Western Turkey Tour

After your arrival in Istanbul, we will provide transportation to your hotel, and you’ll have the rest of the day free.

Today you will take a full day sightseeing tour through Istanbul’s Old Town. Among other things you will see the Church of Chora famous for its Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, the Hagia Sophia, a magnificent Church (later a mosque and now museum) of epic proportions built by the emperor Justinian in the sixth century, the Blue Mosque and its wonderful blue-tiled interior, and the Hippodrome, where chariot races were held in Roman times. The tour continues with a visit to theTopkapi Palace museum where you will see many priceless jeweled objects and other treasures. After the guided tour, you’ll have the opportunity to shop at the world famous Grand Bazaar, a feast for your senses! .

In the morning, we cruise along the Bosphorus Strait by boat, where you will see a wonderful collection of magnificent palaces and enjoy other unique views of the city. After your relaxing cruise, you cross the Bosphorus Bridge to Asian Istanbul for a visit to Beylerbeyi Palace, the “Summer” palace. Later we’ll take you to the airport for your flight to Antalya,where you will spend the night.

Today we will explore Antalya (Attalia), the primary port for St. Paul on his first journeys to Lystra and Derbe. Paul also sailed from Attalia to Antioch, making the port even more important for his ministry. We then drive along the Mediterranean coast to Perge, where Paul stopped on his way to Pisidian Antioch with Barnabas and Mark. Next we will continue to Sideand Aspendos, where you will see a majestic amphitheatre. At the end of the day, we will return to Antalya for the night.

We will drive to Pamukkale to visit the ruins of Hierapolis and experience the glittering landscape of Pamukkale’s thermal springs which have been utilized therapeutically for thousands of years. On a nearby hilltop you will have the opportunity to visit the recently discovered burial place of St. Philip. Next we will drive to Laodicea to see the remains of one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Laodicea Church was an offshoot of the church of Ephesus, as were the churches of Hierapolis and Colossea. You will have dinner and spend the night in Pamukkale.

In the morning we will head to Miletos, home to one of the largest amphitheatres in Asia Minor. It was in Miletos that Paul completed his third missionary journey and predicted his imprisonment. In the afternoon we will visit the city of Ephesus, one of the most important cities of the ancient world. Ephesus is one of Turkey’s finest ancient cities, and is home to many incredible historic sites, including the burial place of St. John and the House of the Virgin Mary, where the mother of Jesus is believed to have spent her final years. The Church of the Virgin Mary, built in the early days of Christianity, was the seat for the Council of Ephesus. At the end of the day we will drive to Izmir (Smyrna) and spend the night there.

In the morning we will visit Sardes, the capital of Lydia where King Croesus ruled. Here you will see the gymnasium and the Temple of Artemis, among other things. Later we will drive to Philadelphia, where you will see the ancient walls of the “city of brotherly love.” After dinner, you’ll spend the night in Izmir.

Today you will visit Akhisar, the ancient city of Thyatira, the church referred to as “apostate” in Revelation for having tolerated the works of Jezebel. We will continue on to Pergamon to visit the highlights of the Hellenistic Acropolis, including the Altar of Zeus and the temples of Trajan & Dionysus. After visiting the Asclepion, the earliest health centre of Asia Minor, we will continue on to Canakkale for the night.

First on the agenda for today is a visit to the site of legendary Troy, the Homeric city that today houses a local museum. Next we’ll drive to Troas, from whence St. Paul set sail to Neapolis on his second missionary journey. Later we will visit Assos, where Paul rejoined his companions. We will have dinner in Canakkale and spend the night there.

In the morning we will cross the Dardenelles by ferry, drive through the first World War battle fields of Gallipoli, After Gallipoli drive to Istanbul. At aiport our services end.