Proposed FSG Tour to the Dardanelles May 2027

Register your interest in attending this exciting tour

We are proposing a tour to the Dardanelles as detailed in the box below and we want to understand whether there is sufficient member interest before we firm up the details including dates and undertake a recce to secure access to the sites we have identified.  

We have quotes from two tour operators, but they are unable to fix their prices or the exact dates due to the current international situation. However, the indicative cost at current prices is:

GBP 1,795 p.p. for single-room occupancy and GBP 1,675 p.p. for double-room occupancy, including one main meal per day but excluding  travel to/ from Türkiye.

This is based on 20 participants which is the minimum for the tour to be viable. 

If you are potentially interested in joining this tour and receiving more information please register your interest using the 'book tickets' form at the bottom of this page.

Provisional Itinerary

This itinerary is informed by Michael Forest’s book ‘The Defence of the Dardanelles’ and by the webinar that Michael gave the FSG.

Rewatch the Webinar. 

The indicative programme would be:

Day 0

Overnight: Istanbul

Day 1

• Drive to the Dardanelles from Istanbul
• Cimpe Kalesi Fort 1850s/1870s (Bulair Lines). Open site
• Bigali (Boghali ) Kalesi Battery 1807 (recently restored as a site/museum)
• Eceabat, recreated trench position. Remains of 4 Krupp 150mm guns
• Camburnu Battery 1807 visible from the road, inside a ‘Güvenlik’ area.
• Overnight: Eceabat/Kilibahir

Day 2

• Kilid Bahi Castle (15th Century)
• Namazgah Fort 1893
• Rumeli Hamidiye Fort 1896
• Rumeli Mecdiye Fort  1890s - 240mm Krupp
• Yildiz Battery 1890s
• Overnight: Eceabat/Kilibahir or Seddülahir

Day 3

• Hissarlik Burnu / Turkish Memorial / Tott’s Battery 19th century remains / guns
• Seddülahir (Sedd el Bahr) Fort 1657-60 / 19th Century
• Ertugrul Battery 1880s / V Beach [4.7” Armstrong]  / Helles Memorial [150mm Krupps]
• Helles French Battery {4 x 240 mm Desbois de Boussechausse]
• Overnight: Canakkale

Day 4

• Nagara Burnu / Kalesi 1807 / 1852 Earth Redoubt  – military area as is Mecidiye Kalesi Fort 1870s
• Canakkale Republic Sq [240mm Krupp, 6”barrel UK]
• Canakkale Marine Museum
• Cimenlik Kalesi 15th Century /19th Century Battery
• Anadolou Hamidiye – new museum recently opened
• Dardanos Battery, in memorial [guns – remains]
• Canakkale Troy  Museum
• Overnight: Canakkale

Day 5

• Orhaniye Battery 1880s abandoned [2 x 240 Krupp near complete, 1 x 6”]
• Kum Kale remains of 1660s fort, 1880s battery – military site
• Kum Kale Cakaltepe 1930s concrete covered emplacements accessible [2 x 6” UK guns]
• Mesudiye Battery 1938 near  Güzelyalı [2 x 6”]
• Turgut Reis Battery 1930 - 2 turrets from pre-dreadnought German SMS Weissenberg. [2 x pairs 280mm Krupp]
• Overnight: Canakkale

Day 6

• Boat excursion between Seddülahir and Nagara
• Return to Istanbul possibly fitting in Suvla /  Küçükanafarta [2 x 240mm Krupp]
• Drive back to Istanbul for late flights to UK / Europe

Please note the proposed itinerary is subject to change based on the outcome of our recce.