If you’ve been to Israel, you’ve stood where the Gospels happened. Turkey and Greece are where the story carries on: where Paul was born and sent out, where he planted churches and wrote back to them, and where Christ addressed the seven churches of Revelation.
This page is for people who have made that first trip and are wondering what comes next. Here’s what Turkey and Greece add, how our tours compare with the trip you’ve already taken, and why they complement an Israel trip rather than replace it.
A complement to Israel tours, not a replacement for them
We’re not asking you to choose. If you loved your Israel trip, keep it. Turkey and Greece complement it rather than replace it. They hold the part of the story that comes after the Gospels: the journeys in Acts, the churches Paul planted and wrote to, and the seven churches of Revelation.
“I’m standing in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople. It’s a real place… But I have also been to Jerusalem. And it’s a wonderful thing as a Christian to be in Jerusalem… You go to a place like Ephesus… you could come extremely close to walking exactly where the Apostle Paul walked.”
Albert Mohler, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
What Turkey and Greece add
Revelation, where it was first read aloud
Christ’s letters to the seven churches of Asia went to real congregations in real cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. On the Seven Churches tour you stand in the ruins where those words were first sent, and consider what Jesus said to each church.
Paul’s journeys and churches
No one shaped the early church like Paul, and no country holds more of his story than Turkey. He was born in Tarsus, was sent out from Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians, and spent his life crossing this land to preach and plant churches. In Greece the gospel set foot in Europe for the first time: Philippi, where he baptized Lydia; Thessalonica and Berea; Mars Hill in Athens; and Corinth, where he ministered a year and a half.
The councils
The church’s confession of Christ was worked out here too. The Council of Nicea met in 325. In 381 the Council of Constantinople gave the church the fuller form of the Nicene Creed that many congregations still confess today. In 431 Ephesus hosted the Third Ecumenical Council.
The early church
The story didn’t end with the apostles. Timothy pastored in Ephesus, and the Apostle John spent his final years in and around the city. Smyrna was home to the martyr Polycarp, and Ignatius wrote to the churches of Asia on his way to martyrdom in Rome.
“The Bible's not a fairy tale. It's not a mythical story. It's filled with real people, real places, real events, and you can learn about those things by coming right here.”
Ligon Duncan, Chancellor, Reformed Theological Seminary
How the trip compares
You already know what a study tour feels like. Here’s how ours work, in the same words we use everywhere else on the site.
Private, with no minimum size
Every tour we run is private, built around your group: your dates, your pace, the same licensed guides. There’s no minimum group size, so a tour for two is simply a smaller one. For a larger group, we’ve found 15 to 30 people is ideal for both price and experience.
Walking and seasons
15,000 steps a day is common. Surfaces include marble, packed earth, steps, slopes. Ephesus is about 15,000 steps on uneven, sloping ground, with bathrooms at either end of the site. Pergamum is about 5,000 steps, uneven but largely flat, with bathrooms on site. Winters get down to freezing, summers can reach 100-degree heat, and spring and fall are generally mild.
Hotels, meals and fees
Comfortable, well-located hotels, with breakfast and dinner daily. Lunches aren’t included. Rooms are twin or double sharing. On our multi-day tours, entrance fees to the sites listed are included.
Guides and teaching
A licensed local guide is with you the whole trip. The Bible teaching belongs to your group: bring your own pastor or teacher, or ask us to arrange one, subject to availability.
Pace
The days are full. The Seven Churches tour is full and fast-paced, and our longer tours include some long drives. Tell us about your group and we’ll plan the pace with you.
Where to start
Seven Churches of Revelation
Ephesus to Laodicea: the churches of Asia to whom Christ spoke in Revelation.
Paul’s Footsteps in Turkey
Antioch to Ephesus • Where Paul was born, established, and sent across Asia Minor.
Paul’s Footsteps in Greece
Philippi to Corinth • Where the gospel first reached Europe and Paul planted churches.
Prices are per person, land only, and assume about 15 paying travelers; larger groups may cost less per person, smaller groups more. Flights are extra.
Read before you go
Ephesus in the Bible: What Can You See Today?
Paul’s three years and the riot of Acts 19; the church that left its first love (Rev 2:4).
Where Is Smyrna in the Bible Today?
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10).
What Happened to Laodicea, the Lukewarm Church?
“Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out” (Rev 3:16).
If you’ve been to Israel and want to come
Tell us who’s travelling, roughly when, and what you’d love to see. There’s no cost or obligation to ask.
