Depart Cleveland for Istanbul

Arrival Istanbul. Transfer to hotel. Orientation to the city via motorcoach this afternoon. If time permits, visit the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome. Mass. Overnight/dinner Istanbul.

Overlooking the Marmara Sea, the first evening in Istanbul

Breakfast. Visit Hagia Sophia, Archaeological Museum, and Topkapi Palace. Some free time in the afternoon. Overnight/dinner Istanbul.

Interior of the dome of the Church of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, one of the oldest existing Christian basilicas. The church was once converted into a mosque, and now is a museum.

Breakfast. Travel to Çannakale, visit Troy; continue to Assos for dinner/overnight. If time permits, stop for a brief visit in Alexandria Troas

This Trojan Horse has been reconstructed at the site of ancient Troy.

Breakfast. Travel to Bergama (Pergamon), visiting the Asklepion and the Acropolis. Continue then to Thyatira (visit if time permits). Overnight/dinner Akhisar (near Sardis).

The Asclepion of Pergamum (or Pergamon) was among the world's earliest and greatest medical centers. Here the great physician named Galen laid down the basic rules for all the doctors who would come after him for centuries.

Breakfast. Visit Ephesus (sites associated with St. John's Basilica, Artemesia, the main site with sloping Roman villas). If time and interest permit, visit Miletus. Return to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight.

The world-renouned Library of Celsus at Ephesus

Breakfast. Port of call - Crete/Heraklion. Later in day, port of call - Santorini.

Learn about Minoan culture in the morning, and enjoy the sun and sandy beaches of Santorini in the afternoon.

Breakfast. Arrival Pireaus with transfer to Corinth to visit archaeological site. Continue then to Athens for dinner/overnight.

Breakfast. Excursion to the ancient site of Delphi, the Sanctuary of Apollo. Overnight/dinner at a restaurant in Athens.

Delphi, the Sanctuary of Apollo, was one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the ancient world. Devotees came to solicit advice from the Oracle (or “Sibyl”) as to what the future held in store for them. Of great importance throughout the first century, this site provides a striking backdrop for understanding the life and times of early Christian missionaries like Paul. A visit to this hauntingly beautiful site serves as a fitting conclusion to a journey tracing the rise and development of Christianity in the Mediterranean world.