2012 ANZAC Day Tours
'ANZAC Day Tour - Gallipoli to Giza Tour'
14 - Day itinerary

Welcome to Istanbul

Welcome to Istanbul, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, meet your guide and the rest of your group.

Istanbul Old City

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace and the Hippodrome. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and after lunch we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value. Tonight don’t miss the optional Turkish Folklore evening.

Gallipoli Battlefields

Depart for the Gallipoli peninsula early morning and tour this now serene site. Visiting original trenches and tunnels, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, Johnston's Jolly and The Nek before a short ferry ride across the Dardanelles.

Troy

Today we visit the archaeological ruins of Troy. We then cross the Dardanelles, once we arrive at the Gallipoli peninsula we head straight to Anzac Cove to secure a good spot on the grass for the long night ahead.

ANZAC Day at Gallipoli

Awake before sun rise to the ANZAC Dawn Service. We become aware of the almost deafening silence as we commemorate our fallen forefathers on this special day. We attend the Australian &/or New Zealand Memorial services before a late afternoon drive back to Istanbul.

Istanbul

Breakfast and check out by 12 noon and then make your own way to Cairo where your Egyptian adventure begins. If you provide us with your flight details we will be at Cairo airport to take your hotel.

Egyptian Museum, Pyramids of Giza

After breakfast, you will have a welcome meeting with your guide and then a full day of touring is planned, visiting visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum where around 100,000 relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history may be found. The most famous exhibit being the solid gold funerary mask of King Tutankhamun, made of solid gold and weighing 11kg. For an extra fee you may also visit Royal Mummy Room which houses the mummified bodies of some of Egypt’s most illustrious kings and queens. Next stop, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx! Almost 2.5 million limestone blocks, quarried locally and weighing in excess of 6 million tonnes, were used in the construction of Cheops, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids of Giza. Your last visit of this marvellous day will be at Government Egyptian Papyrus Museum where you will learn how ancient Egyptians produced paper made of papyrus. Return to your hotel for time to freshen up for the train trip to Aswan.

Aswan

Arrive to Aswan, transfer & check into your hotel. Today you have the chance for an optional tour to visit the marvellous Philae Temple or an optional tour to experience Nubian culture and have dinner in a traditional local Nubian restaurant. You can also spend this time exploring Aswan in your own style. Will leave this to your imagination...

Felucca

Early wakeup call, depart for the optional tour of the unforgettable Temple of Abu Simbel. Return to Aswan and it's time to sail down the Nile in the same style that Egyptians have been doing it for thousands of years, in a Felucca, "The Traditional Egyptian Boat".

Felucca

You will enjoy sailing down the Nile for the whole day, watching how the daily life of the Egyptian peasants as you pass by, relaxing in the sunshine, and enjoying the amazing natural scenes of water and greenery.

Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple of Horus

Check out from the felucca. Your first visit of the day will be to the Temple of the Crocodile God, Sobek in Kom Ombo, located just beside the River Nile. Your next stop will be the Edfu Temple of Horus, the best preserved Pharonic Temple in Egypt. Arrive in Luxor and check into your hotel. Explore Luxor as there is a lot to see in this wonderful city. In the evening you can visit the astonishing Temple of Luxor as an optional trip.

Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple

Why not start the day by taking the option of an early morning Hot Air Balloon flight? After breakfast it's time to cross the Nile to the west bank of Luxor to visit the Valley of the Kings to see where, for a period of nearly 500 years tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles, there is also an option to visit the wonderful tomb of King Tutankhamun. You will then visit the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut considered one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt". We will return across the Nile to the east bank to visit Karnak Temple, a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world, approximately thirty Pharaohs contributed to it.

Cairo

Arrive to Cairo and Check in the hotel. Today you will visit the Khan Al Khalili Bazaar, one of the most famous markets in the world. Built by the Mamluks in the 15th century, this market hosts all sorts of Egyptian gifts and souvenirs. You will have a great chance to visit an oriental perfume shop to see how merchants mix different oils to have a wonderful perfume at the end.

Cairo

After breakfast, our tour concludes and we say transfer you to the airport for your outbound flight.

Tour includes

• Inbound airport transfer - Istanbul
• Outbound airport transfer - Cairo
• Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking bus
• Professional English-speaking tour guide / Egyptologist (in Egypt) for the duration of the tour
• Commemorative gift
• Tips except driver and guide
• 12 nights - 4 star / 3 star / Sleeper Train / Felucca accommodation.
  1 night
  3 star
  Aswan
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  2 nights
  Felucca
  Aswan - Luxor
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  2 nights
  3 star
  Cairo
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  1 night
  Sleeper Train
  Cairo - Aswan
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  1 night
  4 star
  Çanakkale
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  3 nights
  4 star
  Istanbul
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  1 night
  4 star
  Luxor
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
  1 night
  Sleeper Train
  Luxor - Cairo
  Hotel to be advised
  
  
• 12 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 5 Dinners

Tour does not include

• Suggested optional activities
• Tips – driver and guide
• Entrance fees (approx. £70 - £80)

Tour Type :- Guaranteed Departure

This tour is a 'Guaranteed Departure' tour. This means that it will depart regardless of how many people are booked on to it.