Gallipoli peninsula & the Aegean coast

Itinerary

• DAY 1

  Arrival Istanbul

  Meet at the Istanbul Int. airport with Demavend Travels representative and drive to the historical peninsula, known as Sultanahmet, where you spend the night at the hotel.

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 45 - 50 km (Istanbul Int. airport to hotel in Sultanahmet/Sirkeci)

  ON: in Istanbul at the hotel

  Meals:   - / - / -

• DAY 2

  Istanbul sightseeing historical peninsula

  After breakfast we head out for a fantastic tour through Istanbul, we start the day with a walk through the historical peninsula area where we visit Topkapi palace, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome square and blue mosque.

  The Topkapi palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624 year reign. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. The palace is among the monuments contained within the "historic areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. Next to Topkapi palace we head over to famous Hagia Sophia, considered to be one of the world’s most important monuments, a masterpiece and example of great architectural beauty. The marvel complex anchors the old city of Istanbul and has served for centuries as an Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later as a mosque and as museum. On our way we also pass through Hippodrome square, once a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. The surviving monuments of the Spina (the middle barrier of the racecourse), the two obelisks (Obelisk of Thutmose III & Walled Obelisk) and the Serpentine Column, now sit in holes in a landscaped garden. Our final visit takes us to blue mosque (Sultan Ahmed mosque), built between 1609 and 1616. The design is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighbouring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. We conclude the day with a traditional cup of Turkish tee, known as cay and afterwards return to our hotel.

  ON: in Istanbul at the hotel

  Meals:   B / - / -

• DAY 3

  Istanbul Bosphorus tour by boat & sightseeing historical peninsula

  Today we continue our exploration through Istanbul, we start the day with a Bosphorus tour by boat, right through the heart of modern Istanbul. The most impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus are the Topkapi palace, the Bosphorus Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi) and Dolmabahce palace, several Ottoman palaces, fortresses, forested hills and shore villages with Ottoman architecture.

  Our next visit takes us to amazing Basilica cistern, the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. Ancient texts indicated that the basilica contained gardens, surrounded by a colonnade and facing the Hagia Sophia, Historical texts claim that 7,000 slaves were involved in the construction of the cistern. Our last stop takes us to famous covered bazaar (Kapali Carsi), one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. We conclude the day with a traditional cup of Turkish coffee and afterwards return to our hotel.

  Bosphorus tour by boat (public): approx. 2 - 3 h

  ON: in Istanbul at the hotel

  Meals:   B / - / -

• DAY 4

  Istanbul to Gallipoli peninsula with south cemeteries & memorials

  After breakfast we leave Istanbul and drive towards Gallipoli peninsula. The Dardanelles strait has always played a strategic role in history and is unique in many respects, the Persian army of Xerxes I and later the Macedonian army of Alexander the great crossed the Dardanelles in opposite directions to invade each other's lands. In 1915, during World War I, the western Allies sent a massive invasion force of British, Indian, Australian and New Zealand troops to attempt to open up the strait.

  On arrival we first visit the south cemeteries & memorials with cape helles memorial; Morto bay with the French war cemetery and Canakkale martyrs' memorial and if time is permitting Soganlidere & Sahindere cemeteries, twelve tree copse cemetery and N.Z. memorial. The helles memorial is both the memorial to the Gallipoli campaign and to men who fell in that campaign and whose graves are unknown and/or who were lost or buried at sea in Gallipoli waters. Inscribed on it are the names of all the ships that took part in the campaign and the titles of the army formations and units which served on the peninsula. It stands on the tip of the peninsula and is in the form of an obelisk over 30m high that can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles. Morto bay with the French war cemetery and Canakkale martyrs' memorial is located on the south of the peninsula. The French war cemetery commemorates the 14,300 French troops who died in the Gallipoli campaign, some of whom are buried in individual graves whilst the remains of others are contained in ossuaries within the cemetery. The Canakkale martyrs memorial is over 40m high and commemorates Turkish losses in the battle of Canakkale, as the campaign is known there.

