An Italian traveler who has been hitchhiking across countries as part of a world tour said he was impressed by Türkiye's hospitality, cuisine and cultural heritage after visiting 12 provinces in just 13 days.

Thirty-year-old Dario Scaioli, from the city of Lecco in northern Italy, arrived in Türkiye after traveling through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Bulgaria.

Scaioli entered Türkiye through Istanbul and embarked on a journey that took him across the country. During his travels, he visited Ankara, Aksaray in central Anatolia, Adana in southern Türkiye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mardin and Diyarbakır in southeastern Türkiye, Bitlis, Van and Iğdır in eastern Türkiye, and Kars in northeastern Türkiye.

After completing the Türkiye leg of his journey, Scaioli crossed into Georgia and continued his trip toward the Caucasus region.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) in Kars, Scaioli said he left Italy 32 days ago and has relied on hitchhiking throughout his travels.

He said his experience in Türkiye exceeded expectations, particularly due to the hospitality he encountered from local people.

The traveler also praised Turkish cuisine, saying he quickly became a fan of some of the country's best-known dishes.

"I did not try a huge variety of foods, but after eating döner once, I decided to continue with it," he said. "Döner is very popular in Italy as well and everyone knows it. I also tried pide and lahmacun. Everything I tasted was delicious."

Among the destinations he visited, Mardin left the strongest impression.

"Mardin was truly magnificent. I fell in love with the city," Scaioli said. "It is a very special place and its architecture is incredibly impressive. It looked as if it came straight out of a video game. I could hardly believe what I was seeing."

Scaioli said his journey through Türkiye was smooth and memorable, adding that the country's diverse landscapes and historic cities made it one of the highlights of his trip so far.

The Italian adventurer plans to continue his journey along the Transcaucasian Trail before heading toward Iran. He then intends to travel through Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan before entering China.

From China, he plans to continue to Pakistan and eventually reach India, which he described as the final destination of his world tour.