Pilgrimage to Turkey and Patmos
Rome | Izmir | Ephesus | Kusadasi | Patmos
| Date: | 6/30/2019 |
| Duration: | 5 Days |
| Departure: | Rome (Land Only) |
Pilgrimage Itinerary
Depart Rome. Upon arrival in Izmir, visit the Church of St.
Polycarp which is the oldest church in ancient Smyrna. St.
Polycarp was the fourth Bishop of Smyrna and is known as one
of first Christian martyrs. Dinner and overnight in Izmir. (D)
After breakfast we will check out from our hotel and drive to
Ephesus to visit the site of the Temple of Artemis. St. Paul
spent two years in Ephesus, and it was to this community
that he wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul implored
the Ephesians to cease their worship of Artemis and turn
to Christianity. We will see the great theater where St. Paul
addressed the crowds and visit the site of the scene of the
riot from which St. Paul escaped. Visit the Temple of Diana,
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Next visit the
Basilica of St. John, which was erected over his grave in the
6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian. We will then proceed
to the House of Virgin Mary on Mount Nightingale where we
will celebrate Mass and spend the remainder of the day before
driving to the colorful port city of Kusadasi for check-in at our
hotel. (B/D)
This morning we will return to Ephesus to visit the Church
of the Virgin Mary and the tomb of St. Luke. We will then
make another visit to the House of the Virgin Mary on Mount
Nightingale where we will remain for the entire day. Dinner
and overnight in Kusadasi. (B/D)
Today there will be an optional excursion to the Greek island of
Patmos where St. John received the mystical Revelation which
forms the last book of the New Testament. Depart Kusadasi
early in the morning (around 6:00-6:30am) and cruise to
Patmos by chartered boat. In Patmos visit the Grotto of St.
John. Exiled from Ephesus in 95 AD, St. John the Theologian
retired to a cave on Patmos, where he recorded his divine
visions in the Book of Revelations. The chapel displays a stone
that the saint used as his pillow. A small chapel marks the cave
site. Continue to the Monastery of The Apocalypse. Founded
in 1088, the monastery perches on a hillside above Chora. A
single entrance leads through the 59 foot (18m) high walls. Your
tour views the elaborate frescoes and visits the Christodoulos
chapel. The monastery’s old Treasury is today a museum
displaying a stunning collection of jeweled chalices, crowns,
crucifixes, vestments and manuscripts. Around 2:30pm depart
from the island and cruise back to Kusadasi. (The Turkish guide
will stay in Kusadasi and in Patmos a local Greek guide
will assist your group.) (B/D)
This morning we will check out from our hotel and drive to the
airport in Izmir to catch our return flight to Rome. (B)
What's Included
- Arrangements for daily Mass
- 4 nights accommodations
- All hotel taxes
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Comprehensive sightseeing with a local professional guide
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
- Land transportation by deluxe motor coach
- Arrival and departure transfers; group flights only
- Porterage of one piece of luggage at hotels
