Depart Home Cities - Flight to Istanbul, Turkey 

We will take a morning flight from our various homes to arrive in Istanbul, Turkey, tomorrow morning. Travel safe!

Arrive in Istanbul, Turkey

Welcome to Turkey! Depending on your arrival time you will enjoy a panoramic city tour before arriving to your hotel to check in and rest from your travels.

Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and is generally regarded as the most important city in terms of cultural and historical interest. After an early breakfast, start the day transferring to Sultanahmet, effectively Istanbul’s old town and is the home of many of Istanbul’s iconic sites, including Hippodrome and Egyptian obelisk near the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque), the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern, and a short cruise on the Bosphorus Strait. Our day will end at our hotel with dinner and overnight. 

Izmir

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and we are going to visit a historic and vast indoor market, as well as explore a different part of the city and take in many more wonderful sights before going to the airport for an evening flight to Izmir (ancient Smyrna and one of the seven cities of the Apocalypse), Sites and experiences will include: Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (61 streets and over 4,000 shops), the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı), and, as time permits, the Dolmabahçe Palace. We will head to the airport to take an evening flight to Izmir, arrive at our hotel, and have dinner before retiring for the night.

Izmir • Bergama (ancient Pergamum) • Izmir 

We will visit Smyrna, “the suffering church” and the (“Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days”); also, home of great 2nd century Bishop Polycarp who was a disciple of John, the Revelator and was burned alive at the age of 85 for his testimony. Then we will continue to Pergamum, “the compromising church”; Revelation 2:12-16 describes the city as “where Satan’s seat is”, a reference to the altar of Zeus. After the tour, we will return to Izmir for dinner and overnight at our hotel in Izmir.

Sardes • Thyatira • Philadelphia

Depart for the visit to Thyatira, “the adulterous church” that, as mentioned in the Revelations, tolerated the false prophets, Jezebel (Rev. 1: 11; 2: 18-29). Proceed to Sardes (, “the dead church”, another of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Jesus told Sardes, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead” (Rev. 3: 1-6). After visiting “the faithful church” of Philadelphia, we will stay overnight in Pamukkale.

Pamukkale • Laodicea • Izmir

We will visit Pamukkale and Laodicea, the church chastised for being lukewarm, "You are neither cold nor hot" (Rev. 3: 15), and for being too comfortable incorporating pagan and Christian beliefs. After the tour transfer to our hotel in Izmir for dinner and overnight.

Izmir • Athens  

After breakfast, depart for our flight to Athens, Greece. Depending on the flight time of arrival, visit the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art. It was founded at the end of the 19th century to house and protect antiquities from all over Greece, thus displaying their historical, cultural, and artistic value. Transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight in Athens. 

Athens • Corinth 

After breakfast, we will meet our bus and travel to ancient Corinth, the Athens Acropolis, and Mars Hill. Our first stop will be in the ancient city of Corinth to discuss the work of Paul where he spent more than 2 years of his missionary journeys. We will walk through the market and see one of the earliest Greek temples as well as the museum. Following the Corinthian Canal on our return to Athens, we will retrace Paul’s footprints onto Mars Hill, where Paul gave his sermon to the Athenians. We will continue on to the Acropolis, where Athena was given her temple robes. We will see the Erechtheum, commemorating the site where legend claims Athena had a contest with Poseidon. Our dinner and overnight will be in our Athens hotel.

Athens • Flights Home to USA or Begin Royal Caribbean Cruise to Greek Isles and Rome

After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for flights home, or for those who have chosen to join the Royal Caribbean Greek Isle Cruise, we will have time to tour other sites and shop in Athens before boarding the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship before 5:00 pm. At the port of Piraeus near Athens. Dinner and overnight is onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship.