JOURNEYS OF PAUL & ITALY Extension (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

June 5 Mon        Non-stop Direct Flight from BOSTON (BOS) to ISTANBUL (IST)

Depart Boston at 23:45 by Turkish Airlines TK 82 flight  (arrive Istanbul 16:25 next day)

June 6 Tue         Arrive Istanbul at 16:25
Your tour guide will meet you after the customs and baggage claim with a “Dr. David Palmer - TUTKU” sign.  Private bus transfer to the hotel. We will have a private Boat Tour along the Bosphorus seeing Asian and European shores of Istanbul. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)

June 7 Wed        Istanbul – Fly Antalya
Full day Istanbul tour; morning visit to the Hagia Sophia Church, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, one of the world’s greatest architectural marvels and a designated World Heritage site. Afternoon visit to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum containing important Biblical artefacts, St. Irene Church, site of the 2nd Ecumenical Council (381 AD), and the Museum of Ancient Orient.  Transfer to Istanbul Airport for late afternoon flight to Antalya.  Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

June 8 Thu         Perga – Museum - Antalya
Visit Perge, where Paul landed after sailing from the island of Cyprus during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:13-14). That Perge was a wealthy city is still easily seen today from its 15,000-seat theatre, 12,000-seat stadium, Hellenistic gate with its “Twin Towers,” baths with under-floor heating, colonnaded marketplace, water fountains, and impressive colonnaded street with a flowing water channel in the middle. Then visit the Archaeological Museum. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Antalya. (B,D)

June 9 Fri           Antalya - Colossae, Laodicea, Hierapolis -  Pammukkale
Drive to the Lycus Valley where three important biblical cities are to be found: Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. Our first stop in Colossae will be brief, since this site has not yet been excavated. Our second stop is Laodicea, where excavation work is going fast. Laodicea is not only the last of the seven churches to whom John directed the book of Revelation (Rev. 3:14-22), but it also had a close relationship with the nearby churches of Colossae and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13-15) and was the recipient of one of Paul’s now lost letters (Col. 4:16). Our last stop is to Hierapolis, where we will also see the Martyrium of St. Philip, a 5th century AD structure on the site where Philip—either the apostle or the evangelist (Acts 6:1-7; 21:8-9; Acts of Philip)—was believed to have been killed in AD 80. Overnight in one of the nearby modern resorts of Pammukale whose thermal baths are sure to revive your tired body! (B,D)

June 10 Sat        Aphrodisias – visit Sebasteion and Museum - Kusadasi
Drive to Geyre to visitt the ancient city of Aphrodisias, excavated by the New York University. The city’s earlier name was Stavros (Cross). The archaeologists named it Aphrodisias due to the record number of Aphrodite statues found on site. We will also visit the Sebasteion, (or Augusteum) excavated in 1979-81, was a grandiose temple complex dedicated to Aphrodite and the Julio-Claudian emperors. After visiting the Aphrodisias Museum, we will head to Kusadasi on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Kusadasi. (B,D)

June 11 Sun       Miletus - Didyma - Priene  - Kusadasi
A short drive brings us to Miletus which, due to its four harbors and strategic location on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, became one of the great cities of commerce in the ancient world. Of the surviving buildings, the finest is the 15,000-seat theatre originally built in the Hellenistic period and expanded in Roman times. Paul stopped in Miletus on the return leg of his third missionary journey where he summoned the elders from Ephesus to meet with him and hear his poignant farewell speech (Acts 20:17-35). Before departing Miletus, we will visit briefly its small but informative archaeological museum. Some 10 miles away, visit Didyma, not a city but religious site devoted to Apollo. After visiting the Temple of Apollo at Delphi we will drive to the nearby city of Priene located on a cliff-side. Return to Kusadasi for diner and overnight. (B,D)

June 12 Mon      Ephesus - Kusadasi
Today we will visit the famous ancient city of Ephesus. Ephesus was also the site of the Artemis temple—one of seven wonders of the ancient world. There is the same theatre where some 24,000 citizens of Ephesus gathered shouting “Great is Artemis!” in a riot started in response to Paul’s ministry there. The apostle visited this city only briefly during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18-21) but returned during his third missionary journey for a much longer period of two years and three months (Acts 19:1-20:1). Timothy later served as pastor in this city during which time Paul wrote him two letters (1 & 2 Timothy). Some years later Ephesus served as the home base for the apostle John’s ministry from where he wrote a number of letters (1, 2, 3 John) and to which he sent the Book of Revelation. In addition to the ancient city, we will also visit the “slope houses” (the wealthiest homes in Ephesus that have been marvelously reconstructed), the Ephesus Museum, which houses several impressive items from this site, and the Basilica of St. John. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B,D)

June 13 Tue       Embark Celestyal Cruises - Patmos
Transfer to Kusadasi Port at 10:30 am to Embark Celestyal Cruise Ship. Depart from Kusadasi to Patmos for guided tour. Visit the Cave of Revelation and the Monastery of John with your Greek guide.  (B,L,D)

