We invite you to join favorite tour leader Tim Taggart on a tour celebrating the missionary travels of Paul and John the Beloved. The New Testament will come alive as we visit some of the most spectacular sites of the Apostle’s ministries and of the Early Church.
We also visit several “Bucket List” locations that are so beautiful and romantic they are featured everywhere the Greek Isles are mentioned. Unforgettable, historical, scenic, spiritual, romantic, and life-changing. This tour does it all!
Begin your tour with a special experience, a pre-tour exploring Cappadocia which is on UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List. See by land and air as this area is on of the most popular natural & historical regions in the world. Dates are Feb 9-13th. More details are under the "Tour Includes" tab.
*Please note that while the physical activity on this tour (walking distances) is not significant every day, the days are full of touring from breakfast to dinner time with "down-time" only in the evening.
Highlights of the Tour:
- 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour! Smaller group sizes = better experiences
- Morris Murdock LDS tour Director for the whole trip along with local guides
- Licensed, insured, and bonded travel agency with over 60 years of experience!! IT MATTERS!
Tour ID # 9224B12
We offer A CASH DISCOUNT of $100.00 on this tour. It applies for all payments made by check or ACH AFTER the deposit, and only the deposit amount is paid by credit card.
To Book This Tour, Contact your favorite Morris Columbus Travel advisor or the Group Tour Manager listed below:
Questions? Contact:
Sarah Wangsgard, Tour Manager
Tel: (801) 483-6473
Email Sarah


Day 1/2: Monday and Tuesday, February 12-13, 2024
U.S.A. • Transatlantic Flight • Istanbul, Turkey
We will take a morning flight from our various U.S.A. homes. Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred to the hotel. Like Rome, Istanbul is built on seven hills. Settled by the Greeks in the eighth century BC, the city was known as Byzantium. In AD 330 the Roman emperor Constantine made it his capital and called it Constantinople. After the western part of the Roman Empire fell, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire for a thousand years until 1453, when it was taken by the Ottoman Turks. We will enjoy an evening boat ride on the Bosporus strait by private boat.
Meals : Dinner
Day 3: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Istanbul
We will enjoy a city tour of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia was an architectural marvel built by Emperor Justinian in AD 527. The Blue Mosque is an exquisite example of Islamic architecture built by Ahmet I, we will see the Hippodrome, containing an Egyptian obelisk brought to Constantinople in AD 390 from Egypt. Next, we will also visit the Topkapi Palace and finally the unique Basilican Cistern. If time allows, you may enjoy a fun stop at the world-famous, Spice Market. Here you can browse and shop at the hundreds of stalls for souvenirs, spices, and Turkish delights. We will visit the spice market and will be transferred to Istanbul airport for our flight to Izmir. Upon Arrival in Izmir, we will be transferred to our hotel in Izmir for our dinner and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Thursday, February 15, 2024
Izmir
This morning we will visit Smyrna. Founded in the 11 century B.C it was once a Greek City on the Aegean coastline. We will see the ruins of the ancient Angora (a public meeting place). We will next travel to Kusadasi (near Ephesus), on our way, we will see the Basilica of John and continue to Kusadasi where we will spend the evening.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Friday, February 16, 2024
Ephesus,Turkey
This morning we will visit Ephesus - one a Greek city on the Ionian Sea coast. The impressive ruins date back to the 10th century B.C. The Apostles Paul spent much time in the area teaching to Ephesians. We will visit the house of the Virgin Mary. Many have thought that this was where she had lived and died in Ephesus. We will have an optional lunch at the rug weaving school with a shopping opportunity. After spending some more time in the Ephesus area, we will make our way to Izmir airport for our flight to Athens. Upon arrival in Athens, we will be transferred to our hotel in Athens. Overnight in Athens.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Athens, Greece
Today we will visit the famous Acropolis and the Parthenon. We will also stroll through the ancient Agora - said to be one of the world’s largest and best-preserved ancient meeting places. It was here that such men as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle taught. The Apostle Paul taught the Athenians while staying in Athens on Mars Hill. Our lives still bare the deep imprint of Greece. After time for shopping and if time permits, we will visit the New Acropolis Museum.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Sunday, February 18, 2024
