anzac coo-ee - 8 days

Tour Information
Starts/ Ends in: Istanbul
Start Date: Wed 22nd April 2009
End Date: Wed 29th April 2009
Prices: Click here
Local Payment Required: No
Breakfast: 6, Dinner: 4
Hotel rating: 3 - 4  & Special Class
Tour Guide Escorted: Yes

Day 1 - 22 April: Istanbul Welcome to Turkey and a memorable ANZAC experience! Choice of shuttle transfers to hotel. The remainder of the day at leisure, in Istanbul – a city that straddles both Europe and Asia! Overnight – Istanbul Day 2: Hagia Sophia & The Blue Mosque Istanbul - breakfast. Enjoy our guided classic city tour taking in the Hippodrome area, exotic Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia - Emperor Justinian’s grand basilica, the Hagia Sofia and more. This afternoon, enjoy a cruise on the Bosphorus, the body of water which separates European from Asian Istanbul. When the sun sets, enjoy Istanbul by night! With dinner, belly dancers and entertainment at a great Istanbul venue. A top value evening and a great way to break the ice and meet fellow travellers (transport included). Overnight – Istanbul

Istanbul by night • 3 course dinner • live entertainment • meet fellow travellers • belly dancers • turkish venue • a great night out!  Tickets can only be purchased before arriving in Turkey. Prices

Day 3: Gallipoli
Istanbul - Gallipoli - breakfast. Very early departure to the Gallipoli Peninsular. This afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the evocative war memorials that dot the region, for example; Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, The Nek and Johnston’s Jolly not to mention the masses of battlefields, trenches and Kabatepe - the modest ANZAC museum and memorial gardens. Tonight, we’ll relax at our exclusive, catered ANZAC Eve Turkish BBQ before later taking our places at the packed Dawn Service site for the atmospheric ANZAC Eve vigil. BBQ Dinner and overnight – Dawn Service site (ANZAC Cove).

Day 4 - ANZAC day - Gallipoli
Gallipoli - Ayvalik. The arrival of dawn signals the start of the Dawn Service. Afterwards, armed with your maps, independently explore more of the many trenches and memorial sites as you head up past Shell Beach Cemetery to Lone Pine or Chunuk Bair for the Australian or New Zealand National services. Later this afternoon, we depart for the Aegean coast, where on arrival we check-in to our hotel for a well-earned rest after a day filled with emotion. (Timing on 25 April subject to coach traffic) Dinner and overnight – Ayvalik.

Day 5: Roman Pergamum
Ayvalik - Kusadasi - breakfast. Today, we drive south. Set on a high hill are the Roman ruins of Pergamum and awesome hill-side amphitheatre. We also visit the neighbouring asclepion - a Roman precursor to modern-day hospitals! Continuing to coastal Kusadasi, relax after an exciting day. Dinner and overnight – Kusadasi

Day 6: Ephesus & Pammukale
Kusadasi - Pammukale - breakfast. This morning we enjoy a guided tour at the legendary Roman ruins of Ephesus. After a short stop at a leather factory, we continue to Pamukkale. Famous for its unique cascades of natural mineral rich pools, perhaps opt for a swim at Pamukkale Thermal Pools. Dinner and overnight – Pamukkale

Day 7: Istanbul
Pammukale - Istanbul - breakfast. This morning we drive back to Istanbul. En route we visit a carpet manufacturing house. Arrival late evening. Overnight – Istanbul

Day 8: 29th April - Istanbul
Wednesday 2009 Our tours ends after breakfast and hotel check out at 12noon. We hope you have enjoyed your ANZAC coo-ee experience.

Note: Istanbul sites are closed on the following days, this in NO WAY affects your touring program: Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Market - closed Sunday, Hagia Sofia - closed Monday, Topkapi Palace closed on Tuesday.