FOLLOW THE STEPS OF PAUL IN GREECE AND TURKEY -
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Highligts: Ankara, Cappadocia, Tarsus, Adana, Antakya (Antioch), Mersin, Anamur, Alanya, Antalya, Pamukkale, Philadelphia, Sardes, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Izmir (Smyrna), Pergamon, Iznik (Nicea), Istanbul, Kavala, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, Meteora, Kalambaka, Delphi, Athens, Corinth.
Day 1 – Ankara – Arrival Day
Arrive in Ankara (Capital of Turkey), Meet your guide who will transfer you to your Hotel for dinner and overnight stay in Ankara. (D)
Day 2 – Ankara – Cappadocia
After breakfast, sight-seeing of Ankara: see the Anatolian Civilization Museum, the temple of Augustus and Ataturks Mausoleum. Continue to Cappadocia with a lunch / rest stop in Aksaray before a short ride to Ihlara Valley, to see the impressive, Byzantine rock carvings and frescoes. Enjoy your dinner and overnight stay in Cappadocia. (B,D)
Day 3 – Cappadocia
Full Day excursion of Cappadocia to see the surreal landscapes of volcanic ash, formed 3 million years ago: spectacular red rock cones, troglodyte churches and homes dating from 4000 B.C. Now visit UCHISAR, GOREME and ZELVE, then AVANOS, to visit one of its famous, pottery workshops. Later return to your hotel for overnight stay.(B,D)
Day 4 – Tarsus – Adana
Visit Kaymakli, a unique underground city. Then drive to Tarsus, birthplace of St. Paul. See St. Pauls Well, Cleopatras Gate and the ancient city. It was near here that a Great Fish “vomited out Jonas upon the dry land” Next to Adana for dinner and overnight stay.(B,D)
Day 5 – Antakya – Antioch – Mersin
Full Day excursion to Antakya (Antioch). Here Jesus followers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) Peter, Paul and also Barnabas preached here. Visit St. Peterss Grotto and the exquisite Mosaic Museum. View the old city of ISKENDERUN before beginning the return drive to Mersin for dinner and overnight stay.(B,D)
Day 6 – Anamur – Alanya
Depart westward along the Mediterranean shoreline, a famous coastal road. Take a lunch break in Anamur. See City of the Monophystie Archbishop of Seleucia. Overnight in Alanya.(B,D)
Day 7 – Antalya
Continue to the ancient city of SIDE, the old port where Paul, Barnabas and Mark landed during their missionary journeys. Later they sailed from here to Antioch. Than visit PERGE, where St. Paul preached when arriving from Cyprus (Acts 13-14), and to ASPENDOS with its magnificent theater. Next drive to Antalya for dinner and overnight stay.(B,D)
Day 8 – Pamukkale
Proceed to Laodicea which was condemned by St. John in Revelation 4:15. Drive to Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale, St. Philip was martyred here in 1st AD. Walk the Necropolis and famous Avenue of Tombs. Overnight stay at Pamukkale.(B,D)
Day 9 – Philadelphia – Sardes – Kusadasi
Visit there one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse and the remains of the Cathedral. Continue to in ALASEHIR, the remains of a church. Visit, capital of the ancient LYDIA with temple of the CYBELE & DIANA, which became later a church, see the royal road. Continue to Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.(B,D)
Day 10 – Ephesus
Drive to Selcuk. Visit the monastery of St. John and Ephesus, the best preserved ancient city in the world. See the Library of Celsus, a Stadium where Paul Preached (Acts 19), and the Theatre. Depart for Kusadasi, a port near Ephesus. Then have dinner and overnight stay.(B,D)
Day 11 – Izmir (Smyrna)
This morning take a beautiful drive to Izmir (ancient Smyrna), After visiting of the St. Policarp church in) Izmir. Continue to in Akhisar, ancient commercial place in connection with TROY & Sardes. Overnight in Bergama.(B)
Day 12 – Pergamon
Early departure to BERGAMA (Pergamon), to visit the Acropolis, high above the plain. See the pagan Temples and Altar of Zeus. Proceed to BURSA, first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Overnight in Bergama.(B)
Day 13 – Iznik (Nicea) – Istanbul
Drive to Iznik (Nicea) where the Nicean Creed was formed. Depart for Istanbul by ferry. Ancient Hippodrome, Blue Mosque. Overnight in Istanbul.(B)
Day 14 – Istanbul
Start for Istanbul City Tour. Visit Hagia Sophia and then Topkapi Palace. Following the lunch, we start cruising the Bosphorus. Return to the hotel for Overnight stay.(B)
Day 15 – Kavala
At noon we are met by our Greek guide and we drive from the Greek/Turkish borders to Kavala passing by Alexandroupolis. Dinner and overnight at Hotel.(B,D)
Day 16 – Kavala – Philippi – Thessaloniki
After breakfast at hotel, we drive to Philippi, the site where the apostle Paul came and worked, establishing a strong church. We see the river where Lydia is thought to have been baptized, the ruins of a Prison where Paul and Sylas had been kept, the Agora, 5th and 6th century Basilica and the Theater. Late that afternoon we arrive at Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.(B,D)
Day 17 – Thessaloniki- Veria – Meteora – Kalambaka
In the morning, after a short city tour of Thessaloniki, we drive to Berea. We see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating his preaching. Lunch on your own.Then we proceed our drive to Meteora where we visit in the afternoon the fantastic and breathtaking Byzantine monasteries. Monks seeking isolation and spiritual salvation first built those monasteries in the 14th century. Dinner and overnight at Kalambaka.(B,D)
Day 18 – Kalambaka – Delphi – Athens
After breakfast at Hotel drive to Delphi, we visit the archaeological site of Delphi: the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, and the Museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. Lunch on your own. Drive to Athens for dinner and overnight at hotel.(B,D)
Day 19 – Athens – Corinth
Our excursion out of Athens takes us by the Saronic Gulf, where in 480 BC historys root was changed. We stop at the historic Corinthian Canal where we take pictures. We arrive at ancient Corinth Here, we see all of the sites associated with his ministry: the Agora, the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Odeon, the Bema and Gallios Seat. We see the ruins of early Christian 5th century basilica in Cenchreae before returning to Athens. In the afternoon we enjoy our half-Day sightseeing tour of Athens. We climb up to the marble-capped Acropolis and visit among the other buildings the famous Parthenon and the Erechtheum. We now have become time travelers! Then, we go to nearby Mars Hill (Areopagus) (Acts 17:22) where the Apostle Paul delivered his soul-stirring sermon to the giants of philosophy, logic and learning. Our tour continues with the highlights of modern Athens. In the evening optional dinner in Greek traditional restaurant with music and dance. Return to hotel late at night and overnight.(B)
Day 20 – Athens – End of Tour
After breakfast check out from the hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
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