         
14 days
Your spiritual journey begins as you depart on your transatlantic flight.
Arrive in the country of the Seven Churches of Revelation.
Full day sightseeing in the city that reflects the history and culture of one of the greatest empires of the 4th to 16th centuries. The Golden Age of Istanbul was during the reign of Justinian (527-565) who made Christianity the State religion of the Roman Empire. Visit the Blue Mosque with its six towering minarets, St. Sophia, once the largest Christian church built by the Romans. Next is Topkaki Palace, the old residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Wander through the ceramic tiled Grand Bazaar with its hundreds of shops of spices, foods, clothing, jewelry and various goods. This evening, depart from Istanbul airport for your short flight to Izmir.
From Izmir on the Aegean Sea drive to Sardis, capitol of ancient Lidya and site of one of the world's oldest synagogues. Continue to the second of the Seven Churches at Alasehir, former Philadelphia, called the city of brotherly love. This church remained the last bastion of Christianity in Anatolia, lasting until the 14th century. See Pamukkale (cotton fortress), the site of the ancient city of Hieropolis. The plateau owes its formation to a warm carbonated spring, which as it cools is changed to calcium carbonate and forms natural snowy looking pools as it cascades down the mountain.
Drive to the ancient city Laodicea where St. John addressed his letter to the "Seven Churches of Asia". See the nearby ruins of Hierapolis, an important seat of early Christianity, view the Roman baths, the sprawling agora south of the theatre and the Temple of Apollo. Visit the Martyrium of the apostle Philip which was built, as legend has it, on the spot where the saint was stoned to death. Journey to Kusadasi for the evening.
Arrive at historically famous Ephesus, established in the 11th century BC. It was a rich commercial city that fell to the Persians and was later conquered by Alexander the Great. The apostle St. John wrote his gospel here. He is said to have accompanied the Virgin Mary to Ephesus where they both lived and died. Visit the city with its theaters, dwellings, library, bathhouses and large public areas. See the House of Mary and the Basilica of St. John. Continue to Izmir for the evening.
Visit the modern city of Izmir, formerly ancient Smyrna. See Akhisar (Thyathira)-one of the seven churches. Continue to Pergamum, which became an independent kingdom in the 3rd century BC. It was a rich cultural center with an extensive library. Here parchment was developed replacing papyrus. It was one of the foremost healing centers of the ancient world where the famous doctor Galen (second to Hippocrates) practiced medicine. Continue to Canakkale, the narrowest point of the Dardanelles, for the evening.
Visit the city of Troy, destroyed with the help of the legendary Trojan Horse. Cross the Dardanelles to Galipoli and from Alexandropolis to Greece. Arrive at Kavala, located near ancient Neapolis where St. Paul landed on his way to Philippi. It is also the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
See Kavala and its panoramic harbor, Byzantine Castle and aqueduct. This ancient city of Neapolis was renamed Christoupolis in commemoration of St. Paul. In the 15th century it became Kavala. Travel on to Philippi, named after Philip II of Macedon who once captured the city. It was here Apostle Paul and Silas were confined. A crypt from the Roman period is thought to have been a prison for St. Paul. Proceed to Thessaloniki for the evening.
Drive by Thessaloniki's seaport with its venerable Byzantine churches noted for their fine mosaics, the White Tower, the many harbors and the Arch of Galerius. Visit the archeological museum and view the treasures of King Philip. Drive to Kalambaka in the heart of Greece.
Drive to Meteora outside Kalambaka to see the picturesque "Hanging cliff Monasteries". Monks who sought refuge and seclusion built these during the Byzantine period. These magnificent precarious structures are perched on the pinnacles of sheer rock mountains. A number of these are open to visitors. Continue to Delphi, the ancient city of fame and wealth.
Visit Delphi, the home of the god Apollo and one of the most famous sites in classical Greece. See the museum and the famed statue of the Charioteer of Delphi, the Temple of Apollo where the oracles held court; the Castila Spring where pilgrims cleansed themselves before consulting the oracle, and the ancient theatre and stadium.
See the splendid architecture of this city beginning with Constitution Square, the Parliament, the Royal Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Visit the world renowned Acropolis with the Propylaea, the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike and the Agora. Drive via the Bay of Salamis and the Sardonic Gulf to Corinth. See the canal and tour the ruins of the ancient city. Continue to Mycenae, a dead city of Pre-Hellenic Greece where civilization flourished.
Return to the USA or continue to another destination. Tour Host Benefits: ONE FREE FOR EVERY 5 PAYING TRAVELERS |
DEPART
THE USA
ARRIVE
IN ISTANBUL
FULL
DAY ISTANBUL/ IZMIR 
IZMIR/
SARDIS/ PHILADELPHIA/ PAMUKKALE
PAMUKKALE/
HIERAPOLIS/ LAODECIA/ KUSADASI
PAMUKKALE/
HIERAPOLIS/ LAODECIA/ KUSADASI
KUSADASI/
THYATIRA/ PERGAMUM/ TROY
CANAKKALE/
TROY/ GALIPOLI/ KAVALA
KAVALA
SIGHTSEEING/ PHILIPPI/ THESSALONIKI
THESSALONIKI/
KALAMBAKA
KALAMBAKA/
METEORA/ DELPHI
DELPHI/
ATHENS
ATHENS AND THE ACROPOLIS/ CORINTH
RETURN
TO THE USA
