Best Religious & Biblical Tours

Outside the Holy Land, few countries hold as many early Christian sites as Turkey, and they stand next to some of the region's oldest synagogues and mosques. The tours here are designed around that past: the churches addressed in the Book of Revelation, Paul's missionary journeys, ancient Ephesus with Mary's house on the hill above it, and the Istanbul congregations, Christian and Jewish, that still gather for worship. Some are pilgrimages, while other days suit anyone curious about how religions shaped this part of the world.

Pilgrimages over several days

Both of our longest itineraries are private, and each is planned around places from the Bible. Our five-day private Seven Churches pilgrimage reaches every church that Revelation names, from Smyrna and Pergamon through to Philadelphia and Laodicea. It moves by domestic flight and private van, with local guides along the way. The two-week St Paul private biblical tour runs for 14 days, following the apostle from Tarsus and Antioch across Anatolia as far as Ephesus and Troas; hotels are included, as are most lunches. Prices for both depend on your travel dates and how many of you there are. For a day-by-day comparison of the five-, seven- and ten-day options, read our guide to Seven Churches tours.

Set your expectations honestly: several of the seven churches are now little more than foundations and a few scattered columns. Sardis and Laodicea keep large ruins, whereas Thyatira is a small fenced area surrounded by a modern town. These are the stops where a skilled guide earns their fee.

One day in Istanbul

With a single day in the city, our private tour of Istanbul's working churches lasts seven hours and costs from $115 per person, private van and tickets included. You visit Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic congregations that still worship, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener among them. The private Jewish heritage tour, $140 per person, covers the synagogues in Balat and the Museum of Turkish Jews; admission and donations are included.

Worship times and security rules shape these visits. Synagogues usually need your passport details in advance, and a church may shut its doors to visitors during a funeral or a liturgy. Your guide reconfirms everything a day ahead.

Ephesus, Sumela and the Mevlevi dervishes

Cruise passengers docking in Bodrum pay $750 per person for the Ephesus and Virgin Mary day with guaranteed return, because the road is long. Kusadasi is nearer to Ephesus, so the same trip costs less from there, as our cruise-port excursions page shows. On the Black Sea coast, our Sumela day from Trabzon costs from $120 per person and crosses the Zigana Pass to reach the monastery built into the rock face. In Istanbul, the Whirling Dervish Sema Ceremony lasts an hour and costs $60 per person with a reserved seat. It is a Sufi act of worship, so the audience does not usually applaud.

Who will like these tours

• Parishes and church groups: on a private tour, your own pastor or group leader is free to read a passage or hold a brief service on site.
• Travellers on their own who are drawn to history, of any faith.
• Families with different interests: one day spent in churches and synagogues balances nicely with one spent in Ottoman palaces.

The clothing rule is identical for every faith: knees and shoulders covered, plus a scarf for women entering mosques and Orthodox churches.

Pairing with other tours

The Seven Churches route already passes Ephesus and Pamukkale, so many groups extend it with Cappadocia into a trip of 7 to 10 days; see our longer private trips. For a church-centred stay in Istanbul, the Byzantine mosaics of Chora and our Istanbul Christian heritage guide help with planning.