"Chinese Group" Mysterious Turkey 8 days and 7 nights highlights tour (departs on Saturday)

Travel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane on your own. At 3:00 PM, a transfer from the airport to the hotel will be provided, followed by free time.

Meeting point: Airport pick-up at Istanbul Airport (IST) at 3:00 PM

After breakfast, visit the famous Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, took seven years to build and is a landmark of Istanbul. Its walls are covered with blue glazed tiles from Turkey's famous porcelain town, with rich patterns carved on a white background, filling the entire mosque with blue hues. The mosque is the largest domed building in Istanbul, surrounded by six minarets, making it the only mosque in the world with six towers and one of the world's ten wonders.

Hagia Sophia is a religious building located in present-day Istanbul, Turkey, with a history of nearly 1,500 years. It is famous for its massive dome and is a prime example of Byzantine architecture that "changed architectural history."

After lunch, visit Topkapi Palace, also known as the Old Palace, located on a historic peninsula in Istanbul. It was the venue for state ceremonies and royal entertainment, and the residence and workplace of successive sultans. Explore Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of 1,001 shops. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, visit the Hippodrome of Constantinople, a Roman arena sometimes referred to as “Horse Square” (Atmeydan) in Turkish, which served as the sporting and social center of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Afterwards, drive to Ankara. Overnight in Ankara.

After breakfast, we will visit the Anıtkabir. As a symbol of the new era of the Republic of Turkey, Anıtkabir was built in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey. Designed by the renowned Turkish architect Emil Onat and started in 1944, it took 9 years to complete. This architecture combines ancient and modern architectural styles, and the entire complex is magnificent, remaining one of Turkey's representative modern architectural works to this day.

Afterward, we will drive to Cappadocia. The desolate and magnificent karst landforms are the highlight of Cappadocia that attracts worldwide attention. Coming here feels like being on the set of Star Wars, making one mistakenly believe it is a corner of another planet. We will visit the Fairy Chimneys, which are representative of Cappadocia's lunar landscape. The Fairy Chimneys are the most magical and unique landscape in the Cappadocia region. Stone pillars of various shapes rise from the ground, topped with strange hats. People believe that elves live inside them, so they are called fairy chimneys or elf chimneys. Upon arrival, we will visit local pottery and candy shops. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum. This museum, which encapsulates the natural and human history of the Cappadocia region and gathers more than 30 cave churches, has been designated a World Cultural Heritage site. En route, pass by Sultanhanı, the best-preserved ancient Silk Road caravanserai. Its tall walls, arched gateway, and spacious courtyard were designed to accommodate camel caravans, offering them a place to rest and ensuring their safety. The caravanserai's interior is divided into two main sections: a covered area that served as a shelter against the cold in winter, and an open-air courtyard that provided better ventilation in summer. Drive to Konya. Visit local jewelry and carpet shops. Overnight in Konya.

Konya was historically the capital of the Sultanate of Rum and the Principality of Karaman. In cultural and artistic history, Konya is the final resting place of the Sufi poet Rumi and the birthplace of the Turkish whirling dervish dance. The city is renowned as a "natural museum of history and art" for its rich historical sites and cultural traditions. After breakfast, visit the Meurana Museum, built in the late 13th century. Within this vast mosque complex, a towering green minaret stands out majestically atop its varied, bowl-shaped roofs. Circumambulate the box containing the Prophet Muhammad's beard seven times, both as a form of prayer and a request for peace and happiness, striking the outer glass surface once with each circumambulation. Proceed to Pamukkale and spend the night there.

After breakfast, visit the cotton-textured hills, a scene resembling a beautiful fairyland. Pamukkale, with its romantic name derived from legend and its unique geological features, is located in Denizli, a major textile industrial region. Rich in hot springs, calcium carbonate-rich water cascades down the hillsides, forming layers of overlapping, semi-circular white natural terraces after over 10,000 years of calcification, resembling a castle or fluffy cotton balls from afar.

Then, visit the ruins of Hierapolis, an ancient city built in the 2nd century BC by the Pergamon dynasty. Remnants of the ancient baths, arena, streets, theater, and cemetery remain. Visit local fabric and leather shops. Afterwards, drive to Antalya. Visit Antalya's Old Town and Old Port. Overnight in Antalya.

Around 10:00 AM after breakfast, we will provide a unified airport transfer service, taking you to the airport for your flight back home.