OVERVIEW
This private tour is run by the Salvation Army for its officers, by invitation. Our prayer is that walking the lands of the Bible will bring to life Scripture in a new and exciting way.
Majors Norm and Isobel Beckett are your leaders for this tour.
ITINERARY
All tour participants travelling on group flights will depart from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney via the Middle East. The Athens flights will be in date range to book in December 2023.
Included Meals: None
After our transit stop, we will all travel onward together to Athens and arrive in the afternoon. Upon arrival into Athens you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your accommodation where you will spend the night. After checking in to the hotel, the rest of the afternoon is free to relax or explore, before a short briefing meeting of 30mins at 6.00pm followed by dinner at the hotel.
HOTEL: The Stanley Hotel, Athens
HOTEL: The Stanley Hotel, Athens
Included Meals:
D
This morning we will visit The Salvation Army in Athens (Omonia Square) and see the work they are doing in response to the migrant crisis. The afternoon will be free to enjoy at your leisure. Dinner tonight is at the hotel.
Included Meals:
B
D
After an early breakfast, we board our coach at 8.00am to start our excursion out of Athens. Drive along the coastal highway of the Saronic Gulf and reach the historic Corinth Canal for a brief stop for photos and refreshments. We will then visit the ancient site of Corinth and the nearby small archaeological museum where we will share 15 minutes for devotions. On our way back to Athens we will visit a pottery and marble shop and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (own expense). The remainder of the afternoon will be free to explore. Dinner will be at the hotel at 7.00pm.
HOTEL: The Stanley Hotel, Athens
HOTEL: The Stanley Hotel, Athens
Included Meals:
B
D
This morning we will farewell Athens with a climb up the marble capped Acropolis Hill to see the Parthenon and Erechtheion Temples. We will then walk to nearby Mars Hill where Paul delivered his well-known sermon about “the Unknown God” with a time for devotions. We will then depart for Northern Greece and drive to Kalambaka. Arriving late in the afternoon, we will check-in at the hotel for dinner and overnight.
HOTEL: Grand Meteora Hotel, Kalambaka
HOTEL: Grand Meteora Hotel, Kalambaka
Included Meals:
B
D
Today we enjoy a spectacular drive up to the Meteora Monasteries. After visiting a workshop where icons are made, we will have a short lunch break (own expense). We then drive to Thessaloniki passing through Veria (Berea). We stop in Veria for 15 minutes for a time of devotion. Continuing through Amphipolis to Thessaloniki, we arrive late afternoon. Check-in at the hotel is followed by dinner and overnight.
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
Included Meals:
B
D
After breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy a visit to a Greek Orthodox Church and tour of Thessaloniki. Today we have time at the Salvation Army Centre where we share fellowship, devotions and lunch. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
Note: Today is Greek National Day and a public holiday in Greece. There will be a military parade in the city.
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
Note: Today is Greek National Day and a public holiday in Greece. There will be a military parade in the city.
Included Meals:
B
D
We depart from Thessaloniki this morning and drive to visit the extensive site of Philippi. At the baptistry of Lydia we have time for devotions by the river. Following a lunch break in Kavala, we will continue return to Thessaloniki for our final night in Greece.
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
HOTEL: Golden Star, Thessaloniki
Included Meals:
B
D
After breakfast at the hotel and check-out we will farewell our Greek guide here, travel to Thessaloniki airport for the 90 min flight to Istanbul.
On arrival in Turkey after visa processing, we will meet our Turkish guide & driver and travel into Istanbul. We will visit the spectacular Hague Sophia and Blue Mosque followed by the Grand Bazaar. Dinner & overnight.
HOTEL: Yasmak Sultan Hotel, Istanbul
On arrival in Turkey after visa processing, we will meet our Turkish guide & driver and travel into Istanbul. We will visit the spectacular Hague Sophia and Blue Mosque followed by the Grand Bazaar. Dinner & overnight.
HOTEL: Yasmak Sultan Hotel, Istanbul
Included Meals:
B
D
After breakfast we will farewell bustling Istanbul and travel to Gallipoli National Park at Eceabat. We visit several sites from the Gallipoli campaign and have time for devotions at the ANZAC memorial. We continue onto Eceabat where we board our ferry for the short trip across the Dardanelles to Canakkale for our dinner and overnight hotel.
HOTEL: Buyuk Truva Hotel, Canakkale
HOTEL: Buyuk Truva Hotel, Canakkale
Included Meals:
B
D
This morning after breakfast at the hotel and check-out, we will travel to see the ancient ruins of Alexandrian Troas and we will enjoy a coffee break at Assos, overlooking the port. We will then continue our journey towards Bergama (Pergamum) for a lunch break. We will see the Red Basilica and visit the Acropolis (including a time of devotion at Pergamum) before check-in at hotel for dinner and overnight.
