Day 1 – Istanbul

Arrival in Istanbul mid-morning. Transfer to the hotel and meet your fellow tour members for a welcome cocktail and dinner.

Day 2–3 – Istanbul

Full days exploring the magnificent Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts housed in the restored 16th-century palace of the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, the Roman Hippodrome, the Underground Cistern, and Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), considered one of the world’s greatest architectural marvels. Visit Dolmabahçe Palace, the lavish Ottoman Baroque masterpiece built as the residence of the Ottoman sultans in 1854.

Continue sightseeing at Kariye Museum (St. Savior in Chora) with its spectacular Byzantine frescoes and mosaics, and the Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent, designed by the master Ottoman architect Sinan. Continue to Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans and center of imperial government from the mid-15th to the mid-19th century. Discover the treasury with its jeweled thrones and extraordinary riches, the legendary Harem Quarters, and the kitchens displaying one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese porcelain.

Day 4 – Urfa

Fly to Urfa in the morning and continue to Harran, one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on earth and believed to be the ancient Charan mentioned in the Old Testament as the place where Abraham and Sarah spent several years. See the distinctive beehive houses, ancient fortress, city walls, and remains of an early Islamic university. Said to be the birthplace of Abraham, Urfa remains an important pilgrimage site. Visit the Halil Rahman Mosque, built around a tranquil pool filled with sacred carp, and stroll through the vaulted eastern bazaar and the courtyards of the old hans.

Day 5 – Adıyaman / Mt. Nemrut

Drive north into the lands of ancient Commagene. En route, see the massive Atatürk Dam, Turkey’s largest and one of the largest in the world, before continuing to Adıyaman. Hike to the summit of Mt. Nemrut where the monumental funerary sanctuary of King Antiochus of Commagene was erected over 2,000 years ago. See the colossal stone statues of gods and kings, whose fallen heads now rest dramatically upon the mountainside.

Day 6 – Antakya (Antioch)

Depart this morning for Antakya, once the third largest city of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria.

Day 7 – Antakya

Visit the Grotto Church of St. Peter, Antakya Archaeological Museum renowned for its magnificent Roman mosaics, and the old town where little has changed since Biblical times.

Day 8 – Tarsus / Cappadocia

Early morning departure for the Cappadocia region. After crossing the historic Syrian Gates, arrive in Tarsus to visit the birthplace of St. Paul. Following lunch, climb through the Taurus Mountains and reach Cappadocia in the afternoon.

Day 9–10 – Cappadocia

Centuries ago, eruptions from three volcanoes spread hot volcanic ash across the region, eventually hardening into soft porous stone known as tuff. Over time, wind and water shaped the landscape into valleys filled with fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, monasteries, and places of worship.

Optional evening performance of the Whirling Dervishes in a medieval caravanserai.

Two full days exploring the region including the rock-carved chapels of Göreme, the monastic complex at Zelve, and the villages of Ortahisar and Uçhisar. Visit underground cities and numerous rock churches. Moderate hiking opportunities will offer a deeper understanding of Cappadocia’s remarkable geology and history. Enjoy delicious regional cuisine followed by traditional music and dance performances.

Day 11 – Konya and Pamukkale

Drive across the Central Anatolian plains to Konya, home of Mevlâna, founder of the Whirling Dervishes and one of the great mystical thinkers of 13th-century Anatolia. Visit the Mevlâna Museum with its important collection of relics and manuscripts.

Further west, enter the region of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Visit the recently excavated Antioch in Pisidia with its impressive stone-paved streets, theater, Cybele sanctuary, and early church remains.

Arrive in Pamukkale in the evening and relax in the thermal pools of the hotel.

Day 12 – Hierapolis / Laodicea / Selçuk

The mineral-rich thermal waters of Pamukkale have created spectacular white travertine terraces over thousands of years. Nearby Hierapolis and Laodicea contain extensive remains including baths, temples, theaters, churches, colonnaded streets, and monumental tombs.

Drive through the fertile Büyük Menderes Valley to Selçuk, your base for the next two nights.

Day 13 – Ephesus

Full day exploring Ephesus and its surroundings. Founded in the 11th century B.C. and flourishing under Roman rule, Ephesus became one of the greatest Greco-Roman cities in the world and an important religious center. The Greeks replaced the Anatolian fertility goddess Cybele with Artemis and constructed the magnificent Temple of Artemis, later known to the Romans as the Temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Ephesus also became an important center of early Christianity, attracting St. Paul due to its strategic location on major trade routes. Visit the vast amphitheater where St. Paul preached, the gymnasium, baths, and the beautifully restored Library of Celsus. Small details, such as the grooves worn into marble streets by chariot wheels, bring the ancient city vividly to life.

Nearby is the final home of the Virgin Mary, where tradition says she spent her last years accompanied by St. John. St. John is also believed to have written his Gospel here, and his tomb later became the site of the magnificent Basilica of St. John built by Emperor Justinian. Continue to the picturesque village of Şirince at dusk.

Day 14 – Sardes / İzmir

Drive north via Ödemiş and over a high mountain pass to ancient Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love,” still peacefully situated within a vine-rich valley. Continue to Sardes, capital of Lydia, which King Croesus transformed into a wealthy kingdom in the 7th century B.C. Explore the beautifully restored Roman Bath and Gymnasium complex, synagogue, shops, royal mint, and the impressive Temple of Artemis.

Day 15 – Pergamon / İzmir

A short drive north brings you to Pergamon, one of the greatest ancient sites of the Hellenistic world. Its acropolis once rivaled the Parthenon. Visit the Red Basilica, believed to be associated with one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, the dramatic hillside theater, and the remains of the famous Library of Pergamon, second only to Alexandria in the ancient world.

Return to İzmir and spend the late afternoon strolling along the Kordon promenade beside the Aegean Sea before your journey home.

Day 16 – İzmir / Istanbul / USA

Transfer for your flight to Istanbul and onward connection to the USA.