Starts | Istanbul, Turkey |
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Ends | Istanbul, Turkey |
Region | Europe |
Duration | 5 days |
Tour Operator | Peregrine |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Starting: Istanbul & Finishing: Istanbul
Welcome to Istanbul, Turkey. If you arrive at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport (IST), you will be met and transferred to your starting hotel. If you arrive at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) airport please make your own way to the hotel (unless you have booked a transfer). Today is an arrival day and you are free to arrive at the joining point hotel at any time before 5pm. Please ask for your welcome note when checking in and be available in the hotel lobby at 5:30pm for your evening experience. Until then, if you have free time, head out and get your first taste of this continent-straddling metropolis that so many civilisations have called home. In the streets and laneways, discover the cosmopolitan modern world that thrives between the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. You will begin your Istanbul Gallipoli Experience this evening with a dinner. Your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at 5.30pm and you will get your first taste of local Turkish cuisine while enjoying an informal meal with a local family.
Day 2 - Starting: Istanbul & Finishing: Istanbul
Meet your local guide early this morning to journey in the footsteps of the city’s most famous ruler and conquer Istanbul in just a day. Head to Sultanahmet (the Old City, or what used to be called Constantinople), where ancient empires based themselves and historical sites intertwine with backstreets filled with hidden gems. Here you’ll visit the jaw-dropping giant church/mosque/museum of the Hagia Sofia, whose stunning construction is said to have changed the history of architecture. Don’t miss the excellent mosaics found inside. Gaze upon the beauty of the cascading domes of the Blue Mosque, so called for the blue tiles found on its interior walls, and maybe gain a deeper insight into Islam from your guide. When not erecting splendid buildings the Byzantine Emperors loved a bit of entertainment, and the hippodrome was their stadium. Inspect some of the decorative statues and obelisks that remain from a time when this now tree-lined land would hold thousands of chariot racing fans. Eat a tasty Turkish lunch with locals at a hidden café, and then listen to stories of how generations of sultans lived at the grand Topkapi Palace. The palace consists of four courts, each more lavishly decorated than the last, and the fourth has spectacular views across the Bosphorus Strait. Next, head to the edges of the Grand Bazaar, perhaps peering in to an ancient han – former inns transformed into shops dedicated to a merchant’s particular craft. Finish it all off with a backstreet tour and some good-natured haggling with local artisans in the Grand Bazaar, packed with over 3,000 stalls of handcrafted jewellery, textiles and books. This evening is free for you to explore more or just sit at a cafe and take in the unique atmosphere.
Day 3 - Starting: Gallipoli & Finishing: Gallipoli
Travel to the battlefields of Gallipoli (approximately 5.5 hours) for a guided tour of this historic WWI site, where you’ll learn more about the plight of the ANZAC, Allied and Turkish forces. Be humbled while exploring a region equated with one of the most significant military battles in Australia’s history. You’ll embark on a guided tour through Anzac Cove to the battlefields of Nek and Lone Pine, and be amazed at how this now serene coastline once saw such brutal scenes of war. Look down upon the rough and barren hills and gullies that sadly became the graveyard for so many thousands of young men from both sides. Tour the former battlefields and encounter remnants of trenches used by the Turkish soldiers. Hear stories of heroism and camaraderie that unfolded among the tragedies of what has become a defining moment in Australian, New Zealand and Turkish history, and take the time to read moving inscriptions etched onto a sea of gravestones. There will also be the option to visit the Kabatepe Museum, which includes intereactive presentations of the battle, as well as numerous relics from the campaign. You will spend this evening in the seaport city of Çanakkale.
Day 4 - Starting: Gallipoli & Finishing: Gallipoli
Embark on a tour of Troy (approximately 30 minutes drive), the heritage-listed site of the mythic Trojan War made famous by Homer's the ‘Iliad’. The city was long thought to exist in legend only after all traces of the city appeared to have vanished. The city was gradually overshadowed by eponymous neighbouring cities like Alexander the Great’s Alexandria Troas and Constantine’s Constantinople, and then eventually under centuries of dust. However, working from a tip off, ruins of the city were uncovered in the 1870s by amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Despite his shoddy excavating work, Schliemann did mange to uncover nine different layers of settlement, dating back over 4,500 years. Now you will explore the ruins of the Troy, including a city thought to have been destroyed by an earthquake around 1275BC, and a city rebuild during the powerful days of the Roman Empire. See the Trojan Horse monument, learn about Homer’s tale of the city and its war, and decide for yourself how much of it was true. In the afternoon, board a boat and tour the Gallipoli Landing beaches. See Brighton Beach, Anzac Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery and the sunken wreck of the S.S MILO from a ship, much like the soldiers of 1915 would have. Return to your accommodation in Çanakkale for the night.
Day 5 - Starting: Troy - Istanbul & Finishing: Troy - Istanbul
This morning, travel back to Istanbul (approximately 5.5 hours) where this trip ends on arrival. If you have time before leaving Istanbul, perhaps relax in a traditional Turkish hamam.
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