From Istanbul: Gallipoli Private Full-Day Tour

What an amazing tour. Our guide, Abdurrahim Boz (aka Apo) and driver, Kerim Durmas, provided us with a great day. Kerim’s driving was smooth and efficient and Apo’s deep knowledge of the overall Gallipoli campaign was very impressive. He could elaborate on the events and perspectives of ANZAC, Turk, British and French forces whenever “off script” questions were asked. His passion comes from witnessing an ANZAC anniversary ceremony years ago and being curious about why so many people would travel halfway around the world to sleep outdoors before a pre-dawn ceremony. His genuine friendliness is typical of most of the people we have met in Türkiye so far. If your budget allows, this private tour is highly recommended. It will take a couple of hours less than a group tour while enabling you to visit about twice as many sites as a group tour. This is because of the logistics and time involved with pick ups, disembarking and embarking at stops, etc. Thank you Kerim and Apo for an unforgettable experience!

This was a 13 hour round trip tour from our hotel in Sultanahmet, Istanbul with a 7 am pick up and 8 pm drop off. The vehicle was a chauffeur driven Mercedes Vito Tourer, so very comfortable, although the aircon seemed to struggle a bit for our trip on the way back on a wqrm day. It was a long drive (4 hours each way), but a good option if you do not want to shift from your Istanbul accommodation in order to visit the Gallipoli sites. Plenty of water was available in the vehicle and there was a comfort break each way. A light Turkish lunch was included which was perfectly fine, and we took about 45 minutes for this. The guide joined us at Ecebat, near the ANZAC sites. The guide was excellent. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, had excellent English and had plenty of additional aids in the form of large format photos, maps and overviews. His delivery included a number of anecdotes about individuals which gave this a personal touch. The guide was happy to engage in debate about the campaign and particular actions. We visited Z Beach generally, and Brighton Beach and ANZAC Cove specifically, Lone Pine, The Nek, Johnsons Jolly, Chunuk Bair and someTurkish sites, one for their 57th Regiment and their operations generally. The Turkish strategy, the role of Ataturk and the Turkish response were also explained in some detail. This is a very ANZAC centic tour and touches on the British and French operations only briefly. You do not visit the British and French areas at all. This suited us but British and French visitors should be aware. It does cover the naval operations that preceded the land forces landings on 25 April in a bit more detail, which provided good context. It is not a cheap tour but it was still good value. I am easily pleased with this genre of tour, so the real test was my wife’s reaction as she is not a military tourist nuffy, and she was very complimentary, which says a lot after a very long day.

Our amazing guide, Apo, and his incredible driver and co-guide, Sukru, provided the most extraordinary exploration of Gallipoli and the ANZAC/Turkish conflict. It was an incredibly moving and sombre tour which brought to life the unthinkable sacrifices both sides endured during the First World War conflict. We will be forever indebted to Apo who not only directed us to the commemoration of a great uncle at Lone Pine but also respected our grief through a rendition of the Last Post and showed us the ground upon which he lost his life. This detail was beyond what we could ever have imagined and the thought and care provided by our guide will never be forgotten. Apo and Sukru treated us so kindly particularly given one of us had limited physical mobility and required care above and beyond what would be usually needed, we will be forever in their debt. This private tour was incredibly special and the care and attention will never be forgotten.

My husband and I organised a full day tour from Istanbul to Gallipolli and were so fortunate to have an amazing guide, Apo and driver Shukra. We had a fantastic day and visited all of the sites of significance to Australians. Apo had an exceptional knowledge of the area and was able to relay incredible information about what happened at various locations, such as Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, the trenches where Australians and Turks fought, a row boat that was sunk as the Anzacs landed and the shadow in the water where it remains. The day was a really special day and the memories of what we saw, will stay with us for a long time. Thank you Apo and Shukra

Apo was a first class and well informed guide which made our visit to Gallipoli extremely worthwhile and rewarding. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in learning about the campaign from both the ANZAC and Turkish perspectives. Thank you Apo. Well done.

Apo and Simon provide an incredible ANZAC experience. Both Gelibolu natives with a passion for history, Apo's knowledge of Australian and NZ command, operations, field conditions, times and dates put me to shame. This was a pure, clinical, minute by horrendous minute history lesson. Added to that, his insight into the operations and losses of his ancestors in defending their nation told us a story from both sides with passion, honesty and devotion to the memory of the fallen. 5 stars from us and we'll be back to learn more. So grateful to have these men keeping our treasured memories alive.

APO was our Tour Guide for the day. His in-depth knowledge of the Anzac Campaign was excellent! His print out visual aids (photographs, maps and diagrams) really helped with a clearer understanding of the different situations that were faced. Being able to walk the Battlefields and trenches was a highlight. The lunch at the Local Tavern was delicious. Our drive from Istanbul to Gallipoli with Hasan was very safe and comfortable. Over all the Tour was well worth it! Thanks Apo!!

Our guide Apo, has a great depth of knowledge of the key players, their stories and the battlefields of Gallipoli. The tour was very interesting despite the inclement weather. Lunch was delicious. Highly recommend.

Our Gallipoli Guide was APO Abdurrahim Boz We booked a private tour for my husband and I, we started the day with a pick up from hotel in Istanbul, comfortable, quality vehicle and our driver ÖMER was very accommodating, we were able to grab a coffee along the way as it is 4 1/2 drive. We picked up APO our guide closer to Gallipoli. APO’s knowledge and story telling to bring the story of Gallipoli the ANZACS, Allied forces and the Turkish journey was brought together over the whole time we were together. The private tour allows you to ask questions and clarify what is being spoken about. Connecting what we saw from different areas during the day and bringing their stories to life .APO displayed care and compassion for the content he was sharing with us. We were able to walk in the ANZAC trenches which you can’t do in larger groups. Very special experience. Yes it is long day but so worth it.

If you're traveling from Istanbul to tour Gallipoli, spoil yourself: Hire Simon to drive and let Apo take you back to 1915. Imagine what it was like to land at ANZAC Cove and understand from a Turkish perspective how it might have felt to have your homeland invaded. Both stories are compelling... It is a significant drive, but the van is comfortable and Simon breaks up the trip well with restroom and coffee stops. Lunch is included and you'll enjoy feeling like a local while you munch a gozleme (savory Turkish stuffed turnover). Simon and Apo even took us to Suvla Winery at the end of the tour to pick up a bottle for our dinner in Istanbul. They are polite and passionate hosts. As a guide, Apo was exceptional. He knowlegeably weaves an 8-month campaign into a 4 hour narrative, demonstrating respect for the bravery and valor of those who served and died in the Gallipoli Campaign. There are 31 cemeteries around the monument and you'll visit several of them while you re-live some of the most important decisions made by British and Turkish military leaders. A visit to "The Nek" shows you what was re-created as one of the last scenes in the film Gallipoli - 27 meters separating ANZAC and Turkish troops and what it must have been like to charge from the trenches into Turkish fire defending Hill #700. 110 year-old shrapnel and a bullet casing from that battle we're found as we walked through trenches... The pace is balanced...Apo answers your questions along the way and gives you plenty of time to absorb the information. Because of his guidance, we truly understood the history of the location from a completely different perspective than you can find in a history book. I'm glad we went. We will always remember the story so much more vividly than our pictures can convey.