HOTEL: Berksoy Hotel, Bergama
HOTEL: Berksoy Hotel, Bergama
Included Meals:
B
D
After breakfast we will see the ruins in Thyatira, the 4th of Seven Churches, visited by Paul (Acts 19:10). We will then drive to Sardis where we will see the ruins of Artemis Temple, the gymnasium and one of the largest synagogues ever excavated. We will have 15 minutes devotion at the site. After some free time for lunch we will make our way to Alasehir (Philadelphia) for another short stop. Finally, we will travel to Pamukkale (Hierapolis) to check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
HOTEL: Pam Thermal, Pamukkale
HOTEL: Pam Thermal, Pamukkale
Included Meals:
B
D
This morning we will tour Ancient Hierapolis & the Calcium Terraces. Afterwards, it will be a short drive to Laodicea for a tour of the site. Time for devotion and then free time for lunch in Pamukkale. We then travel to Izmir (Smyrna) to check-in at hotel for dinner and overnight.
HOTEL: Double Tree by Hilton Alsancak, Izmir
HOTEL: Double Tree by Hilton Alsancak, Izmir
Included Meals:
B
D
This morning we visit the Church of St Polycarp before driving on to the Basilica of St John in Selcuk. We continue our tour with a short stop in a rug making store to watch the demonstration. We drive to Kusadasi & check in to the hotel, with the afternoon free. Overnight in Kusadasi.
HOTEL: Charisma Deluxe Hotel, Kusadasi
HOTEL: Charisma Deluxe Hotel, Kusadasi
Included Meals:
B
D
After breakfast we will have a 20 min drive to Ephesus. We will start visiting one of the main highlights in Turkey, Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor) is located near Izmir. As a port city it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor.
Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus; it was built in the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. by Gaius Julius Aquila to be a memorial to his father Gaius Julius Celsus Polemanus, the proconsul of Province of Asia, the Temple of Hadrian and The Grand Theatre are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Grand theatre was built in 3rd century B.C and it was later expanded to 24.000 spectators by the Romans in the 1st century A.D.
Enjoy a free afternoon – relax at the hotel or go into town and shop for souvenirs.
HOTEL: Charisma Deluxe Hotel, Kusadasi
Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus; it was built in the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. by Gaius Julius Aquila to be a memorial to his father Gaius Julius Celsus Polemanus, the proconsul of Province of Asia, the Temple of Hadrian and The Grand Theatre are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Grand theatre was built in 3rd century B.C and it was later expanded to 24.000 spectators by the Romans in the 1st century A.D.
Enjoy a free afternoon – relax at the hotel or go into town and shop for souvenirs.
HOTEL: Charisma Deluxe Hotel, Kusadasi
Included Meals:
B
D
This morning we have an early breakfast at the hotel (or breakfast box to take on ferry) in time to depart for our 7.00am ferry.
Bid farewell to our Turkish guide as we depart Turkey. After customs formalities we will board our ferry for our relaxing journey to the Greek island of Patmos. Upon arrival at the port (Skala), we will check in to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure for lunch and to enjoy this typical Greek Island. Meet at the hotel at 6.25pm for devotions prior to walking to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight at hotel.
HOTEL: Blue Bay Hotel, Patmos
Bid farewell to our Turkish guide as we depart Turkey. After customs formalities we will board our ferry for our relaxing journey to the Greek island of Patmos. Upon arrival at the port (Skala), we will check in to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure for lunch and to enjoy this typical Greek Island. Meet at the hotel at 6.25pm for devotions prior to walking to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight at hotel.
HOTEL: Blue Bay Hotel, Patmos
Included Meals:
B
D
We will depart at 9.00am for our tour with our guide and coach. We will enjoy our visit at the Monastery of St John and the Cave of the Apocalypse. We will have 15 minutes for devotions adjacent to the Cave. We will then return to Skala for free time for lunch. This afternoon is at leisure. At 6.00pm, prior to dinner, we will check out (leave packed suitcases at reception area) then we will meet for a farewell. After dinner at local restaurant we will collect our luggage and board the overnight ferry from Patmos departing at 11.55pm for Piraeus port of Athens. Overnight is spent on board.
HOTEL: Cabins onboard overnight ferry, Athens
HOTEL: Cabins onboard overnight ferry, Athens
Included Meals:
B
D
At 8.00am upon arrival at the port we will meet the local representative for transfer to Hotel Marriott, where we will enjoy a buffet breakfast and say our goodbyes to our fellow travellers who are not returning home on the group flight to Dubai for onward connection to Australia.
Included Meals:
B
Included Meals: None
Highlights
- Athens
- Ancient Corinth
- Meteroa Monasteries
- Berea – Thessaloniki – Philippi
- Istanbul
- Gallipoli
- 7 Churches of Revelation – Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Ephesus & Smyrna
- Patmos
Map
Destinations
TOUR INCLUDES
Travel with
like-minded people
Christian
Tour Leaders
Option of land
only package
Option of upgrading
to single room
Meals
Sights and entry
fees listed
