Biblical Asia Minor Tour (13 Nights – 14 Days)

Tour Plan

• Day 1 — Istanbul
  

  When you arrive at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, one of our bilingual guides will welcome you and assist you with your transition to the hotel. In Istanbul, you'll have dinner and spend the night in a 5 star hotel.
• Day 2 — Apostle Paul's well, the Cleopatra Entrance
  

  Flight to Adana, Turkey's fourth largest city, in the early morning. Adana is about thirty miles east of Tarsus, where the Apostle Paul was born. After breakfast, travel to Tarsus to see the Apostle Paul's well, the Cleopatra Entrance, and the most recent excavations. Then we head to the ruins of Seleucid, the port from which Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark set out on their first missionary journey from Antioch (Acts 13:4). Your overnight will be in Antioch.
• Day 3 — Cappadocia
  

  Believers were first referred to as Christians in Antioch on the Orontes (Acts 11:26). Pay a visit to the cave where they secretly met. Paul and Silas embarked on their second missionary journey from here (Acts 15:35-36). Learn regarding the influence of leaders like Ignatius of Antioch and John Chrysostom. On the Day of Pentecost, thousands of pilgrims from Cappadocia met in Jerusalem to undergo the original baptism of the Holy Spirit and hear the Apostle Peter spread his strong message, according to Acts 2:9. We'll visit the picturesque Ihlara Valley in Cappadocia, where early Christians carved 3,500 cave churches out of tufa limestone. These chapels are breathtaking in their elegance and quaintness, with various wall paintings and Christian icons. Persecuted Christians – tens of thousands of them – tunneled out more than twenty underground cities of refuge here in Cappadocia to escape Arab invaders in the tenth century. You will have your own guided tour of this amazing area at Kaymakli, one of the better preserved of these towns. You will be in Cappadocia for the night.
• Day 4 — The Valley of the Fairy Chimneys and Goremes breathtaking Open Air Museum
  

  Cappadocia is in the city of Caesarea (Kayseri) which was the heart of the Hittite Kingdom of Old Testament long time ago. This region is one of the most photogenic areas in the world. The Valley of the Fairy Chimneys and Goremes breathtaking Open Air Museum have become landmarks of this area, where you can enjoy every part of the city. In the famous pottery making town of Avanos, observe potters at work. Finally, take in the natural splendors of Uchisar Citadel and Zelve Valley. You will be in Cappadocia for the night.
• Day 5 — Sultanhani Caravansary
  

  Take a trip to the Sultanhani Caravansary for an interesting peek at one of the ancient camel caravans' rest stops. Caravansaries appeared at intervals of around twenty-five miles along the trading routes, the average distance that camels could cover in a day. Go on to Lystra, where a crowd stoned Paul on his first journey (Acts 14:6-19) and Timothy joined him on his second journey (Acts 14:20). (Acts 16:1-3). Travel to Iconium, where Paul preached and inspired believers on his first missionary trip (Acts 14:1-6). Iconium was once home to the Whirling Dervishes, a mythical Muslim sect. In Konya, you will spend the night.
• Day 6 — Pisidia
  

  We will drive to Antioch, Pisidia, where Paul preached to nearly the whole city on his first missionary trip (Acts 13:14-52). The ancient church and the glorious first-century Temple of Augustus are among the magnificent excavations. Today, you'll ride the Royal Route, which used to connect Ephesus to Babylon. Visit the ancient Colossae site near Honaz, which has been excavated. One of the Apostle Paul's prison epistles was written to the church at Colossae, a city on the Lycus River. You will enjoy the Cotton Castles of bright white calcium rock formations and hot-water travertene at Hierapolis (Pamukkale), where hot mineral waters emerge from the land and cascade over cliffs. The calcium crystallizes and clings to the cliffs as the water cools, creating snowy white travertine (white stone waterfalls) that give the name Pamukkale (cotton castle). Over night in Pamukkale.