1-Day Gallipoli Battlefields Tour from Istanbul

Istanbul to Gallipoli — Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair & the ANZAC Battlefields

Your day begins with an early-morning pick-up from your Istanbul hotel at approximately 5:30 AM. Our comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle will whisk you westward across Thrace, crossing the rolling countryside of European Turkey toward the Dardanelles. The drive takes roughly four to four and a half hours, with a refreshment stop along the motorway where you can grab a Turkish tea, stretch your legs, and freshen up before arriving at the peninsula.

As we approach the Gallipoli Peninsula, your expert guide will set the stage for the day ahead, explaining the geopolitical tensions that led to the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign and the devastating toll it exacted on all sides.

You will gain a deep understanding of the Allied strategy to seize the Dardanelles Strait and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the First World War. This narrative backdrop transforms every cemetery, trench line, and hilltop memorial you visit into something profoundly personal.

Our first stop is the beautiful, pine-shaded cove known as Anzac Cove, the narrow strip of beach where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps made their fateful dawn landing on 25 April 1915.

Standing on the pebbly shore with the steep, scrub-covered ridges rising sharply behind, you will immediately appreciate the near-impossible terrain the soldiers faced that morning. Your guide will recount the confusion and heroism of those first hours, bringing the landscape vividly to life.

From the cove we walk a short distance along the coastal path to the ANZAC Commemorative Site, the open-air amphitheatre that hosts the annual Dawn Service every 25 April.

Here you will see the famous words attributed to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk inscribed on the memorial wall — a message of reconciliation that still moves visitors from every nation.

We will pause for a moment of quiet reflection before continuing to Ari Burnu Cemetery, one of the first burial grounds established above the beach, where rows of white headstones overlook the Aegean Sea.

Next we visit Beach Cemetery, a small, poignant resting place nestled between the cliffs and the waterline, and then Brighton Beach, named by the soldiers after the famous Melbourne beach.

These quiet, beautifully maintained sites powerfully convey the scale of sacrifice. Take a moment to read the individual inscriptions on the headstones — many of the fallen were barely twenty years old.

We then head inland and uphill to Johnston’s Jolly, where the opposing front lines were separated by as little as a few metres. You can still trace the outline of the original trenches cut into the ridge, now softened by a century of weathering and covered in low scrub.

Your guide will explain the grim stalemate of trench warfare and the daily routines of soldiers on both sides. The preserved trench system here offers one of the most tangible connections to the reality of the campaign.

A short drive brings us to The Nek, the narrow, razor-backed ridge that was the site of one of the most tragic episodes of the entire campaign. On 7 August 1915, waves of Australian Light Horsemen charged across this impossibly narrow stretch of ground into devastating machine-gun fire.

The small memorial and cemetery here are among the most emotionally powerful on the peninsula. Your guide will share the stories of the men commemorated at this hallowed site.

Our next destination is the iconic Lone Pine Australian Memorial, arguably the most visited and emotionally resonant site on the entire peninsula.

The memorial commemorates the fierce battle of 6–9 August 1915 and bears the names of over 4,900 Australian and New Zealand soldiers who have no known grave. Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded during the fighting here — more than in any other single engagement of the campaign.

A lone Aleppo pine, descended from a seed brought back by an Australian soldier, stands as a living symbol of remembrance and hope.

After an emotionally full morning, we break for a well-earned lunch at a local restaurant in the town of Eceabat, situated on the shores of the Dardanelles Strait.

You will enjoy a traditional Turkish meal that may include grilled köfte, fresh salads, rice pilaf, and seasonal vegetables. This is a welcome opportunity to rest, recharge, and discuss the morning’s experiences with your fellow travellers and your knowledgeable guide.

Refreshed after lunch, we return to the peninsula and drive to the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery.

This solemn site honours the Ottoman soldiers of the legendary 57th Regiment, who were ordered by their commander Mustafa Kemal to stand and fight — and who were virtually wiped out in the process. The cemetery and its surrounding pine forest provide a powerful reminder that the Gallipoli Campaign brought devastating losses to all nations involved.

Your guide will share the famous order Kemal gave his men, a moment that would shape the future of Turkey.

We continue uphill to Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, perched atop one of the highest ridges of the battlefield and marking the farthest point the Allied advance ever reached.

The hilltop offers sweeping panoramic views across the peninsula to the Aegean and the Dardanelles — views that instantly reveal why control of this high ground was so desperately sought. It was here that the Wellington Battalion and other New Zealand troops fought with extraordinary valour in August 1915.

Nearby, a large statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk commemorates the Ottoman counterattack that recaptured the ridge.

Before departing the peninsula, we pay our respects at the Respect to Mehmetçik Statue, a striking monument depicting a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Allied soldier to safety.

This powerful sculpture embodies the spirit of mutual respect and shared humanity that has come to define how Gallipoli is remembered today. It is a fitting final image to carry with you as we leave this extraordinary landscape of courage and loss.

With the afternoon sun lowering over the Dardanelles, we board our vehicle for the return journey to Istanbul. The drive back takes approximately four to four and a half hours, with a comfort stop along the way. You will arrive at your Istanbul hotel between 8:30 PM and 9:00 PM, with time to reflect on an unforgettable day spent walking in the footsteps of history. END OF OUR SERVICE AND TOURS.

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