Tour Host, Reno, NV
Tour Host, Reno, NV
Click this link to print Tour Brochure:
SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE REVELATION BROCHURE – Gary Lebeck & wife, TJ Martini
THURSDAY – DAY 1: DEPARTURE – Depart Reno to Istanbul.
FRIDAY – DAY 2: ARRIVE ISTANBUL / IZMIR – Upon arrival into Istanbul, we will meet our Tour Director at Istanbul Airport and connect all together for our flight to Izmir. Upon arrival at Izmir Airport, we will meet our driver and continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)
SATURDAY – DAY 3: IZMIR / PERGAMUM – We will start our day with a journey to the ancient city of Smyrna, known today as Izmir. Mentioned in the Bible as “The Persecuted Church” (Revelation 2:8-11), Smyrna is one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. This city, which has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, is rich in history. As you explore its ancient ruins, you’ll trace the footsteps of past civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. Smyrna’s biblical significance as a church enduring persecution highlights its resilience and historical importance as a center of trade, culture, and learning in the ancient world. In the afternoon, you proceed to Pergamos, now known as Bergama. Referred to in the Bible as “The Compromising Church” (Revelation 2:12-17), Pergamos is another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. This ancient city was renowned for its vast library and magnificent temples. As you wander through its archaeological sites, you’ll learn about the early Christian community’s challenges, particularly the struggle against compromising with pagan practices. This visit provides a deep dive into the complex interplay of faith and compromise during the early Christian era. Return back to Izmir for Dinner and Overnight. (B, D)
SUNDAY – DAY 4: THYATIRA / SARDES / PHILADELPHIA / PAMUKKALE – This morning we leave Izmir and make our way towards Pamukkale. First a visit to Thyatira, now called Akhisar, another one of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 2:18-24; Acts 16:14]. It was a city famous for purple dyes. You visit the remains of a basilica and some architectural fragments from the Roman period. Lydia, the seller of purple in Philippi, was from Thyatira. Drive to Sardis capital of the ancient Lydia where first coin of the world is invented. See the ruins of the 1st century; Temple of Artemis, Synagogues and the Gymnasium (Rev. 1:11; 3:1-4). Continue to Alasehir to visit the ruins of the Philadelphia Church. Dinner and overnight at Pamukkale. (B, D)
MONDAY – DAY 5: HIERAPOLIS / LAODICEA / ANCIENT EPHESUS / KUSADASI –This morning we start our touring in Hierapolis (Pamukkale). The dazzling white hillside is a major tourist site today and probably even in ancient times. The first reference to it in the New Testament associates the city and the church there with the work of Epaphras, who in prison later became acquainted with Paul.
Laodicea was at the crossroads of north-south traffic between Sardis and Perge and east-west traffic from the Euphrates to Ephesus. From this advantageous location, the city became wealthy. John cited very harsh warnings of the “lukewarm” attitude of the church here (Revelation 3:15-17). We continue to Ancient Ephessus.
Ephesus was one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world and its former glory can still be appreciated today from its well- preserved streets, temples, fountains, public baths, terraced houses, and theatres. Paul went to Ephesus on his third Missionary journey, staying and preaching for a period of about two to three years, and where several certain incidents took place (Acts 19:120, 20:20). It was to this community that Paul may have written his epistle to the Ephesians. You will visit the ancient Agora and go back in time where Demetrius, the silversmith, sold his silver shrines to the Ancient Greek goddess, Artemis. See the Library of Celsius and view the Great Theatre mentioned in the Book of Acts. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B, D)
TUESDAY – DAY 6: CRUISE EMBARKATION / PATMOS – Morning embarkation onboard our cruise ship.Enjoy lunch while we sail towards the island of Patmos under statutory protection as a historic monument. Here we have an included tour to see the fortified monastery of St. John and the cave claimed to be where John received the Revelation. Back on the ship.