June 14 Wed      Celestyal Cruises – Rhodes – Free time or Optional Shore Excursions (B,L,D)

June 15 Thu       Celestyal Cruises – Crete: including Excursion to Knossos & Santorini (Free time)
In Crete, we will have a guided tour of Knossos Palace.  In Santorini, you will have free time on your own. (B,L,D)

June 16 Fri         Disembarak in Athens
Disembark at 8:00 am. Start guided tour in Athens. First visit the Acropolis Musem which showcases the statuary art, relief panels, vases and votive offering associated with the Acropolis.   In the afternoon you will visit Acropolis, where we will visit the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum. We’ll see the Mars’ Hill (site of the Aeropagus) where the apostle Paul stood before the city council, from here we can view the Agora, the market place of Athens.  Sunset walk through the Filoppapou park and end up at the Dora Stratou ethnic dance theatre for the 9:30 pm performance.  Dinner and overnight in Athens. (B,D)

June 17 Sat          Cenchreae, Corinth, Mycenae, special dinner at Naufplion - Athens
After breakfast we will drive to Corinth, the city where Paul met Aquilla and Priscilla, the tent makers, and where the Lord spoke to Paul by a vision saying, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city” (Acts 18: 10). Here, Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord, and many Corinthians as well hearing Paul, believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8); thus, began the church at Corinth to whom Paul wrote two epistles. Visit the Archaeological Museum, the Market Place and Temples. Walk among the ruins and stand on the Bema where Paul stood before Gallio facing charges brought by the Jews that were dropped. Paul stayed a while in Corinth before leaving for Syria from the port at Cenchreae (Acts 18: 12-18). In the afternoon, we will visit the archaeological site of Mycenae, the birthplace of Agamemnon and Menelaus from Homer’s Iliad. Dinner in Nafplio by the water before returning to Athens. Return to Athens for overnight. (B,D)

June 18 Sun       Transfer to Rome Airport for flight back to Boston. End. Or, take Italy Extension. 

ITALY EXTENSION:

June 18 Sun       Fly from Athens to Naples
Transfer to Athens Airport for 08:10/08:55 flight to Naples A 3680. Your tour guide will meet you after the customs and baggage claim with a “Dr. David Palmer - TUTKU” sign.  Private bus transfer to Naples to visit Pompeii. Dinner and overnight in Naples.

June 19 Mon      Naples – Rome
Visit the Basilica of St Paul outside the walls in the morning and the Altar of Peace built by Augustus in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight Rome. (B,D)

June 20 Tue       Rome
Visit the Forum, Trajan’s Market and the Forum of Augustus. Then, internal visit of the Colosseum. In the afternoon we pass by the Arch of Constantine and the Arch of Titus onto the Palatine Hill to visit the Palatine Museum (Palatine Museum is temporary closed and the Alexamenos graffiti exposed in the Antiquariuim are not visitable for now. We can only visit if they will be re-open for visitors in spring 2023), Mamertine Prison,  and afterwards pass through the Campidoglio. At the end of the tour the Pantheon will be visited. Return to the hotel. (B,D)

June 21 Wed      Rome Airport - Fly back to BOSTON. End. (B)

• Roundtrip international air fare between Boston-Istanbul & Athens-Boston (or Rome Boston)
• Istanbul-Antalya domestic flight
• Athens-Naples flight
• 1 Night at 4 star Moevenpick Golden Horn Hotel in Istanbul or similar
• 2 Nights at 4 star Best Western Khan Hotel in Antalya or similar
• 1 Night at 4 star Doga Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale or similar
• 3 Nights at 4 star Korumar Hotel in Kusadasi or similar
• 3 Nights at Celestyal Cruises “Iconic Aegean” – Standard IB Cabin
• 2 Nights at 4 star Parthenon Hotel in Athens or similar
• 1 Night at 4 star Hotel in Naples
• 2 Nights at 4 star Cicerone Hotel in Rome or similar
• Daily breakfast and 15 dinners at the hotels
• Lunches during the Aegean Cruise
• Bottled water included at all meals (drinks are extra)
• Shore Excursion to Patmos during the cruise
• Shore Excursion to Knossos Palace in Crete (other shore excursions are optional/excluded)
• All transportation by private AC Buses
• English Speaking, Government Licensed, Bible Oriented guides in Turkey, Greece, And Rome
• All Entry fees to the sites and museums
• Tutku Tours T-shirt, Map
• All Service charges and lcoal taxes
• All Tips to the hotels
• All Tips to Tour Guides and bus drivers

• Turkish Visa Fee to be paid online prior to arrival evisa.gov.tr
• US citizens do not need a visa for Greece. Non-US citizens must check their own visa regulations.
• Lunches (except during cruise) and Drinks
• Travel & Health Insurances, all kind of insurances (insurance can be given at extra cost upon request)
• Personal Expenses (Laundry, phone calls, all kind of insurances, etc)