Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight. Meals will be served on board. Be sure to take some time to meditate about the life-changing journey upon which you are embarking.

Arrive at Istanbul Airport, claim your baggage and exit the customs area into the arrivals hall, where you will meet your tour guide and/or driver. You will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul. There will be a welcome briefing followed by dinner and a restful overnight.

Following breakfast, we will begin our full day guided tour exploring the ancient city, including the magnificent Topkapi Palace (the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans) and the Byzantine Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races. We will visit St. Sophia Basilica, the historic seat of the Byzantine Church. Built in 360 A.D., this church is now a museum, whose mosaics, stained glass windows, and decorated domes have been crafted to create breathtaking beauty. Enjoy a short walk through the gardens and proceed to the Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet the First, built in 1616, famous for its unparalleled ceramic tile work. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, we will visit the Galata Tower and Bridge. Many Catholic churches are located in the Galata District. We will visit the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, the most prestigious Catholic church in Istanbul. It was originally built on this site in 1725 but was demolished in the early 20th century to make way for a tramway. The church was rebuilt by the architect, Giulio Mongeri, and completed in 1912. After Mass, you will have time for lunch and then visit the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. This is an historic parish of the Georgian Greek Catholic Church in the Istanbul district of Bomonti. We will also stop at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, important for historical reasons. The church owns an icon of the Virgin of the Hodegetria type, which originally came from a Dominican church in Caffar, Crimea. We will end our day with a visit to the Grand Covered Bazaar, a maze of streets and shops featuring the aroma of the stalls and the sounds of old Turkey. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

This morning we will take a short flight to Kayseri and visit the “moon-like” topography and unique landscape of Cappadocia. We will visit the underground city of Kaymakli, where thousands of early Christians lived concealed from persecutors in eight-story complexes of subterranean dwellings. We will enjoy picturesque views of this ancient and historic land as we make our way to our hotel. We will enjoy dinner and a restful overnight in Nevsehir.

Early in the morning you may experience an optional hot-air balloon ride. Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most fanciful and recognizable landscapes. During the balloon ride, take in a unique panorama with fairy-tale chimneys in the light of dawn. Following breakfast we will visit the famous Goreme “open-air museum.” Goreme features chapels carved by early Christians and decorated with frescoes dating from the sixth and tenth centuries. After this unforgettable experience, you will continue on a short drive to Uchisar Castle, the most panoramic point in Cappadocia. This afternoon we will drive to Konya. Paul and Barnabas visited the city on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:51-14:7). Here they preached in the synagogue and then in the city. Paul revisited the city on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:2) and probably his third journey as well. In the center of the modern city of Konya, directly on the hill on which the ancient city of Iconium stood, is the Church of St. Paul, built in 1910 by the Sultan for the numerous Catholic workers on the Anatolian Railway. Dinner and overnight in Konya.

After breakfast we drive to Pisidian Antioch. The history of Pisidian Antioch goes back to some time between 310-280 BCE. The first Biblical reference to this city is Paul’s mention of it in Acts 13:14-16. In this city’s synagogue, he preached his first recorded sermon during his first missionary journey. We continue to Pamukkale, the white cotton castle formed by lime cascades. Enjoy a leisurely bath in the warm mineral waters of your hotel’s thermal pools before dinner and a restful night’s sleep.

Today we will enjoy a full day excursion and visit the ancient city of Hierapolis, meaning “sacred city,” Philip the Evangelist’s home. Tour the extensive necropolis, churches, and baths. We continue with a scenic drive to Laodicea, located in the Lycus River Valley of Western Asia Minor, a primary trade route between the cultures of the West and the East. This was described as a “lukewarm” church with a faith that was neither hot nor cold (Rev. 3:14-22). Continue to nearby Colossae, which is well known throughout Christian circles as the receiver of the letter of Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. The town has fallen into obscurity and nothing remains. Return to Pamukkale for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for Ephesus, which was the most influential capital city of Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea. “Ephesus receives praise for its perseverance” (Rev. 2:1-7). You will explore some of the best-preserved theaters, fountains, and buildings in the world. We then visit the House of the Virgin Mary, which was miraculously discovered hidden on a wooded hilltop. This is a pilgrimage site which has been accepted by the Vatican. Finally, visit the Basilica of St. John, which stands over the believed burial site of St. John,w ho is identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the fourth gospel), and prophet (author of the Book of Revelation). Continue to Izmir, where our day ends with dinner and overnight.

Our day starts with a visit to the site of Philadelphia, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 3:7-13). Christ told those who overcame that He would write upon them “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the New Jerusalem” (Rev. 3:12). Continue on to Sardis, another of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Jesus told Sardis, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead” (Rev. 3:1-6). The church of Sardis was described as dead and it was called to wake up. Sardis is located on the banks of the Pactolus River in Western Asia Minor. We continue to Thyatira, known for its textiles and dyeing trade. It is now known as the Turkish city of Akhisar. It is “praised for its increasing faith and service” (Rev. 2:18-29). Return to Izmir for dinner and overnight.

We wake up in the modern Turkish city of Izmir. It was called “Smyrna” in ancient times, and it was in a powerful trading position on the Aegean Sea, known for its harbors, commerce, and marketplace. Visit the archeological remains of the Agora, an ancient Roman marketplace, located in the heart of the city. It was originally built in the fourth century BCE and later expanded by the Romans. The site features impressive ruins, including colonnaded streets, a large courtyard, and the remains of various public buildings. The Agora served as a central hub for commerce, politics, and social activities in ancient times. Today it stands as a significant historical site and a popular attraction for visitors interested in exploring Izmir’s rich history and ancient architecture. Continue to Pergamum, located on the plains and foothills along the Caicus River in western Turkey. The city is “praised for its martyrdom and perseverance but those who hold false teachings are criticized” (Rev. 2:12-17). Here you will see the Acropolis, famous for Greek and Roman temples, as well as the unique Greek theater built into the steep hillside. You will also visit the Asclepion, an ancient medical center for the Greeks. Return to Izmir for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home to the USA, filled with memories of a spiritually enriching journey.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.