ISTANBUL-GALLIPOLI-CAPE HELLES-TROY

DAY 1                       à WELCOME TO TURKEY!
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the old city, Sultanahmet and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace.

Most short-stay visitors spend all their time in Sultanahmet, home to Istanbul’s main sightseeing attractions. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafés, and the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road combine to make this area pleasant for both sightseeing and staying. Overnight Istanbul. (D)

Oriental and Occidential – Turkish Night Show and Dinner cruise on the Bosphorus (Premium Seating)
Last call! All aboard, set sail and dine on fabulous hand-picked local delicacies with a 3-hours Bosphorus dinner cruise on our two-floor yacht. Indulge in a 4-course gourmet dinner with unlimited drinks. Unique way to sight-see stunning Istanbul, enjoy vibrant entertainment and eat well at a private table. From the resurrected buildings of great empires, to eye opening wonders of nature, this adventure encompasses the best of Istanbul.

Including traditional Turkish folklore show, belly-dancing show, performance of a whirling dervish, transfers to and from the venue, fine-dining and unlimited drinks. Finish off a legendary night with DJ Entertainment, Turkish dessert and a cup of Turkish coffee with its intense aroma and strong taste. Turkey is widely known for its colorful, rhythmic, elegant, stylish and traditional folk dances, which vary according to the region. Be enticed by Turkish folklore dances from different regions of Anatolia.

Just to name a few: Halay, the most popular folk dance particularly in the eastern and southeastern Anatolia regions. Origins stretch right back to old Turkish mythology and its shamanistic roots in Central Asia. Performed along with an upbeat rhythm consisting of drums and a shepher’s pipe. Extremely similar to the Greek Sirtaki or the Arabic Dabke.. Zeybek is western and southern Anatolian folk dance represents symbol of courage and heroism of irregular militia and guerrilla fighters living in the Aegean region of the Ottoman Empire.. Horon folk dance in the northern Pontus and Black Sea regions, the melodies are rendered very fast and dancers dressed in black with silver trims.

Today you get to choose! Variety of dishes to choose from include; fresh fish off the sea, whole mediterranean sea bream or bass served with soy sauce, olive oil, oven baked potateos, garnish and lemon.. Chef’s vegeterian meal choice of the day; vegetable pizza, pasta or stewed vegetable casserole.. Protein-rich Turkish meatballs or kofte – minced beef or lamb, seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs, and then grilled to perfection.. Chicken breast or cutlets seasoned with red pepper powder, olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme and soy sauce.. Both meatballs and chicken breast is served with mashed potateos, rice and and garnish. Your culinary journey also includes hot and cold appetizers, seasonal salad and dessert or fruits. It’s the kind of cruise event that lasting memories are made of!

DAY 2                      SULTANAHMET UNPLUGGED
Perfect introduction tour in the footsteps of Byzantine and Roman Emperors and Ottoman Sultans. The tour begins with a guided walking tour of Mehmet Akif Ersoy Park. A great Turkish poet, he has also written the lyrics of Turkish national anthem. Excavations carried out intermittenly between 1642 and 1964, led to the discovery of two impressive palace complexes situated next to each other; Lausos and Antiochos Palace. Lausos is a spectacular palace that was large enough to house a famous collection of antique sculpture. Aphrodite of Knidos, Athena of Lindos, Eros of Myndos, Hera of Samos and numerous sculpted beasts. Enjoy one of most well-known and popular attractions, Hippodrome of Constantinople, sporting and social centre Byzantine Empire for 1000 years and of Ottoman life for another 400. A masterpiece of ancient architecture. It is the location of the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, and the Masonry Obelisk and German Fountain of Wilhelm II.

A nice lunch will be served in a quaint local restaurant before we visit the Million Stone, originally marks the start of all roads throughout the empire. Visiting labyrinthine and chaotic, Grand Bazaar. At its prime, the market was locked down and guarded by more than a hundred soldiers every night, like a fortified castle.

Sultanahmet‘s two great timeless monuments, side by side. Blue Mosque famed for it’s blue tiles, boasting magnificent curves and six towering minarets sees countless worshipers pass through its main doors every day. Contains a visual tip-of-the-hat from its architect, Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, to the architects of Hagia Sophia, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, who worked their miracle a thousand years earlier.

On the 26th of December, A.D. 537, Emperor Justinian the Great stood in the Imperial Door, gazed at the cathedral which he had built, and exclaimed, “Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh Solomon! I have outdone thee!”

At this same spot on May 29, 1453, almost a thousand years later, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, fresh from the final battle for Constantinople, stood in this doorway and ordered the great church to be cleansed, repaired, beautified, and converted to a mosque. Another five centuries, and it was proclaimed a museum by Kemal Ataturk and opened to all. Overnight Istanbul. (B, L)

DAY 3                      WW1 BATTLEFIELDS OF GALLIPOLI
Historical journey through the Gallipoli Naval (19 February–18 March 1915) and Land  (25 April 1915 – 9 January 1916) Campaigns in modern-day Turkey, where the last ‘gentleman’s war’ took place during World War I. Anglo-French operation against Ottoman Empire, intended to force the 38-mile- (61-km-) long Dardanelles channel and to occupy Constantinople. Many in Britain, notably the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, the campaign was conceived as a way to break the bloody stalemate on the Western Front, knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war, and open a sea line of communication to the Russian Empire. The invasion failed to achieve any of these goals and was instead blunted by determined Ottoman resistance under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, taking a predominantly Australian and New Zealander point of view. 

