Sue McPherson Tours and Travel: Sue McPherson - Remembering Our Soldiers - Anzac Day at Gallipoli 2023

Arrive Istanbul

Flight transfer to Bodrum by Turkish Airlines.

On arrival in Bodrum we will be met and transferred to our hotel..

Rest of the afternoon is free to explore Bodrum 

Welcome Dinner Tonight

Note Hotel  to be confirmed.

After our breakfast we will be met by our guide and have a morning visit to Bodrum Castle.   Afterwards we will board our  Gullet which is a flat bottom boat and  relax with lunch on the Aegean Sea.

Dinner tonight  Own Arrangements.

Morning Free in Bodrum and then after lunch we will drive to Kusadasi via Didyma and Priene.

Lunch and Dinner own arrangements.

*Today is a religious holiday so some museums and sites will not be open until 1.00pm  (This may include shops)

This morning after breakfast our visit takes us to the wonderful city of Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary and then a visit to Ephesus Museum.   
 

Dinner tonight is included at the hotel.

Today is a longer day of travelling.   After an early breakfast we make our way to  Canakkale  and enroute stop at Pergamon  (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Asciepion.   After our visits we continue onto Canakkale  which will be our base for the Gallipoli Peninsular.

This morning after breakfast we make our way to the Peninsular where we will have a full day of touring the  Gallipoli cemeteries, memorials and battlefields.

A boxed lunch is included.      Following lunch we explore the peninsular in more detail.

After touring make our way back to the hotel where Dinner is included.

A very early start to make our way to Anzac Cove for Dawn Service.   This might mean leaving at  midnight to ensure that we are at Anzac Cove in time for the service.   It will depend on the  organizers of the service as to what time we can arrive, if we need passes.    Please ensure that you have a lot of warm clothing and a back pack to hold them if the weather warms throughout the day.

After the service at ANZAC Cove  we will make our way to Lone Pine for the Lone Pine Service. 

 This will be along Arterial Road and could take approximately 30-40 minutes walk up hill.  If you cannot walk there will be shuttle buses.     After the service we must wait for the Turkish, New Zealand service to be completed before we can make our way back to our hotel.

Today will be a boxed breakfast/lunch.

There is no Alcohol allowed on ANZAC Cove.

On our return we will have Dinner at the Hotel.

Leisurely breakfast at the hotel.

We return to Istanbul but before we head back we travel to Troy where we take a visit to the ancient civilization and see a replica of the Trojan Horse.   After our visit to the museum we will travel to Istanbul.

Enroute we will enjoy a lunch.

Dinner tonight is own arrangements.

This morning our guide will take us to Topkapi Palace , Rustem Mosque and Spice Market.   We will view the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and the wonderful skyline of Istanbul.  After lunch we will make our way to a very relaxing Bosphorus Cruise.

Lunch is included today.

Dinner is own arrangements.   (Sue will take you to one of her favourite restaurants) 

Today after breakfast we have a fantastic day planned.   Visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Serefiyre Cistern and the famous Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

Lunch is included today.

Dinner Own Arrangements.     ( so many fabulous places to eat - it will be hard to choose.)

Start the day with a leisurely breakfast - today is a free day.   You may want to go and spend the day at the Grand Bazaar shopping, visit some of the side streets and  restaurants  or just spend the day relaxing at the hotel.    A visit to the  modern city of Istanbul is a must.

Lunch today own arrangements

Farewell Dinner tonight.

Early morning breakfast and then our transfer to the airport in time for our flight to Paris.

On arrival in Paris we will be met by our transport and driven to the beautiful township of Arras.

Later this afternoon we will visit the Wellington Tunnels  just a  15 minute walk from the hotel.  

Wellington Tunnels are under the paving of Arras and were dug during the Middle Ages.  During the Great War

Allies began preparing a diversion attack.   The New Zealand Tunnellers were in charge of linking up the quarries to create a true underground network where 24,000 soldiers could be quartered, waiting for the offensive to start.

Tonight we have our Welcome Dinner at a restaurant nearby our hotel.

Colin Gillard our Australian Battlefields  experienced guide  ( he has been guiding the Australian Battlefields for over 30 years) will take us on our journey to  Follow our Soldiers.

Our touring over the next couple of days takes us to some important sites in the Somme and around Pozieres.  Please note that the itinerary may not necessarily be in the order stated as there will be private cemetery visits and we work our tour around this very important part of your visit.

Australian  1sr Division Memorial, and the famous Windmill on the Ridge.  pass by Mouquet Farm, site of a series of bloody battles which resulted in the loss of 6,300 allied troops.  Villers Bretonneux Memorial where the Anzac Day Service takes place.   Visit Sir John Monash Museum.

Lunch today is included.

Dinner tonight own arrangements.

Another day of touring the Somme.   We will visit more battlefield sites, cemeteries, memorials.  Such as Bullecourt with the Slouch Hat, Lochnager Crater near the town of Albert.  Le Hamel where Monash led the Australians on a revolutionary and very successful attack , which combined tanks , artillery and infantry. Perhaps  catch a glimpse of the crash site of the Red Barron.  Visit Mont St Quentin.

