Gallipoli Day Trip from Istanbul: WWI Battlefields & Memorials

Johnston's Jolly trenches and tunnels where Allied and Turkish soldiers faced off

A full-day guided tour from Istanbul to the Gallipoli Peninsula, visiting World War I battlefields and memorials including Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, ANZAC Cove, and Johnston's Jolly, where you walk through preserved Allied and Turkish trenches. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Istanbul, entrance fees, lunch and an English-speaking guide are included; the day runs 14 hours from early morning departure to late evening return.

Step-by-step itinerary

Gallipoli battlefield tour from Istanbul

• Depart early from Istanbul hotel
• Visit Lone Pine Australian Memorial
• Visit Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial
• Explore ANZAC Cove and Brighton Beach
• See Beach Cemetery and Ari Burnu Cemetery
• Tour Johnston's Jolly trenches and tunnels
• Visit 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial and The Nek
• Return to Istanbul

The Experience

You leave your Istanbul hotel before dawn and drive to Gallipoli, arriving as the morning light reaches the peninsula. The battlefields themselves are quiet now—no noise, no crowds—and the guide walks you through the sites where the 1915 campaign unfolded. You stand at ANZAC Cove where the landings began, then move through the cemeteries: Beach Cemetery, Ari Burnu Cemetery. The Lone Pine Australian Memorial and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial mark where the fighting was fiercest, and the names on them are the soldiers whose movements shaped the day's geography.

Johnston's Jolly is where the tour becomes tactile. You descend into the original trenches—both the Allied and Turkish positions—and walk through tunnels dug by hand more than a century ago. The walls are still there, the passages still narrow. Brighton Beach, the 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial and The Nek complete the arc of the peninsula's story. Lunch is included partway through, and the guide carries the context that makes each stop more than a marker.

The drive back to Istanbul takes the evening, and you arrive after 11pm. The full day—14 hours from pickup to return—means you see the major sites without rushing between them, and the guide's presence means you understand what you are standing in rather than reading a placard alone. Transportation is in an air-conditioned vehicle, and the pace suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Istanbul's old city.
• entrance fees to all sites.
• lunch.
• transportation in a fully air-conditioned vehicle.
• professional English-speaking guide for the duration.
• tips for the guide are included (tips for the driver are optional).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Fez Travel

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour with a set schedule and a professional guide, which means you move through the sites in sequence without navigating between them yourself—ideal if you're arriving in Istanbul for the first time or have limited time and want the major Gallipoli sites covered in a single day. The early departure and late return make it a full commitment, but they're what allow the tour to include all nine major stops without feeling rushed.

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Top questions

What exactly is Johnston's Jolly and why is it the centerpiece of this tour?

Johnston's Jolly is the preserved trench system where Allied and Turkish soldiers faced each other during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign. You walk through the original Allied and Turkish trenches and tunnels on foot, making it the only stop where you descend into the actual battlefield positions rather than viewing memorials or cemeteries from above.

How long is the drive from Istanbul to Gallipoli, and when do I get picked up?

Pickup happens early morning between 6:15 and 6:45 am from your hotel in Istanbul's old city. The drive to Gallipoli takes several hours, and you return to Istanbul after 11pm the same day, making this a full 14-hour commitment from door to door.

Are the Australian and New Zealand memorials the main stops, or are there other sites I should know about?

The Lone Pine Australian Memorial and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial are major stops, but the tour also includes ANZAC Cove (where the landings occurred), Beach Cemetery, Ari Burnu Cemetery, the 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial, Brighton Beach and The Nek. Each site marks a different phase of the campaign, and the guide connects them into a single narrative rather than treating them as separate monuments.

What is the physical demand of this tour—do I need to be fit to do it?

The tour suits all fitness levels. You walk between sites and descend into the trenches at Johnston's Jolly, but the pace is set by the group and the guide. The vehicle is fully air-conditioned, and you spend significant time at each stop rather than rushing. Wheelchair accessibility is available across all areas and surfaces.