Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will explore the highlights of Istanbul, former Constantinople. Start with the visit of the once glorious Roman Hippodrome which accommodates the ancient Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpentine Column. Besides being an arena of chariot races, it was employed for public events such as parades, meetings and festivals as well. Next, admire a masterpiece of the Byzantine architecture, the 6 ^th - century Hagia Sophia which has been revered as the largest and the most important Christian place of worship in the world for many centuries. It was designed to be the major basilica of the Byzantine Empire and held the record for the largest dome in the world until the Duomo was built in Florence in the 15^th century. Get a delightful walk through gardens and proceed to the imperial Blue Mosque which dominates Istanbul’s majestic skyline with its elegant composition of ascending domes and six slender soaring minarets. The careful choreography of more than 20,000 Iznik tiles rise from the mid-sections of the mosque and dazzle the visitors with their brilliant blue and turquoise hues which lend the mosque its popular sobriquet. Following lunch at a local restaurant, discover one of the remarkable remains of the Byzantine period, the Basilica Cistern. It was the largest of several hundred ancient water reservoirs beneath the city that is reminiscent of a hidden underground palace with a powerful mystical atmosphere. Then, get entertained by strolling through the fragrant Spice Bazaar that was built in the 17^th C as an extension of the New Mosque complex. It is a bustling oriental bazaar that provides fresh supply of spices, dried fruits, Turkish delight and caviar. At the end of the day, enjoy an exclusive cruise along the Bosphorus with your private chartered boat to admire the inspiring scenery of the strait embellished with historical edifices and old wooden houses. After dinner at a local restaurant, return to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. This morning, you will take a domestic flight to the wonderlands of Cappadocia that has a unique lunar landscape of terra and tuff cones, shaped by forces of nature over millions of years. For ages, men have dug into this soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities. Upon arrival, take a break at the natural fort of Uchisar to enjoy cone-like formations and well preserved fairy chimneys around it. Followed by lunch at a traditional cave restaurant, explore the Goreme Open Air Museum which holds Cappadocia’s best collection of cave churches and has been one of the first two UNESCO sites in Turkey since 1984. Cappadocia witnessed the penetration of Christianity in Anatolia. The first Christians escaping from the persecution in Jerusalem came to settle down in natural grottoes of the region where they carved out rock churches, adorning their walls with frescos of biblical and apocryphal episodes in brilliant colors. Head to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight.

You may choose to participate in an optional early bird hot air balloon ride over the other-worldly scenery of Cappadocia which offers a life time experience. After breakfast at the hotel, discover the Kaymakli Underground City, famous for its subterranean dwellings and secret tunnel passages that various people utilized for shelter across the centuries, mainly the Christians during the Arab raids. Have lunch at a local restaurant and later, stroll around the impressive mushroom shaped fairy chimneys with multiple stems and caps in Pasabagi Valley exhibiting amazing formations that are unique even for Cappadocia. Admire the picturesque views of the lunar landscape region having photo stops at famous Hunters’ Valley and Pigeon Valley. The final attraction of the day is a local pottery workshop in the town of Red River, Avanos where the mud has found its functional and decorative forms in rough but skillful hands of the townsmen since the Hittites. You will be thrilled at the demonstration of a local master on his millennia old kick-wheel. Get back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will start the day by visiting a traditional rug weaving center to learn about the three thousand year old tribal art of Turks. You will be delighted to see the full procedure of silk cocoons and hand spun wool yarns being transformed into extremely fine carpets by magical fingers. Next, set off for Konya, the biblical Iconium. St. Paul, accompanied by St. Barnabas, was already in the city on his first missionary journey where they gained a considerable amount of converts through their moving speeches. Acts tells how Paul was driven out of Iconium and found Timotheos in Lystra, to whom the two letters he wrote are in the bible. On the way, drop in at the Sultanhani Caravanserai, the largest and best preserved one in Anatolia. Constructed in the 13^th century, this Seljuk caravanserai was used as an accommodation by the merchants and other travelers on the Silk Road. Upon arrival in Konya, have lunch at a local restaurant and later, observe the Mevlana Museum, the monastery of the whirling dervishes and the shrine of the founder of the sect, Mevlana. He was an exceptional mystic poet and one of the earliest humanists of the world who preached humility, wisdom and love. Take also some time of serenity in the Church of Saint Helen, which is the main remaining Christian attraction in the city. Proceed to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will head out for Antioch of Pisidia. Paul stayed a while in this town on his first missionary journey and it is here that he addressed the congregation in the synagogue on the Sabbath with his first and the longest recorded sermon in Asia Minor. Following lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Antalya tracing the route of Paul’s journey crossing the Taurus Mountains. At the end of the day, explore the splendid