Çanakkale

Tours

Take a detailed tour of ancient city of Troy, and discover scenes from Homer's Illiad. Learn of how the city was rediscovered and enjoy a delicious lunch. Travel from Istanbul in an airconditioned bus and cross from Dardanelles to Çanakkale by ferry.  Start the tour at your hotel in Istanbul, where you will be met by your driver and drive to Troy by giving a break en route for refreshements (Breakfast served at own expense).  Relax on the drive to Eceabat, once the ancient city of Madytos, located on the shores of the Dardanelles Strait. Stop to enjoy a hearty lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, your guide will accompany you on a 25-minute ferry trip across the Dardanelles to Çanakkale. Board the tour bus for the drive to nearby Troy and begin your tour. Hear about the mythology surrounding Troy. Dive into how the city was discovered, the ancient history, and what has been revealed by extensive archaeological excavations. Hear about how 9 cities have where constructed on top of each other which date back to before 3500 BC, with the city made famous by Homer in his book the Iliad being just one of the layered settlements. See the still impressive defensive walls of the ancient city and learn the story of the Trojan War. Walk past the ruins of everyday houses dating back more than 3000 years. Stroll along same paths as the people of the city did three millennia ago.  Get back on the tour bus for the ride back to Çanakkale. Have a look at the Hollywood wooden horse from the famous movie Troy Catch the return ferry to Eceabat. After a brief break, board the bus for the return trip to Istanbul and end your tour back at your hotel. 

Your tour starts in front of the Tourist Information Center in Çanakkale at around 10:45AM, where you will be met by your passenger escort and accompanied to the ferry terminal. From there you will travel by ferry for the short trip across the Dardanelles Strait. Upon your arrival to the town of Eceabat, once the ancient city of Madytos, you will be able to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch you will board a coach for the 15-minute trip out to the battlefields, crossing the Gallipoli Peninsula and driving to the Aegean coast as well as one of the most famous beaches in modern history: ANZAC Cove. The first part of your tour takes in the area where the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed on April 25 1915. Moving from the beaches up into the hills above, the tour then traces the line of the battle along what became known as Second Ridge, where the Allied advance was halted on the first day of fighting by the Ottoman defenders and where the front line was located for the next seven months. The tour follows the road along the top of Second Ridge, with the lines of Allied and Turkish trenches still clear on either side. The tour stops at a number of cemeteries and memorials, including the Australian memorial at Lone Pine where almost 5,000 Australians who have no known grave are commemorated, and Johnston’s Jolly Cemetery where you will walk through the now abandoned trenches and tunnel entrances. The final stop on the tour is Chunuk Bair, one of the highest points on the peninsula and the site of the New Zealand National Memorial. The hill was captured in August by New Zealand troops and held for two days before being recaptured from the Allies by Ottoman forces under the personal command of Mustafa Kemal, who later became the president of modern Turkey. Chunuk Bair was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign, with the names of more than 850 New Zealand soldiers who fell in the area commemorated on the memorial. The recapture of Chunuk Bair effectively ended Allied hopes of victory at Gallipoli, and so is a fitting place for the tour to close. At the conclusion of the tour your bus will return to Eceabat. You will be escorted to the nearby ferry for the trip back across the Dardanelles.

Day 1: Istanbul - Eceabat - Canakkale 6:00 AM - 6:20 AM: Pickup from your hotel around the Taksim area 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM: Pickup from your hotel around the Sultanahmet area. Depart for Eceabat by non-smoking A/C minibus 09:00 - 09:30 AM: Break for refreshments (breakfast at your own expense ) 12:20 PM: Arrive in Eceabat 12:30 PM: Restaurant lunch 1:00 PM: Depart for a fully guided Gallipoli tour visiting Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels), Turkish 57. Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial6:00 PM: Tour ends and check in to your hotel. Overnight at a 3-star basis or similar hotel Day 2:  Troy 1:30 PM: Pick up from the hotel and depart to visit the Trojan Horse, Sacrificial Altars, the 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I, 3000 BC - 2500 BC, the Bouleuterion (Senate Building), the Odeon (Concert Hall), and the remains of the various cities from Troy I through to Troy IX 4:45 PM: Head back to Canakkale 5:30 PM: Board your bus to your hotel in Istanbul 11:00 PM: Arrive in Istanbul with drop-off at your hotel

