Avatar Mountains and Grand China Tour Route

After meeting at Istanbul Airport International Departures Terminal and completing ticket, luggage, and boarding procedures, we depart for Beijing with Turkish Airlines' scheduled flight. We will spend the night on the plane.

Following our arrival in Beijing in the early hours of the morning, we will meet our waiting private vehicle, have breakfast at a local restaurant, and transfer to our hotel. Afterwards, free time (hotel will be reached early, hotel check-in time is 14:00, those who do not want to wait for check-in time can leave their luggage and explore the city). Guests who wish can participate in the Optional Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven Tour with Lunch (140 USD) to be organized by our guide. Our first stop is Tiananmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world and one of China's most important symbolic areas politically and historically; the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, a monumental structure located in the Square where the remains of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, are exhibited; the Great Hall of the People, the monumental state building hosting the meetings of China's National People's Congress; and the National Museum of China, one of the largest museums in the world showcasing China's thousands of years of history, located on the east side of Tiananmen Square, which are among the places we will see panoramically. Afterwards, the Forbidden City, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, used as the palace of Chinese emperors for about 500 years during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and one of the largest and best-preserved palace complexes in the world. Surrounded by high red walls and golden roofs, this huge complex became the center of the imperial period and has been called the "Forbidden City" because it remained closed to the entrance of ordinary people for centuries. We will have the opportunity to visit this structure containing hundreds of palace halls, courtyards, and imperial gardens. Following our visit to the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the most important religious complexes where emperors prayed for good harvest and heavenly abundance during past dynastic periods. The temple is considered one of the finest examples of Chinese architecture. Surrounded by a large park area and ceremonial structures, this sacred area has been one of the most important centers where Chinese imperial rituals were performed. Transfer to the hotel after our tour. Overnight at our hotel.

Free time after breakfast at the hotel in the morning. Guests who wish can participate in the Optional Great Wall of China & Summer Palace Tour with Lunch (110 USD) to be organized by our guide. The first stop of our tour is the Great Wall of China, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and whose construction started in 220 BC to prevent the invasions of Central Asian Turks from the north; after touring it, we will have our lunch and visit the Magnificent Summer Palace located on the shore of Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace is the best-preserved imperial garden and palace complex in China, located in the northwest of Beijing. The history of the palace dates back to the Jin Dynasty in the 12th century, but its current state was shaped by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century. The emperor had this built to escape the busy atmosphere of the main palace and rest in touch with nature. The palace was damaged during the second opium war in 1860, and was then restored by Cixi with funds allocated from the state's navy budget. Although it is known as a controversial anecdote, the current elegance of the palace is the work of detailed restorations made during that period. Afterwards, we will see the Beijing Olympic Stadium, which is likened to a bird's nest, from the outside. We will have our lunch at a local restaurant during the tours. Transfer to the hotel afterwards. Overnight at our hotel.

Following breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we transfer to Xi'an by high-speed train. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel to rest and free time. Guests who wish can participate in the Optional Terra Cotta Museum Tour with Lunch (100 USD) to be carried out by our guide. We will visit the museum known as the Terra Cotta Warriors, an "Underground Sculpture Army", which is one of the most important archaeological excavations unearthed in the 20th century, made to protect the tomb of Shi Huang, China's first emperor. Discovered by chance by a farmer in 1974, this army hosts 8,000 "Terra Cotta" meaning "Baked Earth" soldiers, each with a different facial expression and posture. These statues were prepared as a "spirit army" believing that they would protect the emperor even after his death. During our visit, we will catch the opportunity to see the emperor's power and the level of craftsmanship he possessed in his period. We return to Xi'an after our trip. We will have our lunch at a local restaurant during the tour. At the end of the tour, we transfer to the hotel to rest. Overnight at our hotel.

