Day 1 Wednesday 22nd April 2009
Istanbul (D)
On your arrival in Istanbul you will be met and transferred to your accommodation.

Day 2 Thursday 23rd April
Istanbul (B)
This morning you are taken by coach on a city tour of Istanbul. The tour will include Topkapi Palace, the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles and also the Hippodrome. In the afternoon you visit the Spice Bazaar.

Day 3 Friday 24th April
Istanbul - Gallipoli (B D)
This morning your air-conditioned coach will depart Istanbul for Gallipoli. It takes just under 5 hours to reach Gallipoli, on arrival you have lunch and then begin your tour of the Gallipoli Peninsula. You visit Gabatepe War Museum, Anzac Cove, Lone Pine Australia's Memorial and Cemetery, Quinn's Post, Turkish 57th Regiment Cemetery, The Nek, Chunuk-Bair New Zealand Memorial and Cemetery.
This late afternoon you enjoy an ANZAC eve buffet dinner at ANZAC Cove.
This evening you will depart for the dawn service.

Day 4 Saturday 25th April
Gallipoli - Troy - Ayvalik
At 4.30 am the dawn service begins. You can also go to the Australian National service at 10:30, the Turkish National Service at 11.45 and the New Zealand National service at 13:00.
Late afternoon you travel to Troy and visit the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy. The coach will then take you to Ayvalik for your overnight stay.

Day 5 Sunday 26th April
Ayvalik - Pergamum - Kusadasi (B D)
This morning your coach will take you to Pergamum to see the Asklepion, Zeus alter and Red Basilica. Bergama is the site of the Hellenistic and later Roman city of Pergamum, ruled for several centuries by a powerful local dynasty. Its foremost attraction is the Kizil Avlu or "Red Basilica", a huge edifice on the river not far from the acropolis, originally built as a temple to the Egyptian god Osiris and converted to a basilica by the early Christians, when it was one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor addressed by St John in the book of Revelation - though sadly it's now a crumbling ruin with a mosque in one of its towers.
This afternoon you visit a carpet weaving centre on your way to Kusadasi.
On arrival you relax in a local Turkish Bath before dinner.

Day 6 Monday 27th April
Kusadasi - Ephesus - Kusadasi (B D)
This morning you depart for Ephesus. The city, whos wealth and patronage supported its splendid architectural program, was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Its enormous temple, once considered one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World and rebuilt several times, dates in its latest form from the third century B.C.
The tour of the ruins also includes a theatre, gymnasium, agora and baths, as well as the Library of Celsius.
After lunch, you will make a shopping tour and see the ancient arts of Turkey like leather manufacturing and jewellery.

Day 7 Tuesday 28th April
Kusadasi - Pamukkale (B D)
Today your coach we take you to Pamukkale. On arrival you will stop for lunch. In Pamukkale you will visit the calcium terraces of Pamukkale (cotton castle) and the ruins of Hierapolis, then walk around this natural phenomenon. You can also have a dip in the waters of the natural springs.Tonight you will enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Day 8 Wednesday 29th April
Pamukkale - Istanbul (B)
After breakfast you take the coach back to Istanbul. On arrival your evening is free to relax at the hotel.

Day 9 Thursday 30th April
Istanbul - Brussels (D)
This morning you travel to Brussels. On your arrival in Brussels you are met at the airport and transferred to your central hotel.Tonight there is a group welcome dinner.

Day 10 Friday 1st May
Brussels – Waterloo - Ypres (B L)
This morning you board the coach and travel to the battlefield of Waterloo. On the 18th of June 1815, 191.300 soldiers fought one of the most decisive battles in the history of Europe in only one day. The Wellington army had 67,000 soldiers, Blucher's army 52,300 and Napoleon's army 72,000. A total of 48,500 men fell or were severely wounded on this day. After visiting the battle site you lunch in the township of Waterloo and visit the Museum. You then travel to Ypres and after booking into your hotel your evening is at leisure.

Day 11 Saturday 2nd May
Ypres (B L)
Commencing your tour of the battlefield and Memorials of the Ypres Salient you visit the Ploegsteert Wood Memorial, Shot at dawn soldier Pte McBride, Christmas Truce site, The Peace Tower, Messines and the Mine Crater, the reconstructed German Trenches at Bayonwald, Hill 60 Australian Tunnel Coy Memorial and the Hooge Crater and museum. Lunch is at Mount Kemmel and this evening you attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.

