Not only does it provide a different perspective of WW1, but the stunning natural terrain also offers ample opportunities to learn and explore outdoors, meaning less time on the coach and more time spent being engaged and active on foot.
Keep reading to find out more about why you should take a WW1 history trip to Gallipoli below.
Gain a different perspective of WW1
On a WW1 trip to Gallipoli, your students will hear about the nature of fighting, the role of individuals and learn about the war not only from the British point of view, but also the ANZACs, the French and the Ottoman Turks.
Exploring historically significant sites such as Anzac Cove, Sulva Bay, Cape Helles, and V Beach gives your students a different insight into WW1, bringing history to life through seeing the contrasts between the fighting in the trenches, use of the land, naval engagements, landing on the beaches and religious differences.
Get the feeling of the battlefields to yourself
Don’t feel like joining a line of coaches at Serre or Tyne Cot? On the Gallipoli Peninsula you’ll spend very little time on the coach, with lots of walking, either on the beautiful sandy beaches, or across the hill tops.
There are likely to be much fewer tourists overall in Gallipoli (compared to France and Belgium), especially outside of ANZAC Day (April 25), so it's usually easier to explore without crowds. Expect to get more time and space at memorials, cemeteries, and trenches, giving your students more opportunities to reflect without the rush. That’s why Gallipoli is a great option if you’re hoping for a quieter, more focused experience.
Spend less time on the coach
The Gallipoli Peninsula is relatively small, with many of the key sites within a short drive of each other. Our 5-day itinerary has been specifically designed to include focused key visits across different days, giving your students more time at fewer sites, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy more focused learning and reflection.
The story is geographically and chronologically compact, meaning that we’ll explore one major operation across a relatively small area. This is beneficial because it means that your students can grasp the whole narrative from start to end, from landing to stalemate to evacuation, and visit the key sites (e.g. Anzac Cove, Capes Helles, Sulva Bay) within just a few days.
Warm climate and beautiful coastlines
Gallipoli has a Mediterranean climate, meaning that you can expect sunny, warm weather for most of the year. We would advise visiting in the cooler months though to avoid peak summer temperatures though, which can reach which can be as high as 33°C in July.
With long, hot summers and short, mild winters, combined with stunning sandy beaches, rolling hilltops, and stretching coastlines, Gallipoli has a very different feel to your usual battlefields trip in France or Belgium. We also include time for fun activities outside the educational aspects of your tour, such as a boat ride to Canakkale and a refreshing swim at Brighton Beach, to help your group make the most of their time in Gallipoli.
Expert guides to ensure you get the most of your tour
For many reasons, a WW1 trip to Gallipoli is a very different kind of battlefields trip to France and Belgium. One key difference is that our Gallipoli trips are focused around one single campaign that unfolded over eight months in 1915, whereas in Belgium and France you will hear about many different battles and stories over multiple years of the war.
Our Gallipoli trips are fully guided, including an Anglia guide and a local Turkish guide, who will be there to support, engage, and educate your group. Our expert guides will help you to get the most out of your tour, guiding your students across multiple key sites and bringing history to life through compelling stories and accounts.
Summary
There are many different reasons why Gallipoli is an excellent destination for your next WW1 history school trip. Not only does Gallipoli provide a different perspective of WW1, from the Middle Eastern Front rather than the Western Front, it also has a completely different type of terrain. Featuring rugged coastlines, rolling hilltops, and a sunny and warm climate almost year round.
Your students will explore a different strategy in the war, with the unique opportunity to learn about Turkey’s role in WW1. It will give them a broader, more global view of the war, including the Ottoman perspective and how the war shaped modern Turkey.
Outside of the educational aspects of your tour, you’ll also be able to enjoy the sun, warm climate, and beautiful surroundings in your own time, helping your students create happy memories that they will remember fondly for years to come.
If you want us to start planning your WW1 Gallipoli history tour, get in touch with our team today.
