Pilgrimage to Turkey 2027: Nicaea, Ephesus and the House of Mary

A pilgrimage to Turkey built around Nicaea and Ephesus takes 7 to 9 days from Paris: Istanbul, a day in Iznik (ancient Nicaea), then Ephesus with Mass at the House of the Virgin Mary. Our biblical tour packages in Turkey start at $720 (about €644) for 2 days in Ephesus and Pamukkale from Istanbul, and the full 10-day tour with Cappadocia and the Seven Churches costs from $2,750 (about €2,461) per person. For a group quote, just message us on WhatsApp.

We are a licensed agency, an A Group member of the Turkish travel agents' association TÜRSAB (No. 15751), based in Istanbul since 2010. Since Pope Leo XIV prayed beside Lake Iznik, parishes, dioceses and prayer groups from France have asked us the same questions: can we celebrate Mass in Ephesus, how many days do we need, is the ID card enough, what is left of Nicaea? Day visits around Ephesus are grouped under our Ephesus and Kuşadası tours.

Why go to Nicaea in 2027, after Pope Leo XIV's visit?

Private Iznik (Nicaea) day trip from Istanbul, from $375 per person

On 28 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the excavations of the Basilica of St Neophytos, on the shore of Lake Iznik. The church leaders present recited the Nicene Creed together, 1,700 years after the Council of 325. Five days earlier the pope had published the apostolic letter In unitate fidei, devoted to this Creed.

For a French pilgrim, the reason to go is simple: the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed said at Sunday Mass was formulated here, then completed in Constantinople in 381. The first ecumenical council met in Nicaea at the call of Emperor Constantine, and the Second Council of Nicaea, in 787, defended the veneration of icons.

Iznik is a quiet small town in the Bursa region, about two and a half hours by road from Istanbul. There is no active church left. Most groups read the Creed by the lake and celebrate Mass in Istanbul that evening or the next morning. Practical details of the route are in our article on the Iznik day trip from Istanbul.

What to see in Iznik: the submerged basilica and the Hagia Sophia of Nicaea

Private Iznik day trip with guide and vehicle, from $375 per person

The submerged basilica was spotted in 2014 on aerial photographs, a few dozen metres from the shore in shallow water. It is attributed to St Neophytos, a martyr of Nicaea under Diocletian. Some archaeologists think the Council of 325 may have met on this site. Its walls show from the shore when the water is clear.

In the town centre, the Hagia Sophia of Nicaea is the church where the council of 787 met. Today it is a mosque: entry is free, women cover their hair and visits pause during prayers.

Our private day lasts about 10 hours and costs from $375 per person: the walls and Roman gates, the Roman theatre, the archaeological museum in the former Nilüfer Hatun soup kitchen, Hagia Sophia and the lake. Guide, private vehicle and entrance fees are included; lunch is not. Book it as a day trip from Istanbul or as part of one of our biblical tours.

Ephesus: House of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of St John and 15 August

Biblical tour packages in Turkey, from $720 per person

The House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi) stands on the wooded heights above Ephesus. Lazarist priests from Izmir identified it in 1891 by following the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich. Paul VI came in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, and Benedict XVI celebrated Mass there in 2006. The religious who look after the shrine say Mass there every day.

A group travelling with its own priest can ask to celebrate Mass on site. The request is made in advance to the shrine with a preferred date; we submit it for you and build the day around the confirmed time.

Every 15 August, a liturgy of the Assumption is celebrated at the House of the Virgin Mary and draws many pilgrims. It is a fine day to be there, but hot and busy: go up early and keep the ruins for the late afternoon.

On Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, the Basilica of St John was built under Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of the apostle. In the ancient city, the Church of Mary hosted the Council of Ephesus in 431, which proclaimed Mary Theotokos, Mother of God. Allow a full day for Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and St John; the theatre of Acts 19 and the Library of Celsus are on the same route. For a visit without a full tour, choose one of our Ephesus tours from Kuşadası or Selçuk.

What does a 7-day or 9-day pilgrimage look like?

Ephesus and Pamukkale in 2 days with flights from Istanbul, from $720 per person

Here are two outlines we adapt for French parishes. The 7-day programme links Nicaea and Ephesus; the 9-day one adds Cappadocia. Domestic flights and Mass times are confirmed when we quote.

