14 Days
Specific Tour
30 people
English
Day 1| Departure from the USA
Start your journey with an overnight flight from your home city in the USA to Istanbul, Turkey, where meals will be provided onboard.
Day 2| Arrival in Istanbul
Driving into the Old City, you will be touring the Spice Market dating back to the 17th century, and exploring a colorful display of spices from around the World. Continue your cruising on the waters of Bosphorus running between Asia and Europe! As well as seeing historical mansions and palaces, you will be overwhelmed by the skyline of Istanbul adorned with domes and minarets of numerous edifices. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3| Istanbul City Tour
After breakfast, you will be meeting your guide at the lobby of your hotel and will start your day of exploration of history and architecture. Your first visit will be to the famed Hippodrome Square which was once the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Istanbul boasts its monumental shrines of different faiths and Blue Mosque is probably one of the most famed masterpieces of Ottoman religious architecture. Named after its turquoise-colored tiles made of quartz minerals, the building is also unique because of its six minarets. Ottoman Sultans preferred to pray in this timeless shrine due to its incomparable beauty until when the empire collapsed after World War I. Standing right across the Blue Mosque is the Basilica of Saint Sophia which was built by Justinian the Great during the 6th century. This massive structure will embrace you with surprise with its gigantic dome. In the afternoon continue the morning with a visit to the home of the Ottoman Sultans; Topkapi Palace! Located on the very cape of the peninsula where Constantinople was founded, Topkapi Palace was built as the center of administration of the Ottoman Empire when the city was conquered by Ottoman Turks in 1453 AD. Today you will be having an intense tour of the palace going through corridors and different sections of the Harem where the Sultan lived with his family members. There is a strong impact of oriental motives and patterns in the interior décor that is best reflected by the beautiful Iznik Tiles adorning the walls of Harem. Leaving the Harem through the “Golden Corridor” you will reach the inner courtyard to visit the Treasury which displays exclusive examples of jewelry and accessories that the Sultans wore or were given as gifts to ambassadors. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4| Istanbul to Cappadocia
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Istanbul Airport. Upon arrival at Kayseri Airport, you will drive to Cappadocia. The first stop will be visiting the Goreme open-air museum dotted with churches elaborately decorated with frescoes and hewn out of rock by the early Christians hiding from Roman persecutors. We will stop at Zelve Valley and Pasabaglar. We also visit Cavusin village. Finally, we will stop at Avanos which is known for its earthenware potteries symbolizing the traditional character of the region. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 5| Cappadocia and Konya
(Optional Hot air Balloon ride.) After breakfast, drive to Sultanhan Caravanserai. After a lunch break, drive to Konya and visit the Mevlana Mosque and Mausoleum. Dinner and overnight in Konya
Day 6| Konya to Pamukkale
Depart from the hotel for a drive to the town Yalvac by Lake Beysehir, the 3rd largest lake in the country, to visit the remains of the ancient city ANTIOCH in PISIDIA where St.Paul wiped “ the dust off his shoes” and turned to Gentiles. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7| Pamukkale to Kusadas
After breakfast, you will be leaving for Hierapolis known among Turkish people as Pamukkale (Cotton Fortress) due to its calcium formations that resemble cotton piles of white color. Driving through the fertile fields of Meander Valley, you will reach Hierapolis which was founded during the Hellenistic period as a control point of trading routes connecting East to West. After Hierapolis, you will be visiting the ancient city of Laodicea one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Continue to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight.
Day 8| Ephesus and Kusadas
After breakfast, drive to Ephesus, one of the New Testament’s most significant cities (Rev. 2:1-7). Apostle Paul came here in 53 A.D. and, according to tradition Apostle John wrote his Gospel here and where the Virgin Mary spent her last days. Visit the Archaeological site, including the House of Mary and the Basilica of John the Evangelist. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 9| Embark on the Cruise: Kusadasi, Turkey–Patmos, Greece.
Today we will drive to the port to embark on our cruise. Our first stop is at the small island, Patmos, visit the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation during his exile (Rev. 1:9-11). Then we have few free time to discover the “Jerusalem of the Aegean”. Return to the ship to sail to Rhodes.
Day 10| Island of Rhodes
Today you will spend the whole day on the unique island of Rhodes. We can have a free day in the old town OR take the shore excursion to see the location where Paul stopped on his way back to Palestine (Acts 21: 1) for his trial and imprisonment. Through the tour (optional) we will see St Paul Beach where he had stopped on our way to the Acropolis of Lindos. Return to the old city/ castle of Rhodes surrounded by the walls and enjoy this historical place. Return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment.
Day 11| Islands of Crete and Santorini
This morning we arrived in Heraklion. The capital of Crete is a former Venetian harbor with representative architecture and art. We may take the tour of the city that takes us on a short drive to visit the church of St Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first Bishop of Crete to visit the Venetian Loggia, Basilica of St Mark, the medieval monastery of St Catherine and the Cathedral of St. Minas. This afternoon our cruise will reach Santorini one of the most unique places in the world to admire its geography, a result of an earthquake many centuries ago. Our OPTIONAL shore excursion to Oia Village will take us to the worldwide famous sunset and enjoy the amazing Aegean and Caldera views.
Day 12| Disembarkation in Corinth
Today we will disembark our cruise, and meet our guide and driver to take our way to Corinth to visit the archaeological site where Apostle Paul worked for 18 months with tent makers Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-18). We will see also the handmade Corinth Canal connecting the Aegean with the Ionian Seas. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.
Day 13| Athens
We’ll spend our day in Athens to visit the famous Acropolis, Parthenon, Areopagus, and Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul delivered his well-known sermon. (Acts 17:15-34). You will also have a panoramic tour to see the Parliament House, the Academy, Omonia Square, and Panathenaic Stadium. You will have free time in the Plaka area, the ancient city of Athens, to explore plenty of narrow paths, shops and restaurants and your last day of possible shopping. Dinner and overnight at our hotel
Day 14| Departure
Today we will say goodbye to Athens, and drive to the airport for our flight back home with our great memories.