Day 12 Sunday 3rd May
Ypres (B L)
After breakfast you visit Polygon Wood, the 5th Australian Division Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world, where two Australian VC winners, Capt. Jeffries and Sgt McGee are laid to rest, Broodseine where gas was first used and Poelkapelle where the youngest known soldier who was 13 years and 310 days old is buried. You lunch at Langemark and then visit Essex Farm, where the poem “In Flanders Fields” was written, Poperinge, the 'Shooting Post' and 'Toc H' and Lijssenthoek, the second largest Commonwealth Cemetery in Belgium. You return to Ypres and later walk the ancient Ramparts and visit the Flanders field Museum.

Day 13 Monday 4th May
Ypres - Amiens (B L)
After breakfast you depart Ypres for Amiens stopping on the way to visit VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Fromelles Australian Memorial Park. The central feature of the park is the statue of an Australian soldier bringing in a wounded comrade. This statue recognises the heroism of the many unknown soldiers who ventured out into no-mans land to bring in the wounded cobbers. The statue is by Peter Corlett of Melbourne and was inaugurated on 5 July 1998. It stands on the old German front line captured by the 14th Brigade and held overnight. It is a depiction of a 40 year old ex farmer from Victoria: Sergeant Simon Fraser of the 57th Battalion AIF. The Allied Command had refused to enter into any negotiations to bring in the dead and wounded. Over the next three days survivors of the 5th Division went out into no-mans land to retrieve their comrades. Whilst he was out on the battle field Fraser heard a wounded man shout out: Don't forget me, cobber. The injured soldier was rescued on Fraser's next venture out. A boxed lunch is provided and after booking into your hotel in Amiens your time is at leisure for rest or sightseeing, tomorrow will be a very early start.

Day 14 Tuesday 5th May
Amiens - Villers Bretonneux (B)
Today you depart for the Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux. This magnificent structure carries the names of 11,000 Australian diggers who lost their lives and have no known grave. You then visit the Victoria school noted for the sign over the playground…Do not forget AUSTRALIA. You will also have time to visit the school museum before return to your hotel.

Day 15 Wednesday 6th May
Amiens (B L)
Late morning you return to Villers Bretonneux to visit the Adelaide Cemetery and Australian Memorial Park at Le Hamel and the 3rd Division Memorial at Sailly Le Sec. You will also walk the Battlefields where Monash`s detailed tactics resulted in all objectives being taken in just 93 minutes

Day 16 Thursday 7th May
Amiens (B L)
After breakfast you retrace the footsteps of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions who in 45 days, launched 19 attacks and lost 23,000 men in an area of about two square miles. You then visit Albert and Pozieres where you will see the 'Windmill', then onto Mouquet (Mucky) Farm, Fricourt German Cemetery and the Thiepval Memorial and visitor's centre.

Day 17 Friday 8th May
Amiens - Paris (B)
Late morning you take the coach to Paris and after booking into your hotel the remainder of the day is at leisure to discover this magnificent city.

Day 18 Saturday 9th May
Paris (B)
This morning you enjoy a half day city tour visiting the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, Opera, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame. The afternoon and evening are at leisure to allow you to continue your sightseeing.

Day 19 Sunday 10th May
Paris (B)
Today your tour ends and you are transferred to the airport for your flights home. Those continuing the tour to Normandy will board their coach.

Normandy Extension

Day 19 Sunday 10th May
Normandy (B L)
This morning you board your coach to Normandy and book into your hotel. After lunch you visit Ranville Cemetery, Pegasus Bridge-the site of the British Glider and Airborne assaults, and Sword Beach.

Day 20 Monday 11th May
Normandy (B L)
This morning you visit Juno and Gold Beaches, Arromanches and the Mulberry Harbour. After lunch, your time is free to explore Bayeux.

Day 21 Tuesday 12th May
Normandy (B L)
This morning you travel to Omaha Beach, where the casualty rates in the early stages of the assault were some 50%. Then onto the unforgettable Omaha Cemetery, Point du Hoc-site of action of two ranger Battalions, then via Carentan to Utah Beach and Ste. Mere-Eglise.

Day 22 Wednesday 13th May
Normandy - Paris (B)
After Breakfast you return to Paris and after booking into your hotel your time is at leisure.

Day 23 Thursday 14th May
Paris (B)
Today your tour ends.

NB: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner

Additional accommodation, sightseeing, private transfers, insurance, visa or any other travel options are available.