Footsteps of St Paul — Turkey Anatolia Journey (14 Days)
- Hotels
- Guide
- Entrances
Tailor-made · Request a quote
Duration13 Days
Tour typeGroup tour
RouteIstanbul → Pamukkale → Izmir → Ephesus / Selcuk
PickupDay 1: Meet TurkeyVia at Istanbul Airport (IST) or your Istanbul 4★ hotel for transfer and cruise briefing. Day 13: Pick-up from your Athens hotel for Athens International Airport (ATH) — plan flights after Meteora return on Day 12.
CancellationCancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule
This thirteen-day journey combines Istanbul, the seven churches of western Turkey, an Aegean cruise, and mainland Greece. Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and Hippodrome introduce the later imperial capital before the flight to Izmir. The church circuit begins at Ephesus and Laodicea, continues through Hierapolis, Philadelphia, Sardis, and Thyatira, and finishes at Pergamon and Smyrna. Agora colonnades, a hillside theatre, synagogue mosaics, and surviving basilica piers reveal the different forms in which these cities remain visible. Revelation 2–3 supplies the words addressed to their congregations, with distinct calls to endurance, wakefulness, service, and fidelity.
The Lycus Valley and the Ephesus–Selçuk visits bring several strands of early Christian history into view. Colossians 4:13 connects the valley communities through Epaphras’s concern. Ephesus’s Great Theatre and civic streets provide a setting for Paul’s ministry in Acts 19, while the nearby basilica and Mary’s House preserve traditions associated with John and Mary. The cruise then carries the group to Patmos. Revelation 1:9 identifies John with the island; the Cave of the Apocalypse is associated by tradition with his vision, and the Monastery of St John records later devotion to that witness.
Crete and Santorini continue the sea journey before arrival in Athens. Crete has its own New Testament links in Acts 27 and Titus 1:5; Santorini contributes its island landscape. In Athens, the Acropolis and Areopagus help frame Paul’s address in Acts 17. Continue to Delphi’s sanctuary and museum, then to Meteora’s rock-top monasteries before returning to Athens. The route brings biblical places and later Christian heritage together, allowing each site its own history and each passage its proper geographical setting.
13 days · Istanbul → Pamukkale → Izmir → Ephesus / Selcuk
Istanbul Airport — meeting point for the arrival transfer
Sultanahmet or Taksim hotel — check-in in the confirmed district
Evening orientation — Hagia Sophia’s exterior and dome in the historic skyline
Meals: —Overnight: Istanbul 4★
Topkapi Palace — imperial courtyards and treasury
Hippodrome — obelisk and bronze Serpent Column in the former public arena
Hagia Sophia — Byzantine mosaics and the dome of Justinian’s church
Blue Mosque — Ottoman mosque architecture and İznik tilework
Grand Bazaar — covered market passages during free time
Sultanahmet Square — views linking the historic peninsula’s monuments
Meals: B, LOvernight: Istanbul 4★
Spice Bazaar — covered stalls of spices and other goods
Bosphorus cruise — waterside views of Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy, and fortifications
Bosphorus Bridge — the modern crossing viewed from the water
Free afternoon — Grand Bazaar return or optional Galata Tower visit
Meals: BOvernight: Istanbul 4★
Istanbul–Izmir flight — journey to the Aegean portion of the route
Ephesus — Library of Celsus façade and Great Theatre (Revelation 2:4–5)
Basilica of St John — church remains around John’s traditional tomb
Meryemana — chapel associated by tradition with Mary on Bülbüldağı / Mount Koressos
Laodicea — theatre, excavated church, and water systems (Revelation 3:19–20)
Pamukkale approach — arrival below the travertine landscape
Meals: L, DOvernight: Pamukkale 4★
Pamukkale — white travertine terraces viewed along the visitor route
Hierapolis — Roman theatre and stone tombs in the necropolis (Colossians 4:13)
Philadelphia — St John basilica piers and wall remains (Revelation 3:8)
Sardis — synagogue decoration, Artemis temple columns, and adjacent church ruins
Thyatira — small excavated area within Akhisar (Revelation 2:19)
Bergama approach — arrival in the Pergamon overnight region
Meals: B, L, DOvernight: Bergama / Pergamon 3★+
Pergamon acropolis — imperial temple terraces and library setting (Revelation 2:13)
Red Basilica — brick Roman sanctuary and later church remains
St Polycarp Church district — exterior and memory of the martyr recorded in early Christian testimony
Smyrna Agora — Roman public and commercial spaces (Revelation 2:10)
Kuşadası harbour — arrival and orientation for the cruise embarkation
Kuşadası waterfront — castle outlook and promenade
Meals: B, LOvernight: Kuşadası 4★ (pre-cruise hotel)
Kuşadası port — embarkation and cabin check-in
Skala harbour, Patmos — arrival at the island named in Revelation 1:9
Grotto of the Apocalypse — cave associated by tradition with John’s vision
Monastery of St John — fortified monastic complex founded in 1088
Monastery museum — icons and manuscripts from the island’s Christian history
Evening sailing — departure from Patmos toward Crete
Meals: B, L, DOvernight: Cruise ship — inside cabin (full board)
Heraklion port — arrival on Crete’s north coast
Heraklion Venetian harbour — waterfront setting, with Koules fortress optional
Knossos — optional palace excursion introducing Minoan history
Santorini, Thira — caldera cliffs and ascent from the landing area
Fira or Oia — whitewashed village streets above the caldera
Overnight sailing — passage toward Piraeus and Athens
Meals: B, L, DOvernight: Cruise ship — inside cabin (full board)
Piraeus port — disembarkation after the Aegean sailing
Central Athens hotel — transfer and arrival
Plaka — streets below the Acropolis with later town houses
Monastiraki — optional afternoon exploration around the square