Lunch is included

Dinner tonight own arrangments.

Today is a rest day and enjoy  the township of Arras.   Visit the town squares and climb to the  top of the Bell tower in the Town Hall, explore the underground tunnels or just relax at the lovely cafe's and maybe squeeze in a bit of shopping.

    You may even want to take a quick trip to Paris.   Only 50 minutes by train.

Sue will be able to help you with this day.

Lunch and Dinner own arrangements.

This morning after breakfast  depart for Ypres  stopping at the Canadian Battlefield at Vimy Ridge.  Visit Fromelles where two thousand Australian Men died in a single night.  We will learn about their sacrifice at the Unique Cobbers Memorial and VC Corner before visiting Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery.

Lunch is own arrangements and Colin  recommends a very special place for Hot Chips and Chocolate.

Dinner tonight is included.

Over the next two days we will be visiting many of the battlefield sites in Flanders- such as Polygon Wood, Hooge Crater, Hill 60, Menin road, Passchendaele and the Largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world  Tyne Cot.  Tyne Cot is the resting place of two Australian VC Winners.

Lunch is included today.

Dinner own arrangements   (Try one of the many Belgium Beers on offer)

This morning after breakfast we make our way to Langemark German Cemetery to see the resting place of thousands of men, who just like Australians, followed the orders of their superiors and paid the ultimate price.    Today is an opportunity  for special cemetery visits.

We return to Ypres for Lunch  - own arrangements.

The shops may be closed but there is still a lot to do in this beautiful town.     Why not visit the beautiful Cloth Hall right in the city centre and houses a wonderful Museum dedicated to WW1.   Walk the ramparts and stop at the small cemetery which has several commonwealth soldiers buried there. 

Last Post Ceremony.   We will walk to the Menin Gate for the Last Post Ceremony.

Fare well Dinner will be included and is after the ceremony.

Today  we have a tour to Dunkirk

Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk, involved the rescue of more than 338,000 British and French soldiers from the French port of Dunkirk between 26 May and 4 June 1940. The evacuation, sometimes referred to as the Miracle of Dunkirk, was a big boost for British morale. Prime Minister Winston Churchill recognised however that the greatest challenge still lay ahead, as Nazi ambitions now turned toward Britain. 

Lunch and Dinner Own Arrangements

This morning we travel to the beautiful  Port en Bessin  where we will spend the next few nights whilst discovering  our Normandy tour.

En route we visit Pegasus Museum dedicated to the the story of heroic assault by British Airborne troops on Pegasus Bridge.

Visit the D Day landing beaches  and see Mulberry Harbour.  An amazing feat of engineering in WW2 which allowed Allied Soldiers to bring ashore crucial heavy munitions. 

Visit more of the areas of  D D landings and American Cemetery of Colleville Sur Mer as see in Saving Private Ryan.  We will expore numerous other WW2 battlefield sites and places of Interest.

Leaving the beautiful port, we make our way to Bayeux where will have a chance to visit  Bayeux Tapestry.   

The Bayeux tapestry is one of the supreme achievements of the Norman Romanesque .... Its survival almost intact over nine centuries is little short of miraculous ... Its exceptional length, the harmony and freshness of its colours, its exquisite workmanship, and the genius of its guiding spirit combine to make it endlessly fascinating.[2]

The cloth consists of some seventy scenes, many with Latin tituli, embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns. It is likely that it was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's maternal half-brother, and made in England – not Bayeux – in the 1070s. In 1729, the hanging was rediscovered by scholars at a time when it was being displayed annually in Bayeux Cathedral. The tapestry is now exhibited at the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy, France

This afternoon we arrive at Mont St Michel.      

We will only need an overnight bag as we are staying right on the Mont.  Its difficult to take a large suitcase as the steps are narrow and are cobblestone.        We will drop our bags and then discover the fascinating Mont.

Dinner included tonight.

Today after breakfast  we can have a short look around the Mont and then make our way back across the causeway to our coach.     Our 4 hour  journey today takes us back to Paris and we will arrive around 4.00pm

On arrival we check into our hotel at Bercy Village  and then purchase our Metro pass for the next few days.  Sue will be able to assist.

Tonight take the metro to the  Trocadero where we will see the amazing Eiffel Tower light up.    We will find somewhere to dine before heading back to our hotel.

Today for those who wish to use the hop on hop off bus we start our  days touring.

This allows us to see the many sights , sounds and smells of Paris.  Eiffel Tower,  Arch De Trimuph,   Montmarte,  The Louvre.

 We can choose to stay on or just hop off at one of the many iconic sites.     
 

For those who wish to visit the Eiffel Tower we can pre book.

Tonight   Illuminations of Paris including a cruise.

Another wonderful day in Paris and we still have another day on our Hop on Hop off bus.     Lets discover this romantic city together.

An early morning transfer to  Charles Du Gaulle Airport where we check in for our return flight home.

Sadly today we must farewell Ypres and make our way  either to other destinations or back to Paris where our tour will end.