Gallipoli Battlefields by Air
7 days from £1,349pp
About the tour: Gallipoli Battlefields by Air
- Campaign: The Great War (WW1)
- Campaign Dates Covered: Apr 1915 - Jan 1916 (What's this?)
This tour will cover the following key events
- Landings at Gallipoli - 25 April 1915The Gallipoli Landings saw the troops of the British Empire arrive at ANZAC Cove during WW1, as part of an amphibious invasion, which began the Gallipoli campaign. The landings occurred at night and saw mainly Australian and New Zeland soldiers try to take control of the beaches. It is commemorated as ANZAC Day.
- First Battle of Krithia - 28 April 1915The First Battle of Krithia was the first attempt that the Allied troops made against the Ottoman forces during the Battle of Gallipoli. Unfortunetly the troops failed in their objective due to the strength of the Ottoman forces, poor planning and being exhausted from the Landings at Cape Helles.
- Second Battle of Krithia - 6 May 1915After two days of costly battles the Allied troops were able to make up some ground during their seconds attempt to advance at Helles, however just like the First Battle of Krithia, they were unable to meet their objectives which was to capture Krithia and Achi Baba.
- Third Battle of Krithia - 4 June 1915After the two previous failed attempts to advance to Achi Baba, the Allied forces made a third and final attempt to take ground from the Ottman forces. However, once again the Allied troops failed in their objectives and endured another costly battle.
- Battle of Gully Ravine - 28 June 1915After the costly battles already endured by the Allied troops during the Gallipoli campaign, all hope of achieveing victory over the Ottoman forces had vanished. However, although a high amount of casualties were recorded, the Battle of Gully Ravine was successful and the Allies managed to gain almosts a kilometre along th coast.
- Landings at Suvla - 7 August 1915As a final attempt to make progress during the Battle of Gallipoli, the Allies attempted an amphibious landing at Suvla. Unfortunetly, once again poor management and planning meant that the Allied troops failed to make any progress during this offensive, and it led to the dismissal of the British Commander, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford.
- ANZAC and Suvla evacuated - 20 December 1915After many failed attempts and no sign of a break through during the Battle of Gallipoli, it was decided that the troops would be evacuated to avoid further loss of life. It took two weeks but the evacuation was a huge success and hardly any casualties were recroded.
- Gallipoli evacuated - 9 January 1916Being the most and probably only real successful operation of the Battle of Gallipoli, the evacuations were conducted with only three casualties and the troops had all left Gallipoli by the 9th January 1916. The Battle of Gallipoli was a great victory for the Ottoman’s during WW1.
Tour Introduction
On this World War 1 battlefield tour we visit the haunting Gallipoli battlefields, located in the Dardanelles. See the sites where more than 30,000 British and Commonwealth troops gave their lives, as our tour begins in Gallipoli town where we see the Helles Memorial. We then focus on the landings of April 1915 and see where the British troops landed on V beach. At ANZAC we see the landing beaches and visit the nearby cemeteries such as Lone Pine. At Sulva Bay we look at the story of the ‘Lost Battalion’. Finally we visit Canakkale and Troy, seeing Canakkale Military Cemetery and the siege site at Troy.
Tour Includes
- 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- 5 evening meals
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Return flights from Heathrow to Istanbul with one checked-in suitcase
- Airport transfers in Istanbul
- Air-conditioned coach travel
(Deposits from £500pp)
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Fly to Istanbul where you will be met and transferred to your overnight hotel.
Day 2 - Gabatepe & Helles Memorial
Early departure for the journey to Gallipoli. We have lunch in Gallipoli town, overlooking the Dardanelles. Following check-in at our hotel where we stay for four nights, we visit the Helles Memorial to the Missing, where the vast majority of those who fell in 1915 are commemorated.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Helles Memorial (3)
Key Visits
- Gallipoli
- Helles Memorial
- Turkish Gun Battery
Day 3 - British Landings Cape Helles – Krithia
We start by focussing on the landings on 25th April 1915. On the British sector we see where the River Clyde landed men of the 29th Division on V Beach and the nearby V Beach Cemetery. We then move on to Lancashire Landing, where the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers won six VCs before breakfast. (This visit requires some walking as the roads to the beach are not accessible by coach.) At X Beach we see where HMS Implacable landed 2nd Royal Fusiliers, and after lunch we look at the ground at Krithia.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
V Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli (3)
Key Visits
- V Beach
- X Beach
- Seddul Bair
- V Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli
Day 4 - ANZAC Beach – Lone Pine
Continuing with our look at the 25th April landings we move to ANZAC, where the Australians and New Zealanders landed. We visit ANZAC itself, spending the morning walking along the landing beach, also seeing the battlefield and military cemeteries. At Lone Pine, we look at the Australian attack, then see the Lone Pine Memorial and Cemetery. We see where Albert Jacka became the first Australian to win the Victoria Cross in WW1, and go to the Nek, where the Australian Light Horse suffered heavily in the August offensives – as graphically illustrated in the film ‘Gallipoli’. The day ends on the New Zealand battlefield at Chunuk Bair.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Lone Pine Memorial & Cemetery (4)
Key Visits
- ANZAC
- Lone Pine Memorial & Cemetery
- Nek
- Chunuk Bair
- The Sphinx, ANZAC Cove
- Preserved Turkish Trenches at ANZAC
Day 5 - Suvla Bay – Shell Green
In the morning we go to Suvla Bay, where we study the landings and also look at the history of the ‘Lost Battalion’, the 1/5th Norfolks: the men from the Sandringham Royal Estate who disappeared during the fighting at Suvla. We also visit the Newfoundland Memorial at Caribou Hill. After lunch, we return to ANZAC and see the peaceful Shrapnel Valley Cemetery and walk up to Shell Green where the Australians played a game of cricket in full view of the Turks.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Newfoundland Memorial, Suvla Bay (3)
Key Visits
- Suvla Bay Museum
- Shrapnel Valley Cemetery
- Shell Green
- Suvla Bay
- Newfoundland Memorial, Suvla Bay
Day 6 - Canakkale – Troy
We cross the Dardanelles to visit Canakkale, with free time for some shopping and lunch. In the afternoon we travel to Troy, visiting the site of the siege and seeing the archaeological remains, before travelling to our last night near Canakkale.
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Turkish Monolith at Cape Helles (3)
Key Visits
- Troy
- Turkish Monolith at Cape Helles
Day 7
Fly back to the UK from Istanbul.
Included meals: Breakfast
Entrance fees to museums, places of interest and optional excursions are at extra cost.
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
You will stay overnight in a 4-star hotel, such as the Doubletree by Hilton Istanbul Toptaki Hotel. You will then stay for four nights at the 3-star Hotel Kum in Eceabat/Gelibolu or similar and then overnight at the Doubletree by Hilton Canakkale Hotel or similar.
Kum
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About the hotel
The 3 star Kum Hotel is located on the south west coast of the Aegean Sea near to the Saroz Bay. Kum meaning Sand in Turkish is named as it has a natural beach with in walking distance.
Hotel Features
- Bar
- Bureau de Change
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Restaurant
- WiFi Available
Room Features
- Hairdryer
- Telephone
- TV
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Flights
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Return flights are with British Airways from London Heathrow to Istanbul. All prices and airports are subject to availability. Flight supplements may apply. Please call for more details. This holiday is operated by Leger Air Holidays Ltd. ATOL 3880.
We will book flights to coincide with the arrival of other passengers joining the tour from a variety of UK airports. This is to enable the smooth operation of transfers for the group. Your flight times will be confirmed with your travel documents.
If your chosen airport indicates a supplement may apply, we will contact you shortly to discuss.
