Book of Acts Ridley College Study Tour

Greece and Türkiye

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Join us on the Babbage Lecture Room to hear more about the tour itinerary, inclusions/exclusions & the ability to ask questions. Zoom link also available.
City Location Date Time Booking Link
Melbourne Ridley College March 12, 2024 1:45 pm RSVP

OVERVIEW

Join us on a journey of New Testament Exegesis through the Book of Acts, where we travel through modern day Türkiye & Greece to unpack the context and dive deeper into Scripture in the land of the Bible.

 

Michael Bird (PhD University of Queensland) is Deputy Principal, Director of Research, and Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia.

 

ITINERARY

Today we travel from Australia to Istanbul, Türkiye.
Please speak to the team at Selah for the best available airfare for you.

Included Meals: None

Arrive in Istanbul (early afternoon) where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Remaınder of the day is free to relax. Meet at 6pm for a welcome meeting followed by dinner
at the hotel.

Hotel: Grand Gulsoy Hotel, or similar

Included Meals:

D
After breakfast we will spend some time exploring old city Constantinople followed by a visit to
the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Later in the day we see both Hagia Irene and Hagia
Sofia, both once Byzantine churches, as well as the Hippodrome. Hippodrome. Free time will
allow you to visit the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Return to the hotel to freshen up
before a dinner cruise on Bosphorus River.

Hotel: Grand Gulsoy or similar, Istanbul

Included Meals:

B
D
After breakfast, check out of our Istanbul hotel and travel to the Istanbul airport for our flight to
Adana. On arrival we will drive to the town of Tarsus (42km) which is part of the Adana-Mersin
metropolitan area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Türkiye. Biblically this is where the
apostle Paul was born. Visit St Paul’s church bult in the 12th century & reconstructed in the
18th century, followed by a short visit to St Paul’s Well near to his supposed home. Continue to
ancient Iconium (now modern day Konya). Iconium was a well-chosen place for Paul’s
missionary operations. The apostle's first visit with Barnabas was from Antioch in Pisidia,
which lay to the west in 44A.D. From that city he had been driven by the persecution of the
Jews (Ac 13:50-51). Overnight in Konya

Hotel: Bera Hotel, or similar

Included Meals:

B
D
Check out of the hotel after breakfast and today we will visit the ancient mound of Colossae –
the entire city is buried under the mound and not yet excavated.
Continue to the ancient sites of Laodicea (Rev 3) and the Phyrygian city of Hierapolis. We then
travel to our hotel in Pamukkale. Enjoy the thermal pools at the hotel before dinner.

Hotel: Pam Thermal, Pamukkale

Included Meals:

B
D
Check out of the hotel after breakfast and today we will visit the ancient mound of Colossae –
the entire city is buried under the mound and not yet excavated.
Continue to the ancient sites of Laodicea (Rev 3) and the Phyrygian city of Hierapolis. We then
travel to our hotel in Pamukkale. Enjoy the thermal pools at the hotel before dinner.

Included Meals:

B
D
Start the day with a visit to white calcium terraces in Pamukkale before we drive to Philadelphia
(another of the Seven churches in Revelation). We then continue to ancient Sardis, also a church
mentioned in the book of Revelation with its impressive Roman gymnasium and one of the
largest synagogues ever excavated. We will continue to the port city of Kusadasi and check in
for a 3 night stay.

Hotel: Efe Boutique Hotel, Kusadasi

Included Meals:

B
D
This morning we depart for Selcuk where we visit the St. John Basilica and the ancient city of Ephesus. Here we’ll see the Baths of Scholastica, Temple of Hadrian, the library and the Great Theatre. After a lunch break, we continue our tour to the Temple of Artemis & the Ephesus Museum. Return to Kusadasi for dinner & overnight.

Hotel: Efe Boutique Hotel, Kusadasi

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we travel for the day to Didyma & Miletus. Didyma had a large temple dedicated to
Apollo & Artemis and even though the temple was not completed, it functioned as an oracle.
We continue to Miletus where we see a seat with a Greek inscription mentioning the God-fearers. The God-fearers were Gentiles who chose to worship the God of the Jews and even keep most of the Law, although the men stopped short of full conversion because of the stigma of circumcision.

Return to our hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and overnight.

HOTEL: Efe Boutique Hotel, Kusadasi

Included Meals:

B
D
Check out of hour Kusadasi hotel as well travel to Izmir (ancient Smyrna). In Izmir we will visit the church of St Polycarp, as well as the ancient Smyrna site before travelling to Pergamum, another of the Seven churches of Revelation. We then travel to Assos, a small Aegean costal town where, according to Acts 20:13, Paul and Luke rested while on their way from Troas to Mitylene. Dinner and overnight in Assos.

Hotel: Eden Garden Hotel, Assos

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we see the Roman road and quarry at Assos before travelling to Alexandrian Troas.
The apostle Paul visited Troas during his second (49 to 52 A.D.) and third (53 to 58 A.D.) missionary journeys. While travelling through Asia during his second journey he finds himself in the city when God twice forbids him to evangelise certain areas. While wondering what to do next, God gives Paul a vision of a man in Macedonia (Greece) begging him for help (Acts 16:6-10). We drive on to Canakkale for dinner and overnight.

Hotel: Buyuk Truva Hotel, Canakkale

Included Meals:

B
D
After breakfast we leave Canakkale to travel to Gallipoli National Park at Eceabat and visit
several sites from the Gallipoli campaign. We will spend time for reflection and devotions at the
ANZAC Memorial. In the afternoon, we will drive to the border with Greece and cross over to
the town on Kavala, Kavala (ancient Neapolis), Greece’s most picturesque mainland port. Paul
arrived in this city with his coworkers Timothy and Silas. They sailed from Troas (acts 16:11) to
Neapolis. At this gateway Paul’s team first set foot on Europe. Check-in at the hotel followed
by dinner & overnight rest.

