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Meet at the Ataturk international airport, transfer to your 4 star hotel. Transfers from Sabiha Gokcen airport can be arranged at extra cost. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul til 06:00pm. Between 06:00pm - 07:00pm we will have a conference about ANZAC Dawn Service and Turkey. The conference will be given by ANZAC experts who will come from Australia and New Zealand and by our professional Turkish ANZAC guides. Welcome cocktail, tea, coffee and snacks are included. You will meet with the other ANZAC participants and Tours4Turkey Team. We recommend you to arrange your flights, to be at the hotel prior the conference starts. Traditional 1001 Turkish nights departs optional from hotel lobby at 08:00pm. Includes Turkish dinner, drinks and entertainment. Enjoy the mystical atmosphere of Istanbul at night.
After breakfast we depart from the hotel at 08:30am for the Istanbul city tour. TOPKAPI PALACE: The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE: Across from St. Sophia built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. HIPPODROME: Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Lunch break and then we head to the SPICE BAZAAR (Egyptian Bazaar) The air here is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice. After the Istanbul city tour you have the option to experience a Bosphorus cruise, you will have the chance to enjoy magnificent views of the Bosphorus straigt which is connecting Asia to Europe. Overnight 4 star hotel in Istanbul.
(Breakfast included)We depart for Gallipoli at 07:00am (4.5 hours drive). On the way we will have the chance to watch the latest documentary on the Gallipoli Campaign. A stop will be provided on the way down for supplies. We start our tour of the Gallipoli Peninsula a little after midday. The Gallipoli tour includes the Kabatepe War Museum, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine (Australias Memorial and Cemetery), Quinns Post, Turkish 57th Regiment Cemetery, the Nek and Chunuk Bair (New Zealand's Memorial and Cemetery). After the tour we drive to the coast of Gabatepe for our big ANZAC BBQ and buffet dinner (both optional). At approx 09:30pm we will depart for the ANZAC Dawn Service. Overnight at ANZAC Cove. If you dont want to stay outside at the ANZAC Commemorative Site overnight, we provide optional hotel accomodation at Gallipoli. This option is not available after your arrival in Turkey, pre-booking is required.
Don't forget your sleeping bags, warm clothes, wet weather gear and torches because Gallipoli is still as dark and as cold today as it was 95 years ago when our ancestors landed. Please bring your hat, sunscreen and good walking shoes! Optional we provide sleepings bags, please let us know at time of booking.04:30am ANZAC Day Dawn Service10:30am Australian National Service11.45am Turkish National Service01:00pm New Zealand National ServiceAfter the services with time permitting we will depart for the ancient city of Troy (about an hour drive). Your guide will explain the mythology surrounding Troy, the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy. After Troy, we drive to our hotel (3 hours drive) in Ayvalik where we will have dinner at the fantastic beach front hotel and a comfy bed to rest your weary bodies. Overnight 4 star hotel in Ayvalik.
Drive to Pergamum (45 minutes drive) - see Asklepion, Zeus's alter, the Red Bassilcia etc. BERGAMA is the site of the Hellenistic - and later Roman city of Pergamon, ruled for several centuries by a powerful local dynasty. It's foremost attraction is the Kizil Avlu or "Red Basilica", a huge edifice on the river not far from the acropolis, originally built as a temple to the Egyptian god Osiris and converted to a basilica by the early Christians, when it was one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor addressed by St John in the book of Revelation - though sadly it's now a crumbling ruin with a mosque in one of its towers. After Pergamon we continue towards the city of Kusadasi. On the way, we will visit a place which continues to perform one of the oldest arts of Turkey; a carpet weaving centre, followed by an optional Turkish Bath. After a good scrub down we will check into our hotel in Kusadasi. Overnight 4 star hotel in Kusadasi.
At 08:30am we depart for Ephesus (20 minutes drive) - once the commercial centre of the ancient world - is a highlight of any visit to Turkey. The city, whose wealth and patronage supported its splendid architectural program, was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Her enormous temple, once considered one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World and rebuilt several times, dates in its latest form from the third century B.C. The tour of the ruins also includes a theatre, gymnasium, agora and baths, as well as the Library of Celsus. After lunch, we will make a shopping tour in which you will be aware of the ancient arts of Turkey like leather manufacturing and jewellery. As this will be a guided tour, you will avoid the constant nagging and sometimes bullying that is well known in the markets of Turkey. Enabling you to enjoy the shopping experience whilst gaining the knowledge of the ancient craftsmen. Overnight 4 star hotel in Kusadasi.
After breakfast (included), please check out from your room before 11:00am, as your tour ends today. From Kusadasi we can arrange flights or coach transportation to anywhere in Turkey. If you choose to stay longer in Kusadasi we can extend your accommodation and all so offer other options such as Jeep Safari, Aqua Park, scuba diving, fishing tour, Horse Safari, Turkish Night, Daily Trip to Samos, Turkish Bath and many more or you may like to hit the Greek Islands? We can arrange the ferry tickets for you to go. We hope you had a memorable tour and we look forward to seeing you in the future on another Tours4Turkey Tour. Have a safe trip back home and thanks for choosing Tours4Turkey.
•Welcome Cocktail•ANZAC Conference•A range of Gallipoli documentaries•5 breakfasts, 2 dinners•2 nights at 4 star hotel in Istanbul•1 night at 4 star beach hotel in Ayvalik•2 nights at 4 star hotel in Kusadasi•Guided Istanbul city tour•Guided Gallipoli tour•Guided Troy tour•Guided Bergamon tour•Guided Ephesus tour•Dawn and National Services (Australian & New Zealand)•Fluent English speaking professional tour guide for the duration of the tour•All transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking new luxury coach•All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary•Arrival airport transfers between 8:00am and 11:00pm every two hours•FREE T-Shirt