SGA Travel | FOLLOW THE FOOTPRINTS OF ANZACS

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Tour Snapshot

Enjoy this unique hiking tour which lets to you to explore Anzac Memorial sites by feet. Explore the ancient site of Troy & learn about the Trojan War as well as seeing the replica of the Trojan Horse. Delve into the Greek mythology and learn the background of the Trojan War… Gallipoli is a turning point in the history. This place offers you the experience of following the footsteps of 50.000 Australians and 14.000 New Zealanders who served here. This is the soil of a friendly country… Where there is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets lie side by side…

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Highlights

Follow the footprints of Anzacs, it’s the only tour that you can follow exact route of ANZACs in 1915.
Enjoy a picnic lunch in the trenches of Gallipoli.
Listen to the stories of Troy in its actual site and go into the Trajan Horse.

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Tour Details

Tour Language: English, Chinese
Group Size: Minimum 4 - Maximum 8 pax
Inclusions:
2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch
Entry fee to Troy Ancient city
English speaking and licensed tour guide throughout the trip
Private transportation throughout the trip with 16-seater Mercedes Sprinter bus

- Exclusions:

International airport departure tax
Any visas required
Services not mentioned in the itinerary
Late check out at hotels
Means and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Drinks with included lunches and dinners
Tips for tour leaders, guides and drivers
Expenditure of personal nature
Optional activities

Duration: 1 nights / 2 days
Starting Time: 07:30 am.
Starting Hotel: Your Hotel in Istanbul
Finishing Hotel: Your Hotel in Istanbul

TOUR LOCATION

Day 1

Location: Çanakkale

Meals Included: Lunch

Hoşgeldiniz – Welcome to Turkey!

Early in the morning you are picked up from your hotel to get to Çanakkale, a city built by the strait of Dardanelles, right across the Gallipoli Peninsula.

As soon as you get to Çanakkale, you are going to have about half an hour drive to get to the world-famous ancient city, Troy. You might have heard the stories about it. Yes, we are going to delve into the background of Trojan War.

In the city center we can see the Trojan Horse from the Troy (starring Brad Pitt) movie… We spend the rest of the day in the city. It is better to get a good sleep since we start early in the next morning, and also 7-8 km long walk.

Activities Included: Troy Ancient Site visit

Accommodation: Anzac Hotel or similar

Day 2

Location: Istanbul

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Early in the morning, you will check out and catch a ferry to cross the Dardanelles, to get to the Gallipoli Peninsula once witnessed a quite harsh campaign of the World War I. On your arrival you are transferred to the other side of the peninsula where the Anzac battlefields are located.

On the 25th April in 1915, first Anzac troops landed to the Gallipoli Peninsula on this (west) side where we call Anzac Cove today.

On this tour we will be following the footprints of the Anzac troops!

Your first stop is going to be (North Beach) Anzac Commemorative Site where the Anzac Dawn Service is held every year on the exact day, 25th of April. When you look up on the hill, you can see the Sphinx that the Anzacs were quite familiar with from their training in Egypt that’s why they called it so. And following the same range to the south about 200 meters we can the the Plugge’s Plateau (about 100 m hill), the smallest CWGC cemetery on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

After talking about the background of the WW1 and Gallipoli Campaign over here, you walk (about 400 mt) to the south of this spot, Arıburnu Cemetery where we see the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, about the Anzac soldiers who lost their lives here:

“Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives! You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace…”

600-700 m long Anzac Cove lies between the Arıburnu Cemetery and Beach Cemetery.

Hell Spit or Beach Cemetery (about 950 m away) is you next stop where we see the gravestone of the Man with the Donkey (John Simpson Kirkpatrick).

About 1 km long walk will take you to Shell Green Cemetery. A cricket match was played on the green (and photographed) on 17 December 1915, whilst shells passed over it, as part of the Allied attempts to conceal preparations for the evacuation of the Anzac and Suvla Bay sectors.

From here you walk about another 1 km further up to Lone Pine… The Anzac troops renamed the plateau, originally Plateau 400, Lonesome Pine after the single Aleppo pine tree on the plateau. This is the biggest Anzac cemetery on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Passing through the original trenches and tunnels along with Johnston’s Jolly Cemetery (about 300 m away) and Quinn’s Post you have another stop at one of the Turkish cemeteries on the peninsula: 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery (1.3 km long from the Lone Pine). This spot is a great opportunity to learn more about the Turkish side of the history.

The Nek (400 m) was one of the most critical spots of this campaign. The attack at the Nek was meant as a diversion while Allied units attempted to take Chunuk Bair and Hill 971.

Chunuk Bair (~2.5 km) was the main target on the Anzac landing but control of this specific spot didn’t last long. It was taken over by the Turkish troops soon after. There is a lot to tell here like the New Zealand Monument, Statue of Mustafa Kemal, trenches and more. We can have our picnic lunch over here just before we are picked up to get back to Istanbul.

After your long trekking day, you will jump back on your private bus and get back to Istanbul.

Activities Included: Hiking Tour of Anzac Memorial Sites

Accommodation: NA