Acts 11–16 · 8 days · Antalya to Antakya

With Paul to Antioch – Bible Tour from Antalya to Antakya

“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”Acts 13:2

8 days7 nights

AntalyaStart

AntakyaEnd

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In Antioch on the Orontes the church laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out – the beginning of the mission among the nations. This tour heads towards that place. It begins, however, where the two apostles arrived after crossing from Cyprus: on the coast of Pamphylia. In this way you experience the Acts of the Apostles in reverse, as it were – from the mission field back to its origin.

From Antalya you travel further east day by day: up to Antioch in Pisidia, to Iconium and Lystra, the home of Timothy, through the Ihlara Valley to the rock churches of Cappadocia, over the Cilician Gates to Tarsus and finally to Antakya. The last two programme days belong to Antioch itself and to the port of Seleucia, where the first missionary journey began.

You stay in 4- and 5-star hotels and are accompanied by a state-licensed, English-speaking tour guide. Because you arrive in Antalya and fly home from Hatay, there is no long return drive. The tour can be booked by churches, groups and private travellers of all denominations.

The Bible reading path

Passages you will read on site

Acts 13:13Pamphylia

Coming from Paphos, Paul and Barnabas reach Perge in Pamphylia – the prelude to the highlands.

Acts 13:14–52Antioch in Pisidia

On the Sabbath Paul preaches in the synagogue; the message reaches the whole region.

Acts 14:1–7Iconium

Many Jews and Greeks come to faith, until hostility drives the apostles away.

Acts 14:8–20Lystra

First worshipped as gods, then stoned – and yet Paul rises up again.

Acts 16:1–3Lystra

Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who believed, joins Paul.

1 Pet 1:1Cappadocia

Among the addressees of the First Epistle of Peter are the strangers scattered in Cappadocia.

Acts 15:41Cilician Gates

Paul goes through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches – probably over this pass, too.

Acts 21:39Tarsus

Paul calls himself a man of Tarsus, a citizen of no mean city in Cilicia.

Acts 11:19–26Antioch on the Orontes

Here the disciples were first called Christians; Barnabas fetches Saul from Tarsus to join them.

Gal 2:11Antioch on the Orontes

In Antioch Paul withstands Peter to the face – a struggle for the fellowship of Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 13:1–4Seleucia Pieria

Sent forth by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul board a ship here for Cyprus.

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 on the coast of Pamphylia

Antalya Airport → hotel

Welcome to the coast that was called Pamphylia in biblical times. It was by this route that Paul and Barnabas reached the mainland of Asia Minor – and it is here that your journey east begins too. Your local tour guide picks you up at the airport and takes you to the hotel. At the welcome drink in the evening, the guide tells how the apostle's journeys unfolded, shows you the route of the coming week with its readings and gives you a word of blessing for the way.

Acts 13:13Overnight: Antalya area

Day2

Lake district, Pisidia and Iconium

Antalya → Eğirdir → Yalvaç → Konya

Through the Taurus Mountains and past Lake Burdur and Lake Eğirdir you reach the highlands. In Antioch in Pisidia, the theatre, aqueduct, Temple of Augustus and the foundations of an early church tell of the city where Paul gave his first recorded sermon; according to tradition the synagogue stood on this spot. In the afternoon, in Konya, biblical Iconium, you visit the Church of St Paul and the Mevlana Museum.

Acts 13:14–52Acts 14:1–7Overnight: Konya

Day3

Lystra and the Ihlara Valley

Konya → Lystra → Sultanhanı → Ihlara → Cappadocia

The settlement mound of Lystra lies quietly in the landscape. Here Paul was first worshipped as a god, then stoned and left for dead – and on a later journey he found Timothy here. If you wish, you can hold a devotion in the open air. You continue to the Sultanhanı caravanserai on the Silk Road and in the afternoon take a walk of about an hour and a half through the green Ihlara Valley with its painted rock churches. In the evening you reach Cappadocia.

Acts 14:8–20Acts 16:1–3Overnight: Cappadocia

Day4

Göreme and Uçhisar

Göreme · Uçhisar

If you like, and the weather is good, you can float over the valleys in a balloon at sunrise (optional, bookable locally). In the Göreme Open-Air Museum you enter cave churches with Byzantine frescoes; the First Epistle of Peter expressly names Cappadocia among its recipients. At midday follow the Göreme Valley with its fairy chimneys and the castle rock of Uçhisar.

