The Steps of Saint Paul

15 DAYS / 14 NIGHTS

Spaces available!

About the trip

The Steps of St. Paul is a journey through Turkey and Greece that combines history, culture, and nature. The journey begins in Istanbul, the historic capital of three empires. From there, travelers head to Adana, where they visit the ancient city of Tarsus, the birthplace of the apostle St. Paul. Next, the journey takes them to Cappadocia, a region known for its lunar landscapes, cave churches, and hot air balloons. Then, travelers visit Pamukkale, a natural wonder with white thermal pools. The journey continues to Ephesus, an ancient city that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Then, travelers visit Troy, the site of the famous war. Next, the journey heads to Philippi, the place where Saint Paul first preached the gospel in Europe. Then, we will visit Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. In Kalambaka, at the foot of the Meteora, which houses Orthodox monasteries. The journey ends in Athens, the capital of Greece and home to the Acropolis. From there, travelers return home with memories of an unforgettable trip.

What is included in the program

Travel assistance

Hotel accommodations

Spiritual Director

Full Board

Air tickets

Pilgrimage Itinerary

DAY 1

Day 1: Newark to Istanbul

At the agreed time, presentation at the airport to board the flight to Istanbul. Night on board.

DAY 2

Day 2: Istanbul

Arrival at Istanbul International Airport, assistance and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 3

Day 3: Istambul – Adana

Breakfast and departure to take a private boat and take a walk along the Bosphorus and we will visit the Bazaar of the spices. Lunch at a local restaurant. transfer to the airport to board a flight to Adana. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 4

Day 4: Istanbul to Adana

DAY 5

Day 5: Adana – Tarsus – Cappadocia

Breakfast. Departure early in the morning to Tarsus, the birthplace of Saint Paul. Visit of the St. Paul’s Church and St. Paul’s Well. Continuation of the trip to Cappadocia. Lunch en route. the underground city of Kaymakli Arrival in Cappadocia. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 6

Day 6: Cappadocia

Breakfast. Departure to visit the Goreme open-air museum with rock churches and convents, Buckle Church (Tokali), the Dark Church, the Church of San Juan, and panoramic with valleys and landscapes of a very unique geological formation, which gave rise to a multitude of legends and myths about giants, fairies and geniuses in those days when men could not find an explanation. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 7

Day 7: Cappadocia – Konya

Breakfast. Departure early in the morning, towards Konya. En route we will visit the Caravan Serallo (caravansary in Turkish) of Sultanhani. Continuation to Ekinozu, where the remains of the church of Derbe, which was the first in Christianity. Lunch en route and continuation of the trip towards Lystra to reach Konya, the first city to emerge from the Flood, according to Phrygian legend. Visit of the Syrian-style Alaeddin Mosque and the Mavlana Museum, located in the ancient monastery of the Order of Dervishes. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 8

Day 8: Konya – Pamukkale

Breakfast. Depart early in the morning to Pamukkale whose name means “castle.” of cotton” describes it very well, given the formations resulting from the charged thermal waters of calcium oxide, which have formed a curious white waterfall of petrified stalactites. Arrival and lunch. Visit of the Necropolis and the theater of the ancient Roman city of Hieropolis, as well as the Church of San Felipe. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 9

Day 9: Pamukkale – Efeso – Esmirna

Breakfast. Departure to Ephesus and visit the church of San Juan and the house of the Virgin Mary. This city was designed following the lattice structure used in Miletus in the 16th century. IV, which consists of intersecting streets. Visit of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, with the largest theater in Anatolia, without a doubt, the best preserved in the world. Besides, Ephesus was one of the cities with the greatest worship of Artemis, the Greek version of the, still oldest, Anatolian goddess Cybele, goddess of fertility. Of its famous temple that once was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, only a column remains as a vestige. Lunch en route. Continuation to Izmir. Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 10

Day 10: Izmir – Pergamo – Troy – Çanakkale

Breakfast. Departure towards Pergamo, the current Bergama. Visit to the ruins with: the Acropolis, to visit the ruins of the great theater, temple of Trajan, the gymnasium and the Library, the Asclepios which was the first hospital in Asia Minor, with its therapeutic center, and finally the ruins of the Roman basilica called Red Basilica, considered one of the Seven Churches of Apocalypse. Continuation to Troy. Visit to the famous city of history that the name evokes poetic of Homer’s Iliad. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Çanakkale.

DAY 11

Day 11: Çanakkale – Filipous – Lidia – Kavala – Thessaloniki

Departure very early for the Turkish-Greek border, we will cross the border with the Turkish bus and then, Once we enter Greece, we will change buses to take the Greek bus (the Turkish bus goes return to Türkiye). We will take the Greek bus and guide at the borders and departure towards the ancient city of Filipous to visit the archaeological area and the Museum. It was in this city where Saint Paul wrote his second “epistle to the Corinthians.” Continuation to the town of Lidia, where Saint Paul baptized the first European to convert to Christianity, a woman named Lydia. Continuation to Kavala, the ancient Neapolis. Panoramic tour of the city and departure for Thessaloniki. Accommodation.

DAY Day 12: Thessaloniki - Eges - Beria - Kalambaka / Meteora

Day 12: Thessaloniki – Eges – Beria – Kalambaka / Meteora

Breakfast. We begin the visit of the city: The White Tower, one of the symbols of the City, The Arch and Rotunda of Emperor Galerius, Aristotle Square and the two churches Byzantine: Saint Demetrius and Saint Sophia. At the end, departure towards Eges (Bergina), first and oldest capital of the ancient Macedonians (in 400 BC when King Archealus moved the capital to Pella, the city of Eges became a sacred monumental city and necropolis of the Macedonian kings). Visit of the royal tombs, among which those of Philip, father of Alexander the Great, and that of the emperor himself. Departure to Beria and visit of the tribune from which Saint Paul addressed the people. Departure to Kalambaka Meteora passing through the Tempi gorge of Mount Olympus, famous since Antiquity. Arrive to Kalambaka-Metéora. Accommodation.

DAY 13

Day 13: Kalambaka / Meteora – Athens

Breakfast. Departure towards Metéora, a forest of monolithic and enormously high rocks, in whose At the top there are Byzantine monasteries built in the 14th century, of which we will visit two. After the visit, departure to Athens. Arrival at the hotel Dinner and accommodation.

DAY 14

Day 14: Athens

Breakfast. We begin the half-day visit of the city of Athens. We will visit if you Acropolis, the Acropolis museum, the Areopagus (supreme court of Antiquity where he spoke Saint Paul) and the Agora. Panoramically, the most important monumental sites of the city. Lunch in a typical Greek restaurant. Free afternoon to continue admiring the city treasures. Accommodation.

DAY 15

Day 15:Athens / Newark

Breakfast. At the indicated time, transfer to Tel Aviv airport to take a flight to destination to NEWARK Arrival at the airport and immigration and customs procedures. End of a wonderful trip with Travel Express.

Passenger testimonials

I would like to thank the company Travel Express for the unforgettable tour of Fascinating Europe and congratulate your excellent guide for his attention, company and collaboration with us.

Luis Valverde

I would like to thank the company Travel Express for the unforgettable tour of Fascinating Europe and congratulate your excellent guide for his attention, company and collaboration with us.

Carla Sepulveda

Hello good evening, we arrived home safely, received spectacular attention from all the staff and the trip was AMAZING. Thank you.

Mariano Rodriguez

Greetings, I want to thank you for the beautiful trip you made us spend. With my wife we are very happy and we hope to join the next religious trip very soon.