Welcome to Istanbul, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, meet your guide and the rest of your group.

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene and the Harem), the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar. Tonight don’t miss the optional Turkish Folklore evening.

On 24 April, due to official restrictions and security measures related to high-level attendance, it is very likely that a full Gallipoli tour will not be permitted on this day. We will depart from Istanbul in the morning and travel to Çanakkale. Upon arrival, your guide will organise a flexible programme depending on conditions and group preference. After hotel check-in and some rest, we will depart around midnight, cross by ferry, and proceed to Anzac Cove, arriving at approximately 1:00am to secure a place for the overnight stay in preparation for the Dawn Service.

Awake before sun rise for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We become aware of the almost deafening silence as the moving service to commemorate our fallen forefathers on this special day begins. You will then have the chance to attend the Australian or New Zealand Memorial service before returning to the hotel in the afternoon. Morning Commemorations 1:30 am: Pre-Service program begins. 3:00 am: Final entry deadline. Site access closes and temporary road closures take effect. 5:00 am: “Spirit of Place” introductory segment. 5:30 am: Anzac Day Dawn Service officially commences. National Memorial Services 10:00 am: Australian Memorial Service (Lone Pine). 11:30 am: New Zealand Memorial Service (Chunuk Bair). Departure 1:00 pm: Coach boarding begins at Chunuk Bair/Hill 261.

Depart from Canakkale and head towards Troy where we will explore the and award-winning Troy Museum and the ancient city of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through the legendary city walls, stand where heroes like Achilles and Hector once battled, and marvel at the remnants of temples and theatres that whisper stories of a glorious past.

Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before continuing to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at the carpet village we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.

This morning we will enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods before heading to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers. Afterwards you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

Our tour concludes after breakfast and we bid farewell to our new friends.