St Paul Biblical Tour of Turkey: 14 Days Private, Flights & Lunches

When you land, our representative is waiting at the airport and drives you to your hotel.

You have dinner and spend the night in Istanbul.

In the morning we fly to Hatay. This historic region is where the first Christian community put down roots. From the airport we head to Samandag (Seleucia Pieria). Paul and Barnabas set sail for Cyprus from this ancient port at the start of their first missionary journey.

At Seleucia Pieria we see:

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

All three show the skill of Roman engineers and the early Christian legacy of the area. In Paul's day the harbour held a strategic position and served as a key launch point for carrying the Gospel beyond Anatolia.

We then drive on to Antakya for dinner and the night.

Antioch was one of the leading centres of the early Church, and it was here that the followers of Jesus were first given the name Christians.

Our visits today:

• St. Peter's Church: cut into the hillside, it is regarded as one of the oldest Christian places of worship. The first believers met here in the days of the apostles.
• Necmi Asfuroglu Archaeology Museum: a collection of fine mosaics and objects from ancient Antioch.
• Catholic Church of old Antioch: a place where Christian tradition continues to this day.

Afterwards we travel to Mersin, where we have dinner and stay the night.

St. Paul was born in Tarsus, which in Roman times was a major centre of learning and culture.

In the city we see St. Paul's Well, the Ancient Street and Cleopatra's Gate.

We then set off for Cappadocia, stopping on the way at Gumusler Monastery, an early Christian complex cut into the rock.

Dinner and the night are in Cappadocia.

We spend the whole day among the early Christian settlements cut into Cappadocia's volcanic rock. As the faith spread, this region served as a key refuge and a base for missionaries, which adds another layer to the story of Paul's time.

Our visits today:

• Goreme Open Air Museum: the Dark Church, Apple Church, Snake Church, St. Barbara Church and Tokali Church, all decorated with biblical frescoes.
• Derinkuyu Underground City: where persecuted Christians took shelter.

Dinner and the night are in Cappadocia.

Today we drive to Konya. In ancient times the city was called Iconium, and it was a key stop on St. Paul's missionary routes.

On the first journey Paul and Barnabas preached in Iconium. Paul came back on the second journey with Silas, worked miracles and gave strength to the young church.

We also travel 47 km to Lystra (Klistra), where Paul's ministry reached a turning point. During his first journey an angry crowd stoned him here, yet he lived. On the second journey Timothy joined him in Lystra. Many local people accepted the faith that Paul and Barnabas preached, so Lystra became one of the first Christian communities in Anatolia.

Dinner and the night are in Konya.

From Konya we travel to Pisidian Antioch, a major Roman colony where Paul and Barnabas came during the First Missionary Journey.

Paul preached his first recorded sermon in this city, with the words "we now turn to the Gentiles". Nearly the entire town came out to listen, and the event marks a milestone in the early spread of Christianity.

Excavations have uncovered only part of the site. Among the remains are the Temple of Augustus, the Roman Baths, the Theater, the Tiberius Square, the Propylon, the Nymphaeum and stretches of the aqueduct.

Next we see the finds from the site at the Yalvac Archaeological Museum, then drive on to Antalya for dinner and the night.

The day opens at Perge, the leading city of Pamphylia. Paul and Barnabas came here twice on their first missionary journey, and this is where Paul taught for the first time in the region. Its wide ruins include the Gymnasium, the Agora, Roman Baths, a street lined with columns, monumental gates and the Necropolis.

Next we drive to Aspendos and its Greco-Roman theatre, one of the ancient world's best-preserved theatres.

Returning to Antalya, we see Hadrian's Gate and the old harbour of Attalia, where Paul and Barnabas later boarded a ship back to Antioch.

Dinner and the night are in Antalya.

After breakfast the drive takes us to Laodicea, listed among the Seven Churches of Revelation. The ruins show how significant this Christian centre was: the Basilica, the Stadium, the Ephesian Gate, the Aqueduct and a statue of the Emperor Augustus.

