The Great Christian Heritage Journey of Turkey

Day by day

Your itinerary

1. Day1

   Arrival in Istanbul

   Your private driver meets you at Istanbul Airport. Depending on your arrival time, take a first walk around the historic peninsula, where Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul stand side by side.

   Overnight in Istanbul

2. Day2

   Constantinople and Byzantine Christianity

   A day with your guide in the heart of old Constantinople. Stand beneath the dome of Hagia Sophia, for nearly a thousand years the greatest church in Christendom, walk the Hippodrome, and visit Hagia Irene, where the Second Ecumenical Council met in 381, subject to opening arrangements.

   Overnight in Istanbul

3. Day3

   İzmir and ancient Smyrna

   Fly to İzmir and explore the Agora of Smyrna, the church Revelation praised for its faithfulness, and the city of the martyr Polycarp.

   Overnight in İzmir

4. Day4

   Pergamon and Thyatira

   Visit the acropolis of Pergamon and the immense Red Basilica, then Thyatira in modern Akhisar, two more of the Seven Churches of Revelation.

   Overnight in İzmir

5. Day5

   Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea

   See the synagogue and gymnasium of Sardis, the Byzantine church pillars of Philadelphia in Alaşehir, and, time permitting, Laodicea, the last of the seven. Otherwise Laodicea waits for the next morning.

   Overnight in Pamukkale

6. Day6

   Laodicea, Hierapolis and on to Ephesus

   Complete your visit to Laodicea and its early Christian remains, then explore Hierapolis and its theatre above the white terraces of Pamukkale before driving to Selçuk.

   Overnight in Selçuk or Kuşadası

7. Day7

   Ephesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint John

   A full day for Ephesus. Walk the city where Paul preached and the early church took root, visit the House of the Virgin Mary in the hills above, and the Basilica of St John over the apostle's traditional tomb.

   Overnight in Selçuk or Kuşadası

8. Day8

   To Cappadocia

   Fly from İzmir to Cappadocia, subject to flight schedules. Your local driver meets you, and if time allows, you get a first look at the extraordinary landscape of rock chimneys and carved valleys.

   Overnight in Cappadocia

9. Day9

   Cappadocia's Byzantine churches

   Explore the Göreme Open-Air Museum, its painted rock-cut churches and monastic spaces, then historic villages and an underground city, and see how Christian art and faith took root in central Anatolia.

   Overnight in Cappadocia

10. Day10

    Departure

    A final visit if your flight time allows, then a private transfer to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport.