Depart Los Angeles on flight LH451 at 6:40pm to Frankfurt.

We will arrive Frankfurt at 2:50pm. Transfer on flight LH1304 at 5:20pm to Istanbul, arriving at 9:20pm. Meet our tour guide and driver and transfer to the hotel.

After late breakfast, we will enjoy a panoramic tour of Istanbul. Our day continues as we visit the Spice Bazaar. We will enjoy shopping and leisure time before returning to our hotel. 

After breakfast, we will stroll through Hippodrome Square. Afterward, we will walk directly across from the mosque to visit the domed masterpiece of the Hagia Sophia. Then, we head to Topkapi Palace. Located on the very cape of the peninsula where Constantinople was founded, Topkapi Palace is the former abode of Ottoman Sultans that still houses their legion of treasures, including an extensive collection of royal jewels. Then, we will end our day with an evening of shopping at the Grand Bazaar, the massive covered market that houses a labyrinth of streets lined with shops. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, we drive to Istanbul Airport and fly to Adana. Upon arrival, take a short drive to Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul (Acts 9:11). Visit St. Paul’s church and visit the well that is believed to have been within the grounds of his home. After driving through the Gate of Cleopatra, we go north through the Cilician Gates into the hinterland of Asia Minor. In the afternoon, we reach Konya. We shall visit the Mevlana Museum, which houses the tomb of the great 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, who founded the Order of the Whirling Dervishes—dinner and overnight in Konya.

After breakfast, we will continue to the modern city of Yalvac to see the ruins of Antioch in Pisidia. Sitting in the southern foothills of the Sultan Mountains. Continue to Pamukkale. On the route, we will visit the ancient city of Laodicea, one of the seven churches. Visit the remains of the old towns Hierapolis, the Roman Basilica, and Travertino. Recently this city was declared a “World Heritage Site” and placed under the protection of UNESCO. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.

After breakfast, we will head to the modern town of Alasehir and visit the site of ancient Philadelphia, the church which received God’s highest commendation (Rev. 3:7-13). Here, we will see the remains of a brickbuilt Byzantine basilica adorned with 11thcentury frescoes. Afterward, we will visit Sardis, a militarily ancient solid city located along an important highway and among the fertile plains of Hermus (Geldiz River). Then, we will drive to Akhisar and end our day with a visit to Thyatira, one of the Seven Churches praised for its increasing faith but admonished for its tolerance of Jezebel (Rev. 2:18-28). We continue to Bergama to visit Pergamum, one of the most influential cities in the ancient world. Today, we will tour the Acropolis, which sits atop a 1000-foot windswept mountain, offering a view of the neighboring modern towns, the azure waters of the Aegean, and the ruins of Pergamum that cascade down from the ancient city center—dinner and overnight in Izmir.

After breakfast, visit ancient Ephesus, one of Turkey’s most well-preserved archaeological sites. We will walk on the Marble Road, passing numerous historically rich sites, including the Temple of Artemis (Diana), the fountain of Trajan, and the Temple of Hadrian. We will also see the Library of Celsus, which adorns the site’s most impressive square, and sit in the theater. Then, we will end our day at the House of the Virgin Mary. On this site, the mother of Jesus is believed to have spent the last days of her life with the Apostle John. Then, we will continue to the airport to fly to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.  

Today, we will drive to visit Philippi, named after Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. We’ll visit the place where Lydia had been baptized “One of those who heard us was Lydia ..After she and the people of her house had been baptized ..”(Act 16:14-15) The Epistle to the Philippians was written to the people of this city. Returen to Thessaloniki to see the White Tower and the Rotonda of Galerius. Dinner at our hotel.

Today, we will drive to the Casles of Thessaloniki to view the ancient church of St Paul and then continue to  Veria (Berea). We will see the Bema where Paul found people who eagerly received his message, “examining the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Continue To Kalambaka where we will visit the unique hanging Byzantine monasteries from the Medieval centuries. There are 24, but only six are inhabited, and we will visit one. Please continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we will have a panoramic drive to view other hanging monasteries and then to Athens. We will stop at Thermopylae, where the Greeks fought for their freedom during the Greco-Persian wars in 480 BC. See the statue of Leonidas, king of the Greek city-state Sparta. Continue to Athens for dinner and overnight. 

This morning we will depart our hotel and start our way to embark on the cruise. Our f irst port of call is Mykonos. There we will have the opportunity to explore the famous island with plenty of shops. 

This morning, we will visit Ephesus, dominated by the tremendous 24,000-seat amphitheater, cited in Acts as the place of the apostles’ courageous witness.  We will see the Library of Celsus, The Temple of Hadrian, and the Temple of Artemis. On our way back to the pier, we will pass by a bazaar to get an idea of Turkish products. Our second port today afternoon is Patmos, where the exiled St John received the Revelation, which forms the last book of the New Testament. We visit the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation during his exile (Rev. 1:9-11).

Today, we will spend the whole day in Santorini, the “Black Pearl of the Aegean,” where we will visit the cliff-top village of Fira for one of the world’s most breathtaking panoramas. We can take the cable car up to explore this impressive town, walk through the narrow roads, try the local taverns, or go shopping and take photos of the fantastic views over the Caldera. Then take the cable car back to our ship. 

Today, we will depart the cruise, meet your guide and drive to Athens. We will visit the essential modern and archaeological sites in the city of Athens, the Acropolis and neighboring monuments, including Mars Hill, where “So they took Paul and brought him in front of the city council, the Areopagus, and said…”(Act 17:19) . While driving through the main streets of Athens, we have an opportunity to see other places of interest such as the University, the Academy, the National Library, the Temple of Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, Omonia Square, Constitution Square, and the Royal Palace. We will see the Roman Cathedral of St Dennis dedicated to Dionysius “Some men joined him and believed, among whom was Dionysius, ..” (Act 17:34). We will have free time to explore the ancient portion of the city Plaka area with its narrow paths, shops, and taverns in the foot of Acropolis. Please return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we will depart our hotel and drive along the coastal road to Corinth. Continue along the wonderful beach of Kinetta, make a brief stop at the amazing hum and made Corinth Canal, then on to ancient Corinth to visit the Museum, the Bema where  “Paul gave his whole time to preaching the message ..” (Act 18:5). Continue to visit the port of Cenchreae where “ Before sailing from Cenchreae he had his head shaved because of a vow he had taken. “ (Act 18:18). Drive back to Athens for dinner and overnight.

Today, we will spend the day in the city on our own, exploring Monastiraki Square and the Flea Market just on the foot of Acropolis in the Plaka area. Dinner in our hotel.

Depart Athens on LH1285 at 6:40am to Frankfurt, arriving at 8:50am. Transfer on flight LH454 at 10:05 to San Francisco, arriving at 12:35pm.