About

HISTORY

The dawn landings of Australian and New Zealand troops on April 25, 1915 were a symbolic coming of age for two new nations of the British Commonwealth. The ultimately ill-fated campaign cost over 11,000 Australian and New Zealand lives and today is the centre of memorial services commemorating the fallen from that and all subsequent military campaigns.

FANATICS @ GALLIPOLI

Fanatics first visited Gallipoli in 1996 and we have been organising groups to attend the services with our local travel partners Fez Travel for over two deacdes. All of our tour groups are led by an experienced tour guide. Our 5 Day and 11 Day tours travel to Gallipoli on 24 April to explore the cemeteries, memorials and trenches ahead of the Anzac Day services.

WHY DO GALLIPOLI WITH FANATICS?

Accommodation

Our tours stay in quality hotel accommodation in Istanbul and a range of other cities on our various tour options. Our Istanbul accommodation is superbly located in the heart of Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district just a stone’s throw from the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and stunning Bosphorus waterway.

Our Tours

Our 5 Day and 11 Day tours include a fully guided tour of the Gallipoli peninsula with a detailed description of the 1915 campaign and the significance of each Gallipoli site. Our 11 Day tour also includes guided tours of Istanbul and other Turkish cities such as Ephesus, Pergamum, Ankara and Cappadocia.

Our tour guides are on hand in both Istanbul and Gallipoli to help you experience everything Turkey has to offer. All coaches have an experienced English-speaking full time Turkish tour guide to assist you and provide some added historical background from a local Turkish perspective.

More Time At Gallipoli

We know a visit to Gallipoli is a once in a lifetime experience for most people which is why we have tailored our tours to spend the maximum possible time on the peninsula. Our 5 Day and 11 Day tours spend additional time visiting the cemeteries, memorials and trenches at Gallipoli before entering the dawn service commemoration area.

Note that our 2 Day tour arrives at Gallipoli at around midnight before the dawn service.

Atmosphere

All tours observe the sanctity of Gallipoli by not drinking around the battleground site. The Gallipoli peninsula is an extremely serene site and visitors cannot help but be overcome by the memorials of past sacrifice of a generation of young Allied and Turkish citizens.

Upon our return to Istanbul we share in a couple of yarns over a beer and of course the traditional game of two-up!

Local Culture

We have been working with our Turkish tour partners Fez Travel for over 20 years in order to put together a tour program that not only covers the best of Gallipoli and the Anzac Day services but also some of the incredible sights and experiences this amazing country has to offer. Tourists never cease to be amazed at what Turkey has to offer and longer stays are richly rewarded. All of our tours include the services of a full-time Turkish tour guide and our extended tour options include various cultural programs on their tour itineraries.

TOURIST VISAS & EVENT REGISTRATION

People travelling on Australian, UK or European passports (among others) must purchase a tourist visa online before arriving in Turkey - see the TURKISH VISA WEBSITE for details. New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa.

All attendees also need to register their attendance at the Gallipoli services before the event. Registations can now be made online HERE.

BEFORE YOU GO

Pre-departure Information

Three weeks before the tour we will email you and update our website with details on getting to your accommodation, what to bring and any last-minute tips to make sure you get the most out of Turkey. An email with links will be sent to each booking person, otherwise check out our website at that time for details!

Online Resources

An excellent source of historical information on the Gallipoli campaign is available on the Australian War Memorial's website HERE.

BEYOND GALLIPOLI

Of course there is a lot more to see in Turkey beyond the Gallipoli peninsula and an extended stay in the country will be richly rewarded. Our 11 Day tour also visits the incredible ancient ruins of Ephesus and Pergamum, the natural beauty of the calcium pools of Hierapolis and unbelievable landscape of Cappadocia and the Ottoman masterpieces of Istanbul and Konya.

GETTING THERE

A number of airlines connect Turkey and Australia via stops in Southeast Asia or the Middle East. Prices start from around AUD $1,800. Istanbul has two main airports - Istanbul New Airport (coded 'IST'), which is the busiest of Turkey's major airports and located 55km north of Istanbul, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport (coded 'SAW') which caters mostly for budget airlines and is 55km east of the city centre.

From London Turkish Airlines and British Airways fly into Istanbul (New) Airport (IST) and Pegasus and Easyjet fly to Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW). Arrival and departure airport transfers are included in our 5 Day and 11 Day tour.