Bring your church or school to follow Paul’s journeys from Antioch, where believers were first called Christians, clear across Asia Minor to Ephesus. We build it privately, around your group.
No one shaped the early church like Paul, and no country holds more of his story than Turkey. He was born in Tarsus and spent his life crossing this land to preach, plant churches, and write the letters that still teach the church today.
This tour follows part of his journeys. You'll stand in Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians and where Paul and Barnabas were sent out; in Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preached his first recorded sermon; and in the cities of Acts and the epistles, all the way west to Ephesus. Along the way, an expert guide opens the history, geography, and Scripture of each place, so the map of Paul's journeys becomes ground under your feet.
We run the Footsteps of Paul as a private, custom tour for your group (a church, a school, a class, or a circle of friends), shaping the dates, the pace, and the teaching around you.
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Prices are land only.
Smaller groups cost more per person.
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Prices assume about 15 paying travelers; larger groups may cost less per person, smaller groups more.
Where the disciples were first called Christians, and the church that sent Paul and Barnabas out on the first missionary journey. Visit Peter's Cave Church and the great Roman mosaics.
Paul's hometown ("no insignificant city," as he called it) and the schools of rhetoric that trained the mind God would use to write much of the New Testament.
A refuge for early believers, honeycombed with cave churches and underground cities, and home to converts from the day of Pentecost.
Where Paul and Barnabas preached and were opposed, and where Paul was stoned and left for dead, yet rose and went on.
Where Paul preached his first recorded sermon, beside the imperial temple of Augustus and a church later dedicated to him by the saints of Asia Minor.
Where Paul landed after sailing from Cyprus, and the harbor of Myra, where he changed ships on his way to Rome. Later the city of St. Nicholas.
The lukewarm church, set between the cold springs of Colossae and the hot springs of Hierapolis: the very picture behind Christ's warning.
The great city where Paul taught for years and where a riot once filled the theatre; the western climax of the journey, near where your tour ends.
A representative route. Exact sites and pace flex with your group and your leader.
Fly to Hatay/Antakya (HTY), where your guide will greet you. Overnight in Antakya. The tour ends in Izmir, so book your return flight from Izmir (ADB), not Antakya.
Explore Antioch, the city where East meets West, where followers of Christ were first called Christians, and from which Paul and Barnabas were sent out. Its story reaches back two centuries before Acts, to the Seleucid emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–163 B.C.E.). Drive west along the coast. Overnight in Adana.
A short drive to Tarsus, Paul's hometown, famous for its schools of rhetoric and the "no insignificant city" he named in Acts 21:39. Spend the morning there, then head north to Cappadocia, home of two church fathers and of converts from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). Get your first look at the valleys, caves and underground cities that sheltered the early church. Overnight in Cappadocia.
A morning in the Pigeon Valley, then Uçhisar Castle, the Göreme Panorama and Open-Air Museum. After a local lunch, descend into the Kaymaklı or Özkonak underground city, and finish among the Paşabağ "fairy chimney" rock formations. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Head west across the plateau, stopping at Iconium (modern Konya) and Lystra, towns Paul and his companions visited again and again. Then on to Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preached his first recorded sermon (Acts 13:14–52): the temple to Augustus and a church built in Paul's honor by the early believers of Asia Minor. Overnight in Yalvaç.
From Yalvaç, drive south over the Taurus mountains to Perga, where Paul landed after sailing from Cyprus and where Mark left him (Acts 13:13). Nearby Aspendos has a great aqueduct and a 20,000-seat theatre, the best-preserved in Turkey. Then walk the restored old harbor of Attalia, the port Paul sailed from (Acts 14:25–26). Overnight in Antalya.
West to Demre and ancient Myra, city of St. Nicholas, defender of the faith through Diocletian's persecution, with its Roman theater, Lycian tombs, and the port where Paul changed ships for Rome. Then Patara, a booming ancient market beside Turkey's longest beach. Overnight in Fethiye.
Cross the Taurus mountains to the tri-city area of Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea between them, with cold springs on one side and the hot springs and white travertine terraces of Hierapolis on the other. It is the living picture behind Christ's "lukewarm" warning in Revelation 3. Overnight in Pamukkale.
Back to the coast and Ephesus, where Paul's School of Tyrannus sent the gospel throughout Asia. See how Turkey's famous carpets are made, then visit St. John's Basilica and one of the world's oldest baptismals. Overnight in Kuşadası.
Explore Miletus, where Paul bid farewell to the Ephesian elders at the end of his third journey (Acts 20); its great theatre bears an inscription naming the city's Jews and "God-fearers." Visit Didyma's Temple of Apollo, and Priene, with its recently discovered synagogue and later Byzantine Christian community. Overnight in Kuşadası.
Transfer to Izmir Airport (ADB) for your departure flight.
From the Journal
Articles from our Journal on the places you'll visit.
Where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
Josh Ryvers
The Art of Wayfaring
Paul's first recorded sermon, in the synagogue (Acts 13:16–41).
Josh Ryvers
The Art of Wayfaring
Where John Mark left Paul and Barnabas for Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).
Josh Ryvers
The Art of Wayfaring
“Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out” (Rev 3:16).
Ronnie Jones III and Will Rockett
The church Paul wrote to but had never seen face to face (Col 1:2; 2:1).
Ronnie Jones III and Will Rockett
Paul's three years and the riot of Acts 19; the church that left its first love (Rev 2:4).
Ronnie Jones III and Will Rockett
Paul's tearful farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17–38).
Ronnie Jones III and Will Rockett
Hotels, meals and pace. Rooms are twin or double sharing; a single room is $1,050 extra. Lunches aren’t included. Hotel standards vary along the route, and smaller towns such as Yalvaç have few choices. The pace is active, with some long drives: Tarsus over the Taurus mountains to Cappadocia; Cappadocia via Konya and Lystra to Pisidian Antioch, with an early start; and Antalya via Myra and Patara to Fethiye. Expect walking in the Pigeon Valley and in an underground city.
Want a teacher with your group? A pastor or scholar can join your group on site by arrangement, subject to availability. Let us know on the Plan your tour page.
All cancellation requests must be sent to Enjoy Tours in writing. We also monitor regional conditions carefully and will communicate with groups if safety concerns affect a planned tour.
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Bible tours and custom journeys through the lands of Scripture.