Hotel: Oceanis Hotel, Kavala

Included Meals:

B
D
Buffet breakfast at hotel & Check-out. Today we drive to Philippi (Acts 16:12-40; 20:6) the site
where the apostle Paul preached his evangelistic sermon to women who had gathered at the
river. You will visit the river where Paul baptised Lydia, a purple fabric merchant, who became
the first Christian woman to be baptized on European soil (Acts 16:14, 15, 40). You will see the
crypt, dating from the Roman period, which according to church tradition may have been the
place where Paul was flogged and imprisoned. Also at Philippi you will see, the ancient Roman
forum built during the time of Augustus and mentioned in the Book of Acts as the place where
Paul was publicly punished after he healed the demon-possessed girl (Acts 16:19). You will see
the Basilicas and the Greek Theatre (4th century BC), which was converted into an arena by the
Romans and used during the persecutions of the early days of the church. Paul’s letter to the
Philippians was addressed to the local Christians 14 years after his first visit there. Of all the
churches Paul founded, probably none was as near and dear to him as the church at Philippi
(Acts 16:9-33). Philippi was named after Philip II, king of Macedonia father of Alexander the
Great. The Roman road Via Egnatia crossed this city and ran from Rome to Byzantium. On the
way to Thessaloniki you will pass by the Lion statue of Amphipolis, which was a district capital
of Macedonia, on the Via Egnatia, the route used by Paul, Timothy and Silas (Acts 17:1).c
Check-in at the hotel in Thessaloniki. Dinner & overnight.

Hotel: El Greco Hotel, Thessalonica

Included Meals:

B
D
Buffet breakfast at hotel & check-out. Today we visit Berea where Paul and Silas entered (on
the Via Egnatia), a town of Greeks, Jews, and Romans. It became a pulpit for Paul’s preaching
for three weeks (Acts 17:10-15). The city was praised for evaluating preaching by comparing it
with the Scriptures. If time permits, we will visit the local synagogue where according to his
custom went to the synagogue where, to his pleasant surprise, he discovered that these Jews
were “more noble” than those he had encountered in Thessalonica. We see the Byzantine
mosaic in the monument commemorating his preaching and visit the Jewish synagogue (it the
time allows). According to the local tradition, it was at this place where he stood and delivered
his sermons (Acts 17:10-11). Afterwards transfer to Thessaloniki Airport to board our domestic
flight to Athens (flight duration: 55 minutes). Arrive at Athens Airport. Meet, assist and transfer
to the hotel in Athens for check-in. Dinner & overnight.

Hotel: Acropolis Hill Hotel, Athens

Included Meals:

B
D
Breakfast at hotel. At 8.00 am our full day excursion out of Athens takes us by the Saronic Gulf via the historic Corinthian Canal (quick stop for photos) to the Diolkos. It was in use during the time Paul was at Corinth. The commercial benefit to Corinth, as well as to the port cities of Lechaion and Cenchrea, was significant. Then we drive to ancient Corinth (Acts 18:1-18). It was to this megalopolis where the Apostle Paul came, worked and established a thriving church. We will visit the archaeological site and museum as well as all the points of interest associated with Paul's ministry. On our way back to Athens, we will pass by the ancient port of
Cenchrea, this port city across the narrow isthmus from Corinth was the embarkation port for the apostle Paul when he sailed after 18 months in Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19).
Phoebe was a deaconess (Rom. 16:1). To avoid delay and danger of sailing around the Peloponnese, ships were unloaded at Corinth, and then dragged overland to be reloaded at Cenchrea, or vice versa. Dinner & overnight in Athens.

Hotel: Acropolis Hill Hotel, Athens

Included Meals:

B
D
After breakfast at hotel, check-out. Meet with your guide. We will climb up to the marble-capped Acropolis and visit the famous Parthenon and the Erechtheion. Then, we go to nearby Mars' Hill (or Areopagus) to read Acts 17:22, where Paul delivered his well-known sermon and spoke about the inscription: “to an unknown god”. Then we walk down and visit the ancient Agora, now in ruins, was formerly the commercial hub
of ancient Athens and birthplace of politics and philosophy. Here the apostle Paul reasoned
with the most skeptical audience he met in the course of his travels.
Transfer to Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” for departure flight home.

HOTEL: Titania Hotel, Athens

Included Meals:

B
D

Included Meals:

B

Highlights

  • Istanbul
  • Tarsus, Paul’s home town
  • Ancient Iconium
  • Pisidian Antioch
  • Pamukkale, Hierapolis
  • Laodicea, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Sardis, Pergamum (Churches of Revelation)
  • Ephesus
  • Didyma/Miletus
  • Assos
  • Gallipoli
  • Ancient Philippi
  • Thessaloniki
  • Corinth
  • Athens

Map

Destinations

TOUR INCLUDES

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Travel with
like-minded people

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Christian
Tour Leaders

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Option of land
only package

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Option of upgrading
to single room

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Meals

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Sights and entry
fees listed

OUR PRICING

Pricing

Category Description Twin PP Single
Tour only Audit student (participation in the study tour and associated activities without needing to complete assessment tasks) $6,399.00 $7,399.00
Tour only Level 7 for credit in NT202/208 $7,899.00 $8,899.00
Tour only Level 8 & 9 for credit in NT202/208 $8,099.00 $9,099.00

Pricing is based on a minimum 15 passengers.

Students eligible for FEE Help maybe able to defer part of the tour cost between $4,400-4,700 depending on the level of enrolment.
For further information please contact the Ridley registry team.

Inclusions
Exclusions

FAQ