ANZAC Cove
Arrive on the afternoon of 24 April, visit the museum and hold your place through the night.
Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey
ANZAC Day in Turkey: Four Ways to Be at Gallipoli for the Dawn Service.
On 25 April, thousands gather on the shore at ANZAC Cove and wait through the night for first light. Whether you have two days or eleven, we get you there, and we handle everything the day demands.
Dawn Service
25 Apr 2027
Location
Gallipoli, Turkey
Duration
2, 5, 8 or 11 Days
Group Size
2 to 20, up to 45 on ANZAC
Guide
Local English Speaking Guide
Four Itineraries. One Dawn Service. 25 April 2027.
Why Travel With Us
Why ANZAC Day at Gallipoli asks something different of a tour
Reaching Gallipoli on 25 April is not like arriving anywhere else.
Access to the peninsula is closed and controlled by the Turkish authorities across the 24th and 25th, positions at the Cove are taken many hours in advance, and the whole day runs to a timetable set by someone else.
We have been running ANZAC departures since 1999.
Our groups reach the Cove on the afternoon of 24 April with time to visit the museum and settle in, wait out the night together, and move up to Lone Pine or Chunuk Bair in the morning without a scramble.
Everything else on this page is simply a question of how much of Turkey you want on either side of that.
Running Since 1999
We have taken groups to the Dawn Service for over 25 years
Local Guide Throughout
A local English speaking leader handles access, timings and the ferry
What You Will See
The Dawn Service, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair
All four tours share the same two days at Gallipoli. The longer itineraries build the rest of Turkey around them.
The Dawn Service
First light over the water, at the hour the landings began.
Lone Pine
The Australian Memorial Service, from 10:00am on the ridge above the Cove.
Chunuk Bair
The New Zealand Memorial Service, from 11:30am.
Istanbul
The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, on every tour except the 2 day.
Plus, on the longer itineraries
- Troy and the Museum of Troy, on the 8 and 11 day
- Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis and Sirince village, on the 8 and 11 day
- The travertine terraces at Pamukkale and the ruins of Hierapolis, on the 8 and 11 day
- The Goreme Open Air Museum and the Cappadocia fairy chimneys, on the 11 day
- The Mevlana Museum at Konya and the Sultanhani Caravanserai, on the 11 day
- Anitkabir, Ataturk's mausoleum in Ankara, on the 11 day
The Tours
One commemoration. Four itineraries. 2 to 11 days.
All four start and end in Istanbul, all reach ANZAC Cove on the afternoon of 24 April 2027, and all are led by a local English speaking guide.
The two days every tour shares
24 April
Istanbul to ANZAC Cove
Drive to Canakkale and rest at the hotel, then leave again around midnight, cross the Dardanelles by ferry and reach the Cove in the early hours to settle in for the wait.
25 April
The Dawn Service
The service before sunrise, then the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine from 10:00am and the New Zealand Memorial Service at Chunuk Bair from 11:30am.
What happens either side of those two days is the only thing that separates the four tours.
Compare the four
- Dates
- 24 to 25 Apr 2027
- From
- $435
- Meals
- 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
- What it adds
- Nothing else. Istanbul out, Gallipoli, Istanbul back. Note that airport transfers are not included on this one.
- Dates
- 22 to 26 Apr 2027
- From
- $870
- Meals
- 4 breakfasts, 1 dinner
- What it adds
- A full guided day in Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar.
- Dates
- 22 to 29 Apr 2027
- From
- $2,145
- Meals
- 7 breakfasts, 4 dinners
- What it adds
- Istanbul, plus Troy, Ephesus, Sirince, Kusadasi and Pamukkale, with a domestic flight from Denizli back to Istanbul.
- Dates
- 22 Apr to 2 May 2027
- From
- $2,165
- Meals
- 10 breakfasts, 7 dinners
- What it adds
- Everything on the 8 day, plus Konya and the Silk Road, two days in Cappadocia and Ataturk's mausoleum at Ankara. Five UNESCO sites.
Prices shown are the current early bird 'from' prices per person, twin share. A 25 per cent early bird discount applies on bookings made by 31 October 2026.
