Anzac Day 2023 - 10 Day Tour - 22 April-1 May

Inclusions

• Inbound transfer from Istanbul Ataturk, Istanbul New or Sabiha Gökçen airports
  
• Anzac Day memorial services at Gallipoli
  
• Three nights Istanbul hotel accommodation with breakfast
  
• One/two nights hotel with breakfast & dinner in Kusadasi, Pamukkale & Cappadocia
  
• Fully guided tour of Gallipoli battlefields & memorials
  
• Walking tour of Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district
  
• Turkey highlights of Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia, Goreme & Ankara
  
• Professional English speaking Turkish tour guide
  
• Fanatics Anzac Day hoodie - Aussie gold or Kiwi black

Entry Fees & Meals

The tour price does not include entrance fees to museums. No entry fee is required at the Gallipoli battlefields or Anzac services.

Turkey's currency is the Lira and exchange rates are approximately 10TL = AUD 0.81 / NZD 0.90 / GBP 0.47 / EUR 0.56 (as at mid-2022).

Some examples of entry fees to visit the main sites the tour takes in are:

• Blue Mosque - FREE
  
• Hagia Sophia - FREE
  
• Topkapi Palace - 320 TL
  
• Underground Cisterns - 100 TL
  
• Troy - 75 TL
  
• Pergamum - 70 TL
  
• Ephesus - 150 TL
  
• Hierapolis (Pamukkale) - 150 TL
  
• Swimming in thermal baths at Hierapolis - 50 TL
  
• Kaymakli Underground City - 75 TL
  
• Goreme Open Air Museum - 125 TL

Other activities you may enjoy include:

• Turkish Bath - €25
  
• Hot Air Ballooning - €195
  
• Paragliding - 350 TL

Breakfasts are included each morning of the tour (apart from Anzac Day). Dinners are also included when we stay at Kusadasi, Pamukkale & Cappadocia. At other times there are a range of options for you to eat on the cheap. The ever-popular Turkish kebab is around 50 TL, or you can opt for western style restaurants - it's really up to you!

Itinerary

Saturday 22 April - Arrive in Istanbul

Welcome to Turkey! Upon arrival at Istanbul New Airport or Sabiha Gökçen Airport you will be met by our transfer crew who will take you to the coach shuttles to our accommodation. Email tours@thefanatics.com with your flight arrival information at least one month before your tour to arrange your arrival transfer.

Those already in Istanbul or arriving by any means other than flight will need to make their own way to our Istanbul meeting point (details will be emailed to you four weeks before the tour).

Tonight we have our opening night get together - a great way to break the ice with your fellow tourists & year after year ends up being a great night out.

Overnight: Istanbul

Sunday 23 April - Istanbul Tour

Today we enjoy a guided walking tour of Istanbul’s fascinating old city. Istanbul is the only city to span two continents, Europe and Asia. Sights include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, the Underground Cistern and the Hippodrome.

Overnight: Istanbul

Monday 24 April - Gallipoli

We depart this morning and head towards the World War I battlefields of Gallipoli where we enjoy a fully guided tour of this now serene site. We visit all the famous battle sites including the Lone Pine Australian Memorial and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, Anzac Cove, the Nek and the Turkish 57th Regiment memorial.

We then take up our position at North Beach in preparation for tomorrow's dawn service. Sit back and watch the video documentaries on the big screens to get in the mood for the moving experience to follow in the small hours of tomorrow morning.

Keep warm in your sleeping bag under the stars with the thousands of others while waiting for sunrise. Food and drinks are available to purchase near the dawn service site.

Please note: all our tours observe the sanctity of Gallipoli by not drinking around the battleground site. At Gallipoli there is strictly no drinking, we trust you understand this position.

Overnight: under the stars at Anzac Cove

Tuesday 25 April - Anzac Day at Gallipoli

Awake before sunrise to the Anzac dawn service and commemorate our fallen forefathers on this special day.

Following the dawn service we spend more time visiting the Gallipoli battlefields and memorials before the Australian Lone Pine ceremony takes place later in the morning while Kiwis will attend the New Zealand service at Chunuk Bair.

The commemorations at Anzac Cove are like none other and will be an experience you will never forget.

At the conclusion of the Anzac Day ceremonies we reboard our coach for the drive south to the port city of Kusadasi. Along the way we enjoy a tour of the famous ruins of Troy. The ruins are an incredible mix of settlements dating back as far as 3,000 BC though to 500 AD.

Overnight: Kusadasi (dinner included)

Wednesday 26 April - Ephesus

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. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at a carpet village we learn how carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.

Overnight: Kusadasi (dinner included)

Thursday 27 April - Pamukkale & Hierapolis

This morning we will visit the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as the 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.

Overnight: Pamukkale (dinner included)

Friday 28 April - The Silk Road & Konya

Today we head along the old Silk Road for the stunning Aegean Coast. We take time out along the way to visit Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana Whirling Dervish Museum in Konya.

Overnight: Cappadocia (dinner included)

Saturday 29 April - Cappadocia, Goreme & the Underground City

Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia through Goreme Valley, the fairy chimneys, an underground city and more. Photo opportunities are everywhere so have your cameras ready! Tonight, don't miss the Turkish folklore evening featuring folklore and belly dancers - a night you won't forget!

Overnight: Cappadocia (dinner included)

Sunday 30 April - Ankara & Istanbul

This morning we depart for the nation's capital, Ankara, and see the mausoleum of Turkey's first president - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - and learn a little about why he is so revered in this country. We then continue back to Istanbul.

Overnight: Istanbul

Monday 1 May - Istanbul Departure

Our tour concludes after breakfast. An airport shuttle (if required) is included at the end of the tour today.

Extra nights before and after the tour are available to add during booking process.

Note: Tour does not include entrance fees to museums & historical sites as required at some venues. No entry fee is required at the Gallipoli battlefields or Anzac services.

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