Day 1: Depart USA
Overnight flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
Day 2: Arrival to Istanbul
Upon arrival to Istanbul we will transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon we will have a short orientation tour of Istanbul. Visit St Sophia Church in the Old City. Welcome dinner served at the hotel.
Day 3: Istanbul - Adana – Tarsus – Antakya
Morning flight from Istanbul to Adana. Upon arrival we will continue to Tarsus, which is the birthplace of St. Paul; we will be able to walk on the same streets as St. Paul did in the 1stc A.D. Continue to modern Antakya which was the ancient Antioch on Orontes River. We will visit the Church of St Peter in Antioch before checking in to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 4: Antakya - Lystra – Konya
In the morning we will first drive to Sultanhan Caravanserai. Trade caravans stopped at Caravanserais in the 11th c. to utilize the services. They were built almost every 10 miles which was the distance a caravan could cover in one day. We will continue to Lystra where St. Paul and St. Barnabas were stoned we will try to understand the political reasons why they were stoned at this location. Dinner and overnight stay in Konya.
Day 5: Konya – Antioch - Psidia – Perge – Attalia
Morning visit to the center of Konya. This was the location for the ancient Iconium. The site remains to be unexcavated therefore we will only see the location and continue to Antioch Psidia. This town was about to become the 2nd capital of the Roman Empire in the East. The Emperor Augustus Sebastus decided to built a second capital after Roma to be able to control the vast lands of the empire. We will understand the motivation St. Paul and St. Barnabas had to convert this city. After lunch break we will continue to Perge and Attalia. Dinner and overnight in Attalia.
Day 6: Antalya– Myra – Pamukkale
The city of St. Nicholas is not far away from Attalia. With this trip we step out of St. Paul’s route to visit the Church of St. Nicholas in Myra. He was born in Patara and lived most of his life in Myra. As we visit the remains of the city where he walked, we will take time to recall the local myths which are very similar to what we know about him today. After visiting Myra we will continue to Colossae to visit the mound of the city. The site of the city is unexcavated but we will have a chance to experience the location. Dinner and overnight stay in Pamukkale.
Day 7: Hierapolis – Leodiceia – Philedelphia - Sardis – Izmir
Early in the morning we will have a short stop at Leodiceia and Hierapolis. Understanding the locations of these two cities will give us a good feedback to understand the Bible in a better way. Starting from today, we will start seeing the Seven Churches of the Revelation. After visiting Leodiceia we will continue to Philadelphia and Sardis. Tonight we stay near Ephesus at Pamucak beach. Dinner and overnight stay in Izmir.
Day 8: Ephesus
Ephesus is the greatest city of all times. Today we spend the biggest part of the day exploring the Ephesus ruins. Besides the regular route people take within the ruins we will also be able to visit St. Mary Church where the 3rd Ecumenical Council unified in Ephesus in 431. We will also visit the location for the Temple of Diana which was considered to be one of the wonders of the ancient world. In the afternoon we visit local rug manufacturers near Pamucak. This will be one of the good places for shopping. Dinner and overnight stay in Izmir.
Day 9: Pergamus – Canakkale
Morning stop at the ancient city of Pergamus which was one of the cities of The Revelation. We will visit the acropolis to understand the life of the people in Pergamus and the location known as the Altar of Zeus. In the afternoon we will continue to Troy, and we will drive through the lands of Alexandria Troas on our way to Canakkale. Dinner and overnight stay in Canakkale.
Day 10: Troy - Istabul
Continue North to Istanbul. Afternoon sightseeing in Istanbul. Visit Archaeological Museum. Dinner and overnight stay in Istanbul.
Day 11: Istanbul - Departure
Transfer to Istanbul Airport for departure.
