Depart USA for your overnight flight to Istanbul. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board. Be sure to take some time to meditate about the life-changing journey upon which you are embarking.

Upon arrival in Istanbul Airport you will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by our tour escort and/or driver. You will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul. Attend a welcome briefing. Dinner and a restful overnight.

Following breakfast, we begin our full day of the old City with a guided tour exploring the ancient city including the magnificent Topkapi Palace (main residences of Ottoman Sultans) and the Byzantine Hippodrome that was the scene of chariot races. Around the corner we will visit St. Sophia Basilica, historic seat of the Byzantine church, built in 360 AD and now a museum whose mosaics, stained glass windows and decorated domes have been crafted to create an environment of breathtaking beauty. Enjoy a short walk-through garden and proceed to the Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet 1 built in 1616, famous for its unparalleled ceramic tile work. Dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, and Mass we will travel to the ancient sites of Iznik town. Nicaea, famous as the host of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, and location of the 1st and 7th Ecumenical Councils. Iznik also served as the capital of “Empire of Nicaea”, as a political and cultural center for 50 years during the Sack of Constantinople when Constantinople was in the hands of the Fourth Crusade. Upon arrival in Nicaea, you will visit Hagia Sophia Nicaea, the Iznik Tile Kilns, the Amphitheatre of Nicaea and the ruins of the church of Koimesis. 2025 will be the 1700^th Anniversary of the world’s first ecumenical council! The group will have the opportunity to meet with a faculty member from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, professor Haluk Cetinkaya who has published a book on Iznik. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Following breakfast, we will visit the Galata Tower and Bridge. In the Galata district many Catholic Churches are located. We will visit The Basilica of St Anthony of Padua, the most prestigious Catholic Church in Istanbul, originally built on this site in 1725, but was demolished in the early 20th Century, in order to make way for a tramway. The church was rebuilt by the architect, Giulio Mongeri and completed in 1912. Celebrate Mass. Following lunch visit The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is a historic parish of the Georgian Greek Catholic Church in the district of Bomonti of the Istanbul district of Şişli. We also will stop by SS Peter and Paul is a Catholic church in Istanbul, important for historical reasons. The church owns an icon of the Virgin of the Hodegetria type, which originally lay in a Dominican church in Caffa, Crimea. Ending our day with a visit of the Grand Covered Bazaar, a maze of streets and shops aroma and 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 Derinkuyu.  Derinkuyu’s architecture is a marvel of ancient engineering, featuring extensive tunnel systems, ventilation shafts, and access points that ensure stability and livability. The city is carved from the soft volcanic rock of the region, which provides both insulation and malleability. After being underground it will be time to enjoy the wide-open spaces with a short stroll through Meskendir Valley. We will enjoy the 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 Cappadocia.

For those who are interested in the excursion of Hot Air Ballooning, you will be given the chance to do this before sunrise this morning and be back in enough time to join the tour. Cappadocia is one of the most mesmerizing and magical landscapes you will ever witness in your life and what better way than to capture it all from the air. Your day continues with a visit to the famous historical site of the Open-Air Museum. Here you can wander into the private dwellings to enjoy the ancient frescos that have been left from the Christian settlements of ancient times. While you are immersing yourself in the history of the area, you will also get to visit Avanos, which is famous for its pottery production. Visit one of the workshops that date back to as far as 3000 B.C. to watch the artists at their work.

Today you will visit Ihlara Valley and Nearby Sites. St. George Church (Kirk Dam Alti Kilise), known for its pilgrimage history and detailed frescoes. You will also visit Snake Church (Yilanli Kilise) that features a fresco of St. George and the dragon, Agacalti Church (Church Under the Tree), notable for its depiction of Ascension, Sumbullu Church (Hyacinth Church), striking frescoes and views of the canyon. Time permitting you will visit Monastery of St. Nicholas Near Guzelyurt, which offers insight into early Christian monastic life.

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 with its chapels carved by early Christians and decorated with frescoes dating from the 6th and 10th centuries is an unforgettable experience. Continue on a short drive to the Uchisar Castle which is the panoramic watching point 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 the city. Paul revisited the city on his second (Acts 16:2) and probably third journeys. In the center of the modern city of Konya, directly on the hill on which the ancient Iconium was located stands 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 sometime between 310-280 BC. The first Biblical reference to this city is Paul’s mention of it in Acts 13:14-16 as the synagogue from which he preached his first recorded sermon during his first missionary journey. We continued 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 have 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 East. “The “lukewarm” church with a faith that’s neither hot nor cold” (Rev. 3:14-22). Continue to nearby Colossae, which is well-known throughout Christian circles as the receiver of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Today, 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 is the most influential capital city of Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea. “Ephesus receives praise for its perseverance” (Rev. 2:1-7). You will explore some of the best-preserved theatres, fountains and buildings in the world. We then visit the House of the Virgin Mary which was miraculously discovered hidden on a wooded hilltop. A pilgrimage site for many which has also been accepted by the Vatican. Finally visit the Basilica of St. John which stands over the believed burial site of St. John, who is identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel) and prophet (author of Revelation). Continue on to Izmir were our day ends with dinner and overnight.

Our day starts with visit the site of Philadelphia also 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 New Jerusalem.” (Rev.3:12). Continue onto Then 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). Sardis, located on the banks of the Pactolus River in western Asia Minor. “The church of Sardis is described as dead, and it must wake up. We continue on 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. In ancient times “Smyrna”, as it was called, was in a powerful trading position on the Aegean Sea known for its harbors, commerce, and marketplaces. Visit the archeological remains of the Agora. The Agora in Izmir is an ancient Roman marketplace located in the heart of the city. It was originally built in the 4th 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 & Roman Temples as well as the unique Greek theatre built into the steep hillside. Also visit the Asclepion, the 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.

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