Gallipoli Battlefields Tour
The Gallipoli tour lasts about 4-5 hours according to the weather and conditions. The cost includes air-conditioned minibus, guide, ferry crossing and entrance fees. Time is allowed for swimming at Anzac Cove during the high summer (July-August). A lunch box is provided at the scheduled break. Itinerary
We start out late in the morning, meet the guide, and catch the 11
.00 ferryboat over from Canakkale to Eceabat. There we pick up any other tour members and set off for the other side of the peninsula. The main stops on the tour are:
Kabatepe Museum - An outline of the Gallipoli Campaign is given followed by time to look around the museum and see wartime relics. Beach Cemetery - Is on peaceful sloping ground by the shore, where we see the grave of John Simpson, the 'Man with the Donkey'. ANZAC COVE - Here the ANZACS bivouacked throughout the nine months of the campaign in the valleys and gulleys amidst heat, snow, rain, and shelling. Arı Burnu - Where the first landings of 25 April took place, near to the Dawn Service ceremonial grounds. They Will Not Be Forgotten. Australian Memorial at Lone Pine - You will be told the story of the August counter-offensive and be given time to walk around the cemetery, situated on a ridge with beautiful views either side. Johnson's Jolly - We see original trenches and tunnels built by the Diggers, just yards away from the Turks.
57th Regiment Turkish Memorial - A reminder that both sides lost an enormous number of men in this conflict. The Nek and Walker's Ridge - A walk along the precipitous ridge immortalised in Mel Gibson's film 'Gallipoli'. Chunuk Bair, New Zealand Memorial - To stand on this hilltop, briefly-captured in August 1915, looking down over the Dardanelles on the other side, is to relive a piece of history and understand the futility of the original objective. We walk through the original (now reconstructed) trenches, then return to Eceabat and get the ferry back over to Çanakkale. Things to Remember
The Gallipoli battlefields are on the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula, away from any towns or villages. There are no shops on the tour route so kit yourself with whatever you need beforehand. A snack box and toilet stop are part of the tour. The Gallipoli battlefields are actually quite a long way from the town of Gallipoli (nowadays 'Gelibolu') that gave its name to the peninsula, and hence the campaign. Çanakkale is therefore a more logical place to stay, offering more in the way of facilities and things to do when not on the tour. Çanakkale is a real Turkish town, not a tourist resort, with a fairly active cultural and social life. Staying outside Çanakkale still means that you can join the tour. We are flexible enough to accommodate visitors from nearby locations and pick them up before we head off to the battlefields. A check list for your day pack might include: Film and camera, hat and/or sun screen if you're sensitive to the sun (we'll be outside much of the time and shade is sometimes scarce), and sensible footwear - we'll be walking along earth tracks part of the way. The tour is conducted at a leisurely pace. We do not rush you round. There will be time to stroll on your own, take photos, pay respects, and, if you’re lucky, find some relics. It is not possible to include Cape Helles on this tour. However, all-day Gallipoli Tours can be arranged according to numbers, or privately, which include Cape Helles and Suvla Bay, the other two battle fronts. Questions
If the weather is bad? We still go, and adapt to the conditions. Do the tours run all year? The number of visitors tends to drop off in the winter months but if there are enough of you, yes, we go! Can I visit Gallipoli and Troy the same day? If you take an organised tour to Troy it’s possible. If you try to do it independently, you may arrive there after the site has closed.
