Anzac Day - Major 11-Day Tour From Istanbul

Day 1: Welcome to Istanbul

1. Istanbul
   Pass by
   Welcome to Istanbul, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, meet your guide and the rest of your group

Day 2: Istanbul Old City

1. Istanbul
   8h
   After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene and the Harem), the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar. Tonight don't miss the optional Turkish Folklore evening.

Day 3: Gallipoli Battlefields

1. Gallipoli
   8h
   One of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, today we visit the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels.

Day 4: ANZAC Day at Gallipoli

1. Gallipoli
   10h
   Awake before sun rise for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We become aware of the almost deafening silence as the moving service to commemorate our fallen forefathers on this special day begins. You will then have the chance to attend the Australian or New Zealand Memorial service before returning to the hotel in the afternoon.

Day 5: Troy, Troy Museum

1. Troy (Truva)
   7h · Admission ticket included
   Depart from Canakkale and head towards Troy where we will explore the and award-winning Troy Museum and the ancient city of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through the legendary city walls, stand where heroes like Achilles and Hector once battled, and marvel at the remnants of temples and theatres that whisper stories of a glorious past.

Day 6: Ephesus, Sirince, Kusadasi

1. Ephesus Museum
   7h · Admission ticket included
   Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before continuing to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at the carpet village we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.

Day 7: Pamukkale, Hierapolis

1. Pamukkale
   8h
   This morning we will enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods before heading to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers.

Day 8: Silk Road, Konya, Cappadocia

1. Konya
   7h
   Today we travel the ancient Silk Road visiting Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya along the way. Tonight, don't miss the optional traditional Turkish folklore evening!

Day 9: Goreme, Underground City

1. Cappadocia
   8h
   Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia today as we visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum and the fairy chimneys, and explore the many levels of an underground city.

Day 10: Ankara, Istanbul

1. Ankara
   8h
   Early morning departure to the nation's capital, Ankara where we visit Anitkabir, mausoleum of the famed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, before returning to Istanbul.

Day 11: Istanbul

1. Istanbul
   2h
   Our tour concludes after breakfast and we bid farewell to our new friends.

Pickup details

If you choose to start and end your tour with an airport transfer, please provide your flight arrival and departure times when booking. Alternatively, if you choose a hotel-to-hotel transfer, please specify your hotel details when booking. Both options require you to reconfirm your details at least 24 hours before departure (contact info will be provided on your booking voucher).

• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
• Not recommended for child aged 8 and under
• The Anzac Commemorative Site is expected to be closed to visitor entry from approximately late morning to early evening on Thursday 24 April