Your tour begins at the door of your hotel in Canakkale, where you will be met by your driver to take a 30-minute drive to Troy. There you will be met by your tour guide who will explain the mythology surrounding Troy, as well as the history and discoveries of the archaeological excavations. You'll learn the city in detail, from its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s through to the present day. You will not only see the still-impressive defensive walls of the ancient city and learn the story of the Trojan War, but will also be able to walk past the ruins of everyday houses which date back more than 3,000 years. You can also walk the same paths as the people of the city did three millennia ago. Following your tour, you will re-board your tour bus to be carried back to Çanakkale where you will catch the ferry to travel from Asia to Europe. After enjoying lunch at a restaurant, you will then take a trip into the past on a half-day tour of Gallipoli. You'll travel by air-conditioned minibus to the battlefields and war memorials of the ANZAC campaign of the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. Upon arrival on the Gallipoli Peninsula, your tour will focus on the ANZAC sector of the infamous battlefields. You'll stop at 11 different points of interest to learn more about the fateful events of the Australian and New Zealand troops, including ANZAC Cove where the troops first landed and set up base. Following that you will go to Beach Cemetery, where many of the soldiers who died during the Battle of Gallipoli were buried. You can pause to reflect at the Lone Pine Memorial, one of 5 memorials on the peninsula that commemorate servicemen of the former British Empire killed in the campaign but who have no known grave, before visiting the battlefields of The Nek and Chunuk Bair. At the conclusion of your tour, you will take the ferry back to Canakkale.

Your tour begins at the door of your hotel in Canakkale, where you will be met by your driver to take a 30-minute drive to Troy. There you will be met by your tour guide who will explain the mythology surrounding Troy, as well as the history and discoveries of the archaeological excavations. You'll learn the city in detail, from its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s through to the present day. You will not only see the still-impressive defensive walls of the ancient city and learn the story of the Trojan War, but will also be able to walk past the ruins of everyday houses which date back more than 3,000 years. You can also walk the same paths as the people of the city did three millennia ago. Nine cities have been discovered built one on top of the other dating back to before 3500 B.C., with the city made famous by Homer in his book the Iliad describing the 10-year war being just one of the layered settlements. Following your tour, you will re-board our tour bus to be transported back to Canakkale, where your experience will conclude.

The tour starts at the door of your Çanakkale accommodation at 10:00AM. From there, take a 30-minute trip to the ancient city of Troy. Visit the museum of Troy and see the unique artifacts excavated around it,Because most of the travellers like to visit the museums on their own pace this part of the tour is without a live guide. Audio guide can be hired at the entrance of the museum. Following some free time for lunch, meet your local guide to visit the UNESCO-listed site of Troy. Throughout the tour your guide will explain the mythology surrounding Troy, as well as the history and discoveries of the archaeological excavations. This ranges from its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s through to the present day. Nine cities have been discovered here, built one on top of the other and dating back to before 3500 B.C. The city made famous by Homer in his book the Iliad describing the 10-year war is just one of these layered settlements. Not only will you see the still-impressive defensive walls of the ancient city and learn the story of the Trojan War, but you will also be able to walk past the ruins of everyday houses which date back more than 3,000 years, walking the same paths of people three millennia ago. Following your tour, re-board the tour bus to be carried back to Çanakkale, where you will be dropped off to your hotel door.