WEDNESDAY – DAY 7: RHODES – Morning arrival in Rhodes. We enjoy a walking tour of the Medieval town and then have time of leisure to explore on our own. Dinner and Overnight onboard. (All meals while on board)
THURSDAY – DAY 8: CRETE / SANTORINI – Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. Our Included shore excursion will take us to the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. Late afternoon call at the island of Santorini which is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. Take the cable car up to the town of Oia for a walking tour and free time to explore on your own. Again we return to the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. (All meals while on board)
FRIDAY – DAY 9: DISEMBARKATION / ATHENS OF APOSTLE PAUL – Upon disembarkation we will meet our guide and driver. Continue to Corinth. Visit Corinth (Acts 18: 1-18), a city that inspired one of Paul’s most familiar letters. We will visit the Archeological Museum, the Market Place, and Temples. Walk among the ruins and stand on the Bema where Paul stood. Read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and visualize his address to the Gentiles as he began the task of building Corinth’s church. Imagine where Aquila and Priscilla lived and where they had their tent making business. Acts 18:9-11. Return to Athens for Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
SATURDAY – DAY 10: ATHENS OF APOSTLE PAUL – In 51 AD, Apostle Paul traveled from Berea to Athens by boat. While waiting for Silas & Timothy to come from Macedonia, he spent most of his time talking with citizens at the Synagogues and the Agora. Follow our guide on a journey to the ancient Acropolis where we will see the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Erectheum. View Mars Hill where Paul preached the gospel to the intellectual Athenian community of his day (Acts 17: 15-34). View the ruins of the Agora, ancient market place and center of Athenian public life, where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. We will view the Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics began and where the games returned in 2004. (B, D)
SUNDAY – DAY 11: FREE DAY ATHENS
MONDAY – DAY 12: FLY TO ROME – Today we fly to Rome. Upon arrival in Rome we will meet our Tour Director for an orientation walk of Rome. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B, D)
TUESDAY – DAY 13: VATICAN / CATACOMBS – This morning we visit The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Basilica. Almost all Christians martyred in the Circus of Gaius/Nero—the site where St. Peter’s Square now stands. The Egyptian obelisk in the center of the square is original to the circus, though it stood in a different spot. Here Peter was crucified, according to tradition, upside down ( John 21:18-19). He is most likely buried deep beneath the Basilica in the original burial cave. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a walk through the Spanish Steps before visiting one of the Roman Catacombs. Most famous for the early Christians buried here, the catacombs offer an essential contribution to early Christian art. Early frescoes and sculptures still exist in the catacombs. Most touching are the smaller burial spots carved out for children who had died. Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
WEDNESDAY – DAY 14: ROME OF APOSTLE PAUL – This morning we start our day at the most inspiring place, Tre Fontane (Abbey of Three Fountains). Tradition tells us Paul was martyred outside the walls of Rome at a place most people have never heard of—one of the Christian sites not on the tourist maps. Next, we see the Church of St Paul outside the walls; many believe Paul is buried here. Our tour continues with a guided visit of the Colosseum. We continue with a walking tour through Roman Forum and towards the Arch of Titus; the Arch’s inside relief portrays Roman soldiers carrying off treasures from Jerusalem Temple, destroyed by Titus in 70 AD. Jesus predicted this destruction (Matt 24:1-2) . Enter the Mamertine prison. End with a tour of Pantheon ( outside view) , Piazza Navona & Trevi Fountain. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (B, D)
THURSDAY – DAY 15: FREE DAY ROME
FRIDAY – DAY 16: ROME / U.S. – After breakfast, we depart the hotel for the Rome airport and return home with unforgettable memories and new friendships that will last a lifetime and beyond!
+1=Next Day
(Flight schedule subject to change until tickets are issued)
Departure & Return Location: Reno-Tahoe International Airport
Group Travel and Seat Assignment Information
All group seating is assigned by the airline and are under airport control. Group seats assigned by the airline cannot be changed through Discovery Cruises and Tours. However, you may address your seating at the airport on check-in. (Please note that if you contact the airline prior to your departure date, they will refer you back to DCT. As previously stated, we cannot make any changes to the group seats assigned by the airline.)
Your airline ticket receipt will be issued electronically by the airline and then emailed to you by DCT. When you arrive to the airport, please be prepared to present a passport to an airline representative to receive your boarding pass.
If preferred, travelers may select the ground only option and arrange their own air travel. When choosing this option, the inbound flight must arrive in time to take the prearranged group ground transfer from the airport to the hotel. Otherwise, the traveler will need to arrange their own ground transfer from the airport to the hotel. The same is true of the group ground transfer from the hotel to the airport on the return flight.
Discovery Cruises and Tours recommends Welcome Pickups for all individual ground transfers. Travelers may schedule necessary ground transfers at their own expense at WelcomePickups.
Prices quoted are per person and in US dollars and are based upon fares and costs in effect at the time of publication
Whenever possible, DCT obtains price guarantees from suppliers; however, depending upon the strength of the US dollar and price fluctuations of oil, gas and other costs, published rates are subject to change without notice
AIR TRANSPORTATION
Jet economy class on United/Lufthansa Airlines
25 seats confirmed (additional seats may be at a higher airfare)
Tickets must be finalized 45 days prior to departure
Tickets cannot be changed once issued
Travelers may arrange their own air and pay the ground only price
(*Travelers doing their own air MUST meet the group at the airport or hotel)
Flight from Athens to Rome is included in the ground cost of the trip for all passengers.
AIRPORT TAXES AND FUEL
$565 (actual cost as of 10/28/2025)
Taxes/fuel surcharges may change without notice; any increase will be billed to the traveler and must be paid prior to departure
HOTELS/CRUISE SHIP
Deluxe hotels accommodations throughout
Celestyal Cruises, on the Celestyal Discovery, cabin category standard outside cabins with porthole. (Other cabin categories may be available at an additional charge)
Prices based upon two persons sharing a two-bed room in standard outside cabin with porthole.
Single rooms /cabins are subject to availability for an additional cost of $2950 for standard outside cabins.
