Option 4 : ANZAC Day Turkey 2017

05:30 Dawn Service commences as the sun breaks the skyline behind the Turkish Sphinx.
07:30 While waiting for your bus to transfer you to the next service you can eat breakfast on the grass with the group or feel free to tell your leader that you want to go exploring; take your breakfast pack and walk the ridges and old trenches to the next service.
Australian and/or New Zealand National services. (Service times for these have yet to be released)
15:00 Approx. Buses depart for Eceabat, where you will check into your accommodation, have a shower and a well-deserved sleep.
19.30 Screening of the Gallipoli movie. And parties around town if you wish to attend.

Overnight at Eceabat

Breakfast time will be decided upon by the group the night before.
12:00 : Departure for Gallipoli battlefield tour of the ANZAC area.
5 hour tour visiting:

Overnight at Eceabat

07:00 Breakfast awaits.
08:00 Depart for a day of culture & sites. Fully guided tour of the ruins of Troy. Off to Assos, an amazing village with hand-built rock houses. Here you can buy your lunch at the harbour & eat with the view of the island of Lesvos in front of you. A stop off at TJ’s home village to see the Turkish countryside & village life. Then back to Eceabat for your farewell dinner at 8pm.

Overnight in Assos

8:00 Breakfast service begins.
10:00 Depart for Selcuk or Kusadasi.
Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi.

Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi

Check out from HOTEL & driving south to visit the Ancient City of Ephesus which is among one of the best preserved Greco-Roman Cities in the world enabling one to genuinely ‘soak in’ the atmosphere of Roman times. Enter through the Magnesia Gate & begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. After lunch, we depart to visit the House of Virgin Mary where she is said to be brought here by St. John & have spent the last of her days. The tour also includes a visit to the remains of Artemis Temple which was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi.

Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi

We will check  out from hotel & drive for 1.5 hours to reach  Aphrodisias. As its name  implies, it was named after Aphrodite, the  Greek goddess of Love. The city was  built near a marble quarry, which  was extensively exploited in the Hellenistic  & Roman periods &  sculptors of marble from Aphrodisias became famous in  the Roman world.  After lunch we will continue the day with visit to Pamukkale.  This  natural phenomenon leaves thick white layers of limestone &  travertine  cascading down the mountain slope, which resemble a frozen  waterfall. There  will be free time to walk on the terraces (where  allowed). We then visit  Hierapolis, the ruins of the ancient city cover  more than a mile

Overnight in Istanbul
After the tour of Pamukkale, you will be transferred to Denizli Airport for the flight back to Istanbul. Transfer to hotel upon arrival.
FFlight to Istanbul
We pick-up you from airport transfer to the city.

We will leave HOTEL İN the morning to visit the Sultanahmet Square & the spectacular Blue Mosque decorated with beautiful 17th century Iznik tiles. Then stroll around the historical Hippodrome where chariot races were once held. Continue with the St. Sophia, an early Christian church, later converted to a mosque under Ottoman rule, this magnificent temple now serving as a museum with all the artefacts from the Byzantine era intact. After lunch, we will visit the Topkapi Palace, the residence of the legendary Ottoman Sultans, now converted into a museum. It consists of several exhibition halls, such as the Treasury, the porcelain section, Armoury & Holy Relics. We will complete this historical day with a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Overnight in Istanbul.

Overnight in Istanbul