Footsteps of St Paul Tour (15 nights/16 days)
Key Information
Tour Duration: 15 nights / 16 days
Days of Operation: Private Tour - Regular Tour
Destination's: Turkey
Hotel's Class: 5, 4, 3 Stars Hotel or Tourist Class
Season: All Years 2026
Scheduled / Operates on: Jan 1st 2026 - Dec 31st 2026. All years Biblical Tours Turkey
Domestic Flight Included: Yes
Tour Customizable: Yes
*Overnight Place:
3 nights Istanbul, 2 nights Adana, 1 night Cappadocia, 1 night Konya,
2 nights Antalya,
1 night Pamukkale, 1 night Kusadasi, 2 night Izmir, 1 night Ayvalik,
1 night Bursa.
With his vigour to spread the Gospel, St. Paul spent most of his
Christian life traveling over thousands of miles by land and sea,
encountering endless difficulties. Most of these journeys were done
in the lands of present day Turkey for a multiple of reasons.
The main reason was that Anatolia and the states therein were
culturally, commercially and intellectually so advanced that,
Christianity's acceptance here would mean a speedier spread
throughout Anatolia. In order to reach the people, St. Paul had to
travel through Anatolia extensively. Another reason may be the state
of moral deterioration existing among the pagan world of ancient
Anatolia, which was ripe and ready to accept new philosophies,
religions and doctrines.
No doubt these journeys were a great hardship for St. Paul who had
to cover most of the area on foot, spending most of his nights
outside in bitter cold or hot temperatures. Our journey through the
same routes will not be as difficult.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Istanbul.
Arrival at Istanbul airport , you will be met and transferred to
your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2: Istanbul.
Following the breakfast we drive to the 'Old City', we will stop by
the Hippodrome before proceeding to the Blue Mosque, so called
because of the impressive blue tiles lining its walls. Next on our
itinerary is the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Then we will go
into the St.Sophia Museum. Following this stop, we will go onto the
Underground Cistern built by Justinian in 535, and on to the
Suleymaniye Mosque built by the Master Architect Sinan during the
reign of Suleyman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver. Overnight in
Istanbul. Including: Breakfast
Day 3: Adana.
We will take the early flight to Adana, ancient Cilicia , and drive
straight to Tarsus, the birth place of St. Paul. During St. Paul's
time Tarsus was a university city surpassing Athens and Alexandria.
Cicero was a governor here in 51-50 BC. and the romantic meeting
between Cleopatra and Mark Anthony took place in Tarsus. Highlights
here will be St. Paul's well, tomb of Sardanapulus and Cleopatra's
Gate. Back to Adana and overnight. Including: Breakfast.
Day 4: Adana.
Today we journey East to Antioch-on-the- Orontes, Daphne and
Seleucia Pieria. Antioch is
thought
to have been founded in 300 BC. Among all the cities in the world of
the first century AD. Antioch offered the most ferric ground for new
ideas, philosophies and religions. First to preach here was St.
Peter followed by St. Paul and Barnabas whose extensive efforts
proved to be very fruitful for Christianity. Incidentally, the word
Christians was first coined in Antioch. The strong and wealthy
community of Antioch contributed financially to the Christian
community of Jerusalem. Highlights include the museum which houses a
superb collection of mosaics from Antioch, Daphne and Seleucia
Pieria, St. Peter's Grotto, the cave church came to be known as the
meeting place of the early Christians. According to the legend,
ancient Daphne was the sacred grove where Apollo tried to rape
a nymph of the same name whom Eros struck with an arrow thus making
her incapable of loving neither a god nor a mortal. Apart from being
dedicated to Apollo, Daphne was also a place of carnal pleasures and
any soldier caught in the area was dismissed from service.
The next site we will visit today is Seleucia Pieria which was the
port city of Antioch in ancient days. The most interesting monument
here is the Tunnel of Titus which is a tremendous canal dug for the
purpose of diverting waters of Orontes river. Another highlight here
will be the rock tombs with their impressive facades pertaining to
the Hellenistic period. Return to Adana for overnight. Including: Breakfast.
Day 5: Cappadocia.
After an early breakfast we drive north to Cappadocia and first stop
at Underground Cities. This
is
an underground city , carved into soft rocks resembling a huge
labyrinth of tunnels, rooms, kitchens, wine cellars and passageways.
