Welcome to Turkey! Arrive in one of the most important and inspiringly beautiful cities in history, Istanbul. Your private guide will welcome you at the airport arrivals hall and escort you to your hotel by luxury vehicle. En route, you will catch your first glimpse of this fascinating city where the continents of Asia and Europe collide. After check-in, your tour director will brief you about the Biblical Itinerary. You will have dinner and relax at your hotel.

After breakfast get ready for a full day exploring Istanbul. Visit all the main sites
including the St Sophia, one of the largest Christian shrines ever built. Adorned with rich mosaic murals and colossal columns, Saint Sophia is a world heritage
home to many faiths throughout history and is currently operating as a museum displaying fabulous Byzantine art and architecture. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is
also famously known as the Blue Mosque thanks to the light that shines through
over 2,500 stained glass windows, reflecting onto the dark blue Iznik tiles within.
Built during the period 1609 – 1617 and a masterpiece of woodworking and
calligraphy, it really is a stunning sight to behold and is also home to the tomb of
Sultan Ahmet 1. Next up you visit the Hippodrome, once the site of chariot races
and a focal point of city life. The remains of some of its walls are still visible to this
day, as is an obelisk brought over from Egypt in 390 AD by Theodosius 1.

You will visit the spectacular Topkapi Palace Museum, built in 1472 by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. The palace is built around four courtyards leading into one another and you will have the opportunity to view the many treasures of the Ottoman sultans including fine porcelains, gem-encrusted objects d’art, traditional armor and imperial costumes, stunning tile work, and sacred relics from the Christian and Islamic
faiths. Then you visit the Church Of Aya Irini before ending the day with a stop for 10 Days - The Seven Churches of Revelation at the remarkable Grand Bazaar, one of the earliest shopping malls ever built. Soak up the vibrant magical atmosphere while sipping on Turkish coffee from Sark Kahvesi, a truly historical coffee roaster in the Grand Bazaar. Each coffee variety has been prepared with a blend of traditional knowledge, experience, and an overall “love of coffee” and a visit is classed as one of your Unique Moments. Then peruse the marvelous collections of jewelry, antiques, oriental rugs, and wonderful handcrafted souvenirs.

After your breakfast, you will start your full day of sightseeing tour in Istanbul. First, you will visit Basilica Cistern, the largest of the many underground cisterns built during the Byzantine Empire to supply the city with water. This cistern is especially fascinating because the Byzantine builders recycled many stone structures- capital heads and columns-- that had been used in earlier temples. Now an upside-down Medusa stares out at us from her watery home. You continue your touring in Istanbul. Visit the Spice Market, dating back to the 17th century, but still, the most popular bazaar visited by locals to shop for fresh ingredients to spice up the dishes prepared in the kitchens of Istanbul. Wandering through the aisles of the market led by the enchanting smells, you will find an opportunity to blend with the locals and will be greeted by eager merchants competing to show you their eye-dazzling displays of a selection of spices brought from different parts of the world. Visit the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul and hidden gem sights of Istanbul Fener & Balat, the oldest Jewish neighborhoods of Istanbul. One can see a few synagogues in this fascinating location where Muslims and Jewish communities lived in harmony to constitute Ottoman society from the outside. You will observe how the two cultures were influenced by each other throughout the years. Your day will end with a Cruise along the Bosporus on an exclusive boat. As your cruise along the strait of Istanbul, you will have a chance to see the Imperial Palaces built out of marble, beautifully built humble Ottoman mosques, the Ottoman Mansion (called Yali in Turkish), Ottoman Fortresses, and the Bridges that connect Asia to Europe.

This morning you will depart Istanbul and drive along the Sea of Marmara to the Gallipoli peninsula. As you travel along the shores of the Sea of Marmara, your tour guide will discuss the history of the campaign and the vital importance of the waters of the
Dardanelles to the aims and outcomes of the battle. You visit the UNESCO world heritage site of Troy, where you will see its legendary walls and the replica of the wooden Trojan Horse.

After your breakfast, you will drive to Alexandria Troas, which was visited at least
twice by St. Paul. You know that in his third journey, St. Paul also traveled by land from Alexandria Troas to Assos. In Troas, you will visit the theater, the Temple of Athena, and the agora. Drive to Pergamum and visit the Acropolis. On the 1200ft high Acropolis, you will see the steepest sloped theater of the ancient world, the temple of Athena, and the Altar of
Zeus, which St. John denounced to Pergamum church members as a “Throne of Satan.” In his letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation. Continue your drive to Izmir.

After breakfast, you will start your busy day with a visit to Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia. You will see the Temple of Diana (which later became a church), the earliest built Synagogue discovered so far in Turkey, and the Gymnasium. Sardis was one of the 7 Churches of Revelation. After Sardis, you will drive to Philadelphia, which was also one of the 7 Churches of Revelation. After the visit, you will drive to Laodicea, which has been extensively excavated non-stop all year round since 2009. Laodicea was one of
the 7 Churches, and this is the only one today where the exact location of the Church has been discovered. Your next visit will be the ruins of Hierapolis, with its beautiful calcium deposit-covered travertine terraces, the ancient Necropolis, baths, theatre, and St. Philips Martyrdom.

Dinner and overnight will be in Karahayit (Pamukkale).

OPTIONAL Early Morning Hot Air Balloon Experience. An early start today as you will be collected from the hotel one hour before sunrise for your thrilling hot air balloon experience
over Pamukkale.

In the morning you will visit the ruins of Hierapolis, the natural pools. Drive to Laodicea, where John called its people ‘lukewarm’ and also one of the Seven Churches. Visit Colossae. Its biblical significance lies in the fact that the book of Colossians was addressed to the church here (Col 1:2) and that Philemon lived in this city. 

Dinner and overnight will be in Karahayit (Pamukkale).

After breakfast, you will visit the Odeon Theatre, where the state of affairs used to be held and then you will view the Hadrian Temple. This was dedicated in 118 AD to Hadrian, Artemis, and the people of Ephesus but was greatly reconstructed in the 4th century. This magnificent Corinthian style temple has beautiful reliefs on the porch and the Medusa head on the porch is said to protect the city from its enemies. You then
proceed to the Celsus Library, the best-preserved structure of its kind. The inscription on the side of the front staircase says that the library was built by Julius, in his father’s honor after his death. His father Celsus was the Roman governor of Asia Minor early in the 2nd century AD. The Great Theatre dates back to the Hellenistic period and in the 1st century AD, it was expanded by the Romans until it reached a seating capacity of 25,000. You will then head up the Marble Road, part of the sacred walkway taking us up to the hills behind Ephesus, where the Virgin Mary is believed to have spent the last days of her life. This is now home to a charming chapel, consecrated by the Pope and at the very same spot in which the House Of The Virgin Mary stood. In fact, local tradition suggests that the Virgin Mary actually lived and died at this holy place in the company of St John to whom she was entrusted to Jesus Christ before he was crucified. You will also see the few remains of the Temple Of Artemis and then after lunch proceed to Miletus, an ancient city located near Akkoy at the mouth of the Buyuk Menderes River. Miletus owed its importance to its position on the trade routes and was one of the largest cities in Anatolia. Highly prosperous it founded many colonies and was the home of the ancient philosophers Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Thales, the town planner Hippodamus, and architect Isidorus. With such a prominent position, Miletus became the most important port in the area and from the 7th century BC onwards has been controlled in turn by the Persians, Romans, and Seljuk Turks.

Dinner and overnight will be at the hotel in Kusadasi town.