Journey through some of the most momentous events in history - separated by centuries - on a 2-day tour of southwest Turkey. Visit the battlefields and war memorials of the ill-fated Anzac Campaign from World War I at Gallipoli in the Dardanelles, and then go to the historic city of Troy, site of the Trojan War and legends of Helen and Paris.
Your overnight accommodation will be in the coastal town of Eceabat on a peninsula of the Aegean Sea, and the nearest town to the Gallipoli battlefields.
Day 1: Istanbul - Gallipoli
Meet for the 7:30 AM bus transfer to Eceabat, with a scheduled arrival at approximately 12:30 PM. Then, start your tour of the Gallipoli war museums, monuments and battlefields, traveling through the dark days of World War I at the Kabatepe War Museum in the Gallipoli Historic National Park. Learn about some of the defining moments of the ill-fated Anzac campaign by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).
Continue to Beach Cemetery, site of John Simpson´s Grave, one of the best known of the ANZAC soldiers. Discover where the Australian and New Zealand troops set up base at Anzac Cove. Go to Ari Burnu, the 1st landing site of the ANZAC troops. Pay your respects to the fallen Australian soldiers at the Lone Pine Cemetery memorial, and continue to Johnston´s Jolly to walk in the trenches dug by the ANZAC troops.
Take in the views of Shrapnel Valley and its Judas tree, before going to the Turkish Memorial to the many Turkish soldiers that lost their lives in the campaign. Next, visit The Nek on the Anzac battlefields. Continue to the small cemetery of Walker´s Ridge near Suvla Bay. Finally, pay your respects to the fallen soldiers of the New Zealand troops at Chunuk Bair. Transfer to your hotel in Eceabat for an evening at leisure.
Day 2: Troy
Following breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Troy at 8:00 AM. Explore the myths and legends behind the ancient city and Trojan War, including some of its principal players, such as Helen, Menelaus, Zeus and Paris. See the replica of the famous Trojan Horse (used in the Hollywood blockbuster "Troy") at the entrance to the archaeological site, before exploring the remains behind the city walls, including landmark monuments such as the Temple of Athena and the Scaean Gate. Learn where the Trojan Horse was taken at one of the Gates of Troy, and more.
The tour of Troy ends at around 11:30 AM. You will then be transferred to the bus station to catch the 1:00 PM bus to İstanbul. Feel free to use the free shuttle to Sultanahmet Square on arrival in Istanbul.