Acropolis slope — listed exterior walk for an evening view of the hill
Meals: BOvernight: Athens 4★
Syntagma Square — Parliament frontage and guard ceremony setting
Panathenaic Stadium — marble arena associated with the 1896 Olympics
Olympieion and Hadrian’s Gate area — temple columns and Roman gateway
Acropolis — Parthenon, Erechtheion, and Propylaea
Acropolis Museum — sculptures and finds from the Acropolis and its slopes
Areopagus, Mars Hill — visit if time permits, associated with Paul’s address (Acts 17:22–25)
Meals: BOvernight: Athens 4★
Thebes — passing orientation to the ancient city along the road
Levadia — the Boeotian town and valley on the route
Arachova — mountain village stop below Parnassus
Delphi Museum — Charioteer and omphalos in the archaeological collection
Temple of Apollo — surviving sanctuary columns and foundations
Delphi theatre and stadium — hillside spaces above the sanctuary
Kalambaka — arrival beneath Meteora’s rock pillars
Meals: B, DOvernight: Kalambaka 4★ (Meteora base)
Meteora monastery — Great Meteoron or Varlaam according to the program
Monastery church — Byzantine-style fresco cycles and iconostasis
Meteora viewpoints — monastery buildings set on the rock summits
Thermopylae — pass landscape and Leonidas monument
Road to Athens — return journey after Meteora and Thermopylae
Athens evening — free time in Plaka or rest at the hotel
Meals: B, DOvernight: Athens 4★
Athens hotel — checkout after the mainland journey
Athens International Airport — transfer for departure
Meals: BOvernight: Departure (no overnight)
Cancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule
Included:
Not included:
The Biblical Greece & Turkey runs 13 Days and covers Istanbul, Pamukkale, Izmir, Ephesus / Selcuk, with 6 hotel nights. Start: Day 1: Meet TurkeyVia at Istanbul Airport (IST) or your Istanbul 4★ hotel for transfer and cruise briefing. Day 13: Pick-up from your Athens hotel for Athens International Airport (ATH) — plan flights after Meteora return on Day 12.
April to June and September to October are the most comfortable months for walking the sites. July and August are hot at inland ruins such as Laodicea and Sardis, where shade is limited. Winter is quieter, but days are short and drives are long. Tell us your dates and we plan each day around the heat.
Ephesus is a walk of two to three hours on uneven marble, mostly downhill from the upper gate. Pergamon’s acropolis is steep, with a cable car to the top. Laodicea and Hierapolis cover large, open areas, while Thyatira and Philadelphia are small sites inside modern towns. Tell us about mobility needs before we plan.
6 hotel nights are included. Each night’s hotel is named in your booking confirmation.
The itinerary includes a licensed English-speaking biblical guide on all touring days. Send your study plan and the passages you want to read, and the guide builds the site talks around them, leaving time for your own reading, prayer or teaching at each stop. Your leaders stay in charge of the devotional programme.
Biblical tours are priced by quote, not online, because the cost depends on dates, group size, rooming and route. Send the number of travellers, preferred dates, hotel standard and any sites to add or remove. We reply with a day-by-day proposal and a written price, and nothing is paid until your leaders approve it.
You may also like
Tailor-made · Request a quote
Tailor-made · Request a quote
Tailor-made · Request a quote
Tailor-made · Request a quote
Everything you need to know before booking your Biblical Greece & Turkey — Cruise & Seven Churches (13 Days). Honest answers from travel experts.
Yes — Turkey is one of the safest destinations for travelers in 2026. Tourist hubs like Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the Aegean coast welcome millions of visitors annually with well-established tourism infrastructure. Our guided days are led by licensed local guides, with hotel pickup and a team you can reach on WhatsApp.
Every TurkeyVia tour includes boutique or 4-5★ hotel accommodation, daily breakfast, a professional English-speaking guide, airport transfers, entry fees to all sites on the itinerary, and private air-conditioned transport between cities. International flights, visas, personal expenses, and tips are excluded. See the Included tab above for this specific tour's full breakdown.
Absolutely. Our groups max out at Church groups · semi-private · 2–10+ pax · custom quote people — that means faster entry at sites, more one-on-one time with your guide, access to boutique hotels that can't accommodate large coaches, and a genuinely personal experience. Big bus tours spend roughly 40% more time waiting — loading, counting heads, bathroom breaks. You experience Turkey, not a parking lot.
April through May and September through October are ideal — mild temperatures (18-25°C), fewer crowds than peak summer, and perfect conditions for sightseeing in Istanbul, Cappadocia, and along the Aegean coast. Summer (Jun-Aug) works well for coastal itineraries but inland sites can be hot. Winter offers lower prices and near-empty sites, though some mountain passes close.
This tour is 13 Days — the ideal length to experience each destination without feeling rushed, yet short enough for a standard holiday. For a first-time Turkey visit, 7-10 days covers the Istanbul-Cappadocia-Ephesus triangle comfortably. Fewer than 5 days and you'll miss key sites; more than 14, and most travelers report fatigue. You'll cover 13 carefully paced stops.
Book Biblical Greece & Turkey — Cruise & Seven Churches (13 Days) with a local team and licensed guides. Questions first? Our team answers on WhatsApp.
Licensed local guides · Cancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule
Questions before you book? Message us on WhatsApp.
Tell us your dates, your ship or the tour you like. We reply on WhatsApp within about 1 hour, 09:00–18:00 Turkey time, and in the evening whenever we can.