ISTANBUL AND CAPPADOCIA EXTENSION

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Not included

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Welcome to Istanbul, the ancient Constantinople, a city where Byzantine Christianity flourished for over a thousand years and which continues to be one of the most important religious and historical destinations in the world.
• Upon arrival at Istanbul International Airport, you will be met by our Spanish-speaking representative and transferred privately to your hotel.
• Depending on your arrival time, you will have free time to begin exploring this fascinating city situated between Europe and Asia.
• Overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 2 HISTORIC ISTANBUL, CRADLE OF BYZANTINE CHRISTIANITY Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast, we begin our visit to Istanbul, the ancient Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years and one of the main centers of world Christianity. From here a great part of the Eastern Christian world was governed and important ecumenical councils that defined Church doctrine were held.
• We visit Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD. For nearly a millennium it was the largest cathedral in Christendom and a symbol of the Orthodox Church. Inside, we reflect on the splendor of the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople's role as a bridge between East and West.
• We continue to the Blue Mosque and the Roman Hippodrome, where much of the political and religious life of the Byzantine Empire unfolded.
• We conclude at the Grand Bazaar, recalling how Istanbul was for centuries an important gathering point for pilgrims, merchants, and cultures from Europe, Asia, and the Holy Land.
• Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 3 BOSPHORUS CRUISE AND FLIGHT TO CAPPADOCIA, REFUGE OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS Night: Cappadocia +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• Breakfast.
• We begin the day with a visit to the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, the main Catholic church in Istanbul. We then stroll along the historic Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square, before visiting the traditional Spice Bazaar.
• Next, we enjoy an unforgettable Bosphorus Cruise, sailing between Europe and Asia as we admire imperial palaces, historic fortresses, ancient churches, and elegant mansions built along the strait.
• In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Cappadocia, a region that in the early centuries of Christianity served as a refuge for thousands of believers persecuted by the Roman Empire.
• Arrival and transfer to the hotel.
• Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

DAY 4 CAPPADOCIA, LAND OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS, AND EVENING FLIGHT TO ISTANBUL Night: Istanbul +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Dinner included at the hotel

• After breakfast, we begin our exploration of one of the most fascinating regions of early Christianity.
• We visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we discover rock-carved churches, monasteries, and chapels adorned with extraordinary Byzantine frescoes from the 9th to 13th centuries.
• We continue to Pasabag Valley, famous for its unique fairy chimneys, and visit Uchisar, the highest panoramic viewpoint in Cappadocia. We also explore one of the impressive underground cities, built by the first Christians as shelter during the Roman persecutions.
• Throughout the day we discover how the earliest Christian communities lived, prayed, and preserved their faith in this unique region.
• In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for the evening flight back to Istanbul. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.
• Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 5 DEPARTURE FROM ISTANBUL Night: End of services +

BREAKFAST Breakfast included at the hotel

LUNCH Not included

DINNER Not included

• Breakfast.
• At the indicated time, private transfer to Istanbul International Airport to board your return flight.
• End of this unforgettable Biblical Pilgrimage through Turkey, journeying through Istanbul, the ancient Constantinople, and Cappadocia, the great refuge of the first Christians, where history, faith, and Christian heritage remain alive to this day.