Why BibleTelling?
BibleTelling Seminars in Turkey-Greece-Rome include several distinctions:
- Seminar participants learn and tell ~50 Bible stories on ~20 sites where they occurred (each participant learns and shares 2+ Bible stories during the tour). Pre-Seminar BibleTelling training will cover how to learn and share stories without memorization.
- Expert commentary on the Biblical significance of each Bible story and site–including a discussion with Dr. Baris Yener head of excavations just beginning at Colossae
- Each Seminar participant will receive a beautiful, full-color, 90-page, Footsteps of Paul 2025 BibleTelling Seminar Guide with a calendar of events, a daily itinerary (travel stops, titles of the stories to be told), travel maps, Bible study aids, charts, photos, maps, genealogies, and more. See the 2023 Seminar booklet here.
Seminar Dates and Fees
October 6-17, 2025 – Turkey-Greece
October 17-20, 2025 – Rome
Includes air fare from Chicago O’Hare to Istanbul, and all other tour flights, tour bus, guides, hotel, entrance fees, and tips. Buffet breakfasts and buffet dinners are included (drinks are extra). Lunch stops are provided but the lunch cost is not included. A Visa for entering Turkey is not included but is not currently needed for USA citizens.
- $6690/person Turkey-Greece Only, Double/Triple Occupancy
- $7880/person Turkey-Greece Only, Single Occupancy
- $8390/person with 3-day Rome Extension, Double/Triple Occupancy
- $9,870/person with 3-day Rome Extension, Single Occupancy
- Land Only (if making your own air travel reservations)
Reserve flights from home to Izmir, Turkey (arrive Tuesday, October 7, and then back home from either Athens (Friday, October 17) or Rome (Monday, October 20)
Deduct $1260 from the air fare-included prices shown above
- Group Requirement
- We need a minimum of 20 participants (12 for the Rome extension) by July 6, 2025 (full refunds available up until that date)
- Registration:
- Online Form (Tutku Tours, our tour agency, processes all payments)
- Registration deadline: July 1 (to guarantee group flights from/to Chicago)
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Seminar Details
Seminar Flyer – Itinerary , Payment schedule, Deadlines, Inclusions/Exclusions, Cancelation Policy, etc.
Calendar – Daily events in calendar format
Story Itinerary (travel stops, story titles and tellers of the stories). Stories are found in these 2 sources.:
- Bible Stories to be Told – the scope of each story and a sample narrative to learn and share in the Seminar. OPTIONAL: Purchase a bound copy of all stories told in BibleTelling Seminars.
- Caesar of the Day Stories to be Told – suggested scripts for the Caesar stories to be told during the Seminar. RECOMMENDED: Watch the longer Caesar story videos here and consider crafting your own Caesar story script.
Send us a note when you’ve selected your stories: info@BibleTelling.com. Choose no more than 1 story/day, no more than 3 stories in Turkey-Greece
Turkey-Greece Map – daily travel and stops in Turkey and Greece
Rome Extension Map – map of stops in Rome
Preparing
- 1. Learn to tell Bible stories – Watch BibleTelling Training videos
- 2. Practice telling your assigned stories – 5 times each, to a different listener each time
- 3. Research the sites we will visit – Listen/Watch the Preparation Audios/Videos
Packing
- Packing starter sheet
- Luggage weight and bag limits
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- NOTE: The Seminar fee covers tips for porters carrying one bag/person to/from each hotel. If you have them carry more than 1 bag, please consider tipping for the extra bag/s ($1/bag) on your own.
- Check with your international airline–generally a 23KG/50 Pound limit, depending on ticket class
- Turkish Air calculator our Group flight airline
- Aegean Air calculator for Thessaloniki to Athens and Athens to Rome flights
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- Hiking advice
- Electrical Adaptors and Converters
Prescription Meds (link)
Weather expectations in October
Currency exchange
- You may want to exchange dollars for local currency, but many businesses accept credit cards or even U.S. dollars.
- Recent exchange rates (1/2025)
- TURKEY – Lira (TRY)
- 1 Lira = 3¢ USA; 200 Lira = $5.65 USA
- $1 USA = 35 Lira; $200 USA = 7,000 Lira
- GREECE / ITALY – Euro (EUR)
- 1 Greece/Italy Euro = $1.03USA; 200 Euro = $206 USA
- $1 USA = .97 Euro; $200 USA = 194 Euro
- TURKEY – Lira (TRY)
Credit/Debit Cards
- To avoid unwelcome credit/debit authorization rejections in Israel-Jordan, please contact your card issuers and let them know of your travel plans (may not necessary for some cards).
- To avoid surprise charges, ask about their foreign transaction fees (sometimes no fee, often 3%, sometimes waived if purchase is made in US$$ rather than the foreign currency).
Laundry
- Some hotels offer laundry service. We stay in the same hotel at least 2 consecutive nights in Izmir, Thessaloniki, Athens and Rome. Those should be opportunities to have laundry done before leaving for the next hotel.
- Consider packing 7 days of undergarments in order to make it to Thessaloniki for laundry service. Or wear quick-drying garments to wash in the hotel room sink and drip-dry over night.
WhatsApp text messaging group
- We use the WhatsApp smartphone messaging app to stay in touch during the Seminar (and, to a lesser extent, before and after the Seminar).
- You do not need an international calling program to use it–we will have wi-fi in the hotels, although not likely on buses.
- If you have a WhatsApp ID, you are included in the “Footsteps of Paul 2025” WhatsApp group. Please let me know if you prefer not to participate (or if you want to only participate during the Seminar).
- If you don’t have a WhatsApp ID, please let Roger know if you create one (simply download the WhatsApp mobile app to any smartphone to get started).
Considerations that can hold us back…
- Cost! Ugh, yes, and it won’t be less expensive next year. Save money with double occupancy and group air reservations.
- Time! 14 days is less than 4% of the year. Same % next year.
- International travel! Yes, but there are some experiences staying home and watching YouTube videos just can’t replicate.
- Age/Health! The trip does involve a fair amount of walking. Not a lot of climbing. Plenty of time to develop a walking routine before the trip. We will each be 1 year older next year.
- Risky! Not that life is risk free here at home.
- Telling Bible stories! What a great (and unique!?) way to experience the Bible stories and the Bible lands. We will each learn (without memorizing) 2 or 3 short Bible stories for the trip. We each probably told more stories (also without memorizing) than that today. Plus, the Bible stories are inspired and true.
