Greece & Turkey Tours

12 Days in the Footsteps of Paul in Asia Minor

including "The Seven Churches of Revelation"

Join Us on this Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience!
via Swiss Air

DAY 1 – USA TO TURKEY
Your trip begins today as you board your international flight for Istanbul.

DAY 2 – ISTANBUL
You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel for overnight.

DAY 3 – ISTANBUL / ADANA
The bejeweled capital of Istanbul sits between two continents and is home to 450 mosques. Visit the famous Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and sparkling interior. You will visit the Topkapi Palace, once home to royal Sultans. Inside you will see the fabled jewels of the Treasury, delicate displays of Chinese porcelain in the Kitchen Quarters and the provocative Harem Quarters. Walk through St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia) which for a thousand years was the largest church in Christendom. Built by Justinian (532-537AD), the church has 107 columns, fossil imbedded white marble floors and beautiful glass mosaics. Today it is the museum of Byzantine Art. Catch a whiff of cinnamon cloves, thyme, and other exotic spices as you explore the Grand Bazaar. Over 4,000 shops sell everything from herbs to gold. This afternoon fly to Adana, known as the biggest village in Turkey due to its rural atmosphere. Adana is also home to the 5,000 U.S. service men and women at Incirlik Airbase. Overnight in Adana.

DAY 4 – ADANA / ANTIOCHTARSUS / MERSIN
Following your visit to Antioch, drive over Adana to the town of Tarsus which was the birthplace of Paul (Acts 22:3). He had visited there on his second and third missionary journeys. Visit the side St. Paul's well, Kleopatra Gate and continue to Mersin for overnight.

Day 5 – MERSIN / KONYA / ANTALAYA
Drive along the Mediterranean coast line. Passing the ancient sites of Pompeipolis, Conycos, Silifke, continue to Konya. Stop for a short visit of Mevlana Tomb of the Whirling Dervishes. Continue over the Taurus Mountains to the south. Dinner and overnight in Antalya (ancient Attelia) where Paul landed when he sailed from Cyprus.

DAY 6 – ANTALYA / PERGE / ASPENDOS / PAMUKKALE
In the morning visit Perge, Hellenistic city where Paul preached (Acts 14:25). Seeing the remains of a large stadium, baths, and tomb give ample evidence of its greatness. Paul and Barnabas visited here on their first journey. Then visit Aspendos with its well preserved amphitheatre from Second Century AD which is still in use.

In the afternoon, drive to ancient Hierapolis which is blessed by hot mineral springs and some of the best preserved Roman ruins in Asia Minor.

DAY 7 – COLOSSAE / APHRODISIAS / LAODICEA (DENIZLI)
Famous as the receiver of Paul's letter to the Colossians, the town of Colossae has fallen into obscurity. While you can still see traces of the Threatre, the Necropolis, and the church, the ancient city is mostly undistinguishable ruins. Not far away is Aphrodisias, another town whose fame has been obscured by time. This city of marble thrived as the major center of worship for the Goddess Aphrodite until 500 years after Christ. The Christians of Laodecia, one of the Seven Churches (Rev. 3:14-22), were chastised for being luke-warm "You are neither cold nor hot" (Rev. 3:14) and for being too comfortable incorporationg pagan and Christian beliefs. In the famous scripture from Revelation 3:20-21), Jesus says to the Laodecian church: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock...." Today there are many acres of ruins to see, including the stadium and columned streets. Overnight in Pamukkale.

DAY 8 – EPHESUS / MILETUS
Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 1:11). In ancient days Ephesus was a bustling port town of 250,000 people, graced with wide, colonnade bordered streets. Today the major streets of Ephesus have been excavated. You will see the Library and the huge Agora. The Temple of Artemis was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today only a single column remains at the site. You will visit the Basilica of St. John, traditional site of his grave. From the basilica, you can enjoy a commanding view of the area. You'll visit the Museum of Ephesus for an up close look at the artifacts from this ancient city. Nearby is the ancient port of Miletus. This wealthy city was an intellectual and cultural center. On his way to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost, Paul asked the Elders of Ephesus to meet him in Miletus (Acts 20:16-38) where he predicted his own death (Acts 20:20-25). Today in Miletus you will see the finest Roman period theatre. On several of the front row seats you will see inscriptions which reserved the seats for those whose names they bear. You will also catch a glimpse of a three story fountain built by Titus. Overnight in Kusadasi.

DAY 9 – IZMIR / THYATIRA (AKHISAR) / SARDIS / PHILADELPHIA
The third largest city in modern Turkey is Izmir, long a center for Jewish and Christian communities. In Paul's day the town was known as Smyrna. It was one of the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 2:8-11) You will see the Agora, the colonnaded commercial center where Roman statues can still be seen. Thyatira was once a busy trading center and famous as a "seller of purple." Today it is famous for Persian rugs. Thyatira is one of the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 1: 11;2:18-29) and Paul may have visited the town during his missionary journeys (Acts 19:10). Another of the Seven Churches of Asia is Sardis, was berated by John the Prophet for its facade of strength when in reality it was weak (Rev. 3:1-6). In Sardis coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated. You will be impressed by the massive scale of the Temple of Artemis and by the white marble Royal Road, the gymnasium and the synagogue. Philadelphia is also one of the Seven Churches (Rev. 3:7-17 ) and is referred to as the "New Jerusalem." Today not much is left to mark the spot .. You will see an ancient wall and the remains of Byzantine Basilica. Overnight in Bergama.

DAY 10 – PERGAMUM (BERGAMA) / TROAS
The most favored of the Seven Churches was Pergamum. Christianity reached the city very early and the church was praised for its forbearance during hard times (Rev. 2:12-17). In Pergamum the first Christians were executed by Rome. Towering 1,000 feet far above the town and commanding a spectacular panorama is the fabled Acropolis. As you pass through the Royal Gates , you will enter one of the great centers of Classical Greek Culture. You will see the foundations of the Temple of Zeus, the Temple to Athena and the ruins of the Library which once held more than 200,000 parchment volumes. You will see the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the Grand Theatre, the Gymnasium and the Health Centre (Aesclepion). Not far away is Troas. Here, on his second missionary journey, Paul had a vision in which he was called to Macedonia (Acts 16:8-13). Later during his third journey, Paul spent a week in Troas preaching . Here he resurrected Eutychus (Acts 20:6-12). Overnight in Canakkale.

DAY 11 – TROY (TRUVA) / ISTANBUL
In Troy, history is buried in myth and mud. Nine layers of the fabled city have been found. Homer's Iliad relates the legendary story of the Trojan War. Travel to Istanbul via the beautiful Dardanelles. Overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 12 – ISTANBUL/U.S.A.
Morning departure to the airport for our return flight to the United States, arriving home the same day.

Top of Page

Back to Greece & Turkey Tours