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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.”.

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. 

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