Paul’s Final Journey: Malta & Italy with Calvary Chapel Palm City and Pastor Josh Luecht

1. Day01

   Monday, November 23

   Depart the U.S.

   We board our motor-coach at Calvary Chapel Palm City and drive to the airport, as we depart the U.S. for Malta.

   Meals in flight. Overnight in flight.

   

2. Day02

   Tuesday, November 24

   Arrive in Malta

   We arrive in Malta, the sun-drenched Mediterranean island where the Apostle Paul made one of his most dramatic and unexpected stops. Shipwrecked on his voyage to Rome as a prisoner of the Empire, Paul spent three months here, healing the sick through the power of the Spirit and turning the people to Jesus (Acts 28:1-10). Your Maltese Tour Manager will meet you upon arrival.

   Dinner included. Overnight Malta. Hotel AX The Victoria or similar.

   

3. Day03

   Wednesday, November 25

   Mdina, Mosta & Rabat

   After breakfast, we spend a full day tracing the footsteps of Paul across this extraordinary island. We begin at St. Paul’s Bay, where tradition holds that the Apostle’s ship ran aground in the storm of Acts 27, and see the site of that famous shipwreck, one of the most vividly described sea disasters in all of ancient literature. We continue to the village of Rabat, where we visit St. Paul’s Church, a magnificent 17th-century place of worship built directly atop the Apostle Paul’s Grotto, the cave where Paul is believed to have sheltered and preached during his time on the island. Beneath the church, we descend into the Catacombs of St. Paul, a haunting labyrinth of 3rd-century subterranean tombs that stand as the earliest known archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. We see the 19th-century Rotunda of Mosta, one of the largest unsupported domes in the world and a breathtaking testament to Maltese faith and craftsmanship. We also visit the ancient Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Megalithic Temples, among the oldest freestanding structures on earth.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Malta. Hotel AX The Victoria or similar.

   

4. Day04

   Thursday, November 26

   Valletta & Ferry to Sicily

   After breakfast we check out and transfer to the walled capital of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage city of breathtaking grandeur. We take a guided walk through its storied streets, pausing at the Maltese Parliament Building and the striking City Gate, part of the bold Valletta Project designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano. We visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens for sweeping views over the Grand Harbour, one of the finest natural harbors in the Mediterranean. We see the Auberge de Castille (from outside), and then enter three of Valletta’s most sacred spaces: Domus Pauli, St. Paul’s Shipwreck Church, built to honor the Apostle whose presence transformed this island, and the magnificent St. John’s Co-Cathedral, one of the greatest Baroque interiors in all of Europe. In the late afternoon, we transfer to the port and board our ferry bound for Pozzallo in Sicily, continuing the route of Paul’s journey toward Rome.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Aci Castello area. Grand Hotel Faraglioni or similar.

5. Day05

   Friday, November 27

   Catania, Syracuse & Ortigia

   After breakfast, we travel to Syracuse, the ancient Sicilian city where Paul himself rested for three days on his final voyage to Rome (Acts 28:12). We visit the ancient theatre and the remarkable acoustic complex known as Dionysius’ Ear, a vast limestone quarry carved in the shape of an ear with extraordinary acoustic properties. We then cross into Ortigia, the fortified peninsula upon which ancient Syracuse was built, and visit the Church of St. Paul, dedicated to the Apostle’s visit to this very city. We also see the house of Archimedes and the Temple of Athena, one of the most remarkable examples of a pagan temple transformed into a Christian church. We explore the Jewish Quarter of the peninsula, with its ancient tombstones and rare Jewish ritual bath. If arrangements allow, we will hold a worship service in the open-air Church of St. John the Baptist.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Aci Castello area. Grand Hotel Faraglioni or similar.

6. Day06

   Saturday, November 28

   Mount Etna, Taormina & Reggio Calabria

   After breakfast, we ascend the slopes of Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe and a colossus that would have dominated the horizon for any ancient mariner sailing these waters, including Paul himself. We walk along the Silvestri Craters, taking in sweeping views of the coastal plain and the sea, gaining a sense of the geography of Paul’s remarkable journey. We then descend to Taormina, the crown jewel of ancient Sicily, the wealthiest and most cultured city of the island in Paul’s time. We walk its ancient streets, past the gymnasium and into the Jewish Quarter and the city’s beautiful gardens, imagining the world Paul moved through on his way to face Caesar in Rome. In the evening, we drive to Messina and board the ferry across the strait to Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland. This evening we enjoy a lecture on Paul and the Sea: the marine dimension of his missionary journeys, the ships of the ancient world, and the Roman sea deities Castor and Pollux.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Reggio Calabria. Grand Hotel Vittoria or similar.