1º DAY | ARRIVAL TO ISTANBUL Arrival to Istanbul . Meet with english speaking assistant at the airport . Transfer to the hotel for check in . Overnight at the hotel . 2º DAY | ISTANBUL ( Breakfast,Lunch) Breakfast at the hotel . Drive from your hotel to Spice Market for shopping . Free time. Then meet and proceed to take 1,5 hrs bosphorus Cruise excursion along the bosphorus , that is dividing the 2 continents Asia & Europe . During the excursion you will enjoy the beauty of Istanbul , with its forest , Palaces and wooden old houses built on both continents . Lunch at local restaurant . After lunch visit Sultanahmet Mosque , Hippodrome and the famous Hagia Sophia . Free time at Grand Bazaar . Tour terminates at Grand Bazaar . Overnight at the hotel . 3º DAY | ISTANBUL | ANKARA (Breakfast , Dinner ) Breakfast at the hotel . Departure from the hotel to visit Topkapi Palace ( harem section entrance free is not included ) the house of the ottoman sultans . Free time at Grand Bazaar . ( closed during the first day of the religious holidays ) In the afternoon to Ankara – the capital of Turkey . Arrival to Ankara in early evening . Dinner & overnight at the hotel . 4º DAY | ANKARA | CAPPADOCIA (Breakfast , Dinner ) Breakfast at the hotel . Visit Anatolian Civilizations Museum where you will see the Neolithic & Paleolithic ruins from Urartu , Hatti, Hittite, Phrygia civilizations, then proceed to Mausoleum of Ataturk , the founder of Turkish Republic. In the afternoon drive to Cappadocia . En route visit the Underground city which is constructed by the first Christians to protect themselves from the attacks . Dinner and overnight at the hotel . 5º DAY | CAPPADOCIA (Breakfast , Dinner ) Breakfast . Full day visit at Cappadocia . Visit Göreme Open Air Museum - a UNESCO Heritage site , a fantastic region with it’s cave churches located on the valley. Then proceed to Uchisar Village and then the spectacular fairy chimneys. Visit Derbent Valley with and explore the natural rock formations and get a chance to attend the workshops of carpets and onyx-stones . Dinner and overnight at the hotel. 6º DAY| CAPPADOCIA | PAMUKKALE (Breakfast,Dinner ) After the breakfast at the hotel , drive to Pamukkale . En route visit Sultanhan Caravansarai that was built during Seljuk Empire and used long years as a stop over for the travellers and merchants. Continue to Pamukkale . Visit Cotton Steps – a UNESCO heritage site that has been believed to have healing thermal water. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. 7º DAY | PAMUKKALE | EPHESUS | IZMIR (Breakfast,Dinner ) Breakfast . Drive to Selcuk – Ephesus . Visit the Ephesus Ruins – the city that was dedicated to Artemis : the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora .Then proceed for Virgin Mary House - has been believed it is the final resting place of the mother of Jesus . Then stop at Leather Production Store . Proceed for Izmir . Dinner and overnight at the hotel . 8º DAY | IZMIR | PERGAMON |TROY| ÇANAKKALE (Breakfast , Dinner ) Breakfast . Drive to Pergamon ( Bergama ) region and visit the ruins of Asclepion which is the first hospital of Asia Minor in human history . Then continue to Troy , visit the famous city that evokes the poetic name of Homer's Iliad.Continue to Canakkale . Dinner and overnight at the hotel . 9º DAY |ÇANAKKALE | BURSA | ISTANBUL (Breakfast) Breakfast at the hotel Departure for Bursa (270 km) which was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire between 1326 and 1364. Visits to the medieval Great Mosque 'Ulu Camii', the famous Silk Bazaar 'Koza Han' and the Green Mausoleum. Continuation to Istanbul (~150 km). Accommodation at the hotel. 10º DAY | DEPARTURE FROM ISTANBUL (Breakfast) Breakfast at the hotel. (if the flight and transfer schedule allows it). Transportation to the airport and the end of our services.

Begin your adventure with an early-morning departure from your hotel in the city center, and start the drive to Canakkale. When you arrive in Canakkale, enjoy lunch and then begin visiting the highlights of the city. Stops will include: • Brighton Beach • The Beach Cemetery • ANZAC Cove • Ariburnu Cemetery • The ANZAC Commemoration Site • Lone Pine Australian Memorial • Johnston's Jolly (Turkish and allied trenches and tunnels) • 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial • The Nek • Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial In the evening, continue on to Canakkale and check in at your 4-star hotel. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and stay overnight. On day 2, eat breakfast at the hotel and after breakfast, depart for a full-day tour and visit the famous archaeological and mythological site of Troy, home to the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy. You will see the ruins of legends and hear about the history of: • The Trojan Horse • Helen of Troy • The Trojan Wars • The battle between Achilles and Paris • Sacrificial altars • The 3,700-year-old city walls • Houses of Troy I (3000-2500 B.C.) • The Bouleterium (senate building) • The Odeon (concert hall) • Current excavations in progress • Remains of the various cities from Troy I-Troy IX After the tour, you’ll return to Canakkale for lunch, and enjoy free time during the afternoon before you depart for Istanbul.

