Footsteps of St Paul: Private Biblical Turkey Tour

Our representative meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel.

Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

A morning flight takes us to Hatay, the historic region where the early Christian community first took root. From the airport we drive to Samandag (Seleucia Pieria), the ancient port from which Paul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus on their first missionary journey.

Here we visit:

• Titus Tunnel
• The rock-cut tombs
• Besikli Cave

These are remarkable examples of Roman engineering and early Christian heritage. In Paul's time Seleucia Pieria was a strategic harbour and an important starting point for spreading the Gospel beyond Anatolia.

After the visit we continue to Antakya. Dinner and overnight in Antakya.

Antioch is where followers of Jesus were first called Christians, and it was one of the most important centres of the early Church.

Today we visit:

• St. Peter's Church: carved into the hillside and considered one of the earliest Christian places of worship, where the first believers gathered in the time of the apostles.
• Necmi Asfuroglu Archaeology Museum: home to remarkable mosaics and artefacts from ancient Antioch.
• The Catholic Church in old Antioch: where the Christian tradition is still alive today.

After the visits we drive to Mersin. Dinner and overnight in Mersin.

Tarsus is the birthplace of St. Paul and was an important Roman centre of learning and culture.

Today we visit St. Paul's Well, the Ancient Street and Cleopatra's Gate.

On the way to Cappadocia we stop at Gumusler Monastery, a rock-cut early Christian complex.

Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

A full day exploring the early Christian settlements carved into Cappadocia's volcanic rock. The region was an important refuge and missionary base as Christianity spread, adding depth to the story of Paul's era.

Today we visit:

• Goreme Open Air Museum: the Dark Church, Apple Church, Snake Church, St. Barbara Church and Tokali Church, with their biblical frescoes.
• Derinkuyu Underground City: a refuge for persecuted Christians.

Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

We drive to Konya, known in ancient times as Iconium and an important stop on St. Paul's missionary routes.

Paul and Barnabas preached here on their first journey, and Paul returned with Silas on his second, performing miracles and strengthening the young Christian community.

We also visit Lystra (Klistra), 47 km away. Lystra was a turning point in Paul's ministry: here he was stoned by a hostile crowd on his first journey and survived. It is also where Timothy joined Paul on his second journey. Many people in Lystra accepted the faith preached by Paul and Barnabas, making it one of the earliest Christian communities in Anatolia.

Dinner and overnight in Konya.

We leave Konya for Pisidian Antioch, an important Roman colony visited by Paul and Barnabas on the First Missionary Journey.

Here Paul gave his first recorded sermon, declaring "we now turn to the Gentiles". Almost the whole city gathered to hear him, making Pisidian Antioch a milestone in the spread of early Christianity.

Only part of the site has been excavated, but the remains include the Temple of Augustus, the Roman Baths, the Theater, the Tiberius Square, the Propylon, the Nymphaeum and sections of the aqueduct.

We also visit the Yalvac Archaeological Museum, which displays finds from the site, and then continue to Antalya. Dinner and overnight in Antalya.

We begin at Perge, the main city of Pamphylia, visited twice by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. It was here that Paul first taught in the region. The extensive ruins include the Agora, Roman Baths, a colonnaded street, the Gymnasium, monumental gates and the Necropolis.

We continue to Aspendos to see its magnificent Greco-Roman theatre, one of the best-preserved in the ancient world.

Back in Antalya we visit the historic harbour of Attalia, from which Paul and Barnabas later sailed back to Antioch, and Hadrian's Gate.

Dinner and overnight in Antalya.

After breakfast we drive to Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Its ruins reflect its importance as a major Christian centre, with the Basilica, Stadium, Aqueduct, Ephesian Gate and a statue of Emperor Augustus.

We continue to Colossae, the still unexcavated city addressed in Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, a glimpse of the early community that received his teaching.

In Pamukkale we visit Hierapolis, the "Sacred City", which changed from a pagan cult centre into an important Christian site. According to tradition, the Apostle Philip lived here and was martyred under Domitian. Highlights include:

• Martyrium of St. Philip
• Domitian Gate
• Arcadian Way
• Temple of Apollo
• Necropolis
• Roman Theatre

Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.

Today we explore Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world.

Along its marble streets we see the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the impressive Great Theatre. Paul preached to the Ephesians here and lived in the city for three years.

We continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, a simple stone house on Mount Koressos believed to be where Mary spent her final years in the care of St. John. It remains an important place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world.

Ephesus is also one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, called the church that had lost its first love, and tradition holds that the Gospel of John was written here.

After lunch at a local restaurant we visit the Basilica of St. John, where the apostle's tomb lies beneath the central dome. John, author of the Fourth Gospel, spent his last years in Ephesus and wrote the Book of Revelation on the island of Patmos.

Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

We begin in ancient Smyrna, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, praised for staying faithful under persecution. We visit:

• Church of St. Polycarp: the oldest working church in the city and a symbol of the Seven Churches. Here there is an opportunity to attend Mass.
• The Ancient Agora: one of the best-preserved Roman agoras in Asia Minor, showing daily life in the early Christian era.
• Thyatira: another of the Seven Churches, known in ancient times for its trade guilds and textiles and linked with Lydia, the seller of purple cloth. We see remains of the ancient road, columns and traces of the early Christian community.
• Philadelphia: the "faithful church". Few remains survive, mainly parts of a Byzantine basilica and the old walls, but it is remembered for the loyalty of its early believers.
• Sardis: the former Lydian capital and another of the Seven Churches, described as the church with a name for being alive but dead. We explore the restored Synagogue, the Gymnasium and the Temple of Artemis and Cybele, later turned into a Byzantine church, a rare insight into both Jewish and early Christian heritage.

Dinner and overnight in Sardis.

We start at Pergamon, once a powerful cultural and political centre, famous for its magnificent acropolis, its great library and its temples to Zeus and other gods.

We continue to Assos, an ancient hilltop city above the Aegean. The Temple of Athena on its acropolis offers one of the finest views in the region. Assos holds a special place in Paul's ministry: on his third journey he walked here from Alexandria Troas to meet his companions, who had gone ahead by sea, and from here he sailed to Lesbos on his way to Jerusalem.

Next is Alexandria Troas, founded in 310 BC and one of the most important biblical sites in Asia Minor. It is mentioned several times in the Bible and played a key role in Paul's ministry. Here Paul had the vision of the man from Macedonia calling him to Europe, a turning point in the spread of Christianity. Troas is also where Paul raised Eutychus from the dead on his third journey, and where St. Luke joined him for much of his later travels.

After the visit we drive to Canakkale. Dinner and overnight in Canakkale.

Today we visit the legendary city of Troy, made famous by Homer's Iliad. Walking through its ruins, we see layers of history spanning thousands of years and the well-known replica of the wooden Trojan Horse.

We then visit the impressive Troy Museum, one of Turkey's most important archaeological museums, whose modern galleries bring Troy's history and myths to life.

After the visit we drive about four hours to Istanbul. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

A free day until your transfer to the airport for your flight.

This is the end of our service. Thank you for travelling with us; we look forward to welcoming you again.