The wait at ANZAC Cove through the night of 24 April.
Where You Stay
Four star hotels, one cave hotel, and one night that is not a hotel at all.
Every tour uses local 4 star hotels, with the night before the service spent in Canakkale, the closest city to the peninsula. The 11 day itinerary adds the Gamirasu Cave Hotel in Cappadocia, cut into the volcanic rock at Ayvali. The night of 24 April is the exception: you spend it outdoors on the ground at ANZAC Cove, waiting. It is cold, often damp, and it is long. Bring warm layers, waterproofs and something to sit on. Most people describe it afterwards as the part that mattered.
- Local 4 star hotels throughout, all rooms en suite and air conditioned
- The night of 24 April is spent outdoors at ANZAC Cove, not in a hotel
- The Gamirasu Cave Hotel in Cappadocia on the 11 day itinerary
- Solo travellers matched with a same gender room share, or a single supplement
Traveller Reviews
What travellers say about Turkey with Encounters Travel
Real reviews from Encounters Travel guests who have travelled Turkey with us, including the peninsula itself, as posted on TripAdvisor, TourRadar and Trustpilot.
4.7 out of 5 from over 1,700 traveller reviews of Encounters Travel tours
A great mix of commemoration and holiday
“This tour was really well put together, a great mix of memorial service for ANZAC as well as a great holiday to Turkey. Our guide was fantastic, very helpful and kept everything very interesting.”
Turkey encounter with Encounters Travel
“What a great experience. I was a solo traveller and a bit worried but the office staff answered all my questions promptly, assuring me I would be in an English speaking group. The tour itself was simply amazing, especially if you like history. Great sites with plenty to do, including Troy, Gallipoli, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Ephesus. Same guide and driver for the duration and all 4 star hotels.”
Encounters Travel Turkey holiday
“We had a really good holiday in Turkey. We started in Istanbul then visited Gallipoli, Kusadasi, Cappadocia and places in between. There were never more than 21 in our tour group, varied backgrounds and ages from late twenties to high eighties. An extremely friendly and sociable group.”
Encounters Travel, Turkey
“I can really recommend booking a trip through Encounters Travel. All entrance fees were included. Thanks to Mariska for always getting back to me immediately. The tour surpassed my expectations and the accommodation provided was excellent. The tour guide was amazing, very informative. We had a small group of 10. Overall a great trip, worth every penny.”
Fantastic service for a trip of a lifetime
“My partner and I recently had a two week holiday in Turkey, organised through Encounters Travel. We wanted something tailored to our interests and availability. Each time we had a question they were very prompt to respond, did so in full, and very courteously. Encounters Travel liaised with all of the local agents and catered for everything we had asked for.”
Highly organised and really helpful
“I took one of the trips to Turkey and it was wonderful. The trip was very organised and everything was taken care of. When booking the trip, they were incredibly helpful and flexible. I would travel with them again.”
“People ask me which of the four to book. My answer is always the same: all of them put you in the same place at the same hour on 25 April. Choose on how much time you have, and how much of Turkey you want around it.”
Mariska Knoesen, Sales Manager at Encounters Travel
Tell me how long you have and where you are flying from and I will tell you which of the four fits. I can also walk you through exactly what the night at the Cove involves before you commit to it.
The Dardanelles crossing to the peninsula.
Practical Details
Everything you need to know.
- Event
- ANZAC Day Dawn Service, Gallipoli, 25 April 2027
- Tours
- Four itineraries of 2, 5, 8 and 11 days
- Duration
- 2 to 11 days depending on the tour
- Start and End
- Istanbul to Istanbul
- Group Size
- Small group, 2 to 20, rising to a maximum of 45 on ANZAC departures
- Accommodation
- Local 4 star hotels, plus one night outdoors at ANZAC Cove
- Region
- Turkey: Istanbul, Canakkale and Gallipoli, and further afield on the longer tours
About ANZAC Day
The history behind the Dawn Service, and why it is held where it is.
The Background
A landing before dawn, eight months of stalemate, and a date that outlived the campaign.
