Private 8 Day ANZAC Day Memorial Tour: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy & Commemorative Services

(Airport transfer from IST and welcome cocktail Dinner Included)

Welcome to Istanbul! We are waiting for you directly at the gate behind passport control / immigration at International Airport (IST). Arrival airport transfer from Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) can be arranged at additional expenses. Transfer to your five star hotel, you will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul until 18:00. Overnight in Istanbul.

(Breakfast and buffet dinner included)

Our journey in the footsteps of the Anzacs begins today. The group will assemble at our central meeting point in Istanbul at 8.00am for the 5-hour drive to the Gallipoli peninsula. As we drive along the shores of the Sea of Marmara and the straits of the Dardanelles, we will be viewing the waterway that the British, French and Anzac troops were intended to secure during the Gallipoli campaign. This inconspicuous stretch of sea was the cause of the carnage at Gallipoli. On arrival at the Gallipoli battlefield area we will enjoy a local lunch in the port town of Eceabat before crossing the Dardanelles by ferry and visiting Cimenlik Fort in the town of Canakkale. This fort was heavily engaged by Allied warships during the naval battles of February and March 1915 – a huge unexploded British naval shell is still embedded in one of the fort’s walls! Overnight in Çanakkale

(Breakfast and buffet Lunch included)

Today we will visit the battlefields that were the birthplace of the Anzac legend. We will explore Anzac Cove, North Beach, Shrapnel Gully, Lone Pine, The Nek, Quinn’s Post, Chunuk Bair and many more. The most moving part of this experience will be spending time in the cemeteries where thousands of Anzacs lie, and seeing the graves of legendary Anzacs including John Simpson, the ‘man with the donkey’. Lunch is included at a local restaurant today. Overnight in Çanakkale

(Breakfast and buffet dinner included)

Today will be spent exploring a lesser-known, but no less important, chapter of the Gallipoli story, the battlefield at Cape Helles on the southern toe of the peninsula. British and French troops landed on the beaches at Helles at the same time the Australians came ashore at Anzac Cove. More than 30,000 of them were killed in nine months of fighting, as they desperately tried to advance northwards and link up with the Anzacs. Today we will visit the cemeteries where many of them still lie, as well as the beaches where they were mown down as they came ashore. We will also pay our respects to the soldiers on the other side of the line, the Turks, at the impressive Martyr’s Memorial overlooking Morto Bay. We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the pretty village of Seddülbahir, before discovering the story of the Anzac’s forgotten battle at Gallipoli with a visit to the battlefield at Krithia. Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders were killed here during a murderous advance in May 1915, yet today the battle is virtually unknown. This afternoon we will drive north to visit the battlefields at Suvla Bay, scene of missed opportunities and bitter disappointment during August 1915. Overnight in Çanakkale

(Breakfast and buffet dinner included)

The pace will be relaxed today to prepare for our busy day tomorrow. In the morning we will travel south to tour the ancient city of Troy, immortalised in the tales of the Trojan War and the story of the famous Trojan Horse. Lunch will be at a local restaurant and this afternoon we will have time at leisure, a chance to rest before a long night and day ahead. In the evening we will depart for the Anzac Day Dawn Service. Overnight in Çanakkale

(Breakfast and buffet & Snack box included)

An Anzac Day we will never forget! We will continue our transfer to the Anzac Commemorative Site by coach. As the dawn breaks over the Gallipoli peninsula, we will join thousands of fellow Australians and New Zealanders in a once-in-a-lifetime event, the Dawn Service at Anzac Cove. As the sun rises behind us, the strains of the Last Post will echo across the valleys and ridges of Gallipoli, silent now but once the scene of so much sacrifice and tragedy.

Following the service, we will walk up to Second Ridge to attend the Australian service at Lone Pine. After the service we return to our hotel. (Snack box) Overnight in Çanakkale

(Breakfast and buffet dinner included)

We farewell Gallipoli this morning and return to our Istanbul hotel. This evening we will come together for a farewell dinner, the perfect way to reflect on such a wonderful tour. Overnight in Istanbul

(Breakfast included)

After breakfast, we check out from your hotel before 11.00. Please make your own arrangements for departure transfers or simply ask TravelShop Booking staff.

We hope you had a memorable ANZAC day tour and we look forward to seeing you in the future on another TravelShop Booking Tour. Have a safe trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Booking.