Seven Churches of Revelation in Turkey: 5, 7 or 10-Day Tours

Revelation 2–3 contains letters to seven cities: Laodicea, Philadelphia, Sardis, Thyatira, Pergamum, Smyrna and Ephesus. Every one of them lies in western Turkey, a drive away from Izmir and Kuşadası, and a Seven Churches tour takes you to all of them. With Get Turkey Tours, the private biblical tours reach the seven in 5 days. A 7-day version adds the Christian heritage of Istanbul, and a 10-day version adds Iconium and Cappadocia, the city of St Paul. Domestic flights, site tickets and a licensed biblical guide are included. Before hotels, our 5-day route costs from $760 per person. Season, hotel and package contents affect the price, so contact us for the current figure.

Where the seven churches stand today

Philadelphia and Thyatira are compact, and each needs under an hour. Laodicea, Sardis, Pergamum and Ephesus are big sites worth a longer visit. Because of this mismatch, most routes combine one small site and one large site on the same day.

Comparing our Seven Churches tours

Every one of the four comes with a professional licensed guide, domestic flights, travel in a vehicle with air conditioning, lunch whenever you tour with the guide (on the 10-day tour, selected lunches) and entry tickets for all museums and sites. On the 10-day tour, two nights in Pamukkale with breakfast are also included. For all other nights you pick hotels yourself when you book, and their rate for your dates is added. You pay separately for international flights, visa fees if your passport needs one, travel insurance and personal spending.

The 5-day route, day by day

1. Arrival: we greet you at Istanbul Airport, you fly on to Izmir, and a private car drives you down to Kuşadası.
2. Smyrna and Pergamum: first the site of the Smyrna church, then the Red Basilica and the acropolis of Pergamon.
3. Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia: you cover three churches in one day, and at Sardis you also see the synagogue and the Temple of Artemis.
4. Laodicea, Hierapolis and Pamukkale: see the church that received the "lukewarm" letter, the neighbouring Roman city and the white travertine terraces.
5. Ephesus: walk the ancient city and visit the Basilica of St John and the House of the Virgin Mary, followed by the drive to Izmir Airport.

You sleep in Kuşadası every night, so there is only one round of unpacking. The cost is time in the car, with long drives on days 3 and 4. If you would rather spend less time on the road, ask about the 10-day tour, which stays two nights close to Pamukkale.

In the steps of St Paul and St John

The Seven Churches come from the letters in John's Revelation, yet most church groups want Paul's sites too. Ephesus serves both, since Paul spent over two years living and teaching in the city (Acts 19). On the 10-day tour you also see Iconium (today's Konya) and Pisidian Antioch close to Yalvaç, two places Paul reached on his first journey. Then there are the rock-cut churches of Cappadocia's Göreme Open-Air Museum, and a day on Christian Istanbul with Hagia Sophia. For what that Istanbul day can include, from Chora and Hagia Sophia to churches still in use today, see our guide to Christian Istanbul.

Best seasons to travel

Go in spring (March to May) or autumn (late September to November). In summer, the inland sites of Laodicea, Philadelphia and Sardis are regularly hotter than 35°C, and none of the sites offers much shade. Church groups fill Easter week, so reserve that week well ahead. A winter trip works and is quiet, but expect more rain and short days.

Tours for pastors and church groups

Every tour is private. Families of four and whole congregations take the same route, each with a guide and vehicle of their own. Groups may set aside time at every site for prayer or Bible readings; send us the passages beforehand and the guide will plan the stops around them. For big groups, Kuşadası cruise passengers or your own dates, look at our Bible-themed packages, read about visiting Ephesus with a flight from Istanbul, or request a Turkey tour planned to order. Parishes coming with their own priest can use our outline for a Catholic pilgrimage along the St Paul route, which lists Mass times; we send a group quote in 24 hours or less. Korean congregations of 10 to 45 people can see how we arrange the Seven Churches and the sites of Paul, and what it costs, on our page for Korean church pilgrimages to Turkey.

Frequently Asked Questions