Christian Routes
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About Christian Routes

An independent editorial guide for pilgrims of every Christian tradition.

Our Mission

Christian Routes is an independent editorial guide to Christian pilgrimage across seven countries: Turkey, Greece, Israel, Italy, Armenia, Georgia and Egypt. We exist to help pilgrims of every tradition — Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and Evangelical — plan substantive, theologically literate visits to the most sacred sites of the Christian story.

We are not a tour operator. We do not sell tickets. We do not run group trips. We do not take commission from accommodation providers or tour companies. We are a research, content and itinerary-planning resource, written by people who care about both the historical accuracy and the pastoral usefulness of the information. Our income, to the extent it exists, comes from clearly-marked affiliate arrangements and editorial partnerships — never from undisclosed promotion.

Christian pilgrimage is the oldest form of intentional travel in Western history. It predates the Grand Tour by a thousand years. Jerome went to Bethlehem in 386 AD. Egeria described her journey to Jerusalem, Sinai and Egypt in the 380s — the earliest surviving pilgrimage narrative. The first purpose-built pilgrim hospice was established at the Holy Sepulchre in the 4th century. We stand in the longest tradition of Christian literature — the journey to the holy place — and we take that tradition seriously.

What We Cover

Our seven countries — Turkey, Greece, Israel, Italy, Armenia, Georgia and Egypt — were chosen because they contain the highest density of primary Christian pilgrimage sites accessible to Western travellers. They are not the only countries with significant Christian heritage (Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Ethiopia and India are all part of the wider Christian pilgrimage landscape), but they are the most practically accessible for most pilgrims from Europe, North America and Australia.

Within these seven countries we cover 30 destinations in depth: from Demre (tomb of Saint Nicholas), Ephesus (House of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of Saint John) and Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Ecumenical Patriarchate) in Turkey; to Patmos (Cave of the Apocalypse), Thessaloniki (Hagios Demetrios) and Mount Athos in Greece; to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee in Israel; to Rome, Assisi, Bari and Ravenna in Italy; to Etchmiadzin, Khor Virap and Geghard in Armenia; to Mtskheta, Vardzia and Gelati in Georgia; to Coptic Cairo and Saint Catherine's Sinai in Egypt.

We also offer 10 curated pilgrimage routes — from the Footsteps of Paul (Tarsus to Rome), the Seven Churches of Revelation, the Holy Land Classic and the Byzantine Heritage route to the Caucasus Christian Heritage and Coptic Egypt routes — with day-by-day itinerary guides, Bible reference arcs, budget tables, packing lists and FAQ for each.

Editorial Principles

  • Denomination-fair. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by six denominations under the 1852 Status Quo and we describe each one fairly. The Basilica di San Nicola in Bari celebrates daily Orthodox and Catholic liturgies; we describe both. The House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus is venerated by Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and even Muslim Turks; we describe the history of each tradition's engagement honestly. We do not claim sites for one tradition over another.
  • Historically honest. We mark traditional sites as traditional. We say "venerated as" rather than "is" where authenticity has not been formally pronounced. We present both views where serious scholarship is divided: the location of the Tomb of Christ (Holy Sepulchre vs. Garden Tomb), the authenticity of Saint Peter's Cave at Antakya, the identification of the Cenacolum / Upper Room site. We cite academic consensus and dissent where relevant.
  • Current-status aware. Antakya remains in long-term reconstruction after the February 2023 earthquake (we advise bases in Iskenderun or Adana). Hagia Sophia and Chora converted to mosques in 2020 and 2024 — we describe what this means for visiting pilgrims. The 28 May 2025 Ismailia Court ruling affects Saint Catherine's at Sinai — we note the current diplomatic status. Turkish entrance fees are subject to lira inflation — we note this and direct readers to verify on muze.gov.tr.
  • No spam, no clickbait. We do not run interstitial pop-ups, autoplay video or intrusive advertising. Where affiliate links appear (accommodation searches, flight comparisons), they are clearly marked. The newsletter is quarterly and curated, not automated. Our editorial decisions are independent of commercial relationships.
  • Practically useful. Every destination page includes current opening hours, entrance fee estimates, dress code requirements, transport options, accommodation tiers, tour suggestions and 6-8 FAQ with complete answers. Every route page includes a day-by-day itinerary, budget guide, packing list and recommended reading. Practical information is as important as theological information to a pilgrim who has arrived at the door of the Holy Sepulchre at the wrong time.

