Biblical Turkey Tour: 3 Days to the Seven Churches with Full Board

Biblical Turkey in 3 days, the churches of Revelation: the key facts

This 3-day, 2-night group package is a fast route through the cities named in the Book of Revelation, starting and ending with a flight from Istanbul. Day 1 covers Pergamum, with the Acropolis, the Asklepieion and the Red Basilica, and then Thyatira, today's Akhisar. You sleep in Izmir. Day 2 runs through Sardis, Philadelphia (Alasehir), Hierapolis at Pamukkale and Laodicea, with the night in Pamukkale. Day 3 is Ephesus, the Basilica of St John, the Ephesus Museum, the Temple of Artemis and the House of the Virgin Mary, then a flight back to Istanbul.

It suits church groups and Christian travellers who want the biblical sites without spending a week. All meals are included, so there is little to pay on the road. The price is from $1,640 per person.

Are all seven churches included?

Not in full, as the page reads now. The title says "the Seven Churches", but the overview names Ephesus, Sardis, Pergamum, Philadelphia and Laodicea, "as well as Thyatira". That makes six. The seventh, Smyrna, is today's Izmir. You land there and spend the first night there, but the plan includes no visit to a Smyrna site. If seeing all seven matters to you, ask us in writing whether Smyrna can be added. Or compare the Seven Churches of Revelation 7-day tour from $2,410, which has a full Izmir day.

Are the two flights included?

Ask us to confirm this in writing. Day 1 has a 08:00 flight from Istanbul to Izmir, with pick-up from your Istanbul hotel at 05:00. Day 3 ends with a flight to Istanbul at about 18:00–18:30, landing around 19:30–20:00. The page notes that flight times can change from day to day. The inclusions list covers meals, hotels, the guide and entrance fees, but it does not mention flights or transfers, and there is no exclusions list at all. Ask whether both fares and the airport transfers are in the $1,640 price.

How does Day 3 fit with the night in Pamukkale?

This needs checking before you book. Day 2 ends with dinner and the night in Pamukkale. Yet Day 3 says you are collected at 09:30 for "the roughly 20-minute drive" to the Magnesia Gate of Ephesus. That timing matches a hotel near Ephesus, not Pamukkale. The Day 3 title also mentions Kusadasi, but the plan has no stop there. Ask us for the real departure time on Day 3, and how long the drive is, so you know how much time you get at Ephesus before the flight.

What do we see at Pergamum and Thyatira?

At Pergamum you start on the Acropolis at 10:00. You see the steep theatre and the Altar of Zeus, which the Book of Revelation calls the "Throne of Satan". At 11:30 you go to the Asklepieion, the Roman healing centre. After lunch you hear about the great library, then visit the Red Basilica, also called St John's Church. At 16:30 you are in Thyatira (Akhisar) to see Roman remains and a basilica, and hear the story of Lydia, the seller of purple cloth.

How long and hard are the days?

All three are long. Day 1 starts at 05:00 in Istanbul and ends at 18:30 at the Izmir hotel. Day 2 leaves at 08:30 and covers four sites before ending at 18:00. Sardis alone has the Temple of Artemis, the synagogue, the gymnasium and part of the Royal Road. Day 3 has Ephesus, the Basilica of St John, the museum, the Temple of Artemis and the House of the Virgin Mary before the airport. The walking is on uneven stone and marble at most sites, often in the sun, so good shoes, a hat and water matter.

What should we wear?

Several stops are places of prayer. At the House of the Virgin Mary and in the basilicas, cover your shoulders and knees. At Hierapolis and Pamukkale the white terraces are walked barefoot, so carry a bag for your shoes. On Day 2 the page lists the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis under Laodicea. Ask your guide which ruins are at Hierapolis and which at Laodicea, since the two sites are close together.

Which hotels and meals are included?

Full board is included: breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Lunch breaks of about one hour are built into each day, at 12:30 on Days 1 and 3 and along the road on Day 2. The two nights are in 4-star or similar hotels, one in Izmir and one in Pamukkale. The page does not name them, so ask for the hotel names in your written plan. You still need your own Istanbul hotel for the night before the 05:00 pick-up.

Are there longer or shorter biblical tours?

Yes. If three days feels rushed, the Seven Churches of Revelation tour, 5 days is from $1,800. The 7-day version above gives each city more time. For a shorter trip, the biblical Ephesus and Pamukkale tour, 2 days is from $720. With Cappadocia added, the biblical Turkey tour with Cappadocia is from $1,650. Our Seven Churches of Revelation guide and biblical packages show the options side by side.

How do I book this biblical tour?

Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp. We check the flights and hotels for your date. Then we send the full plan in writing, with both flight times, the hotel names, the Day 3 timetable and whether the flights are in the price. You pay only after you have read and confirmed it. The tour is run by Get Turkey Tours, TÜRSAB licence A-15751.