Then we reach Colossae, still not excavated, the city to which Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians. It gives a sense of the early community that heard his teaching.

At Pamukkale we explore Hierapolis, the "Sacred City", which turned from a centre of pagan cults into a major Christian site. Tradition says the Apostle Philip lived in Hierapolis and died as a martyr under Domitian. Among the highlights:

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

Dinner and the night are in Pamukkale.

Today belongs to Ephesus. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it ranks among the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere.

Walking its marble streets, we pass the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian, and stand in the Great Theatre. Paul spent three years living in Ephesus and preached to its people.

Next is the House of the Virgin Mary on Mount Koressos. Tradition holds that Mary spent her last years in this simple stone house, cared for by St. John. Christians from around the world still come here on pilgrimage.

Ephesus also counts among the Seven Churches of Revelation, as the church rebuked for abandoning its first love, and it is said that John wrote his Gospel in the city.

Lunch is at a local restaurant. Afterwards it is on to the Basilica of St. John, where the apostle's tomb sits under the central dome. John, who wrote the Fourth Gospel, lived his final years in Ephesus, and it was on the island of Patmos that he wrote the Book of Revelation.

Dinner and the night are in Kusadasi.

The day starts in ancient Smyrna, counted among the Seven Churches of Revelation and praised for keeping its faith under persecution. Our stops:

• Church of St. Polycarp: the city's oldest church still in use, seen as an emblem of the Seven Churches. You have the chance to attend Mass here.
• The Ancient Agora: among the best-preserved Roman agoras of Asia Minor, it shows everyday life in early Christian times.
• Thyatira: like Smyrna, one of the Seven Churches. In antiquity it was famous for trade guilds and textiles, and it is connected with Lydia, the dealer in purple cloth. Here we see what remains of the ancient road, columns and signs of the early Christian community.
• Philadelphia: the "faithful church". Little has survived apart from the old walls and parts of a Byzantine basilica, yet the city is remembered for how loyal its first believers were.
• Sardis: once the capital of Lydia and also among the Seven Churches, the one said to have a reputation for being alive while it was dead. We walk through the Gymnasium, the restored Synagogue, plus the Temple of Artemis and Cybele, which later became a Byzantine church. Together they offer a rare look at Jewish and early Christian heritage side by side.

Dinner and the night are in Sardis.

Our first stop is Pergamon, once a strong cultural and political power, known for its great acropolis, its famous library and its temples dedicated to Zeus and other deities.

From there we go to Assos, an ancient city on a hilltop overlooking the Aegean. The Temple of Athena on the acropolis has one of the best views in the area. Assos plays a special part in Paul's story. On his third journey his companions went ahead by sea, while he made the journey on foot from Alexandria Troas to meet them here, and from Assos he sailed for Lesbos on the way to Jerusalem.

We then reach Alexandria Troas. The city dates from 310 BC and ranks among the most significant biblical sites in Asia Minor. The Bible mentions it more than once, and it was central to Paul's ministry. In Troas Paul saw the vision of a man from Macedonia asking him to come to Europe, a moment that changed the course of Christianity's spread. On his third journey Paul brought Eutychus back from the dead here, and Troas is also where St. Luke joined Paul and stayed with him for a large part of his later travels.

We finish the day with the drive to Canakkale for dinner and the night.

Today we visit Troy, the legendary city that Homer's Iliad made famous. As we walk through the ruins, layers of history covering thousands of years come into view, along with the familiar wooden Trojan Horse replica.

Next is the Troy Museum, among the most important archaeological museums in Turkey. Its modern galleries bring the history and legends of Troy to life.

We then drive about four hours back to Istanbul, where we have dinner and stay the night.

The day is yours until it is time for the airport transfer and your flight.

Our services end here. Thank you for choosing to travel with us, and we hope to see you again.