Sources and Methodology

We draw on a range of primary and secondary sources for each destination and route:

  • Official religious bodies: The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land (current custodians of Catholic rights at the Holy Sepulchre, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Gethsemane); the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople; the Armenian Apostolic Mother See (Etchmiadzin); the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate; the Georgian Patriarchate; the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
  • Government portals: Turkey's muze.gov.tr (museum pass and entrance fees); holyfamilyegypt.com (Egypt's official Holy Family Route documentation); the Israeli Ministry of Tourism; the Greek National Tourism Organisation; the Georgian National Tourism Administration.
  • UNESCO World Heritage documentation: for Ephesus, Ravenna, Etchmiadzin, Mtskheta, Geghard and Vardzia.
  • Academic scholarship: standard reference works in biblical archaeology, early church history, Byzantine studies, patristics and liturgical history.
  • Pilgrim reports and on-the-ground verification: where conditions change rapidly (Antakya reconstruction, Turkish fee inflation, border crossing times at Checkpoint 300), we cross-check with recent pilgrim reports and local operator contacts.

How to Use This Site

Start with the Routes section if you are planning a first pilgrimage and want a structured itinerary. Start with the Plan your visit guide if you want a step-by-step framework. Browse individual country and destination pages for deep-dive information on specific sites. Use the Practical guides for visa, dress code, transport and feast day calendar information. Use the Orthodox vs Catholic guide if you are visiting shared sites and want to understand the denominational landscape.

Each destination page is structured as a standalone resource: significance and theology, historical background, key sites to visit, best time, how to get there, where to stay, tours and experiences, practical info (hours, fees, dress code, accessibility), pilgrim tips, Bible references, suggested reading, nearby destinations, and 6-8 FAQ. You do not need to read the entire site to plan a pilgrimage — the destination pages are designed to be self-contained.

Contact and Corrections

For corrections, additions, updated information or partnership enquiries, please use the contact page. We particularly welcome corrections from pilgrims who have visited recently — on-the-ground conditions change faster than any editorial team can track, and your report from the site last month is more current than anything we can verify from a desk. We take factual accuracy seriously and update copy promptly when errors or changes are identified.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Christian Routes is an editorial and research guide — we do not sell tickets, organise tours, or take commissions from tour operators. When we recommend an operator, a hotel or a service, it is based on merit, not payment. Our goal is to provide the most accurate, practically useful and theologically literate information available so that you can plan your own pilgrimage — whether independently or with an organised group — with confidence.

All of them, as fairly as we can. We cover Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox (Coptic, Armenian Apostolic, Ethiopian, Syriac), Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic (Melkite, Maronite, Ukrainian Greek Catholic etc.), Anglican, Protestant and Evangelical traditions. The sites we describe are shared — the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is divided among six denominations; the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari hosts daily Catholic Mass and Orthodox Divine Liturgy. We describe each tradition's rights and customs accurately and without editorial preference.

We cross-reference official government portals (muze.gov.tr for Turkey, govisitisrael.com, holyfamilyegypt.com, the Greek Tourism Organisation, the Georgian National Tourism Administration), the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Armenian Apostolic Mother See, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, and standard academic scholarship. Where conditions change rapidly (Turkish lira inflation affecting entrance fees; Antakya earthquake recovery; Holy Land security; Sinai advisories; Hagia Sophia and Chora mosque status), we note the caveat and link to the primary official source. Verify fees and hours directly with sites before travelling.

We say 'venerated as' rather than 'is' where authenticity has not been formally authenticated. The House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus is described as 'venerated as the place of the Virgin Mary's last years' — Pope Benedict XVI's prayer there is referenced, but we note it is not a formally defined Catholic teaching. The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is described as the principal alternative Protestant site. We do not claim sites for one tradition over another, and we present both views where serious scholarship is divided.

Yes, and we welcome it. If you notice an error, a changed opening hour, a new admission fee, a site that has reopened or closed, or a feast day we have missed — please use the contact page. We are particularly interested in corrections from pilgrims who have visited recently, since on-the-ground conditions often differ from published information. We take factual accuracy seriously and will update copy promptly when errors are identified.

We update content when conditions change significantly: the Antakya earthquake advisory (February 2023), the Hagia Sophia mosque reconversion (2020) and Chora mosque reconversion (2024), the 2024 reopening of Etchmiadzin after seven-year restoration, the 2025 canonisation of Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the election of Pope Leo XIV in May 2025, and the November 2025 Nicaea 1700th anniversary events were all updated promptly. Turkish entry fees are noted as approximate with a verification link because the lira's volatility makes specific figures unreliable within months.