Istanbul-Constantinople is in no need of introduction. We will  start our tour of the glorious imperial city with a visit to what  was once the heart of Eastern Christendom, the Cathedral of  Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, and its older “neighbor” Church  of Sergius and Bacchus, known also as “Little Hagia Sophia”.  After the lunch break we will visit the church of St. George of  the Greek Patriarchate in the Phanar district, and the  Church of the Mother of God at Blachernae, home of  the famous miraculous apparition of the mother of  God. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.  

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.  This morning we will start a visit to one of the oldest  churches in the city, the basilica of Hagia Irini. From  here we will proceed to the Archeological Museum  and the Spice Market. Later in the afternoon we will  board a boat for the cruise on the Bosphorus. Dinner  and overnight in Istnabul. 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. After a morning flight we will arrive at Izmir, ancient  Smyrna. After an hour transfer we will arrive at the  ancient city of Ephesus. It is impossible to overstate the  importance of this city in the historical context. The city  is closely associated with important New Testament and Early Church historical figures; two of the Seven  Ecumenical Councils recognized by the Orthodox  Church were conducted in this city. The antiquities of  the city are very well preserved and in some sense rival  those of Pompeii in Italy. Among many other sites, we  will visit the site of Artemision (one of the 7 wonders of the world), the Museum, Basilica Tomb of St. John. Dinner  and overnight at the hotel in Kusadasi. 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. The Island of Patmos is mentioned in the Book of  Revelation that is ascribed by the earliest Christian  tradition to St. John the Theologian. In the book it is  stated that St. John was on the Island of Patmos when  he received his revelation, and hagiography  completes that account by stating that St. John was  expelled to Patmos from the city of Ephesus where he  resided and preached for a long time. The most  important pilgrim destinations on the island are the  Cave of the Revelation and the Monastery of St.  John. We will visit both and then we’ll stop for lunch  at a traditional Greek tavern at the port village. Please note: our trip to Patmos is weather dependent. In case of  inclement weather or high winds, a substitute land tour will be offered. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Kusadasi. 

After a morning transfer we will arrive at Pamukkale, or Ancient Hierapolis. Hierapolis, was renowned in antiquity  for its natural hot springs. We will walk through the ancient colonnaded street and have a look at the beautiful  travertines. Those who would want to will be able to climb  to the martyrium built over the site where Apostle Phillip  was executed. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. In the morning we will celebrate Typica service and then  visit the site of Ancient Laodicea. Among many other  things, it is important as a host place of a Council that in the mid-4th century formulated rules specifying Biblical  Canon. In recent years, an ancient house was excavated  with a strange room which had been expanded for  communal use. Some of the scholars believe that this is the  remnant of the ancient house church, where the faithful were gathering for prayers and possibly Eucharistic meals. After a visit to the site, transfer to Kas [Ka-sh] a very pleasant seaside town in the ancient province of Lycia. Dinner  and overnight in Kas 

In the morning we will transfer to Myra (Demre), the  town where St. Nicholas was bishop and where his  relics rested till the time when his remains were  taken away to Bari in Italy. The city of Myra was a  very important historical center as in the day it was  one of the prime cities of the province of Lycia.  Later in the afternoon we will board a private boat  for lunch and the exploration of the sunken city of Simena. The place that we will visit is truly unique.  Stairs of ancient long-since-abandoned buildings  descend straight into the water. More adventurous  folks may take a swim in pristine turquoise waters  of the little gulfs where the boat will be moored.  For dinner and overnight we will transfer to Antalya 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. In the morning we will visit one of the best archeological  museums best  in all of Turkey, boasting a magnificent  collection of the artifacts found mainly at the sites of  ancient cities of Aspendos and Perge that we will visit  later in the day. Both cities are located some miles away  from Antalya and both of them were considered  important centers during the Roman and Byzantine  periods. While Aspendos is known for its well-preserved  theater and large aqueduct, Perge has some important  surviving ancient monuments. It is known that Perge was visited by the Apostle Paul during his missionary  journeys. Dinner and overnight in Konya 

This morning we will start our journey to the region of Cappadocia. Our first stop of the day will be at the  Mevlana Museum, an interesting site dedicated to the  renown medieval mystic and poet. Next stop will be at  the Agzikarahan Caravanserai, build in the 13th  century as the safe haven on the major trade route.  Later in the afternoon we will visit Derinkuyu, an  underground city. Such underground structures served  as refuge for hundreds of locals and their livestock  during the times of invasions. Many-level structures  were completed with kitchens, storage places, barns, and even chapels. For our dinner and overnight we will  arrive to our hotel in Cappadocia 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.  Today we will be exploration of one of the most interesting  regions in Turkey – Cappadocia, which is also incredibly  important in Christian history. In the morning we will drive to visit  Eskigumus Monastery, the most impressive and most southerly  of all Cappadocian monasteries, lost in history and rediscovered  only in the mid-20th century. It is very well preserved and has  some of the best-preserved frescoes in all of Cappadocia. As  short drive from the Eskigumus monastery, there are remains of  the church of St. Constantine and Helen. Remains of the Ancient  Basilica and the walls of the medieval church still preserve  wonderful Byzantine frescoes. In the afternoon we will visit the carpet shop. While under no obligation to buy  anything, you are welcome to enjoy a wonderful presentation and to wonder at the skill of the local carpet weavers.  Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Cappadocia. 

Meals: Breakfast and dinner Optional hot air balloon ride early in the morning. Today we will visit Urgup, known as Prokopi to the Greek  population. Urgup was a place of pious labors of St. John the Russian. We will visit a house with the stable where  he worked and lived and the church were his relics were before they were taken to Greece by resettled local  townsfolk. Then on to the Pasabagi Valley with the  cave hermit dwellings and the Goreme Open Air  Museum. Many of the dwellings in this wondrous  region were inhabited up until 1920s, monasteries  were populated and churches were in use. The sad  events of the early 20th century turned most of the  once densely populated villages into ghost towns  and “open air museums”. Later in the afternoon we  will board our plane for a flight to Istanbul.  Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Istanbul 

 Meals: Breakfast  Transfer to the airport. Departure back home