FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL - TURKEY

Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul

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• Arrive at Istanbul International Airport

• Meet & assist, private transfer to hotel

• Check-in and time to relax

• Dinner & overnight stay in Istanbul

 

Day 2 – Istanbul | City of Empires

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Guided city tour covering:

  • Roman Hippodrome

  • Hagia Sophia

  • Blue Mosque

  • Topkapi Palace

  • Walk around Sultanahmet Square

• Lunch at a local restaurant

• Free time at the Grand Bazaar

• Transfer back to hotel

• Dinner & overnight stay in Istanbul

 

Day 3 – Istanbul – Antioch (Hatay) – Adana

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• Early breakfast

• Drive / flight (depending on final routing) to Antioch (Hatay)

• Lunch en route

• Visit:

  • Cave Church of St. Peter (one of the earliest Christian churches)

  • Hatay Archaeological & Mosaic Museum

• Continue journey to Adana

• Dinner & overnight stay in Adana

Antioch is where followers of Jesus were first called “Christians”

 

Day 4 – Adana – Tarsus – Cappadocia

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Drive to Tarsus, birthplace of St. Paul

• Visit:

  • St. Paul’s Church

  • St. Paul’s Well (drink blessed water)

  • Cleopatra’s Gate (photo stop)

• Transfer to Adana Airport

• Flight to Cappadocia

• Transfer to hotel

• Dinner & overnight stay in Cappadocia

 

Day 5 – Cappadocia | Early Christian Monastic Life

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Full-day guided tour covering:

  • Göreme Open Air Museum (rock-cut churches & frescoes)

  • Soğanlı Valley

  • Underground cities – Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı

  • Keslik Monastery

  • Panoramic views of Avcilar Valley & fortress (photo stops)

• Lunch during tour

• Dinner & overnight stay in Cappadocia

 

Day 6 – Cappadocia – Konya

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Drive to Konya

• Stop at Sultan Han Caravanserai (Silk Road heritage)

• Lunch en route

• Visit:

  • Mausoleum of Mevlana Rumi

• Dinner & overnight stay in Konya

 

Day 7 – Konya – Yalvaç (Antioch of Pisidia) – Pamukkale

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Drive towards Pamukkale

• En route visit:

  • Antioch of Pisidia (Yalvaç)

  • Ruins of the Church of St. Paul, where he preached on his first missionary journey

• Continue to Pamukkale

• Dinner & overnight stay in Pamukkale

 

Day 8 – Pamukkale – Hierapolis – Aphrodisias – Kuşadası

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Visit:

  • Pamukkale white travertine terraces

  • Ancient city of Hierapolis

  • Cleopatra’s Pool

• Lunch

• Continue to Aphrodisias:

  • Temple of Aphrodite

  • Stadium, Theatre & Tetrapylon

• Drive to Kuşadası

• Dinner & overnight stay in Kuşadası

 

Day 9 – Ephesus | House of Virgin Mary

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Visit:

  • Ancient City of Ephesus

    • Library of Celsus

    • Grand Theatre

    • Agora, Odeon, Arch of Hercules

    • Temple of Hadrian

    • Baths of Scholastica

  • House of the Virgin Mary

  • Basilica of St. John

  • Temple of Artemis (Diana) – ruins

• Lunch during tour

• Dinner & overnight stay in Kuşadası

 

Day 10 – Pergamum – Troy – Çanakkale

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• Breakfast at hotel

• Drive to Pergamum

• Visit:

  • Acropolis of Pergamum

  • Temple of Trajan

  • Altar of Zeus (mentioned in the Book of Revelation)

• Continue to Troy Archaeological Site

• Drive to Çanakkale

• Dinner & overnight stay in Çanakkale

 

Day 11 – Departure

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• Breakfast

• Transfer to airport for onward journey

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