theatre of Aspendos, the best preserved one of antiquity also known for its excellent acoustics and exquisite architectural ornamentation. Take a short drive to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. This morning, you will begin the day with the sightseeing of Perge, a reconstructed Hellenistic city which was once the capital of the province of Pamphylia of the Romans with a meticulous city plan housing marvelous baths, stadium, and theater. Perge is one of the cities that St. Paul visited twice with his companion St. Barnabas during his first missionary journey as recorded in the biblical book, the Acts of the Apostles. He came by sea to Perge at the start of his first voyage. On his way back, he stopped by the town again and preached the word of God to its citizens. After lunch at a local restaurant, set out for the discovery of the ancient city of Laodicea, which became known in the Christian world thanks to the letter of Paul. The church of Laodicea is the last of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation whose early members were neither hot nor cold, just lukewarm to the new faith in the words of God. Depart for Pamukkale for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Your initial visit will be the unique site of Pamukkale, also known as Cotton Castle. This spectacular natural phenomenon was created by deposits of thermal waters that cascaded down the mountain side over thousands of years, forming myriad pools and terraces. Get entertained by wandering around the fantasy land of cotton-white calcium carbonate travertines. The ruins of the neighboring Greek city of Hierapolis that houses the martyrium of St. Philip the apostle is well worth exploring, particularly the theatre with a breathtaking view and the necropolis that is in a great state of preservation. Continue your expedition through Philadelphia, now called Alasehir. Followed by lunch at a local restaurant, see the remains of a Byzantine basilica church in Philadelphia, one of the two churches among the seven, which was highly honored and praised in the letter of John. Then, proceed to Sardis, one of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Holy Churches. Upon arrival, discover the site through a great Roman gymnasium, the Temple of Artemis with a small Byzantine church next to it and the largest synagogue of antiquity found outside of Israel. Drive to Kuşadasi for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will depart to visit Ephesus, the first of the 7 holy churches of Revelation and one of the towering Roman sites of the world where St. Paul preached for few years on his 3rd missionary journey. As you walk through the marble streets of this glorious city once, admire splendid Celsus library, Odeon, agoras, the temple of Hadrian, latrines, baths and Trajan Fountain. Sit in the same immense theatre where Ephesians were provoked by Demetrius against St. Paul. After lunch at a local restaurant, enhance your pilgrimage with the prayers in the Basilica of St. John where the evangelist John is assumed to be buried, and the Virgin Mary's House in which she is believed to have spent her final days. Return to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will set off to explore Thyatira, the city whose church members were warned by God for their wrong practices. Later, head out to discover Red Church and Acropolis of Pergamon, where Satan has its altar as it is referred to in St John’s Gospel. It was this city that housed the library rivalled the library of Alexandria in scope and size. Have lunch at a local restaurant and move to Alexandria Troias, one of the most significant port cities in the north-western part of Asia Minor in the Roman times. It was the starting point for St. Paul when he set sail to Europe on his second missionary journey. The Apostle stopped by the city again, along his third missionary journey. According to the New Testament, that was the place where he restored a young man named Eutychus to life. Following the sightseeing, get to Canakkale for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. This morning, you will start the day with the visit of Troy where one of the most epic wars of ancient times is believed to have been held. The legendary city is immortalized in Homer’s Iliad and uncovered in 1871 by Heinrich Schliemann. After lunch at a local restaurant, take a ferry across the Dardanelles Straight to observe the battlefields of the Gallipoli Campaign. Upon arrival, explore Anzac Cove, landing point of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) that were part of the Allied forces and Lone Pine where in 1915 one of the bloodiest battles of the modern history took place. Yet, the Gallipoli battles are known as “the gentlemen's war”, for a sense of mutual respect and camaraderie developed among the rival armies over the course of fire exchanges. Then, hit the road to Istanbul for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Your initial attraction will be the remarkable Church of St Saviour in Chora, the finest monument of the last Byzantine period which is decorated with exquisite examples of the mosaic art depicting detailed accounts of the lives of Mary and Jesus. Followed by lunch at a local restaurant, discover the main residence of the Ottoman dynasty, the magnificent Topkapi Palace which is the standing witness of glorious but secret and intriguing lives of the Ottoman sultans. It is now a museum notable not only for its architecture and collections but also for the history and the culture of the Ottoman Empire that it recalls. End your tour with the famous Grand Bazaar to explore the oldest shopping mall of the world through its peculiar oriental ambiance and colorful mazy lanes. After attending an evening farewell meal in a traditional restaurant, return to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will be transferred to Istanbul Airport within the day subject to your outbound flight time.