Depart the USA

You will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as your guide introduces you to the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erechtheum. View Mars Hill as the Apostle Paul did when he proclaimed, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom, therefore, ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23). As you look at the agora, the ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life, recall that this was where the Apostle Paul preached “Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18) to the skeptical Athenians. Enjoy the afternoon to wander and explore on your own.

Journey to the city of Corinth, where the Apostle Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquilla and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord saying, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee:  for I have much people in this city” (Acts 18:10). As Paul spoke, Crispus (chief ruler of the synagogue) and many others believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8), establishing the church at Corinth to whom Paul later wrote his two epistles. Discover the archaeological museum, marketplace, and temples. As you walk among the ruins, stand on the Bema, where the Apostle Paul stood before Gallio to face charges brought against him by the Jews. Stop briefly at the port town of Cenchreae, from which Paul later departed for Syria (Acts 18: 12-18).  Return to Athens for dinner and your overnight stay.

Fly from Athens to Thessaloniki this morning. Discover Thessaloniki, where Paul was accused of turning the world upside down with his preaching of Christ (Acts 17:3-6). As you explore St. George Basilica, believed to be built over the synagogue where Paul preached, reflect on the two epistles the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church here. View the Old City Ramparts, and the Galerius Arch that rises over the Via Egnatia. Stroll through the archaeological museum and the beautiful basilicas of St. Sophia and St. Demetrios. St. Demetrios is dedicated to a distinguished Roman proconsul martyred for his Christian faith. Visit Philippi, where Paul, intending to find a place to pray by the riverside, spoke to women who had gathered there among whom was Lydia, the seller of purple and whose heart the Lord opened to hear the words that he spoke (Acts 16:13-15).  Lydia was the first Christian to be baptized on European soil.  Visit the place where this event is remembered and see a crypt dating from the Roman period, which is thought to have served as a prison for the apostle Paul. See the famous acropolis, the marketplace, the Basilica, and the theater. Dinner and overnight in Komotini.

Today, you will cross the border into Türkiye. You will visit the famous Blue Mosque with its six minarets and sparkling interior. Walk through Hagia Sophia, which was the largest church in Christendom for 1,000 years, built by Justinian (532-537 AD). The church has 107 columns, fossil-embedded, white marble floors, and beautiful glass mosaics. Enjoy the aroma of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and other exotic spices as you explore the spice market. Dinner and your overnight stay are in Istanbul. 

You’ll visit the Topkapi Palace, once home to royal Sultans. Inside, you’ll see the fabled jewels of the treasury, delicate displays of Chinese porcelain in the kitchen quarters, and the provocative harem quarters. Enjoy the afternoon your own to explore Istanbul.  An optional Bosporus Cruise will be available for those who wish to see the city from the Straits.

Visit the lakeside town of Iznik, known in Byzantine times as Nicaea and the site of two ecumenical church councils. The ancient name is associated with the Nicene Creed that many Christians can recite from memory. You will see the ancient walls and sites associated with the town’s Christian heritage: the ruins of the Basilica of St. Sophia, the Baptistry, and the Christian tombs on the outskirts of town.  Continue to Bergama for dinner and your overnight stay.

The most favored of the Seven Churches was Pergamum, and the church was praised for its forbearance during hard times (Rev. 2:12-17). Rome executed the first Christians here. Towering 1000 feet above the town is the fabled Acropolis. As you pass through the Royal Gates, you will enter one of the great centers of classic Greek culture. You’ll see the foundations of the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Athena, and the ruins of the library that once held 200,000 parchment volumes. You’ll also see the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the grand theatre, the gymnasium, and the health center (Asclepeion).  Visit Thyatira once a busy trading center, famous as a “seller of purple”. Today, it is famous for Persian rugs. Thyatira, one of the Seven Churches mentioned in Revelations, tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel (Rev. 1: 11; 2: 18 -29).  Sardis, another of the Seven Churches of Revelation, was berated by John the Prophet for its facade of strength when, in reality, it was weak (Rev. 3:1 -6). In Sardis, coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated. The massive scale of the Temple of Artemis, the white marble Royal Road, the gymnasium, and the synagogue will impress you.  Check into your Hierapolis hotel for dinner and overnight.

Hierapolis is blessed by hot mineral springs and some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Asia Minor. Paul mentions Hierapolis in his Letter to the Colossians in saluting Epaphras, a fellow laborer, for his love of the brethren there (Colossians 4:13). The ruins cover more than a mile. You will see the impressive amphitheater with seats still in perfect condition. You will see the city gates, column-lined streets, and arches, which have stood through time and earthquakes. Today, the area is known as Pamukkale, meaning “Cotton Castle”, named for the limestone-laden hot springs which cascade from one white-edged terrace pool to the next. The Christians of Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches (Rev. 3:14-22), were chastised for being lukewarm, “You are neither cold nor hot” (Rev. 3:15), and for being too comfortable incorporating pagan and Christian beliefs. In the famous scripture from Revelation (3:20-21), Jesus says to the Laodicean church: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock . . .” Today, there are many acres of ruins to see, including the stadium and columned streets. Dinner and your overnight stay are in Kusadasi.

Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 1:11). In ancient days, Ephesus was a bustling port town of 250,000, graced with wide, colonnade-bordered streets. Today, you will be impressed with the spectacular excavations of the major streets of ancient Ephesus. You will view the library and the huge agora. The Temple of Artemis was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today, only a single column remains to mark the site. You will visit the Ephesus Experience Museum for an up-close look as ancient artifacts come to life. You will have time to explore this powerful city on your own and retrace some of the footsteps of Paul. Fly from Izmir back to Istanbul for dinner and your overnight stay.  

Return to the USA.