|
|
Gallipoli 95th Anniversary Tour
7 Nights 20-27 April 2010 $1718*
Pay your respects to the original Anzacs at Gallipoli, the place where the Anzac legend was born.
Our tour includes the Anzac Day Dawn Service, plus a full tour of the key battle sites with noted
historian Brad Manera.
We also have the privilege of meeting
Gallipoli's most respected local expert, Kenan Celik, who will brief us about the history of the
campaign in the lead-up to Anzac Day. Those who wish to see more of the battlefields after Anzac
Day have the option of joining our extension tour. A visit to Gallipoli for Anzac Day is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we look forward to sharing it with you.
Features and Inclusions:
- 3 nights First-Class accommodation in Istanbul
- 4 nights First-Class accommodation at Gallipoli
- Breakfast daily, 6 dinners, 1 lunch
- Full day sightseeing tour of Istanbul
- Extensive touring of the Gallipoli battlefields
- Visit to ancient Troy
- Services of an experienced Tour Manager and War Historian
- Anzac Day Dawn Service
- Australian National Service at Lone Pine
- Travel by First-Class air-conditioned coaches
- Entrance fees as per itinerary, services, hotel porterage, tips, local taxes
|
DAY 1 20 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
Welcome to Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city of lights where Europe meets Asia.
The city, formerly known as Constantinople, was the ultimate objective of the Allied forces during
the Gallipoli campaign, as it was for invading armies for thousands of years before. This evening
meet your fellow travellers, Tour Manager and War Historian in the hotel.
DAY 2 21 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
A full day exploring the cultural delights of Istanbul. Our sightseeing
tour will take you to the Blue Mosque, built in the 17th century and one of the world’s
religious icons. We’ll also visit the 1700-year-old racetrack known as the Hippodrome in
the centre of the city, and the Basilica Cistern, a spectacular ancient water system below the
city’s streets. Wander amongst the water-filled chambers as classical music fills the air.
Next stop is the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the former home of the Sultans who ruled the Ottoman
Empire for centuries. The Palace is now an impressive museum, showcasing the Sultan’s
decadent lifestyle and rooms filled with treasures from the heady days of the Empire’s
rule. After lunch, strap on your shopping shoes — we’ll spend the afternoon in the
Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest and most famous markets. The Bazaar’s maze
of 60 winding streets and 6000 shops sells a huge range of spices, pottery, carpets and jewellery
and is an overload of sights and sounds. If you wish to continue your exploration of Turkish
culture after dark, join our optional belly dancing and dinner tour. (B)
DAY 3 22 APRIL (GALLIPOLI)
Our journey in the footsteps of the Anzacs begins today! This morning we
board our coach for the five-hour drive to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Our route south follows the
Dardanelles, the waterway that was the key to the Gallipoli campaign. After arriving in the
Gallipoli battle area, we will visit the museum at Kabatepe, which offers a unique perspective
on the campaign via its amazing range of battle relics. We then cross the Dardanelles by ferry
to our hotel in the town of Canakkale, our home for the next four nights. In the evening we will
enjoy a joint presentation from historians Brad Manera and Kenan Celik, two men whose combined
knowledge will bring the Gallipoli campaign to life. (B, D)
DAY 4 23 APRIL (GALLIPOLI)
Today we will walk the ground where Australian and New Zealand forces
gave so much in 1915. The Anzac sector of Gallipoli is the world’s best-preserved
battlefield, and it is not hard to place yourself in the middle of the epic of pain and
sacrifice that played out here in 1915. Our first stop will be the Anzac Commemorative Site at
North Beach, where the Anzac Day Dawn Service will be held in a few days. Our historian, Brad
Manera, will give a thorough briefing about the landing and the fight for the ridges on
April 25th, 1915. We will then visit the scenes of Australian bravery that are etched into
legend. Anzac Cove, Shrapnel Valley, Beach Cemetery (the burial place of John Simpson, the
‘man with the donkey’), Chunuk Bair, Quinn’s Post, The Nek and many more will
all be visited. At each site Brad will give a thorough briefing and answer any questions.
There will also be time to wander and reflect. Lunch has been included today, as has dinner
tonight in our hotel. (B, L, D)
DAY 5 24 APRIL (GALLIPOLI)
The pace today will be relaxed, in preparation for our big day tomorrow.
In the morning we have arranged an excursion to nearby ancient Troy, where a local guide will
show us the ruins that date back to 3000BC. Spend the afternoon relaxing in the hotel or browsing
the shops of Canakkale. We will also screen a Gallipoli documentary which will help give us a
better understanding of the battles we will commemorate the following morning. We will depart the
hotel after dinner, to allow ample time for the journey to North Beach for the Dawn Service.
Large crowds and narrow roads can cause a few hold-ups, but the chance to participate in one of
Australia’s most important national events is well worth the delays. (B, D)
DAY 6 25 APRIL (GALLIPOLI, ANZAC DAY)
An Anzac Day we will never forget! The Dawn Service begins at 5.30am and,
as the first shafts of light pierce the dawn sky, the silent reverence from more than 10,000
visitors is an experience not quickly forgotten. As we stand where the first Anzacs came ashore
almost 100 years ago and the strains of the Last Post echo through the valleys and ridges, we
will truly appreciate why the Anzac legend means so much to Australia. Following the Dawn Service
we will walk with Brad to Lone Pine, to attend the Australian National Service. Mid-afternoon we
will return to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s sleep. (B, D)
DAY 7 26 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
Those passengers not joining our Anzac Extension tour will farewell
Gallipoli this morning and drive back to Istanbul. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner in a
local restaurant, and enjoy a final opportunity to share our memories of a very special journey
with our travelling companions. (B, D)
DAY 8 27 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
Sadly our tour ends this morning after breakfast. (B)
|
ANZAC EXTENSION TOUR
Explore the battlefields in greater depth with our Anzac Extension tour.
DAY 7 26 APRIL (GALLIPOLI)
Return to the Peninsula and spend time exploring the Gallipoli
battlefields at Cape Helles and Suvla Bay with Brad Manera. In the evening we will return to our
hotel in Canakkale and enjoy dinner. (B, D)
DAY 8 27 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
We farewell the battlefields this morning as we board our coach for the
return drive to Istanbul. (B)
DAY 9 28 APRIL (ISTANBUL)
Sadly our tour ends this morning after breakfast. (B)
Extension tour price: $613* (single supplement: $93)
|
* Per person, twin share, land only. Single supplement: $603. Ask about our great airfare deals!
This tour is operated in conjunction with Sun Island Tours. |
| |
|
|
|
Tours
|
Imagine walking in the footsteps of the Anzacs, treading the ground where thousands of young Australians fought and died. Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours will take you there.
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours is one of Australia's leading battlefield tour companies. Our tours visit the battlefields of Gallipoli, the Western Front (France and Belgium), the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Vietnam and more, all guided by some of the world's leading battlefield authorities. No other tour company can match the quality of our tours or the knowledge of our guides.
All tours are First-Class standard, with air-conditioned coaches, 3- or 4-star accommodation and expert tour managers, drivers and escorts.
|
|