  In the late afternoon/or early evening we take the ferry and cross over to Canakkale, a small seaport on the southern (Asian) coast of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The city is located amidst a historical and mythological rich area, homeland of many widely known legends. Canakkale itself is a pleasant town with a nice harbour and nice cafes around

  Transfer time: 3 h; transfer distance: 320 km (Istanbul to Canakkale via Kilitbahir & Gallipoli)

  ON: in Canakkale at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 5

  Gallipoli peninsula north cemeteries & memorials

  After breakfast we cross over to Gallipoli peninsula again and take time to walk through north cemeteries & memorials. We first visit Kabatepe (Gallipoli) museum located within the Gallipoli historic national park and commemorates the Gallipoli campaign, now considered a defining moment in the modern history of not only Turkey, but of Australia and New Zealand as well. The museum hosts numerous relics from the campaign, including weapons, sniper shields, ammunition, uniforms, photographs, letters written by the soldiers to their families, and private belongings such as shaving tools, cocoa cases, leather flasks, dress buttons, belt buckles are on display in the museum. Afterwards we take time to walk through the national park housing many relics of the naval and land battles that took place in 1915 during world war one and to visit the landing points of the western allies, known as ANZAC cove, became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops for the eight months of the battle of Gallipoli. We visit beach cemetery; shrapnel valley cemetery; plugge’s plateau cemetery; shell green cemetery & lone pine cemetery, the largest graveyard-cum-memorial to those buried unmarked or at sea. Afterwards we continue towards chunuk bair cemetery via johnston’s jolly cemetery; quinn's post cemetery; 57th regiment memorial & cemetery; walker's ridge cemetery; the nek cemetery; Sgt mehmet’s monument (Mehmet Cavus Aniti) & baby 700 cemetery. In the late afternoon/or early evening we return to Canakkale where we spend the night at the hotel.

  ON: in Canakkale at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 6

  Canakkale to Selcuk via ancient Troy & Assos

  Today we leave Canakkale and drive to Selcuk, on our way we visit ancient Troy, best known for being the focus of the Trojan War described in the Greek epic cycle and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer. Troy was added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 1998. Alexander the great visited the site in 334 BC and made sacrifices at tombs there associated with the Homeric heroes Achilles and Patroclus. Afterwards we continue to ancient Behram, better known as Assos, founded from 1000 to 900 BC by Aeolian colonists from Lesbos. The settlers built a Doric temple to Athena on top of the crag. After leaving the platonic academy in Athens, Aristotle went to Assos, where he was welcomed by king Hermias and opened an academy in this city, also St. Paul visited the city during his third missionary journey through Asia Minor on his way to Lesbos.

  In the afternoon we arrive in Selcuk where it is possible to have a short walk to the old city centre, famous for its traditional Turkish culture and lifestyle. The old quarter of the town, known as Ayasoluk hill, dominates the surrounding area with several historical buildings on its slopes, including the Isa Bey mosque, the grand fortress and the 6th century Basilica of St. John the Apostle, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. We conclude the day with a traditional cup of Turkish coffee before we return to our hotel.

  Transfer time: 4 - 5 h; transfer distance: 390 km; (Canakkale to Selcuk via Troy & Behramkale/Assos)

  ON: in Selcuk at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 7

  House of the Virgin Mary and ancient Ephesus & terrace houses

  After breakfast we discover the area around Selcuk, where we first visit the house of Virgin Mary. The Roman Catholic Church has never pronounced on the authenticity of the house for lack of acceptable evidence, but nevertheless maintains a steady flow of pilgrimage since its discovery. Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there until her Assumption. Afterwards we drive to nearby ancient city of Ephesus, one of the former twelve cities of the Ionian league during the classical Greek era and home to one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the book of revelation. In the Roman period it was for many years the second largest city of the Roman Empire, ranking behind Rome. Ephesus contains the largest collection of roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15 % has been excavated. The ruins that are visible give some idea of the city's original splendour and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. During our visit we also head over to Ephesus terrace houses, located on the hill opposite the Hadrian temple. Also called as "the houses of rich", these houses, with amazing mosaics and frescos, are covered with protective roofing which resembles Roman mansions. In the late afternoon/early evening we return to Selcuk where we spend the night at the hotel.                     

  ON: in Selcuk at the hotel

  Meals:   B / L / D

• DAY 8

  Trip concludes at Izmir airport

  After breakfast; transfer to Izmir airport where the trip concludes. 

  Transfer time: 1 h; transfer distance: 60 km; (Selcuk to Izmir airport)

  Meals:   B / - / -