Turkey Greece Tour

Welcome to the 2025 Turkey-Greece Tour Info Hub!

This is the best place to find the most up-to-date information on the TOUR, REGISTRATION process, and LINKS to MORE!

REGISTER HERE – JUNE 16th at 8:00 PM (link is NOW live)

Tim Knipp and James Junior are leading a Hillcrest community trip to Turkey and Greece in May 2025.  The trip will follow the journeys of Paul, some significant historical sights and a few modern day marvels.  Tim and James will be partnering with Dr. Mark Wilson to lead the trip.  Mark Wilson is the Director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey.  He is an American scholar, founder and director of two organizations (The Seven Churches Network and the Asia Minor Research Center), and regularly leads trips in Asia Minor.  He leads trips with the goal of promoting the study of early Judaism and Christianity in Asia Minor within the context of the Greco-Roman world.  He is the author of over a dozen books and countless articles.  One of his more recent books, “Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor” is an incredible resource.

The trip is expected to fill up quickly.  There will be an information meeting June 2nd at 4:00 in the Hillcrest sanctuary.  If you are interested in the trip you are encouraged to attend to hear more from Tim and James about trip details and the registration process.  If you have any questions you can email studytours@hcbellingham.com 

Key Details for Hillcrest’s 2025 Turkey-Greece Trip:

• Hosts: Tim Knipp and James Junior, partnering with Dr. Mark Wilson and an expert on-site guide.
• Dates: May 2 – May 16 (On the ground in Turkey-Greece May 3- 16)
• 13 Days! 13 days on the ground walking, talking, praying, laughing, and growing on the ground in the land of the early Church. This tour has a thoughtful pace, allowing us to really experience the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the land. We have a bias to important places and take the time to enjoy them. Check out the itinerary section below.
• Cost: $3,395 per person   – A completed registration and $500 Deposit per person will hold your place.  (Cost assumes a shared room.  If you prefer an individual room, add an additional $950.  If you are traveling alone we will pair you with another traveler unless you let us know you would like an individual room).
• Coverage: Parks, entrance fees, tours, tour guides, bus, driver, hotels, transfer, breakfast, dinner, and ALL tips are already included.  There are even a few surprises. Airfare, lunches, souvenirs and other incidentals are not covered.
• All participants must purchase Medical Travel Insurance. One option we recommend is only $30 and available at https://faithventures.com/
  • You can also add flight and tour cost losses should the trip be canceled or you get sick. See upgrades on the website.
• Flights: Tim and James will be flying from Vancouver, BC (YVR) midday on May 2nd and flying to Istanbul.  The trip will leave from Athens May 16 to return to Vancouver, BC.  We will post specific details when we book these tickets. We also HIGHLY recommend you book the same flight and travel with us.  If you choose to travel on your own or wish to connect to other destinations, please be sure to coordinate those travel plans with Tim and James.  Specific flights will be posted Winter 2025. Plan to spend between $1400-$1600 on flights.
• Registration: Registration will begin June 16th at 8:00 pm.  Please visit this website to register.  We will post the link for Registration at the top of the page on June 16th.  For this trip priority will be given to individuals who are a part of the Hillcrest community, have not traveled to Turkey and Greece on a tour in the past, and are active leaders in our community.  Thank you for your understanding.
• Physical Health: This trip does require being able to get in and out of a bus, and be moving throughout the day, sometimes on uneven ground.  We ask you to consider your physical limitations and ability before registering.  If you have questions about whether this is the right trip for you based on your health please reach out.

Itinerary

• Tour Istanbul with an afternoon flight to Antalya
• Attalia, Perga, Colossae
• Laodicea, Hierapolis, Aegean coast
• Miletus, Didyma, Priene
• Ephesus
• Pergamum, Adramyttium, Assos
• Troas, Troy, cross to Greece, Neapolis harbor and walk on Via Egnatia
• Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia
• Thessalonica
• Berea bema and modern synagogue; Actium Victory monument, Nicopolis
• Corinth
• Athens

Registration

• Registration will open JUNE 16th at 8:00 pm.
  • Registration with a $500 deposit per person will hold your spot. 
  • Link for registration will be added to the top of this page on June 16th.
  • Priority for the trip will be given to individuals who attend Hillcrest Church, those who have not been on a tour to Turkey/Greece before, and active leaders in our community.
  • We encourage folks to register as soon as possible, as we imagine the trip to fill up quickly.

Preparing for the Trip Together

• There are two main ways we will prepare for the trip together.
  • First, we will have a Maps Class in the Winter/Spring of 2025 to learn about geography, culture, and history.  This class is open to the whole church and strongly recommended for everyone going on the trip.  More details below.
  • Second, we will have two trip meetings in the month and a half before we leave to go over specific trip details in regards to the trip.  These meetings are required for all participants.  More details below.

Maps Class – Winter/Spring 2025

• Further details on Map Classes:
  • To get the most out of your time in Turkey-Greece you want to be oriented to the land when you head over there.  This class is a way to get the context of the land, history, and culture so you will be less disoriented in your time there and have categories to put what you are learning into.  This class is also open to the whole church.  It is strongly encouraged for all those going on the trip.
  • We will be using Biblical Backgrounds study on Acts and the Apostles as the basis for our Turkey/Greece Maps class.  You can check out these resources or order them ahead of time here. 

Trip Meetings – Spring 2025

• We will have two trip meetings shortly before its time to head over on our trip!  These trips will be focused on things like what to pack, faq’s, cultural expectations, what to do when you arrive, getting to know one another, and more.  We will get the dates out on these meetings when we get closer to the trip.  All trip participants are asked to attend these meetings.

More information 

Weather – May averages in Turkey and Greece

• Antalya: 78 Day – 60 Night
• Kusadasi: 75 Day – 55 Night
• Thessaloniki: 77 Day – 55 Night

Upcoming Hillcrest trip options: