Gallipoli Special Tour 2

$150 / Per person

Anzac Day Special Tour 2 – Scuba Diving Around the Gallipoli Peninsula

WARNING!!

There are very few toilets in the battlefield area. Go before tour!
There are also very few bins so please collect your rubbish & put it back on the bus so we can dispose of it responsibly later on.
Take your bathers/togs/cossies/swimmers for a swim at lunchtime when & if time & weather permits.
There are no shops at the battlefields, so remember to buy water & nibblies before you leave Eceabat.
Remember to take sunscreen & a hat if you’re not fond of direct sunlight as there is minimal shade available. Shorts are fine to wear on the peninsula but remember to wear sensible shoes as you will be walking on uneven ground at times & there are snakes in the area.

PLEASE NOTE
Times change according to the season & weather conditions.

What does it include:

All transportation, non-smoking vehicle
ANZAC Day Services
4 Days WWW1 Diving
All entrance fees
Fully guided tours
English-speaking guide.
Ferry
14 Breakfasts
10 Lunches
Farewell Bosporus Dinner Cruise
13 Nights Accommodation (BB)
Video screenings
Izmir Istanbul, economy class airfare

Tour Plan

TROY : Tour the historic home of the Trojan wars. Here you will see the remains of 9 city levels destroyed over time by both human and natural disasters. You will hear the stories of the myth and the history behind the ongoing excavations.

Depart for ASSOS : A traditional, stone-house village, set upon a mountainside with a beautiful harbour down the bottom, overlooking the island of Lesvos. Here we will tour the Temple of Athena on the highest point of the mountain and have Turkish tea at a local Çay (tea) House which has an extraordinary set of coffee tables to sit at.

Depart for BALABANLI VILLAGE : TJ’s home village. Here you will wander the traditional village seeing sights such as the old wheat crushing wheel and the thatched summer houses for the sheep. A visit to TJs parent’s house, a small stone-built house which is full of Turkish hospitality and a cook who can whip up a storm will be a highlight of your day. TJ’s parent’s will then delight you with her traditional home-cooked lunch in which we will all sit together as family and share the meal.

Drive to BABAKALE, the most western point of Asian Turkey. Visit the last castle built during the Ottoman empire in 1723.

Next stop – TEMPLE of APOLLO SMINTHEUS in the town of Gurpinar.

This temple was built by the people of the Troad as a testament to Apollo, king of Tenedos and patron god of Chryse (known now as Bozcaada and Gulpinar) for siding with the Anatolians in the Trojan war. The figured elements here depicting the Trojan war as decribed by Homer makes this place unique.

Roadside stop to view TUZLA DAGI, an active volcanic mountain with a surface of salt stretching out from its base which has been collected for years by locals to use in their cooking.

Drive to ALEXANDRIA TROAS, once considered by Constantine to be named the capital of the Roman empire, only a few structures exist today, including a ruined bath, gymnasium complex and a recently uncovered stadium. But these attest to its former importance as a significant port for traveling between Anatolia and Europe.

Late evening departure for ECEABAT.

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 1: 23.April 2024

Upon arrival into Istanbul, a representative from TJ’s Tours will meet and transfer you to your accommodation. Overnight in Istanbul. (BB)

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 2: 24 April 2024 Istanbul – Eceabat

07.00 Breakfast at your accommodation 08:00 Transfer to Eceabat by TJs Tours bus. 12.00 Arrive in Eceabat where you will be met by the staff of TJs TOURS. Check into TJs Hotel. Showings of Gallipoli documentary, “The Fatal Shore” & the movie “Gallipoli”. 19:00 Join the convoy of TJs TOURS buses for departure to the Dawn Service site where we will grab a space in the large crowd and wait, listening to the pre dawn program.

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 3: 25th April 2024 ANZAC Day Services

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) 17: 00 Approx. Buses depart for Eceabat to TJs TOURS Agency & Hotel in Eceabat. Overnight in Eceabat (BB)

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 4: 26 April 2024 Fully Guided Gallipoli Tour

08:30 – 10:30 Breakfast awaits. 12:00 – Lunch in Eceabat 13:00 Depart from here you’ll drive to the ANZAC Battlefield area to start an emotional & memorable tour.

Gallipoli – Kabatepe War Museum & Simulation Centre.
Beach Cemetery (John Simpson’s Grave)
ANZAC Cove
Ari Burnu (First ANZAC landing place)
Lone Pine Cemetery (Australian memorial)
Johnston’s Jolly (Walk in the ANZAC trenches) – view Shrapnel Valley
Turkish Memorial
The Nek(Light Horse scene depicted in the Gallipoli) &Walker’s Ridge
Chunuk Bair (Main New Zealand memorial)
After lunch, drive to the village of Kilitbahir, 5kms south of Eceabat, where you will visit
Turkish WW1 ammunition storage area
Ottoman Castle
Then further south to Cape Helles visiting
Turkish, French and English memorials
Return to accommodation for night viewing of the Gallipoli movie.

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 5: 27 April 2024 GRANDEUR TOUR

07.00 Breakfast at your accommodation 07.30 Depart for full day tour 08.00 Ferry crossing from Eceabat to Çanakkale over the famous Dardanelle waters. 08.30 Arrival in Çanakkale. Drive to the site of Troy, 36km to the south.

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 6-7-8-9: 28,29,30 & 01 April 2024 WW1 GALLIPOLI WRECK DIVING – 4 DAYS – 2 DIVES/DAY

Highlight dives – Diving on the HMS Majestic battleship ACCOMMODATION in Eceabat / Canakkale. (BB) DIVE SITE INFORMATION : There are 216 shipwrecks in and around the Gallipoli peninsula. These wrecks cover a large variety of sea vessels, except gallions. Dive depths range from 7m to 30m. Normal dive to static line dives can be undertaken. NOTE: SCUBA DIVING COURSES CAN BE ARRANGED FOR THOSE WISHING TO GAIN THEIE QUALIFICATIONS. PLEASE PHONE THROUGH TO TJS TOURS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 10: 02 May 2024, Pergamum & Key Car Museum

07.00 Breakfast at your accommodation 07.30 Depart for full day tour 08.00 Ferry crossing from Eceabat to Çanakkale over the famous Dardanelle waters. Continue to PERGAMUM ACROPOLIS. Visit ATHENA and TROJAN TEMPLES, TEMPLE of ZEUS,TEMPLE of DIONYSOS, GYMNASIUM of YOUTH, ODEON, LIBRARY, AGORA, GREAT THEATRE and ROMAN BATH. Lunch Continue to Key Old Car Museum. Museum with an extensive collection of restored vintage cars & motorcycles & automotive artifacts. After the visititing Old Car Museum, drive to Kusadasi. Overnight Kusadasi. (BB)

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 11:03 May 2024 Fully Guide Tour of Ephesus

Breakfast at your accommodation 09.00 Depart for full day tour Enjoy a full day tour to Ephesus. Drive to Selcuk and see the gigantic Temple of Artemis which was one of the Seven Wonders of the world. Then stroll in the world-famous Ancient City of Ephesus, including the Arcadian Way, the Roman Baths, Temple of Hadrian, the Celcus Library and the Antique Theater. In the afternoon visit the Shrine of Virgin Mary, where she lived her last years. Overnight Kusadasi. (BB)

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 12: 04 May 2024, Fully Guide Tour of Pamukkale

ick up from the hotel is early in the morning and drive through to Pamukkale (cotton Castle) Visiting the white Terraces, you can see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, located next to the ruins of Hierapolis. The extraordinary effect is created when water from the hot springs loses carbon dioxide as it flows down the slopes, leaving deposits of limestone. The layers of white calcium carbonate, built up in steps on the plateau, gave the site the name Pamukkale (cotton castle). Unfortunately, but understandably, visitors are no longer allowed to walk on the terraces in order to protect them from damage.Then walking to Hierapolis Ancient city,visit the Necropolis , Thetare, fountain,St.Philip Church.The tour ends in the evening, then drive back to your hotel in Kusadasi Overnight Kusadasi. (BB)

010

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 13: 05 May 2024, Flight Izmir to Istanbul

Breakfast at your accommodation 08.30 Depart hotel for Izmir airport. 11.00 Depart flight for Istanbul 12.20 Arrive Istanbul Airport 13.00 Check in your Hotel Free Afternoon. Overnight in Istanbul. (BB)

011

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Day 14: 06 May 2024, Full Day Walking Old City Tour

Breakfast at your accommodation 09.00 Depart Hotel for Full Day Old City Walking Tour. You will visit: Topkapi Palace, St.Sophia Museum,Blue Mosque and Roman Hippodrome. You may also visit the Harrem in the palace which is optional. The tour including the entrance fees except the Harrem Section in the palace.. Please note that Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays replaced with Istanbul Archeology Museum.

19.30 pm – Farewell Bosporus Dinner Cruise.

Includes: