ISTANBUL, THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE APOCALYPSE, ATHENS AND CORINTH WITH AEGEAN SEA CRUISE

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL, THE ANCIENT CONSTANTINOPLE Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Not included

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Welcome to Turkey, a land where East and West meet and where the history of Christianity has left an indelible mark.
• Reception at Istanbul International Airport by our Spanish-speaking representative and transfer to the hotel.
• Depending on the arrival time, you may enjoy a first contact with the ancient Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for more than a thousand years and one of the most important centers of Eastern Christianity.
• Accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 2 ISTANBUL, CRADLE OF BYZANTINE CHRISTIANITY Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast we will begin the tour of Istanbul, the ancient Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for more than a thousand years and one of the main centers of world Christianity. From here a large part of the Eastern Christian world was governed and important ecumenical councils were held that defined Church doctrine.
• We will visit Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Justinian in the year 537. For almost a millennium it was the largest cathedral in Christendom and a symbol of the Orthodox Church. Inside we will reflect on the splendor of the Byzantine Empire and the role of Constantinople as a bridge between East and West.
• We will continue to the Blue Mosque and the Roman Hippodrome, where much of the political and religious life of the Byzantine Empire took place.
• We will finish the tour at the Grand Bazaar, recalling how Istanbul was for centuries an important meeting point between pilgrims, merchants and cultures from Europe, Asia and the Holy Land.
• Dinner and accommodation in Istanbul.

DAY 3 ISTANBUL – PERGAMON – THYATIRA – IZMIR (SMYRNA) Night: Izmir +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Early departure by road to Pergamon (Bergama), one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:12-17) and one of the great cultural and religious centers of the ancient world.
• We will visit the impressive Acropolis of Pergamon, where the Temple of Trajan, the spectacular theater carved into the mountainside and the remains of the famous Library of Pergamon, considered one of the most important of Antiquity, stand out.
• We will then visit the monumental Red Basilica (Kızıl Avlu), identified by numerous scholars as the place where the Christian community of Pergamon was located. Here we will recall the message directed to this Church and the testimony of Saint Antipas, considered the first martyr of Pergamon.
• We will continue to Thyatira (Akhisar), one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:18-29). Here we will recall the message directed to this community and learn about the history of Lydia, the seller of purple cloth converted by Saint Paul during his second missionary journey.
• At the end of the visit, we will continue to Izmir (Smyrna), one of the most faithful Christian communities of Asia Minor and a city closely linked to Saint Polycarp, a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist.
• Dinner and accommodation in Izmir.

DAY 4 IZMIR – SARDIS – PHILADELPHIA – LAODICEA – PAMUKKALE Night: Pamukkale +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Departure to Sardis, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Lydia and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 3:1-6). We will visit its Roman gymnasium, the synagogue and the main archaeological remains that recall the importance of this city in antiquity.
• We will continue to Philadelphia (Alaşehir), one of the two churches that received only words of praise in the Book of the Apocalypse (Revelation 3:7-13), a symbol of faithfulness and perseverance in faith.
• Our pilgrimage will continue to Laodicea, a city known for the famous message: "Because you are neither cold nor hot..." (Revelation 3:14-22). We will visit its recent archaeological excavations, which have brought to light churches, monumental streets, theaters and public buildings of great historical value.
• Arrival at Pamukkale.
• Dinner and accommodation in Pamukkale.

DAY 5 EPHESUS – HOUSE OF THE VIRGIN MARY – BASILICA OF SAINT JOHN – IZMIR Night: Izmir +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• Today we will visit Ephesus, one of the most important cities of early Christianity and one of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:1-7).
• We will tour the magnificent Roman city admiring the Library of Celsus, the Marble Street, the Agora and the imposing Great Theater, where Saint Paul preached the Gospel during his missionary journeys.
• We will continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sanctuary recognized by the Catholic Church as the place where the Virgin Mary spent her last years alongside Saint John the Evangelist. This place of deep spirituality has received visits from several Popes and continues to be one of the main Marian pilgrimage destinations in the world.
• Our day will conclude with the visit to the Basilica of Saint John, built over the tomb of the apostle who wrote the Fourth Gospel and the Book of the Apocalypse.
• Return to Izmir. Dinner and accommodation in Izmir (İzmir).

DAY 6 CRUISE – PATMOS, THE ISLAND OF THE APOCALYPSE Night: On Board +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included on the cruise

LUNCH Lunch included on the cruise

DINNER Dinner included on the cruise

• Transfer to the port and embarkation on the Aegean Sea cruise.
• Arrival at Patmos, the island where Saint John the Evangelist received the revelation of the Book of the Apocalypse. Opportunity to visit the Cave of the Apocalypse and the historic Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, two of the holiest places in Christianity.
• Full board and accommodation on board.

DAY 7 CRUISE – CRETE AND SANTORINI Night: On Board +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included on the cruise

LUNCH Lunch included on the cruise

DINNER Dinner included on the cruise

• Arrival at Heraklion (Crete), where Saint Paul left Titus as bishop, one of his closest disciples. Free time or optional excursion to the Palace of Knossos.
• In the afternoon we will sail to Santorini, one of the most beautiful islands in the Aegean Sea, famous for its blue-domed churches, white houses and impressive volcanic landscapes.
• Full board and accommodation on board.

DAY 8 ARRIVAL IN ATHENS – CORINTH Night: Athens +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included on the cruise

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Disembarkation in Athens and departure to ancient Corinth, the city where Saint Paul lived and preached for approximately eighteen months.
• We will visit the Agora, the Bema, where he appeared before the proconsul Gallio, and the ancient port of Cenchreae, from where he set out on several of his missionary journeys.
• Return and accommodation in Athens.

DAY 9 ATHENS AND THE AREOPAGUS Night: Athens +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Panoramic tour of Athens, including the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the historic Areopagus, the place where Saint Paul proclaimed the Gospel to the Athenian philosophers according to the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
• Free time to stroll through the traditional Plaka neighborhood before returning to the hotel.
• Dinner and accommodation in Athens.

DAY 10 DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS Night: End of services +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Breakfast and free time until transfer to Athens International Airport.
• End of this unforgettable Biblical Pilgrimage through Turkey and Greece, touring the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse, Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, Patmos, Corinth and Athens, following in the footsteps of Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Paul.