If a traveler doesn’t designate a roommate and Discovery Cruises and Tours is unable to do so, or if a roommate cancels before departure, the passenger will be required to pay the supplemental charge; the traveler may be billed after the final payment date if necessary
PORT TAXES:
$288
MEALS
Breakfast and Dinner plus all meals aboard cruise ship
SIGHTSEEING
Local transportation via deluxe, air-conditioned motor coach
The services of an English-speaking local guide
– TIPS: $256 for personal tips to guides, drivers and others rendering special services.
– Individual transfers for Ground Only Travelers: Discovery Cruises and Tours recommends Welcome Pickups for all individual ground transfers. WelcomePickups
– Passport costs
– Accident and baggage insurance
– Transporting and handling excess luggage
– Optional tours and excursions not mentioned in this itinerary
– Cost for Lunches: The tour will stop daily for lunch with most places accepting Mastercard or VISA cards only. Small food places outside of a town might require payment by cash only in euros, same for buying bottled water or a soda en route. We recommend exchanging a few USD to EUROS ($50-$100 per person) and plan on spending about $25 per lunch.
*In the event it becomes necessary to overnight material due to late receipt of registration or final payments, traveler will be billed for these charges.
REGISTRATION & DEPOSIT: A deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of registration. The deposit may be charged to your VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card. Registrations received inside ninety (90) days must be accompanied by full payment. A late registration may result in an additional fee for airfare depending on the airline and seat availability.
PAYMENTS: All payments after the initial deposit may be made in one of the following two ways:
If you make the payment by check, make your check payable to Discovery Cruises and Tours, and include the pastor’s name in the memo field. Please mail your check to:
Discovery Cruises and Tours
P.O. Box 2148
Hurst, TX 76053
FINAL PAYMENT: The final payment is due June 12, 2026, ninety (90) days prior to departure.
Payments received inside ninety (90) days will be assessed an $80 late payment fee. NOTE: All reservations not fully paid by the ninety-day deadline are subject to cancellation, for which Tour Operator is not to be held responsible.
Discovery Cruises and Tours (Tour Operator) agrees to arrange for the tour described in this brochure. This represents the entire agreement between the passenger and his agent, the Tour Host, the Tour Operator and its agents. Except as stated herein, no person is authorized to cancel, modify, or vary the tour arrangements or to make any representation of warranty concerning the tour. Except for the willful negligence of its direct employees, the Tour Operator assumes no liability or responsibility for any injuries, damages occasioned by circumstances beyond the control of Tour Operator, or by any person for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to default or omission of and by any third party providing services or facilities related to or included in this tour or any part thereof, or in arranging for the same, or the acts or omissions of the Tour Host. Tour Operator reserves the right to refuse or revoke travel to anyone who is deemed incapable of group travel per the sole judgment of Tour Operator. Due to circumstances beyond the Tour Operator’s control, the sequence of touring sites may occasionally need to be altered. The airlines or cruise lines are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time the passengers are not on board planes, ships or conveyances. The passenger contracts, in use by the airlines and cruise lines, and the passenger or purchaser of this tour and/or passage and Tour Operator assume no liability or responsibility in connection therewith. Also, the Tour Operator WILL NOT BE responsible for: (a) flight schedule changes, mechanical breakdowns, government actions, weather, acts of God, acts of war or aggression, whether declared or undeclared, hijackings, or other circumstances beyond its control, including any connecting flights that may be missed as a result thereof (participants should consider the possibility of delays when arranging connecting flights); (b) the failure to follow instructions, including but not limited to check-in and check-out times and baggage handling; and, (c) charges incurred relating to single room/stateroom requirements either by the passengers themselves or their assigned roommates. Payment of the deposit or any partial or full payment for a reservation constitutes consent to all provisions listed in this brochure.
PASSPORT: A valid passport is required to leave the USA and must be obtained in person by each tour member. It should be valid for a minimum of six months after your return date or you will be denied boarding. The tour participant is responsible for checking their own passport expiration date. No visas are required.
INSURANCE: Acting only as agents for suppliers, Discovery Cruises and Tours is not responsible for damage, loss, or theft of luggage and/or personal belongings, or for personal injury, accident and/or illness. For your own protection, it is important that you have adequate insurance to cover these possibilities. You should carry proof of insurance in the event you need medical attention while in Israel. For optional insurance please contact Mission Safe here to go directly to their website.
AIRLINE SEATS: Seats without a deposit must be released 100 days from departure. If you cancel your seat with DCT in writing within the 100 days there is a penalty of $100 per person.
If a traveler cancels their tour for any reason, the following cancellation frees will apply:
TIMEFRAME
CANCELLATION FEE PER PERSON
Day of Registration – June 11, 2026
$200
June 12, 2026 – June 27, 2026
$500
June 28, 2026 – July 13, 2026
25% of tour cost
July 14, 2026 – August 11, 2026
50% of tour cost
On or after August 12, 2026
NO REFUND
All cancellation requests must be sent in an email to contact@dcttravel.com.
NOTE: Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is available through Misson Safe, and other vendors, and is highly recommended.