In Laodicea, which received one of the letters of Revelation (Rev 3:14-22), excavations have uncovered churches and whole streets. In Hierapolis, just above Pamukkale, stands the martyrium of the apostle Philip. Tarsus and Antioch (Antakya) can be added for St Paul; Antakya was badly hit by the February 2023 earthquake, so we check the sites before quoting.

If you prefer a ready-made tour, our 7-day programme of the Seven Churches of Revelation starts in Istanbul but leaves out Nicaea, which we add as a day trip before departure. All fixed programmes are under our biblical tour packages in Turkey.

Istanbul for a French parish: the Patriarchate and French-speaking churches

Churches of Istanbul, private full day with guide, from $180 per person

Saint-Louis des Français, in Beyoğlu, is the church of the French Capuchins, who arrived in Constantinople in 1626, next to the former Palais de France. French diocesan pilgrimages have celebrated their sending Mass there in recent years. Nearby, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (Saint-Esprit), in Pangaltı, is the city's Latin Catholic cathedral; a statue of Benedict XV stands in its courtyard.

Our Istanbul churches day costs from $180 per person. It visits the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener and its Church of St George, the Bulgarian church in Balat, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Santa Maria Draperis and St Anthony of Padua on İstiklal Avenue, the largest Catholic church in the city. We ask the parishes directly for the times of Masses in French, because online lists are often out of date.

Hagia Sophia (a mosque again since 2020) and the Chora Church (the Kariye Mosque since 2024) keep their mosaics visible, but groups do not pray there.

Cappadocia: rock churches and the Cappadocian Fathers

Istanbul, Cappadocia, St Paul and the Seven Churches, 10 days, from $2,750 per person

Cappadocia is the natural sequel to the story of Nicaea. Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa, the Cappadocian Fathers, defended the faith of Nicaea and prepared the Council of Constantinople in 381. Caesarea is today's Kayseri, the airport where flights from Istanbul land.

The Göreme Open-Air Museum gathers churches carved into the tuff, with frescoes from the 10th and 11th centuries. The climbs are steep and the stairs narrow: for older pilgrims we plan breaks and a slower pace.

Our 10-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, St Paul and Seven Churches tour costs from $2,750 per person with hotels, domestic flights, private transport, guide and entrance fees. We add the Nicaea day on request.

How much does a pilgrimage to Turkey cost in 2027?

Private Ephesus tours from Kuşadası and Selçuk, from $250 per person

Our prices are per person. Multi-day tours include hotels in a double room, domestic flights, transfers, private transport, guide and entrance fees. Euro amounts are rounded at the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026 (€1 = $1.1172).

Prices vary with season, hotel and services; ask us for today's price for your dates. Not included: the flight from France, tips, drinks and travel insurance.

For groups of about twenty or more, the group quote arrives within 24 hours, with a free place for the accompanying priest if you wish. Agencies and diocesan pilgrimage offices booking for a parish will find our terms on the groups and travel agents page.

ID card, flights from France and the best season

According to the France Diplomatie travel advice (updated 15 September 2026, checked 30 October 2026), French citizens enter Turkey with a national ID card or a passport in good condition, valid for at least 150 days after the date of entry. Visa-free tourist stays are limited to 90 days in 180. For cards issued between 2004 and 2013 and extended by five years, Turkey officially accepts the extension, but the ministry strongly recommends a valid passport.

Turkish Airlines, Air France and Pegasus fly Paris to Istanbul nonstop in about 3 hours 30 minutes; Pegasus and Turkish Airlines also serve Lyon and Marseille. For a Nicaea–Ephesus pilgrimage, the simplest option is a ticket out to Istanbul and back from Izmir with a connection in Istanbul.

The most pleasant months are April to June and September to October. In 2027 Easter falls on 28 March, Ascension on 6 May and Pentecost on 16 May: the Ascension long weekend suits a 7-day programme well. In July and August, Ephesus and Laodicea are very hot and offer little shade.

How to get a quote for your parish

Send us your dates, the approximate number of participants, whether a priest is coming and the Masses you would like (House of the Virgin Mary, Istanbul). We reply with the route, hotels and a net price, with a French-speaking guide confirmed in writing before payment. All fixed programmes are under our biblical tour packages in Turkey and individual Ephesus visits under our Ephesus and Kuşadası tours. Write to us through the contact form or directly on WhatsApp.

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