A huge chimney ventilates this 8-leveled dwelling which was used by
Christians hiding from their Roman and Byzantine persecutors. Their
colorful frescoes remain as vibrant as when they were first made.
Further on we come to Cappadocia whose effect on the visitor is like
that of a village out of Grimm's Fairy Tales. What Turks commonly
call "Fairy Chimneys" are jutting pieces of volcanic rocks that have
been beaten and shaped by the wind and rain. Highlights will be The
Apple Church, The Church of St. John the Baptist and the Church with
a Buckle in Goreme and overnight. Including: Breakfast.
Day 6: Konya.
Right after breakfast, we begin our drive to Konya or ancient
Uconium which became an important Christian city following St.
Paul's preaching. A Phyrigia legend says that Konya was the first
city
to be founded after the flood. St. Paul and Barnabas came here in 47
A.D. and their preaching was accompanied by many miracles. St. Paul
made two more stops here on his second and third journeys. Today's
Konya is quite new but the center of the city is very old. Overnight
in Konya. Including: Breakfast.
Day 7: Antalya.
Early morning we will drive to Psidian Antioch (Yalvac) where St.
Paul opened Christianity to the world. Yalvac's history goes back to
280 B.C. During St. Paul's time the population was a mixture of
Jews, Romans and Greeks. Very little is left of Psidian Antioch
today. There is the propylene of the acropolis with a number of
carved stones and the remains of a Byzantine church. We pass
by Egirdir Lake and arrive in Antalya for overnight. Including: Breakfast.
Day 8: Antalya (Perge-Aspendos-Side).
Ruins of Perge are 18 kms to the northeast of Antalya. This is where
St. Paul began preaching after arriving from Cyprus. Highlights are,
the Gymnasium, the Bath, the Agora, the Theater, the Stadium and the
Hellenistic Gate. Another one of the Pamphilian cities is Aspendus.
The Theater is the best preserved in the world with its incredible
acoustics. Today's Side is built exactly on top of the ancient city.
Side means "pomegranate" and this fruit has been depicted in the
coinage found in the area. The highlights here will be the Temples
of Athena and Apollo, the State Agora, the Theater and the Museum.
Overnight in Antalya. Including: Breakfast.
Day 9: Pamukkale (Laodicea-Hierapolis).
We leave our hotel early in the morning and drive to Hierapolis but
before we get here we
stop
at Laodicea. We find here two Theaters, a large Stadium, a Water
Tower and an Odeon. The city is supposed to have been named by
Antiochus II in honor of his wife, Laodicea. St. Paul wrote a letter
to the church here (Acts:4:16).
We arrive in Hierapolis which was founded by Pergamon king Telephos
and named after his wife Hiera. Most likely, the very large Jewish
element in this city was an important factor in the rapid expansion
of Christianity. During the Byzantine period the city became the
seat of diocese with a large Christian Church dedicated to St.
Philip, martyred here in 80 A.D. Highlights include the Roman Baths,
the Temple of Apollo and the Theater. Overnight at
Pamukkale.
Including: Breakfast.
Day 10: Kusadasi.
We start early as we will see four sights today. Closeby Hierapolis
is the beautiful ancient site of Aphrodisias . This ancient city of
learning, fine arts and sculpture has provided us with exquisite
pieces of work which are on display on the site. Its Stadium is
among the best-preserved in the world. The "Bishops Palace", Odeon
and the Theater will be the highlights here. Our next stop Didyma
served as a religious sanctuary to god Apollo. Oracular inscriptions
in Didyma indicate dates as far back as 6th cent.B.C. Legend tells
us that with the arrival of Alexander the Great, the sacred spring
of the Temple which had dried up began to flow again. Highlights
will be the Temple of Apollo. Further north we arrive at Miletus
whose history
dates
back to 800 B.C. Famous Philosopher Thales comes from Miletus and he
is credited with the theory that all things come from water.
Highlights here are the Theater, Baths of Faustina and the Council
Chamber.
Next on our itinerary is Priene with its well planned streets and
graceful buildings and temples. Highlights will be the Agora, the
Ecclesiasterium and the Temple of Athena Polias. Overnight at
Kusadasi. Including: Breakfast.
Day 11: Izmir (Ephesus).
