1 Peter 1 · 8 days · Trabzon – Ankara

To the Churches of First Peter – A Bible Tour from Pontus to Galatia

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia”1 Peter 1:1

8 days7 nights

TrabzonStart

AnkaraEnd

Price on requestPrice

Reading path Enquire →

“Strangers” is what Peter calls the Christians to whom he writes – people who stood out in their surroundings because they lived differently, and who endured mockery and pressure for it. They lived on the Black Sea, in the highlands of Cappadocia and in Galatia. This tour follows them through their landscapes and asks what the letter’s message of a living hope in suffering has to say to them – and to us.

From Trabzon you climb up to Sumela Monastery in its cliff face and drive along the Black Sea coast to Amasya, with the rock tombs of the Pontic kings. By way of Tokat and Comana, where John Chrysostom died in 407 on his way into exile, you reach Sivas – the Sebaste of the Forty Martyrs. These are long driving days through scenically impressive, rarely visited regions.

In Cappadocia you encounter the legacy of Basil the Great in Kayseri, the rock-cut churches with their frescoes in Göreme, and an underground city in Derinkuyu. Past the salt lake Tuz Gölü you continue to Ankara, the heart of the province of Galatia. A state-licensed tour guide places history and tradition in context; Christians of all denominations are welcome.

The Bible reading path

Passages you will read on site

1 Pet 1:1–9Trabzon (welcome evening)

The greeting to the strangers – and the living hope that sustains them.

Psalm 46Sumela

“God is our refuge and strength” – read beneath the cliff face.

Heb 12:1–2Hagia Sophia of Trebizond

The cloud of witnesses – read in the garden after visiting the church.

Acts 18:1–4Amasya

Aquila of Pontus and Priscilla – the couple with whom Paul lived and worked.

1 Pet 1:3–7Rock tombs of Amasya

The living hope before the tombs of the kings.

Rom 8:35–39Comana Pontica

Nothing can separate us from the love of God – at the place where Chrysostom died in exile.

Rev 2:8–11Sivas (Sebaste)

“Be thou faithful unto death” – in memory of the Forty Martyrs.

Acts 2:1–11Kayseri

Pentecost: Cappadocians, too, heard the wonderful works of God in their own tongue.

1 Pet 2:4–10Göreme

Living stones and a royal priesthood – in the rock-cut churches.

Heb 11:32–40Derinkuyu

The witnesses who found refuge in dens and caves of the earth.

Matt 5:13Tuz Gölü

“Ye are the salt of the earth” – on the shore of the great salt lake.

Gal 1:1–5Ankara (Temple of Augustus)

Paul’s greeting to the churches of Galatia.

Gal 3:26–29Ankara (closing)

“All one in Christ Jesus” – at the close of the tour.

Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.

Day by day

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival in Trabzon – in the land of Pontus on the Black Sea

Trabzon Airport → Trabzon

Your tour guide welcomes you at Trabzon Airport, which lies right on the sea, and takes you to the city center in just a few minutes. Trabzon is ancient Trebizond, a Greek foundation on the Black Sea coast; from 1204 to 1461 emperors of the house of the Komnenoi ruled their own empire here. A first walk leads through the old town to the walls of the citadel. In the evening you gather for the welcome, and your tour guide introduces the route and the key texts. To begin, you read the greeting of the First Epistle of Peter to the “strangers scattered” throughout Pontus, Galatia and Cappadocia – the very regions you will cross in the days ahead.

1 Pet 1:1–9Overnight: Trabzon

Day2

Sumela and the Hagia Sophia of Trebizond

Trabzon → Sumela → Trabzon

Via Maçka the road climbs into the wooded valley of the Altındere. There, at an altitude of around 1,200 meters, Sumela Monastery clings to the cliff face. According to tradition, it was founded in the year 386 by two monks from Athens around an icon of the Virgin Mary attributed to the evangelist Luke; what is certain is that monks lived here until 1923. After the climb along forest paths and stairways you stand before the rock church with its frescoes and read Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength.” In the afternoon you visit the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, which Emperor Manuel I had built in the mid-13th century. It has been a mosque since 2013; afterwards, in the garden, you read of the cloud of witnesses.

