Paul's Footsteps in Turkey 2027: A Planner for German Parish Groups

A Paulusreise to Turkey for a German parish works best as seven to ten days based around Ephesus, where Paul lived and taught for about three years (Acts 19; 20:31), with day trips to Miletus and to Laodicea and Hierapolis, and two nights in Istanbul at the start or end. German citizens need no visa and can travel on the Personalausweis, and there are nonstop flights from many German airports to Istanbul and, from several, to İzmir. The simplest ready-made route is our 7-day Seven Churches tour with Ephesus and Istanbul, from $2,050 per person.

This page is written for Pfarrer, Pastorinnen and the volunteers who organise a Gemeindereise, both Catholic and Protestant: which of Paul's places a coach can really reach, two ways to build the route, how Mass and devotions work on the way, flights and documents from Germany, the 2027 calendar and what the trip costs. For the wider Catholic programme with Mass at the House of the Virgin Mary and Nicaea, see our Catholic pilgrimage to Turkey page.

Paul's places in western Turkey, and how far they are

Paul crossed Asia Minor on all three missionary journeys, but his towns are spread across a country more than twice the size of Germany. For a parish with one week, the realistic choice is the Aegean region, where several places from Acts and the letters lie within a day's drive of Ephesus. The distances below are road distances from Selçuk, the town beside Ephesus; coach times are longer than car times, so we give the coach figure.

Further inland and south lie Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-50), Iconium, today's Konya (Acts 14:1-6), Lystra and Derbe, Perga and Attalia near Antalya (Acts 13:13; 14:25), Myra (Acts 27:5) and Paul's birthplace Tarsus (Acts 21:39). They need a second week or domestic flights and are arranged as a tailor-made route.

Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Smyrna and Philadelphia belong to the seven churches of Revelation rather than to Paul's journeys, but they sit on the same roads, and most Gemeinden combine both. Our page on the Seven Churches of Revelation tour explains that route.

Two ways to build the route

Option 1: start in Istanbul. Fly nonstop to Istanbul, which has the widest choice of flights from Germany, spend a day in the city, then take the one-hour domestic flight to İzmir. This is how our 7-day Seven Churches tour runs: Istanbul, then Smyrna and Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia, a day for Laodicea and Hierapolis, then Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and St John's Basilica, and back to Istanbul by air. Entry tickets, domestic flights, a private vehicle and a licensed guide are included in that programme.

Option 2: start in İzmir. Several German airports have direct flights to İzmir, and Selçuk is about 59 km and under an hour from İzmir Airport. You can be standing in Ephesus on the afternoon of the first day, which suits groups who want Paul rather than Istanbul. A sample week looks like this:

Five hours on a coach to Pamukkale and back is a long day for older pilgrims, so most groups sleep one night there. If the parish prefers fewer hotel changes, we keep everyone in one hotel near Ephesus and accept the longer day.

Guides. Every programme runs with a licensed Turkish guide. English is our standard language. A German-speaking guide is arranged on request, subject to availability, so ask early for spring and autumn dates; our page on German-speaking guides in Istanbul explains how those bookings work.

Mass, Gottesdienst and Andacht on the route

Catholic groups. Mass is celebrated every day at the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Evi) on the hill above Ephesus, but the shrine does not publish one fixed timetable, so we confirm times for your dates. A group travelling with its own priest can ask for a slot to celebrate there; the chaplains agree the time, and it cannot be promised in advance. Your priest should carry a celebret. The House of the Virgin Mary has its own entry fee at the gate, separate from the Ephesus ticket.

Protestant groups. Many evangelische Gemeinden hold a short Andacht at the sites: a reading of Acts 20 at Miletus, Colossians at Laodicea, Ephesians in a quiet corner of Ephesus. Ancient sites are state museums with other visitors around, so keep it short and quiet, without a sound system. Anything larger, such as a full service with music or a special event, has to be cleared in advance; tell us what you plan and we ask the site.

German-speaking congregations. In Istanbul, the Evangelische Gemeinde deutscher Sprache in der Türkei worships at the Kreuzkirche in Beyoğlu and publishes information and a request form for visiting groups on its website. Catholic visitors will find Masses in several languages at the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua on İstiklal Avenue. A Sunday in Istanbul is a good moment to worship with a local congregation.