On 25 April 1915, troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, part of an Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles and open a supply route to Russia. They came ashore in darkness onto a narrow strip of beach below steep ground, at the place now known as ANZAC Cove.
The campaign lasted around eight months and ended in evacuation. Casualties were heavy on every side: Turkish, Australian, New Zealand, British, French, Indian and others. Nothing about the outcome was a victory for anyone.
What the date became is a separate matter. In Australia and New Zealand, 25 April grew into a national day of remembrance for everyone who has served. The Dawn Service is held at first light because that is the hour the landings began.
25 April 1915
the day of the landings
8 months
the length of the campaign
Why Gallipoli, and why with a group
The commemoration is fixed to one place, one date and one hour.
◎
It happens on the ground itself
The Dawn Service is held at the ANZAC Commemorative Site, a short distance from where the landings took place. Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair sit on the ridges above it.
✓
Access is closed and managed
The peninsula is controlled by the Turkish authorities across 24 and 25 April. Your leader handles the timings, the ferry crossing and getting the group into position.
★
Both national services, one morning
Australians continue to Lone Pine from 10:00am and New Zealanders to Chunuk Bair from 11:30am. Both are in every one of the four itineraries.
◆
Come prepared for the cold
Late April on the peninsula reaches around 15 degrees by day and drops well below that overnight, often with rain. Layers matter more than anything else you pack.
Good To Know
Your ANZAC Day questions, answered
Which of the four tours should I book?
All four put you in the same place at the same hour on 25 April, and all four include both the Australian service at Lone Pine and the New Zealand service at Chunuk Bair. Choose on how much time you have. The 2 day is Gallipoli and nothing else, the 5 day adds a guided day in Istanbul, the 8 day adds Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale, and the 11 day adds Cappadocia, Konya and Ankara.
What actually happens on the night of 24 April?
You drive from Istanbul to Canakkale and rest at the hotel, then leave again around midnight, cross the Dardanelles by ferry and reach the Cove in the early hours. You then wait on the ground until the service before sunrise. It is cold, often damp, and it is long. Most people describe it afterwards as the part that mattered.
What should I bring for the overnight wait?
Warm layers, a waterproof jacket, a hat and gloves, and something to sit on such as a foam mat or a thick plastic sheet. A sleeping bag is allowed and many people bring one. Late April on the peninsula reaches around 15 degrees by day and drops well below that overnight.
Why is the night spent outdoors rather than in a hotel?
Access to the peninsula is closed and controlled by the Turkish authorities across 24 and 25 April, and positions at the commemorative site are taken many hours in advance. Everyone attending the Dawn Service waits on the ground. Your leader handles the timings, the ferry crossing and getting the group into position.
How large are the groups?
Encounters Travel small group departures normally run from 2 to 20 travellers. On ANZAC Day departures the maximum rises to 45, because of the way access to the peninsula is organised.
What is the early bird discount?
A 25 per cent early bird discount applies on bookings made by 31 October 2026. The prices in the comparison table are the current early bird 'from' prices per person, twin share. Please check the individual tour page for the current price before you book.
Do I need a visa for Turkey?
Many nationalities can enter Turkey visa free for short stays, and others apply for an e-visa online in advance. It depends on your passport, so please check the current requirement for your nationality. Your passport should have at least six months validity beyond your travel dates.
Are airport transfers included?
Transfers are included on the 5, 8 and 11 day tours. They are not included on the 2 day tour, which starts and finishes in Istanbul city. If you are booking the 2 day, allow for getting yourself to and from the airport.
Is this suitable for solo travellers?
Yes. Solo travellers are matched with a same gender room share, or you can pay a single supplement for your own room. A local English speaking tour leader is with the group throughout.
How physically demanding is the day?
The commemoration itself involves a long night sitting outdoors, then walking uphill from the Cove to Lone Pine and on to Chunuk Bair over the course of the morning. There is limited seating and little shelter. It is manageable for most people with reasonable mobility, but the combination of no sleep, cold and walking is genuinely tiring. Speak to us if you have concerns about mobility.
Still have a question? Our travel specialists are happy to help.