Psalm 46Heb 12:1–2Overnight: Trabzon

Day3

Along the Black Sea coast to Amasya

Trabzon → Giresun → Samsun → Amasya

Early in the morning the longest driving day of the tour begins. The coastal road runs west between forested mountains and the Black Sea, past hazelnut groves and fishing harbors. Your first stop is Giresun, ancient Kerasous; in Samsun, ancient Amisos, you take a lunch break. These cities belonged to the Roman province whose Christians Peter greets. In the afternoon you reach Amasya in the narrow valley of the Yeşilırmak. High above the river, the tombs of the Pontic kings are carved into the rock. Here, in the region Aquila came from, you read how Paul found work and fellowship with him and Priscilla in Corinth – and, before the tombs of the kings, of the inheritance that fadeth not away.

Acts 18:1–41 Pet 1:3–7Overnight: Amasya

Day4

Comana and Sebaste – faithful unto death

Amasya → Tokat → Comana Pontica → Sivas

From Amasya the road leads via Turhal to Tokat, an old town on the route from Pontus into the interior of Anatolia. A few kilometers further on, on the Hamamtepe hill, lies the excavation site of Comana Pontica, once a temple city of the goddess Ma and later a bishop’s see. Here in 407 John Chrysostom, the exiled bishop of Constantinople, died; according to his biographer Palladius, his last words were “Glory to God for all things.” You read Romans 8: nothing can separate us from the love of God. In the afternoon you reach Sivas, ancient Sebaste. According to tradition, forty Christian soldiers died here around 320 on a frozen lake. With the letter to the church in Smyrna – “Be thou faithful unto death” – you remember them in the evening.

Rom 8:35–39Rev 2:8–11Overnight: Sivas

Day5

Via Caesarea to Cappadocia – Basil the Great

Sivas → Kayseri → Uçhisar → Göreme

Before departure you see the 13th-century Seljuk madrasas of Sivas with their richly decorated portals. Then the road follows the Kızılırmak, the ancient Halys, southwest until the volcano Erciyes appears above the plain. At its foot lies Kayseri, ancient Caesarea in Cappadocia. Here Basil the Great was bishop from 370; outside the city he founded the “Basileias,” a complex for the sick, the poor and strangers. With his brother Gregory of Nyssa and his friend Gregory of Nazianzus he prepared the way for the Creed of 381. You read the account of Pentecost, in which people from Cappadocia and Pontus are already among those who hear the apostles. In the afternoon you look out from the castle rock of Uçhisar over the valleys of Cappadocia.

Acts 2:1–11Overnight: Cappadocia

Day6

Göreme and Derinkuyu – living stones

Göreme → Derinkuyu → Göreme

Early in the morning, before most visitors arrive, you enter the Göreme Open-Air Museum. In the Apple Church, the Snake Church and the Dark Church, frescoes tell of the life of Jesus, from his birth to the crucifixion; in the nearby Tokalı Church a large 10th-century cycle of paintings has survived. Here you read from the First Epistle of Peter about the “lively stones” and the spiritual house – Christians here literally hewed their churches out of the stone. At midday in Derinkuyu you descend many meters down into an underground city with ventilation shafts and rolling-stone doors, which gave people shelter in times of danger. Fitting for this place is the passage in Hebrews about the witnesses who found refuge in the caves of the earth.