Flights from Germany: Istanbul or İzmir

Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn all have nonstop flights to Istanbul, and the flight takes roughly two and a half to three and a half hours. From Istanbul, the domestic hop to İzmir takes about an hour.

İzmir is the closer gateway for Paul's route. SunExpress and Pegasus list direct İzmir flights from several German airports, among them Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg and Stuttgart, and further airlines add seasonal routes in summer. Schedules change each season, so check the routes for your travel month before you fix dates.

For a group of 25 to 40, book a group fare or a seat block as early as possible, especially for holiday weeks. Our Ephesus day tour from İzmir Airport, from $161 per person, shows how an arrival day can go straight to the ruins.

Personalausweis, Reisepass and members with other passports

According to the Auswärtiges Amt, German citizens can enter Turkey with a Reisepass, a vorläufiger Reisepass, a Personalausweis or a Kinderreisepass. A vorläufiger Personalausweis is accepted but not recommended, because there have been problems with it. German citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days within any 180 days.

Documents that expired less than a year ago are still accepted for entry, but the Auswärtiges Amt warns they can cause problems on exit and in transit, so ask every member to travel on a valid document. A passport needs at least one blank page.

Parish groups often include members with other nationalities. Check each one: Turkey's rules depend on the passport, not on where people live. Our Turkey visa requirements update lists the main nationalities, and the Turkish foreign ministry and e-Visa site have the official rules.

Choosing your 2027 dates

• Osterferien. Most Länder start the Easter holidays on Monday 22 March, and Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. Early spring in Ephesus is green and cool; the sea is still cold.
• April to early June. The most comfortable walking weather. İzmir averages highs of about 21°C in April and 26°C in May.
• Pfingsten. Pentecost is on 16 May 2027, which overlaps Kurban Bayramı, the Feast of Sacrifice, from 16 to 19 May with the eve on 15 May. Turkish families travel, hotels fill and sites get busy, so book well ahead if you need that week.
• Summer. August highs in İzmir average about 33°C. Ephesus and Hierapolis have little shade, so start at opening time, 08:00 at Ephesus.
• Herbstferien. October is a good month for a Gemeindereise, with İzmir highs around 24°C and calmer sites.

A new museum tariff starts on 1 April 2027. For dates on either side of it, see the costs below. Our Easter 2027 page covers Holy Week in Turkey, and the Eid al-Adha 2027 guide explains the May holiday.

What it costs, and who is the organiser

Programme prices. Our published per-person prices are in US dollars. The 7-day Seven Churches tour starts from $2,050 per person, the 10-day Christian heritage tour from $3,625 and the 3-day Biblical Turkey tour from $1,640. For a parish group, we quote your dates, group size and hotel level in writing.

Entry fees. Check what each programme includes. As a guide to the foreign-visitor prices set by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Ephesus costs €40 until 31 March 2027 and €45 from 1 April 2027; the Terrace Houses add €15, then €16. From 1 April 2027 the MuseumPass Aegean costs €105 and covers state sites in the İzmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli provinces for seven days, including Ephesus, St John's Basilica, Miletus and Hierapolis.

Who organises. If the parish or its Förderverein sells a package of travel services to members, German package travel law (§ 651a BGB) may make it the organiser, with the duties that come with that role. Many parishes therefore book through a German travel agency or ask the diocese for advice. Our page on group trips to Turkey for German clubs explains the question in more detail. We are a licensed Turkish operator (TÜRSAB A-15751, operated by Viracocha Travel) and run the Turkish part of the trip.

Tours that cover this

• Seven Churches of Revelation Tour, 7 days with Ephesus and Istanbul: from $2,050 per person.
• Christian heritage tour of Turkey, 10 days: from $3,625 per person, with full board and more time in Istanbul.
• Biblical Turkey tour, 3 days: from $1,640 per person, a short version for groups already in Istanbul.
• Private Ephesus tour: from $300 per person, for groups that fly to İzmir and design the rest themselves.

All our religious tours can be adjusted for a Mass day, an Andacht or a free Sunday. For a broader overview, see Christian tours of Turkey.

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