Best Gallipoli Tours & Things to Do | Turkey Tours

✓ Last reviewed: May 2026 — Verified and updated by our licensed Turkey travel experts. Quick Answer: A visit to the historic peninsula of Gallipoli , Turkey, is a profound full-day or two-day experience, with guided day tours from Istanbul typically costing between $434 and $1156 USD per person. The ideal time to visit for comfortable weather and reflection is during the spring (April-June) and autumn (September-November), allowing you to fully absorb the poignant history of this sacred landscape. What Is Gallipoli and Why Is It So Significant? Gallipoli (Gelibolu in Turkish) is a rugged peninsula in northwestern Turkey, separating the Aegean Sea from the Dardanelles Strait. While a place of immense natural beauty, its global significance stems from the brutal Gallipoli Campaign of World War I. From April 1915 to January 1916 , Allied forces—primarily from the British Empire (including Australia, New Zealand, Britain, India, and Newfoundland) and France—launched a massive amphibious invasion to seize the Dardanelles, control the sea route to Russia, and defeat the Ottoman Empire. The campaign resulted in a hard-fought victory for the Ottoman Turkish defenders and became a defining moment in the national consciousness of several nations. For the burgeoning nation of Turkey , the victory at what they call the Çanakkale Savaşı (Battle of Çanakkale) was a cornerstone of national identity, and it was here that a brilliant military commander named Mustafa Kemal—later known as Atatürk , the founder of the Republic of Turkey—rose to prominence. His leadership at Gallipoli was instrumental in the defense. For Australia and New Zealand, the campaign marked a "baptism of fire." The courage, endurance, and camaraderie shown by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) forged a powerful national identity known as the "ANZAC Spirit." April 25th , the date of the initial landings, is commemorated as ANZAC Day , the most solemn day of remembrance in both countries. The cam