TAB 1: ANKARA / CAPPADOCIA Day 1: Ankara to Cappadocia - Morning departure from the hotel or airport. - Visit the Hittite Museum to explore artifacts from the ancient Hittite civilization. - Explore the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the resting place of the founder of modern Turkey. - Lunch break. - Drive to Cappadocia. - Dinner and overnight stay in Cappadocia. (L,D) Day 2: Cappadocia Exploration - Breakfast at the hotel. - Visit the underground city of Özkonak and the Citadel of Uçhisar in the morning. - Lunch. - Continue with a visit to the Göreme Valley and Open-Air Museum to see rock-cut churches with frescoes. - Explore Dervent Valley, famous for its unique fairy chimney rock formations. - Visit Avanos, known for its pottery-making tradition. - Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (B,L,D) TAB 2: CAPPADOCIA / PAMUKKALE Day 3: Cappadocia to Pamukkale - Early departure for Pamukkale. - Visit the 13th-century Seljukian caravanserai "Sultanhan" on the way. - Lunch en route. - Explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, including the Roman Baths, Basilica, and the stunning calcium terraces of Pamukkale. - Drive to Pamukkale Hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (B,L,D) TAB 3: PAMUKKALE / IZMIR Day 4: Pamukkale to Izmir - Breakfast at the hotel. - Visit the House of Virgin Mary at Meryemana. - After lunch, continue to Ephesus, the Roman Capital of Asia Minor. - Explore the ruins, including the Odeon, Hercules Gate, Temple of Hadrian, Library of Celsus, and the Great Theatre. - Dinner and overnight stay in Izmir. (B,L,D) TAB 4: IZMIR – ÇANAKKALE Day 5: Izmir to Çanakkale - Early departure for Çanakkale. - Visit Asklepion, an ancient medical center dedicated to the god of healing, Asklepios. - Continue to Troy, legendary city of the Trojan War, and visit the archaeological site including the Athena temple. - Drive to Çanakkale for dinner and overnight stay. (B,L,D) TAB 5: ÇANAKKALE – BURSA – ISTANBUL Day 6: Çanakkale to Istanbul via Bursa - Breakfast in the morning. - Drive to Istanbul via Bursa, the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire. - Visit the Green Mosque and museum in Bursa. - Explore the silk bazaar, where you can find traditional Turkish silk products. - Lunch break. - Continue to Istanbul and arrive at the hotel in the afternoon. (B,L) Feel free to ask for more details on any specific part!

Embark on an exciting 2-day tour from Istanbul, and explore the fascinating ruins of Troy, as well as the celebrated battlefield site at Gallipoli. Spend your first day exploring the amazing ruins of Troy, and hear the captivating stories behind the famous Battle of Troy, including the myth of the Trojan Horse, the tale of Helen, the history of the Trojan Wars, and the battle between Achilles and Hector. On your second day, depart for the famed battlefield site of Gallipoli, where the celebrated European soldiers and ANZAC troops died defending the site on April 25, 1915. Visit the many memorial sites and cemeteries of both the European and ANZAC soldiers, paying equal respect to all soldiers who lost their lives, and discover the sites that were crucial during the battle. Detailed Itinerary Day 1 6:00 AM - 6:30 AM: Pick-up from hotels in Taksim, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Ortaköy, Bebek 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM: Pick-up from hotels in Sultanahmet, Beyazıd, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray 8:30 AM: Enjoy a stop for an open-buffet breakfast(Extra) 12.00 PM: Arrive in Eceabat and enjoy lunch on the beautiful views over Dardanelles 1:00 PM: Depart for a fully guided Gallipoli tour visiting Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels), Turkish 57. Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial 6:00 PM: Tour ends and check-in to your hotel. Overnight at Troia Anzac hotel Day 2 Open buffet breakfast 1:30 PM: Pick-up from your hotel 1:45 PM: Depart for Troy tour. You will visit the Trojan Horse, Sacrificial Altars, the 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I, 3000 BC - 2500 BC, the Bouleuterion (Senate Building), the Odeon (Concert Hall), and Remains of the various cities from Troy I through to Troy IX 4:45 PM: Back to Canakkale 5:30 PM: Tourist bus to your hotel in Istanbul 8:30 PM: Stop for a break along the way 11:00 PM: Drop off at your hotel in Istanbul