Marvellous Turkey with Anzac Commemorations
Coach Tour (min 2 / max 28 passengers) 15 days ex Istanbul Departs Saturday 12 April 2025
This special departure of our Marvellous Turkey coach tour is timed to experience the moving Anzac Day commemorations. It offers a meaningful moment for New Zealand and Australian participants to honor their ancestors who bravely fought at Gallipoli during World War I.
Discover the incredible history of Turkey, a land rich in culture, cuisine and heritage, the great crossroad between Europe and Asia. A land of contrasts, from ancient sites, the WW I history of the Gallipoli Peninsula, lush cotton fields, incredible fairy chimney landscape of Cappadocia, together with a warm welcome. Discover Turkey’s magnificent southern coastline where you can immerse yourself in local village life and swim in the sparkling turquoise waters of Oludeniz's Blue Lagoon. Highlights:
- Be captivated by the exotic charm of Istanbul
- Experience the historical significance of Gallipoli and participate in the Commemorative Dawn Service, a moving experience at Gallipoli, where some say three nations discovered their identity
- Uncover the fabled city of Troy, the legendary setting of the Trojan War
- Explore the ancient marvel of Ephesus, housing one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Discover the picturesque village of Sirince
- Witness the natural wonder of Pamukkale, often referred to as the "Cotton Castle"
- Discover the coastal town of Koycegiz and embark on a boat ride to turtle beach
- Explore the quaint Greek village of Kayakoy and take a swim in the Oludeniz's Blue Lagoon
- Tour the monastery of the Whirling Dervishes, known as Mervlana, in Konya
- Discover an ancient underground sanctuary city, dating back millennia, amidst Cappadocia's otherworldly landscape
- Itinerary
- Accommodation
- Important Information Day 1 - Saturday 12th April: Istanbul
Welcome to Turkey. On arrival you will be met by a representative of our local operator and transferred to your tour hotel where accommodation is reserved for two nights on a bed and breakfast basis. Tonight meet your tour companions at a welcome briefing hosted by your tour director. Day 2 - Sunday 13th April: Istanbul (B)
Start your discovery of Istanbul with a visit to the Topkapi Palace Museum, residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1453 to 1852. Next, view the incredible Hagia Sophia Mosque from the outside - an incredible feat for the time period and considered as one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. Continue on to the Hippodrome which was once the centre of life where chariot racing and other public events took place; then visit the Blue Mosque built between 1609 and 1616 and famous for its blue ceramic tiles. Your last stop will be the famous Spice Market, one of the most colourful bazaars in Istanbul offering numerous spices, Turkish delights, caviar, dried nuts and more! Overnight stay in Istanbul. Day 3 - Monday 14th April: Istanbul - Gallipoli – Canakkale (BD)
Drive west to the Gallipoli Peninsula for a special day for New Zealand and Australian travellers with a visit to Anzac Cove, Nek, Chunuk Bair, Lone Pine Cemetery and the 57th Regiment Memorial. The doomed assault on Gallipoli by New Zealand and Australian forces, in their own contingents for the first time in foreign service, is considered by many to have been the birth of national consciousness for these two countries. For the Turks, then part of the Ottoman Empire, the victory is regarded as the defining moment in the birth of the Turkish nation, with independence following just 8 years later. At the end of the tour, you will cross the Dardanelles and be transferred to your hotel in Canakkale. Overnight stay in Canakkale. Day 4 - Tuesday 15th April: Canakkale - Troy - Pergamum – Kusadasi (BD)
Begin the day with a visit to Troy-site of the legendary Trojan War. Admire the ruins and a replica of the Trojan Horse, a wooden horse said to have been used during the Trojan War by the Greeks to enter the city of Troy and win the war. Continue on across the Ida Mountains to arrive at Pergamum, the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty. Here you will visit the impressive Acropolis of Pergamum, perched on a high, steep-sided hill - one of the highest and most magnificent Acropolis in ancient history. Continue on to Kusadasi for a two-night stay. Day 5 - Wednesday 16th April: Kusadasi - Ephesus - Sirince – Kusadasi (BD)
This morning there will be a short drive to the ancient city of Ephesus. Visit its magnificent library, theatre and temples and stroll through some 2000-year-old marbled streets. Capture the significance of the Library of Celsius and Hadrian’s Temple. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to discover
- Price:
- $5,879