1 Pet 1:1Overnight: Cappadocia

Day5

Across the Taurus to Paul's home town

Cappadocia → Cilician Gates → Tarsus → Adana

Today you take the route that Paul also travelled several times: through the Cilician Gates, the ancient pass in the Taurus, down into the fertile plain of Cilicia. In the afternoon you are in Tarsus, which Paul himself called no mean city. At Cleopatra's Gate, on the excavated Roman paving, at St Paul's Well and in the Church of St Paul, the apostle's home town becomes tangible. In the evening you reach your hotel in Adana.

Acts 15:41Acts 9:11Acts 21:39Overnight: Adana area

Day6

Antioch – where they were called Christians

Adana → Issus → Antakya

Past the plain of Issus, where Alexander the Great defeated the Persian king Darius in 333 BC, and over the Amanus Mountains you arrive in Antakya. The Mosaic Museum houses one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics. In the afternoon you climb up to the Grotto of St Peter on Mount Staurin, which tradition links with the early church – insofar as it is accessible after the 2023 earthquake. The day ends with a time of prayer together at the starting point of the mission to the nations.

Acts 11:19–26Gal 2:11Acts 13:1–3Overnight: Antakya

Day7

Seleucia Pieria and the Monastery of St Symeon

Antakya → Seleucia → Monastery of St Symeon → Antakya

In the port of Seleucia Pieria, Barnabas and Saul went on board to sail to Cyprus – here you read the account of their sending. Afterwards you walk through the Titus Tunnel, a Roman channel cut into the rock to protect the harbour, past rock-cut tombs. In the afternoon the way leads up to the “Wondrous Mountain”, where the walls of the monastery of Symeon the Younger stand and the view reaches as far as the mouth of the Orontes. In the evening there is the farewell dinner.

Acts 13:4Overnight: Antakya

Day8

Return flight from Hatay

Antakya → Hatay Airport

Depending on your departure time, you drive to Hatay airport, about 20 kilometres away. Instead of a long drive back across Anatolia, you board the plane directly – or extend with beach days by the sea. What remains is the journey itself: from the coast where Paul arrived to the church that had sent him out. For him, Antioch was both the place of departure and of homecoming; for you it is the finale of a journey through the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 14:26

The route

On the map

1Antalya2Eğirdir3Antioch in Pisidia4Iconium (Konya)5Lystra6Sultanhanı7Ihlara Valley8Göreme9Cilician Gates10Tarsus11Adana12Antioch on the Orontes (Antakya)13Seleucia Pieria14Monastery of St Symeon

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

Seven nights in 4- and 5-star hotels, half board with buffet breakfast and dinner
Airport transfers in Antalya and Hatay, all journeys in an air-conditioned coach
State-licensed, English-speaking tour guide
Entrance fees as per programme, parking fees and tolls
Welcome drink

Not included

Flights – on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you
Lunches and drinks
Balloon ride in Cappadocia (optional)
Tips
Travel insurance

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Why do arrival and departure use different airports?

The route runs from west to east. You land in Antalya and fly back from Hatay near Antakya – sparing you the long drive back across Anatolia.

How demanding is the tour?

Some driving days are longer. For the walks through the Ihlara gorge and the tunnel near Seleucia, average fitness is sufficient; sturdy footwear is recommended.

Can Antakya be visited again after the 2023 earthquake?

Yes, the city is being rebuilt. Your tour guide checks before every tour which sites are accessible and adjusts the programme if necessary.

Can we book the tour as a church?

Yes – for churches, home groups and Christian associations, and privately from one person. Christians of every denomination are invited.

Is the flight included?

No. The outbound flight to Antalya and the return flight from Hatay are not part of the tour; on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is on request. You will receive a personal offer based on dates, group size and room allocation – free of charge and without obligation.

Enquiry & booking

Enquire about this tour

With Paul to Antioch – Bible Tour from Antalya to Antakya

With Paul to Antioch – Bible Tour from Antalya to Antakya

Passages you will read on site

Itinerary

Arrival on the coast of Pamphylia

Lake district, Pisidia and Iconium

Lystra and the Ihlara Valley

Göreme and Uçhisar

Across the Taurus to Paul's home town

Antioch – where they were called Christians

Seleucia Pieria and the Monastery of St Symeon

Return flight from Hatay

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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