Corinth, Greece
This morning we will travel west by bus around the Saronic Gulf, which separates Attica from the Peloponnese (the southern peninsula of Greece), crossing the famous Corinth Canal (a 4.2-mile-long channel cut between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf). Then we will go on to Corinth to discuss the work of Paul, who lived here for one and a half years, and his two epistles directed to the Corinthian Saints.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Monday, February 19, 2024
Athens to Rome – Colosseum and Roman Forum
Early in the morning, we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Rome. Upon arrival in Rome, we will be transferred to our hotel in the city. After some free time for lunch, we will start our guided tour of ancient Rome including the Colosseum, which was inaugurated in AD 80, this 50,000-seat amphitheater once staged violent games of fighting gladiators and wild animals, enjoyed by all classes of Roman society. Back outside, the Colosseum our exploration of Ancient Rome continues with a visit to the nearby Roman Forum, once the social, political, and commercial hub of the Roman Empire. We will tour this unrivaled archaeological area and enjoy views of important historical sites including the Curia, the Temple and House of Vestals, the funeral altar of Julius Caesar, the Arch of Titus, and much more.it was once the site of the Roman Gladiators and where the early Christians were executed. After our tour, we will drive to our hotel.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
LDS Rome Temple Visit - Vatican - Sistine Chapel
This morning we will visit the LDS Temple in Rome and attend a session for those that want to (depending on appointment availability). We will then tour the Vatican, the world’s smallest, yet wealthiest independent state, starting with an overview of the history of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. See the Hall of Tapestries and the Maps Gallery. The highlight will be the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling is covered with Michelangelo’s famous paintings of the ‘Creation’ and ‘Last Judgment.’ Then we explore St. Peter’s Square, with Bernini’s 284 columns, before entering St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in Christendom. See the many treasures including the golden mosaics of the apse, Bernini’s bronze baldachin and the famed ‘Pieta’ by Michelangelo.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Tivoli - Pantheon - Trevi Fountain - Navona
This morning we will visit Tivoli and the Villa d'Este, a 16th-century villa, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. It is now an Italian state museum and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. We will then travel back to Rome to visit some of the most famous sites in Rome, The Pantheon a former Roman temple, now a church, on the site of an earlier temple dedicated about 126 AD! We will also visit the Trevi Fountain, it is one of Rome’s greatest attractions, standing 26 meters tall, and 49 meters wide, it is an unmissable sight in the city. No matter how little you know about this fountain, we can guess you’ll know about the coin tradition. Being one of the most popular tourist experiences in all of Rome. The ritual involves visitors to hold a coin, turn away from the fountain, and toss the coin over their shoulder and into the fountain. The legend states that if your throw one coin into the water, it guarantees your return to Rome, whereas two coins mean you’ll return and fall in love, and three means you’ll return, fall in love, and get married. In Ancient Rome, the Piazza Navona was a stadium built during Emperor Domitian's rule (AD 81 to 96). We finish the day with a transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Rome.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Rome to USA
Today you will depart Italy for our flights back to our homes in the U.S.A. Arrived home tired but filled with memories of special and sacred places and all we have seen and heard―a true “trip of a lifetime.”.
Meals : Breakfast, In-flight
PRE TOUR - Feb 9-13, 2024
OPTIONAL PRE-TOUR OF CAPPADOCIA
Feb 9 & 10th 2024: Depart flights from your home cities to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul. Meeting at airport and short flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Feb 11th 2024: We will start exploring Cappadocia valley. We will first visit the Kaymakli Underground city. It is a self-sufficient underground city with its own ventilation system, store areas, living areas. Later, we will continue to Goreme Open Air Museum where we will see churches and monasteries carved in rocks. We will see, Pasabag, valley of Imagination and three beauties in Cappadocia. We will have our dinner and overnight at our hotel in Cappadocia.