   

7. Day07

   Sunday, November 29

   Reggio Calabria & Pozzuoli

   After breakfast we check out and begin the long drive north, retracing in hours what Paul and his escort would have traveled over many days on the ancient roads of Italy. With stops along the way to stretch and rest, we make our way to Pozzuoli, where the Apostle Paul set foot on Italian soil for the first time (Acts 28:13). Standing at the harbor where Paul himself once stood, we visit the site of his landing and the Pauline Plaque, marking this first station on the Italian mainland on his final journey toward Rome.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Pozzuoli. Hotel Agave or similar.

8. Day08

   Monday, November 30

   Pozzuoli, Pompeii, Caserta & Rome

   After breakfast we check out and make our way to Pompeii, the Roman city frozen in time by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, just decades after Paul passed through this region. Walking its perfectly preserved streets, forums, temples, and homes, we step into the living world of the 1st-century Roman Empire, the very civilization Paul navigated so masterfully in carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We visit the Palace of Caserta, which was commissioned by King Charles VII of Bourbon, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue toward Rome, arriving in time for dinner and overnight.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Rome. Hotel Degli Aranci or similar.

9. Day09

   Tuesday, December 1

   Colosseum, Roman Forum, Mamertine Prison, Catacombs & Florence

   Today we visit the Colosseum, the legendary ancient amphitheater that was the place of early Christian martyrdoms. We will also explore the Roman Forum, before making our way to the Mamertine Prison, where it is believed the Apostle Paul was once held. We will also experience the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. In the afternoon, we travel north to Florence for dinner and overnight.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Florence. Starhotel Vespucci or similar.

   

10. Day10

    Wednesday, December 2

    Florence

    After breakfast, we spend a full day exploring Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance and one of the greatest concentrations of art, architecture, and human creativity the world has ever produced. Our local guide leads us through the breathtaking Piazza della Signoria, across the Ponte Vecchio, and to the Church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi and Dante’s house, connecting us to the literary and spiritual heritage of medieval Christian Europe. In the afternoon we continue to the Piazza della Repubblica, the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (exterior), whose dome, engineered by Brunelleschi, remains one of the greatest architectural achievements in history, and the Basilica of San Lorenzo (exterior). We conclude our day at the Accademia Gallery, home of Michelangelo’s David.

    Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Florence. Starhotel Vespucci or similar.

    

11. Day11

    Thursday, December 3

    Florence, Venice & Mestre

    After an early breakfast we check out and depart Florence, making our way north to Mestre. We board a vaporetto to St. Mark’s Square, where our local guide leads us past the glittering Basilica of St. Mark and the Bridge of Sighs through the labyrinthine streets and canals of one of the most unique human creations on earth. The afternoon is yours to wander, explore, and shop in this extraordinary place. We reconvene for the return vaporetto to Tronchetto and transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

    Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Mestre. Hotel Antony or similar.

    

12. Day12

    Friday, December 4

    Return Home

    After a final breakfast, we check out and transfer to the airport. Later today we arrive back home, and board our transfer back to the church.

    Breakfast included.

More from our travelers →

• Miami (MIA)Included
• I plan to book my own flights−$1,300

• How much walking is there?Expect about 3 to 4 miles of walking on a typical touring day, much of it on cobblestones and uneven ancient paving in Valletta, Pompeii, Florence and Venice, with a walk along the Silvestri Craters on Mount Etna. The long drive north to Pozzuoli has very little walking. Arrival, flight and departure days have very little walking, and we travel between cities by motor coach.
• Traveling alone?You can have a room to yourself, with a single supplement of $750, or share a room. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a traveler of the same gender and a similar age. If no match is found, the single supplement applies.
• What will I spend beyond the price?Lunches (one is included), drinks at dinners, travel insurance if you choose it, the ETIAS travel authorization once it launches (expected to cost about 20 euros), and your own shopping. A typical lunch costs about $15 to $20. Tips are at your discretion: as a guide, $8 to $10 per person per day for your guide and $6 to $8 for your driver. We recommend paying for most things by credit card: cards are accepted almost everywhere you will go, and credit card purchases usually come with protection that cash does not. We suggest bringing a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies and small purchases. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (euros in Malta and Italy), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
• What if I need to cancel?Cancel in writing. Up to August 25, 2026 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
• Who is going?This expedition is organized for Calvary Chapel Palm City and led by Pastor Josh Luecht, Lead Pastor of Calvary Chapel Palm City.

More answers in our Traveler Support Center, or call us at (877) 234-3002.