**Depending on train availability, the journey may be performed by plane.

Following breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we transfer to the train station and will transfer by high-speed train to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China. Chengdu is one of the most characteristic metropolises of the Far East with its thousands of years of history, world-famous spicy cuisine, and modern city life. With our arrival, we will perform a short Panoramic Chengdu City Tour with Lunch (Tea Tasting Included). During our tour, People's Park, where the people of Chengdu gather in traditional teahouses, drinking tea on bamboo chairs and enjoying the slow rhythm of the day, reflecting the daily life culture of the city in its most natural form with its ponds decorated with water lilies, stone bridges, and century-old Heming Teahouse; and Wide and Narrow Alleys (Kuanzhai Xiangzi), which brings together Chengdu's past and modern life in the same atmosphere with its courtyard houses dating from the Qing Dynasty period, gray-brick historical structures, traditional teahouses, restaurants offering Sichuan delicacies, and local handicraft shops, will be among the places we will see. Afterwards, we do a "tea tasting" at a local tea house and have our lunch at a local restaurant. Then, transfer to our hotel and free time. Overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we depart for the Chengdu Panda Center Tour. We will visit the Chengdu Panda Center, one of Chengdu's world-renowned and most iconic visiting spots, established for the conservation, breeding, and scientific research of these endangered and cute creatures, offering the opportunity to closely observe giant pandas, baby pandas, and red pandas in their vast natural living areas resembling lush bamboo forests, complete with modern care centers, a panda museum, and special observation areas. Afterwards, free time for shopping in Chunxi until our transfer time to Zhangjiajie by high-speed train. At the end of our free time, we move towards the train station and transfer to Zhangjiajie. Upon our arrival in Zhangjiajie, one of the world's most extraordinary natural geographies hosting thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars rising among the mists, deep valleys, lush forests, and impressive mountain landscapes extending above the clouds in China's Hunan province, we transfer to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we depart for the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Avatar Mountains Tour with Lunch. First, we will ascend to the Yuanjiajie area with the Bailong Elevator, one of the highest outdoor elevators in the world. Here, the Back Garden, which draws attention with its natural rock formations surrounded by lush vegetation, the Mihun Terrace offering panoramic views of cliffs and misty valleys, the First Bridge Under Heaven, considered one of the highest natural stone bridges in the world connecting two giant rock pillars, and the Hallelujah Mountains, thought to have inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, are among the places we will see. Then, we move to the Tianzi Mountain scenic area by service vehicles. He Long Park, organized in memory of the Chinese soldier and statesman He Long, panoramic views formed by hundreds of stone pillars rising from the mists, and the rock formation Fairy Offering Flowers, skillfully shaped by nature, are among the important points we will see here. After our visit, we will descend to the foothills of the mountain by cable car. Afterwards, we will tour the Ten-Mile Gallery, one of the most impressive sections of Zhangjiajie with its valley extending for about five kilometers, steep rock pillars, and lush nature, by mini-train. Along the way, the Old Man Gathering Medicinal Herbs, resembling an old man carrying a basket of plants on his back, and the Three Sisters Peaks, consisting of three graceful rock pillars rising side by side, are among the natural formations we will see. After our tour, we will have our lunch at a local restaurant. At the end of our tour, we return to our hotel and have free time. Overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we will depart for the Grand Canyon and Baofeng Lake Tour with Lunch. After our tour in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, one of the region's most impressive natural areas with its lush forests, deep valleys, waterfalls, and steep rock formations, we move on to Baofeng Lake, which stands out with its calm atmosphere surrounded by mountains and clear waters. During the boat tour we will take here, we will have the opportunity to see the steep cliffs surrounding the lake, dense vegetation, and fascinating natural landscapes of Zhangjiajie from a different perspective. After our visit, we will have our lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we transfer to the airport and will fly to Shanghai by local airlines scheduled flight. Upon our arrival in Shanghai, we will meet our private vehicle waiting for us and transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.

Free time after breakfast at the hotel in the morning. Guests who wish may join the optional Jade Buddha Temple & Yu Garden Tour with Lunch (Tea Ceremony Included) (100 USD) to be organized by our guide. The first stop of our tour is Yu Garden. A traditional Chinese garden dating from the Ming dynasty, Yu Garden reflects traditional Chinese architecture with its ponds, stone bridges, and pavilions inside. After touring Yu Garden, we will get the opportunity to participate in a Tea Ceremony where we will delve deeper into Chinese culture elsewhere. Afterwards, we will visit the Jade Buddha Temple, located in the heart of Shanghai and considered one of China's most sacred Buddhist sites. Built in 1882 to preserve two magnificent Buddhist statues brought from Myanmar, this temple bears the most elegant details of classical Song Dynasty architecture. During our visit, we will have the opportunity to see the world-famous Sitting Buddha and Reclining Buddha statues carved from a single piece of white jade, adorned with precious stones and representing inner peace. Our lunch will be served at a local restaurant during the tour. After our tour, transfer to the hotel and free time. Overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we depart for the Shanghai Tour. Our first stop will be the French Concession area, known for its narrow streets surrounded by plane trees and European-style villas. Here, we will tour the area bearing the western traces of the city. Afterwards, we will see Xintiandi, one of Shanghai's most stylish shooting centers where traditional "Shikumen" architecture comes to life with modern restaurants and galleries. We continue our tour with the Tianzifang area, where art studios, boutiques, and hidden cafes are hidden in its maze-like winding alleys. Afterwards, free time on Nanjing Road, one of the world's most famous shopping streets. After our tour, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at our hotel.

After the boxed breakfast we will receive at the hotel in the morning, we transfer to Shanghai airport for our Istanbul flight. After baggage, ticket, and customs procedures, our flight to Istanbul takes place with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight and our services end.