Feb 12th 2024: Early morning, we will have an optional balloon ride in the valley. We will return to our hotel for breakfast and after some rest, we will continue exploring more in Cappadocia. We will see Uchisa, Pıgeon Valley and Love Valley. We will end our day in Kizilcukur to have the best sunset photos in the region. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Feb 13th 2024: Transfer to the airport for flying to Istanbul and starting the Journey of Apostles Tour.
Please click the TOUR INCLUDES BUTTON for more information
Highlights of the Tour:
- 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour
- LDS Tour Director on for the whole trip along with local guides for in-depth location detail and history
- Advance timed entry tickets to attractions included = less time waiting in lines
- Optional 3-day PRE tour available to Cappadocia, Turkey
Included:
- Local Licensed guides & Historians with your experienced LDS Tour Director, Tim Taggart
- Accommodations at 4 Star hotels throughout
- Sightseeing tours as outlined on the itinerary
- Meals as outlined - Breakfast and dinner daily
- Entrance fees to all noted locations and museums
- Deluxe/Air Conditioned motor coach transportation
- Boat ride on the Bosporus by private boat
- All flights throughout the tour with luggage and carry-on allowance (3 flights - Istanbul to Izmir, Izmir to Athens - Athens to Rome)
- Audio system headsets throughout the tour
- Document package
Not Included:
- International airfare to Istanbul and home from Rome
- Visa for Turkey $20.00pp
- Any private sightseeing not included on the itinerary during free time
- Tour gratuities for tour guides and special LDS Host
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance - Highly recommended
- Meals not included in tour outline
Optional Pricing:
- Single/Private room cost $3989.00
- Triple rate same as the double, subject to availability
- Cash Discount of $100 per person
- 4-day Optional Pre Tour to Capadoccia $619 including flights
Payment Terms:
- Deposit of $500 per person is due at the time of booking
- Full Payment due November 6, 2023
- This tour required a minimum of 30 travelers to guarantee the advertised price *Ask about details


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OPTIONAL PRE-TOUR OF CAPPADOCIA 
Feb 9 & 10th 2024: Depart flights from your home cities to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul. Meeting at the airport and on a short flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Feb 11th, 2024: We will start exploring Cappadocia valley. We will first visit the Kaymakli Underground city. It is a self-sufficient underground city with its own ventilation system, store areas, and living areas. Later, we will continue to Goreme Open Air Museum where we will see churches and monasteries carved in rocks. We will see, Pasabag, the valley of Imagination, and three beauties in Cappadocia. We will have our dinner and overnight at our hotel in Cappadocia.
Feb 12th, 2024: Early morning, we will have an optional balloon ride in the valley. We will return to our hotel for breakfast and after some rest, we will continue exploring more in Cappadocia. We will see Uchisa, Pıgeon Valley, and Love Valley. We will end our day in Kizilcukur to have the best sunset photos in the region. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Feb 13th, 2024: Transfer to the airport for flying to Istanbul and starting the Journey of Apostles Tour.
Rate:
Double price per person $619.00
**Pre-tour is based on a minimum of 10 tour participants
Included:
- Deluxe/Air-Conditioned motor coach transportation
- Local Licensed guides & Historians with your experienced LDS Tour Director
- Accommodation at 4* hotels
- Sightseeing tours as outlined on the itinerary
- Meals as outlined – Breakfast and Dinner Daily
- Audio system headsets throughout the tour
- Breakfast and dinners daily
- Economy class domestic flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia with luggage and carry-on allowance
- Economy class air ticket from Cappadocia to Istanbul with luggage and carry-on allowance
- Audio system headsets throughout the tour
Not Included:
- Any private sightseeing not included on the itinerary during free time
- Tour gratuities for Local Guides/Bus Drivers and Tour Director
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Meals not included in the tour outline