1 Pet 2:4–10Heb 11:32–40Overnight: Cappadocia

Day7

Past the salt lake to Ankara – to the Galatians

Göreme → Aksaray → Tuz Gölü → Ankara

The road leads via Aksaray into the wide, treeless plain of central Anatolia. At Tuz Gölü, the great salt lake, you walk a little way out onto the white crust and read the words of Jesus: “Ye are the salt of the earth.” In the afternoon you reach Ankara. In the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations you encounter the Hittites and Phrygians, whose land was later settled by the Celts – the Galatians. Ankyra became the capital of the Roman province of Galatia; the emperor’s account of his deeds is carved in Latin and Greek on the Temple of Augustus, and the building later served as a church. Here you read Paul’s greeting to the churches of Galatia, and your tour guide explains why it remains open whether they lived here or in the south of the province. At the farewell dinner you give thanks for the journey.

Matt 5:13Gal 1:1–5Gal 3:1Gal 3:26–29Overnight: Ankara

Day8

Departure from Ankara

Ankara → Ankara Airport

Depending on your flight time, there is still time in the morning for a walk to the Column of Julian or to the Roman baths of ancient Ankyra. Then the transfer takes you to Esenboğa Airport north of the city. You take with you all that has come together over these days: the monastery in the cliff face in Pontus, the tombs of the kings of Amasya, the remembrance of the faithful of Comana and Sebaste, the living stones of Göreme and Paul’s greeting to the Galatians. With the Aaronic blessing you set off for home. Anyone who would like to stay longer can extend with a few days in Cappadocia or with beach days on the Mediterranean.

Numbers 6:24–26

The route

On the map

1Trabzon Airport2Trabzon3Sumela4Giresun5Samsun6Amasya7Tokat8Comana Pontica9Sivas (Sebaste)10Kayseri11Göreme12Derinkuyu13Aksaray14Tuz Gölü15Ankara16Ankara Airport

Inclusions & price

What the tour price includes

Price on request

The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.

Enquire →

⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.

Included

7 nights in good mid-range and 4-star hotels with half board
All transportation in an air-conditioned coach, airport transfers in Trabzon and Ankara
State-licensed tour guide
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Welcome and farewell evenings

Not included

Flights
Lunches and drinks
Tips
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Which churches of the First Epistle of Peter does the tour visit?

The letter names five regions: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. This tour leads through the first three; Asia and Bithynia are the focus of other tours, for example to the seven churches of Revelation or to Nicaea.

What is known about the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste?

Their martyrdom around 320 has come down to us through sermons by Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa – that is, from extra-biblical sources. The exact location of the lake is not known; we remember them in Sivas.

How long are the driving days?

Day 3 (approx. 475 km along the Black Sea coast) and Day 4 are long driving days, with regular breaks. The roads are well built.

How strenuous is the tour?

The climb to Sumela is steep and involves stairs; Derinkuyu has narrow, low passages. A normal level of fitness is sufficient; anyone who prefers to avoid confined spaces can wait above ground.

When is the best time to travel?

From May to October. On the Black Sea it is often humid and misty; in the interior of Anatolia it is dry and, in high summer, hot.

Is the flight included in the tour price?

No. You fly into Trabzon and out of Ankara, usually with a connection in Istanbul. On request we will look into a suitable connection for you.

How much does the tour cost?

The price depends on the dates, group size and room allocation. After your inquiry you will receive a personal quotation – free of charge and without obligation.

In which language is the tour guided?

A state-licensed tour guide accompanies you – in your language or in one of 25 languages. We have been guiding guests since 1989.

Enquiry & booking

Enquire about this tour

To the Churches of First Peter – A Bible Tour from Pontus to Galatia

To the Churches of First Peter – A Bible Tour from Pontus to Galatia

Passages you will read on site

Itinerary

Arrival in Trabzon – in the land of Pontus on the Black Sea

Sumela and the Hagia Sophia of Trebizond

Along the Black Sea coast to Amasya

Comana and Sebaste – faithful unto death

Via Caesarea to Cappadocia – Basil the Great

Göreme and Derinkuyu – living stones

Past the salt lake to Ankara – to the Galatians

Departure from Ankara

On the map

What the tour price includes

Price on request

Included

Not included

Frequently asked questions

Enquire about this tour

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