On our way to Izmir this morning we will stop by the famous city of
Ephesus. Our tour will begin with the Basilica of St. John "the
Evangelist" who came here with the Virgin Mary and wrote his Gospel
in Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis, considered as on the Seven
Wonders of the World, was located here.
Ephesus as you will see, is in very good state of preservation and
the overall existing view of this ancient city will make it evident
that she was a wealthy cultural and commercial center in the past.
St. Paul's preaching in the area resulted with the uproar of the
Guild of Silversmiths and eventually the whole population of
Ephesus. Highlights include the Library of Celcius, the Temple of
Hadrian, the Fountain of Trojan, the Brothel and the Theater. We
will also stop by the House of Virgin Mary nearby, where she is
reputed
to have spent her last years and died. You will be able to collect
some holly water from the Sacred Spring. Overnight in Izmir. Including: Breakfast.
Day 12: Izmir (Sardis).
We drive to Sardis whose history dates back to 12th cent. B.C.
Sardis felt the influence of Christianity very early and was
included in the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. During the
Byzantine times it was the seat of a bishopric. Highlights will be a
Synagogue, Gymnasium, Byzantine Church and the Temple of Artemis. We
will then proceed to Thyateria or Akhisar, which was another one of
the towns where Christianity spread quickly. It was the site for one
of the Churches of Revelation.
We
will see another one in Izmir, when we drive back for overnight.
Including: Breakfast.
Day 13: Ayvalik.
On our way to Ayvalik this morning we will stop by hauntingly
beautiful Pergamon which rises high on a hill as one nears the city
of Bergama. Being one of the richest and most powerful of kingdoms
of the ancient world, one look will tell you it still retains its
past grandeur even in its shattered yet dignified present state.
Highlights will include the Altar of Zeus, Temple of Trojan and the
Theater. Coming down the mountain we will stop
by Asclepion, a leading health center of the ancient world where
methods of treatment included music therapy and barefoot walking.
Overnight in Ayvalik. Including: Breakfast.
Day 14: Bursa (Troas-Assos).
We leave our hotel and proceed to Troas and Assos before heading
towards Bursa. Troas was a busy port situated on the north-west
coast of Asia Minor. Recent excavations revealed a dozen different
cities covering 3000 years of human occupation. During his stay in
Troas, St. Paul had a dream in which he saw a vision of a man asking
him to "Come over to Macedonia and help us" after which he decided
to go to Europe. All in all, he stopped and preached here 3
times.
Assos perched high on a cliff overlooking the Aegean and the Island
of Lesbos is breathtaking. Its Acropolis carries the impressive
Temple of Athena. Arriving at Assos on foot from Troas, St. Paul
preached here and climbed down to the little port on the shore to
board the boat on his return journey to Jerusalem. Overnight in
Bursa. Including: Breakfast.
Day 15: Istanbul (Iznik/Nicea).
After the breakfast, we will visit the Yesil Cami (Green Mosque) and
the Yesil Turbe
(Green
Tomb). The Ulu Mosque is completely Seljuk in style, a big
rectangular building with immense portals and a forest of supporting
columns inside. After a stop at the Ottoman House Museum, we leave
Bursa behind us and drive to Nicea.
The city was founded around 1000 B.C. In 325, the First Ecumenical
Council was held here for the purpose of condemning the heresy of
Arianism. The Seventh Ecumenical Council was also held here in the
St. Sophia Church, which we will visit first. The church was built
in the 4th century and has a mosaic floor which dates to the 6th
century. All gates and walls date from the Byzantine times. We
proceed to Istanbul and check into our hotel. Including: Breakfast
Day 16: Departure.
Transfer following the breakfast. Including: Breakfast
INCLUDING
- 15
Nights, 4 Star or 5 Star Hotel Accommodation including breakfast.
- All sightseeing tours as described in the
itinerary.
- 1 Domestic Flight from Istanbul to
Adana.
- Travel Insurance.
- All Entrance Fees.
- All admission fees to the visited sites.
- Biblical expert English speaking professional tour guide.
- All meals as stated in the itinerary. Breakfast.
-
Transportation with New brand Mercedes Luxury Van.
- All Taxes
and service fees.
EXCLUDING
- Any
tips to guide.
- Driver or staff at hotels.
- Items of a
personal nature.
- Drinks with meals (except the drinks served
with breakfast) and medical services.