For pastors and group leaders · Revelation 2–3 · 8 days · from/to Izmir
Familiarisation Tour to the Seven Churches – for Pastors and Group Leaders
“What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”Revelation 1:11
Anyone who wants to lead a church to the places of the Book of Revelation is responsible for more than an itinerary. Which passages do you read where? How long are the walks, how demanding are the excavations, where can a group find quiet for prayer? This familiarisation tour is designed for pastors, church leaders and group leaders who want to get to know exactly that for themselves first.
In eight days, starting from Izmir, you visit all seven cities to which John addressed the letters of Revelation 2 and 3: Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Ephesus and Smyrna. The route is rounded off by Hierapolis with the tomb of the Apostle Philip, and by a day in Priene, Miletus – where Paul bade farewell to the elders of Ephesus – and Didyma. At every site the Bible passages are read on the spot, and a state-licensed, English-speaking guide explains the history and the terrain.
Two dates are planned for 2027; tour operators who wish to train their own group leaders can also book a date of their own. If your group tour later goes ahead, the price of the familiarisation tour will be refunded. Christians of all denominations are welcome.
The Bible reading path
Passages you will read on site
Rev 1:9–11Bergama
To begin: John on Patmos receives the commission to write to the seven churches in Asia.
Rev 2:12–17Pergamon
Faithfulness at the centre of the imperial cult – and the memory of Antipas, the faithful martyr.
Rev 2:18–29Thyatira
Praise for charity and patience, a warning to discern – read in the midst of Lydia's city.
Rev 3:1–6Sardis
The call to watchfulness to a church that has a name that it lives.
Rev 3:7–13Philadelphia
The open door that no man can shut – a promise for those who have a little strength.
Col 4:13Hierapolis
Paul mentions Epaphras and his zeal for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Rev 3:14–22Laodicea
Neither cold nor hot – and yet the Lord stands at the door and knocks.
Rev 2:1–7Ephesus
Much labour and patience, yet the first love left behind – the admonition to the most important of the seven cities.
Acts 20:15Priene
On the way to Miletus, Paul's ship puts in on the coast of Mycale at Trogyllium – below Priene.
Acts 20:17–38Miletus
Paul's farewell address to the elders of Ephesus, read in the city's theatre.
Rev 2:8–11Smyrna
Poor and yet rich: the church encouraged to be faithful unto death.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together. Bible quotations: King James Version.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day1
From Izmir to Pergamon
Izmir Airport → Bergama
Your guide welcomes you at Izmir Airport; in an air-conditioned coach you travel about an hour and a half north to Bergama at the foot of the Acropolis of Pergamon. Over a welcome cocktail you open the Book of Revelation together: John on Patmos receives the commission to write to the seven churches. You also get an overview of the route, sites and passages – and first thoughts on how your own group might experience this week.
Rev 1:9–11Overnight: Bergama
Day2
Pergamon and Thyatira – Faithful Where Satan's Seat Is
Acropolis · Red Basilica · Asclepieion · Thyatira
A cable car takes you up to the Acropolis: the steepest theatre of antiquity, the Trajaneum, the library and the foundations of the Altar of Zeus. Pergamon was the capital of the province of Asia and a centre of the imperial cult. Afterwards you visit the Red Basilica, a brick temple to Egyptian gods that later became a church of the Apostle John, and the Asclepieion. In the afternoon the excavation site of Thyatira, home town of Lydia, the seller of purple, lies before you in Akhisar. In the evening, in Salihli, you read the letter to Pergamon and remember Antipas, the faithful martyr.
Only a few kilometres from the hotel, you reach Sardis in the morning with its magnificent synagogue, the gymnasium and the mighty Temple of Artemis at the foot of the acropolis. At midday you stand in Alaşehir, ancient Philadelphia, before the pillars of the Byzantine Church of St John. In the afternoon you continue to Pamukkale, where in the evening the hotel's thermal pool invites you to relax. For group leaders, a good day to gauge pace and the length of readings.
Rev 3:1–6Rev 3:7–13Overnight: Pamukkale
Day4
Hierapolis, Philip and Laodicea
Hierapolis → Laodicea → Kuşadası
Early, before the heat and the crowds, you walk through the necropolis and along Frontinus Street into the centre of Hierapolis, with the white travertine terraces below you. Up the old pilgrims' stairway you reach the octagonal Martyrium of the Apostle Philip and the church in which his tomb was discovered in 2011 – time for reading and prayer. At midday comes Laodicea with its colonnaded street, theatres and one of the oldest churches in Asia Minor. Optionally you stop at the settlement mound of Colossae. In the afternoon you drive down through the Meander Valley to the Aegean, to Kuşadası.
