Seven Churches of Revelation

1. Day01

   Monday, February 1

   Depart the U.S.

   The day has arrived and we board our flight from our U.S. gateway city, beginning our overnight journey to Izmir, Turkey.

   Meals in flight. Overnight in flight.

   

2. Day02

   Tuesday, February 2

   Arrive in Izmir, Transfer to Kusadasi

   We arrive in Izmir and transfer to Kusadasi, a key port on the Aegean coast and our base for the coming days. After settling in, we gather for an orientation dinner and a welcome evening of rest.

   Dinner included. Overnight Kusadasi. Charisma DeLuxe or similar.

3. Day03

   Wednesday, February 3

   Patmos

   After breakfast, we make our way to Kusadasi Port and board our charter boat for the island of Patmos, one of the most sacred destinations in all of Christendom. It was here, exiled by the Roman Emperor Domitian, that the Apostle John received the great visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. We visit the Cave of the Apocalypse, the grotto where John is believed to have received these revelations, and the magnificent Monastery of St. John the Theologian, which crowns the island’s highest hill and has stood watch over this holy place for nearly a thousand years. We return to Kusadasi Port by charter boat.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Kusadasi. Charisma DeLuxe or similar.

   

4. Day04

   Thursday, February 4

   Miletus, Ephesus, Smyrna

   After breakfast, we begin the day at Miletus, the ancient port city where the Apostle Paul summoned the elders of Ephesus for his moving farewell address, knowing he would not see them again (Acts 20:17-38). The ruins of this once-great city speak powerfully of the world Paul moved through on his missionary journeys. We then make our way to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. We explore the Great Theater, where the Ephesians rioted against Paul’s preaching (Acts 19), the magnificent Library of Celsus, and the Basilica of St. John, built over the tomb of the beloved Apostle. We continue to Izmir, the ancient Smyrna, where we explore the Roman Agora and reflect on the message to the Smyrnaeans in Revelation 2, a letter of encouragement to a church facing fierce persecution.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Izmir. Hilton Garden Inn or similar.

   

5. Day05

   Friday, February 5

   Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis

   After breakfast, we drive north to Pergamum, the city Christ described as the place where Satan’s throne is (Revelation 2:13). We explore the dramatic Acropolis, the famous Altar of Zeus, and the site of one of the earliest Christian communities in Asia Minor. We continue to Thyatira, home to the church rebuked and encouraged in Revelation 2:18-29, before pressing on to Sardis, where we visit the remarkable ancient synagogue and gymnasium complex and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis: poignant reminders of the once-great city addressed by Christ as a church that had a reputation of being alive but was called to wake from its spiritual sleep.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Pamukkale. Pam Thermal Hotel or similar.

   

6. Day06

   Saturday, February 6

   Philadelphia, Laodicea, Hierapolis

   After breakfast, we visit Philadelphia, the city whose faithful church received one of the most encouraging letters in all of Revelation (Revelation 3:7-13), before continuing to Laodicea, the prosperous city whose lukewarm church drew Christ’s most sobering rebuke (Revelation 3:14-22). Walking among its ruins, we gain a vivid sense of the wealth and self-sufficiency that led to such spiritual complacency. We then tour the extraordinary site of Hierapolis, perched above the famous travertine terraces of Pamukkale. Here we visit the ancient necropolis, the hot springs, and the martyrdom site of the Apostle Philip.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Pamukkale. Pam Thermal Hotel or similar.

   

7. Day07

   Sunday, February 7

   Colossae, Pisidian Antioch

   After breakfast, we visit Colossae, the city to which Paul addressed one of his most theologically rich epistles, calling believers to the supremacy of Christ above every power and principality (Colossians 1:15-20). We then make our way to Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preached his first fully recorded sermon in the synagogue, boldly declaring the resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins to all who believe (Acts 13:14-41). It was here that Paul first turned deliberately to the Gentiles: a pivotal moment in the story of the church.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Konya. Bayir Diamond Hotel or similar.

8. Day08

   Monday, February 8

   Fly to Istanbul

   After breakfast, we take our morning flight from Konya to Istanbul, the storied city that has stood at the crossroads of civilizations for millennia. We spend the afternoon exploring the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the ancient Hippodrome, and, time permitting, the Topkapi Palace.

   Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight Istanbul. Gonen Hotel or similar.

   

9. Day09

   Tuesday, February 9

   Istanbul

   After breakfast, we board a private boat for a cruise along the Bosphorus, the legendary strait dividing Europe and Asia, taking in sweeping views of the city’s skyline, its minarets and palaces rising from both shores. We then visit the vibrant Spice Market, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, before the afternoon is given over to free time to explore this extraordinary city at your own pace. Your flight home may depart tonight or the following day.

   Breakfast and dinner included. If the following day and an overnight is required (i.e., if departing flight leaves after 2am on February 10), overnight Istanbul. Gonen Hotel or similar.

10. Day10

    Wednesday, February 10

    Return home

    Your flight home may depart the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, later today we will arrive back at home.

    Breakfast included if flight time permits.

More from our travelers →

• How much walking is there?Expect about 2 to 3 miles of walking on a typical touring day, much of it on uneven ancient paving at Ephesus, Laodicea and Hierapolis, with climbs at the Acropolis of Pergamum and up to the Cave of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of St. John on Patmos. Arrival, flight and departure days have very little walking, and we travel between cities by motor coach.
• Traveling alone?You can have a room to yourself, with a single supplement of $500, or share a room. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a traveler of the same gender and a similar age. If no match is found, the single supplement applies.
• What will I spend beyond the price?Lunches (the page suggests about $15 a day), travel insurance if you choose it, flights from other airports if you need them, any passport or visa costs, and your own shopping. A typical lunch costs about $15 to $20. Tips are at your discretion: as a guide, about $6 per person per day for your guide and $3 for your driver. We recommend paying for most things by credit card: cards are accepted almost everywhere you will go, and credit card purchases usually come with protection that cash does not. We suggest bringing a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies and small purchases. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (lira in Turkey, euros in Greece), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
• What if I need to cancel?Cancel in writing. Up to November 3, 2026 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
• Who is going?This expedition is organized for Calvary Chapel University and led by Pastor Josh Luecht, Lead Pastor of Calvary Chapel Palm City. It is a familiarization trip for pastors, and each pastor may bring one guest.

More answers in our Traveler Support Center, or call us at (877) 234-3002.

• New York City (JFK)Included