ANZAC Day & Tutankhamun 2024

Tue 23 April 2024. Welcome to Turkey. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the incredible city of Istanbul. Istanbul is easy to get around on foot and there are plenty of attractions dotted about the old city known as Sultanahmet. Maybe head to the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Spice Market, both open today! This evening after our welcome meeting opt for a drink in the bar, a great way to break the ice and meet fellow travellers.

Istanbul - Gallipoli. Spend the morning at leisure in Istanbul. This afternoon we drive to Gallipoli. En route to the peninsula we'll stop for a bite to eat, stretch our legs and stock up on supplies for the evening ahead. Upon arrival (exact time subject to Dawn Service Site opening hours) you will be given instructions about where to meet with your coach on 25 April, after the services have concluded. Once we're in Anzac Cove you are free to visit the memorials and trenches that dot the area before taking our places amongst the many at the Dawn Service site for the atmosphere-charged ANZAC Eve vigil.

Gallipoli - Istanbul. A poignant bugle call along with first light heralds the start of the Dawn Service. Lasting around an hour, the service is a special and moving experience and it's possible to lay a wreath at ANZAC Memorial site after the service has concluded. Later this morning Australians have the opportunity to pay their respects at the Lone Pine Memorial Service, while New Zealanders can attend the service at Chunuk Bair. After the Chunuk Bair service we anticipate an early afternoon departure time from Gallipoli, for our return journey to Istanbul. Please note: the 2024 national memorial services at Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair are subject to confirmation.

Friday 26 Apr 2024. Istanbul - Cairo. Our ANZAC tour of Turkey comes to an end today and our Egypt adventure begins. Please Note: The flight from Istanbul to Cairo isn't included in the cost of the tour. Turkish Airlines offers flights from Istanbul to Cairo and open jaw tickets are available into Istanbul and out of Cairo. If you require assistance we can arrange flights on your behalf. Please provide us with your incoming flight details to Egypt and we will be there to meet you at Cairo airport and transfer you to our hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Upon arrival to Cairo the remainder of the day is at your own leisure before the restof your Egyptian adventure. Perhaps relax by the hotel pool or for those that are arriving before 8.30am, join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am (best booked prior with your travel consultant). This optional tour takes you off the beaten track in Egypt's bustling capital, visiting Downtown Cairo, the exquisite mosques and monuments of El Moez Street in Islamic Cairo, Garbage City and the incredible Cave Church of St. Simon.

Discover Egypt’s main attraction today as we visit the incredible Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The largest of the pyramids, Cheops, was the tallest man-made building on Earth for 3,800 years. Experts still can’t agree how the ancient Egyptians constructed the pyramids with their limited technology - it remains a mystery. A stop will be made at a government supervised papyrus emporium, then we will continue to the necropolis of Saqqara, home to the famous Pyramid of Zhoser. This ancient monument dates back to around 2700BC and is surrounded by countless tombs and burial sites. After our tour, we return to Cairo for the evening.

Cairo - Aswan. Today we embark on a guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum, an extraordinary 490,000 sq.m complex that houses over 100,000 artefacts and will eventually showcase a giant exhibition featuring the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Many of the items on display are being exhibited for the first time, with artefacts gathered from across Egypt and the world.

Next, we visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, home to an extensive collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Among its treasures are several remarkably well-preserved mummies, including those of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. These mummies showcase incredible preservation, with thick locks of hair, visible fingernails, and smooth, blackened skin offering a fascinating glimpse into Egypt's ancient past.

Returning to the hotel there's time to relax by the pool before we board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan this evening.

We arrive in Aswan and visit the beautiful Philae Temple this afternoon. Take a leisurely boat trip to Agilkia Island in the Nile and explore the site, which is dedicated to the goddess Isis. Our last stop today is the perfume oil emporium, where the use of essential and perfumed oils in Egypt dates back to 2700BC. Enjoy free time this evening to explore Aswan’s vibrant market and shop in the bustling souqs.

Aswan - Nile felucca cruise. This morning there’s an optional excursion to Abu Simbel. This famous temple of King Ramses II is guarded by 4 colossal statues of the great pharaoh himself. Later, we board our traditional felucca for a 2 night cruise down the mighty Nile. If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise, please see the tab above for prices. For more information about Nile Cruising please click here.

Nile felucca cruise - Kom Ombo. Relax and sunbathe on deck or go for a swim as our felucca sails to Kom Ombo. We’ll explore the famous symmetrical temple, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus before we return to the felucca and continue our journey downriver.

Kom Ombo - Luxor. This morning we disembark our felucca and drive to ancient Luxor, where the rest of today is at leisure. There's an optional excursion to Luxor Temple tonight, when the site is beautifully illuminated by hundreds of lights.

Luxor - Cairo. 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its very best and this morning we visit Luxor’s famous West Bank. Our first stop is the famous Valley of the Kings, which is studded with beautifully decorated tombs, including the tombs of Ramses II, Seti I, Amenhotep II and of course, King Tutankhamen. After exploring this incredible site we travel on to visit the beautiful limestone, colonnaded Temple of Hatshepsut, who was one of only three Egyptian ruling queens. On the West Bank we also see the imposing 18m-high Colossi of Memnon, which are all that remains of the temple of the hedonistic Amenophis III. Returning to the hotel at around midday, there's time to have lunch and relax by the pool before we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak later this afternoon. Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.

Arrive in Cairo this morning for a free day to explore Egypt’s bustling capital. Visit the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar or admire the imposing Citadel of Saladin.

Sunday. Our Egyptian adventure comes to an end today with an included departure transfer to the airport.