Pick up from your centrally located accommodation in Istanbul and begin our 4.5 hours scenic drive down to Eceabat, 310km/193miles west, along the Sea of Marmara which the British, French and Anzac troops were intended to take over during the WW1 in Gallipoli campaign. Two-hours after leaving Istanbul behind, we’ll stop for a bite if you haven’t eaten breakfast and stretch our legs. Enjoy a delicious meal at a local restaurant in the town of Eceabat.

Our guided tour of the region will take in sights such as Beach Cemetery, also known as ‘Hell Spit’, where over 390 Commonwealth service men are now buried. One km farther downhill is Brighton Beach, favourite swimming spot for Anzac troops and rumoured to be the first intended landing site. Then, we go to Anzac Cove  in the north of Kabatepe. The initial landing site on the ill-fated morning of 25 April 1915. At the water’s edge lies an Australian engineer (Sapper Fred Reynolds attached to the 8th Battalion), the first to fall during the war. Today, ANZAC Cove is quiet, with the occasional fishing boat passing along offshore. A grassy field at the foot of Plugge’s Plateau has been designated as the ANZAC Cove Commemorative Site and Ariburnu Cemetery, with a parking lot for the buses that bring visitors here on ANZAC Day. A monument at the cove bears the words of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, was instrumental in the success of the Ottoman defense of Gallipoli. Although the Allied troops won the crucial first night, they were unable to advance further into the mainland and hills except for the Lone Pine, where Turkish defenders managed to push troops to recapture the hill after a Turkish counter-attack.

Stunningly situated Lone Pine Australian Memorial is the most affecting of all the Anzac cemeteries, and the epitaphs on the tombstones are very moving. Savage hand-to-hand fighting took place on the battlefield where the cemetery was established. Seven Victoria crosses distributed after the Battle of Lone Pine. Australians enter this cemetery with their heads held high, because Lone Pine embodies the spirit, character, and courage of their sons. Just up from Lone Pine is the Respect to Mehmetcik Statue dedicated to ‘Mehmetcik’ (Little Mehmet, the Turkish ‘tommy’ or ‘digger’), who carried a Kiwi soldier to safety. Johnston’s Jolly, where unidentified soldiers were buried after the Armistice and with the lines of Allied and Turkish trenches still clear on either side.

You will also have the chance to visit the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery, where lieutenant-colonel Mustafa Kemal told his poorly equipped troops: “I am not ordering you to attack, I am ordering you to die.” 300 meters more brings us to a road heading west to The Nek, where the Australian Light Horse Brigade suffered heavily in August offensives, this episode was immortalised in Peter Weir’s 1981 film Gallipoli, starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee. Before tour’s end, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. In August a new assault was launched north of Anzac Cove against the hills around Chunuk Bair. Overnight Canakkale. (L)

DAY 4                      CANAKKALE, THE MYSTERIES OF 9 ANCIENT CITIES OF TROY
Half day at leisure to expolore Canakkale independently. Maybe you would prefer to visit the sturdy Cimenlik Fortress, with its Military Museum. It’s right in the city center, an easy walk from your hotel in the main square and ferry docks. Vibrant harbour town with a multicultural past that can be found in its compact old quarter, and a busy seafront that’s home to a replica of the Trojan horse used in the 2004 film Troy. Movie of Troy features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom.

If you’ve seen the movie – ‘Troy’ or read the poet Homer’s – ‘The Iliad’ you’ll be familiar with Paris – Prince of Troy, his prized Helen and Hector – Prince of Troy on the Trojan side and Agamemnon and Achilles (he of the heel) on the Aechaean (Greek) side. The legend of the lost city of Troy and Homer’s poetry was bought alive by it’s rediscovery in 1863 by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.Subsequent excavations revealed 9 ancient cities, one on top of the other, dating back to 3000 BC!

This afternoon we enjoy a guided tour of Troy! Discover epic stories and 5,000 years of history in the ruins of Troy. Land of myths, legends, heroes, and Gods, in the footsteps of Achilles, Hector, and the beautiful Helen, where the mythical Trojan War took place. Drop by the remains of many of its architectural marvels, such as the Odeon, a stage where poetry recitals and musical performances took place; the ruins of the Temple of Athena and the Bouleuterion, where political affairs were discussed. You’ll get to witness excavations currently in progress as well as a towering replica of the Trojan Horse.

Continue on to Istanbul for the opportunity to finish up your sightseeing or get in some shopping at your own pace.

DAY 5                       à GOOD-BYE TURKEY!
You are free to depart at any time today. After breakfast your tour draws to a close and we say goodbye to our new friends before being transferred to the airport. Please note that check-out time from the hotel is normally noon, but luggage storage facilities are available.

We are able to organise extra post-trip accommodation and day tours/activities if you wish to extend your stay. Happy travels!