Col 4:13John 1:43–46Rev 3:14–22Col 1:1–2Overnight: Kuşadası area
Day5
Ephesus – the First of the Seven Churches
Kuşadası → Ephesus → Selçuk → Kuşadası
From Kuşadası, Ephesus is about twenty minutes away. If you wish, you can optionally visit the House of the Virgin Mary on the Mount of Nightingales first in the morning, a quiet place of prayer. In Ephesus you walk downhill from the Upper Gate along Curetes Street and Marble Street, past the Temple of Hadrian to the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre, where the silversmiths rose up against Paul. Afterwards you enter the Church of the Council of 431. In Selçuk you see the remains of the Temple of Artemis and the basilica over the tomb of the Apostle John. Back in Kuşadası in the evening.
Acts 19Rev 2:1–7John 19:26–27Overnight: Kuşadası area
Day6
Priene, Miletus and Didyma – Farewell to the Elders
Kuşadası → Priene → Miletus → Didyma → Kuşadası
In the morning you climb the slope of Mount Mycale at Priene: a model Ionian city with streets laid out at right angles, a small theatre and the columns of the Temple of Athena high above the Meander plain. On this coast, at Trogyllium, Paul's ship also put in on its way to Miletus. At Miletus Paul sent for the elders of Ephesus and took his leave of them – one of the most moving speeches in the New Testament. It is read on the very spot in the Great Theatre, with its seat inscription for “Jews and God-fearers”; you also see the harbour installations and the Baths of Faustina. In the afternoon the Sacred Way leads to Didyma and the mighty Temple of Apollo, whose oracle the whole ancient world consulted – a striking contrast to the word that Paul left behind in Miletus. Back to Kuşadası in the evening.
Acts 20:15Acts 20:17–38Overnight: Kuşadası area
Day7
Smyrna – Faithful unto Death
Kuşadası → Izmir
In the heart of modern Izmir lies the Roman agora of Smyrna, the church that received no word of rebuke. Here Bishop Polycarp died a martyr in AD 155; the oldest church in the city, which you visit next, is dedicated to him. From Kadifekale, ancient Mount Pagos, you look out over the bay. Then there is free time on the Kordon seafront promenade before the farewell evening with a joint review brings the week to a close.
Rev 2:8–11Overnight: Izmir
Day8
Journey Home
Izmir → Izmir Airport
Depending on your flight time, the transfer takes you to Izmir Airport. You return with your own impressions of all seven sites, a feel for routes and timings, and ideas about which passages and places of devotion suit your church. If you wish, you can add a few beach days on the Aegean beforehand. With the commission “Go ye into all the world” ringing in your ears, you head home.
⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
Included
7 nights in 4-star hotels with half board
Travel by air-conditioned coach and airport transfers
State-licensed, English-speaking tour guide
Admission fees as per programme and cable car in Pergamon
Welcome cocktail
Not included
Flights – on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you
Lunches and drinks
Tips
Optional visit to the House of the Virgin Mary
Travel insurance
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Who is this familiarisation tour intended for?
For pastors, church leaders and group leaders who would later like to travel with their church to the seven churches of Revelation and want to get to know the sites, routes and readings for themselves beforehand.
When does the familiarisation tour take place?
There are two dates in 2027: 16.01. to 23.01.2027 and 30.10. to 06.11.2027. Tour operators who wish to train their own group leaders can book a date of their own.
What happens to the tour price if we later travel as a church?
If the group tour then goes ahead, we refund the price of the familiarisation tour. We will gladly give you the details together with our offer.
Where are the seven churches located today?
All in western Turkey: Ephesus near Selçuk, Smyrna in Izmir, Pergamon near Bergama, Thyatira in Akhisar, Sardis near Salihli, Philadelphia in Alaşehir and Laodicea near Denizli.
Are flights included?
No, you book your flight to Izmir yourself. On request we will enquire about suitable connections for you – simply tick “Please also quote for flights” on the enquiry form.
How much does the familiarisation tour cost?
You receive the price on request as a personal offer, depending on the date and room allocation. The enquiry is free and without obligation.
Enquiry & booking
Enquire about this tour
Familiarisation Tour to the Seven Churches – for Pastors and Group Leaders
