.
In the morning we visit the haunting ruins of Pompeii and travel back to AD 79, when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the prosperous Roman city in ash, leaving it preserved to our day. We see how people lived in the world of the New Testament and admire the frescoes and mosaics, with time for teaching and reflection.
Drive north to Rome. Orientation on foot: St. Peter's Square and the site of Peter's crucifixion (the Egyptian obelisk that stood in Nero's circus), then check in at our central hotel, walkable to the historic heart of the city.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 28:14-31, "And so we came to Rome"; Romans 1:8-17, the gospel Paul longed to preach in the capital.
Dinner: a night out at your cost.
- Overnight: Starhotels Metropole, Rome
Where the race was finished.
A full day through imperial and early Christian Rome: the Colosseum (exterior), the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, the context of empire and Christian witness.
The Mamertine Prison, where tradition holds Paul (and Peter) were held, is where we pause for teaching on the prison letters.
Out along the Via Appia Antica (the ancient Roman road) to the Catacombs of San Callisto, the resting place of the early church.
Scripture & Teaching: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"; Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, the prison epistles.
Dinner: a night out at your cost.
- Overnight: Starhotels Metropole, Rome
Time to wander together, then to be sent.
A genuine free day. An optional guided Vatican tour, the Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica, for those who want it; everyone else is free to explore, shop, rest, and linger over long lunches.
This unstructured time is not an afterthought; it is where the trip's friendships deepen into something that lasts.
In the evening, a farewell dinner at the hotel (included) with shared testimonies and a closing commissioning, returning to Acts 1:8, now as people who have walked it.
Scripture & Teaching: Acts 1:8 (revisited); 2 Timothy 4, finishing well and passing the gospel on.
Dinner: farewell dinner at the hotel (included).
- Overnight: Starhotels Metropole, Rome
Group transfer to Rome (FCO) for flights home, with new friends, a deeper love for the Word, and fresh courage for your calling.
What's Included
Group Air Travel
Return group airfare from Seattle, into Thessaloniki and home from Rome, booked and managed by Philip's House.
Hotels Near Historic Sites
10 nights in selected hotels chosen for comfort and closeness to the history (double occupancy).
Breakfast & 5 Dinners
Daily breakfast, plus dinner at the hotel on five evenings. Five dinners out are yours to explore local cooking.
All Internal Flights
The Thessaloniki to Athens and Athens to Rome flights are both included.
Private Motor Coach
A deluxe, air conditioned coach with a professional driver for all touring in Greece and Italy.
Expert Guides & Teaching
Vetted, believing local guides in each country, working alongside your Philip's House teaching leader.
Every Site Admission
All entrance fees to the sites and museums on the itinerary, no surprise costs along the way.
Airport Transfers
Every arrival and departure transfer, with an English speaking assistant to meet you.
What's Not Included
Lunch
To keep your daily touring plan flexible lunch is at your own cost.
Selected Dinners
Five evening meals are left open for you to explore local restaurants in historic cities at your own cost.
Tips
Plan about $25 per day to tip those who help serve you.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing a policy before you travel. See options at squaremouth.com/23118. Find coverage options.
Please review the retreat terms and conditions for the Mediterranean retreat. Terms & Conditions.
Hotels Near the History
Four hand-picked hotels, each chosen for comfort and for how close it puts you to the sites you came to see.
Makedonia Palace
On the Thessaloniki seafront, minutes from the ancient Agora, the Arch of Galerius, and the Rotunda at the center of Paul's city.
Visit Hotel Website →Amalia Hotel
Facing the National Garden in central Athens, a short stroll from the Plaka, the Acropolis, and Mars Hill where Paul preached.
Visit Hotel Website →Starhotels Terminus
Beside Napoli Centrale in the heart of Naples, classic Italian elegance with a rooftop terrace looking across the city to Mount Vesuvius, and an easy base for the morning drive to Pompeii.
Visit Hotel Website →Starhotels Metropole
Steps from the historic heart of Rome, within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the basilicas of the early church.
Visit Hotel Website →Thinking about it, but…
"Is it worth it?"
Follow the maps at the back of your Bible. This trip is designed as an investment into your relationship with Jesus that will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Step on the set of the Bible. Meet local believers. Return home with fresh faith.
"Can I afford it?"
Pay in full today for $6,995, or put $100 down and split the rest into easy monthly payments. Either way it's all inclusive: airfare, hotels, breakfasts & five dinners, transport, expert guides, and site admissions.
"I've never done this."
You won't go alone. You travel with your own Timberlake family and pastor, led by an expert guide who handles every detail, so all you do is show up and encounter God.
Your moment
in the story is waiting.
Thousands dream of walking where Bible heroes walked yet never go. Reserve your spot with Timberlake today. Secure your place with a deposit, and pay the rest on your schedule.
Pay in full today for $6,995, or put $100 down and split the rest into easy monthly payments.
Reserve Your SpotQuestions? (800) 802-0747 · hello@philipshouse.com
Philip's House LLC · PO Box 152, Snohomish, WA 98291 · philipshouse.com
Try travel insurance options here.
Terms for Israel Travel · Terms for Mediterranean Travel
Philip's House is a bridge to Israel and greater influence.
ENCOUNTER GOD IN ISRAEL.
Tour Israel. It's Real.™