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Anzac Day 2027 at Gallipoli: How to Book Passes and Tours from Istanbul

Free attendance passes for the 25 April 2027 services are due to open late this year. How the night works, and how to get to Gallipoli from Istanbul.

Emrecan BilginAuthor20 October 20269 min read

Anzac Day 2027 at Gallipoli: How to Book Passes and Tours from Istanbul

Registration for the 2027 Anzac Day services at Gallipoli is due to open towards the end of this year, the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) says, and without a free attendance pass no one will be let into the commemorative sites on 25 April 2027. Planning for the 112th anniversary of the landings is under way, according to the department's Gallipoli page. Last year the New Zealand Defence Force announced the opening of registration for the 2026 services on 3 December 2025, which gives a fair idea of the timing.

The 2026 Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site drew almost 1,800 people, according to DVA figures reported by SBS. That is a fraction of the crowds of the early 2000s, and it means there is room for anyone who registers and plans the night properly. In 2027 Anzac Day falls on a Sunday, so a long weekend from Istanbul is realistic for travellers already in Europe.

Here is how the passes work, what the night looks like, and how to get there from Istanbul, with prices.

The 57th Infantry Regiment memorial and cemetery on the Gallipoli peninsula under a clear blue sky, with a Turkish flag

At a glance


Date	Sunday 25 April 2027, 112th anniversary
Passes	free, compulsory, one per person, online registration expected late 2026
Dawn Service	Anzac Commemorative Site, North Beach; 05:30 in 2026
Site opening	from 22:30 on 24 April in 2026
Later services	Lone Pine (Australian) and Chunuk Bair (New Zealand); they overlap, choose one
2026 attendance	almost 1,800 at the Dawn Service (DVA)
Istanbul to Eceabat	about 320 km, 4.5 to 5 hours by road via the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge
Public transport to the sites	none; organised tours or private transfer
Our tours	private Gallipoli day from $405; Gallipoli and Troy, 2 days, from $235

How the 2027 attendance passes will work

The passes are free and personal. In 2026, entry to the commemorative sites was not permitted without one, and each person on a coach, including the guide, needed their own. Tour operators also had to register every coach and every guide through a separate accreditation system run for the Australian and New Zealand governments; the 2026 deadline for that was 17 April.

DVA has not published the 2027 registration link yet. Its Gallipoli page says the online system will open "towards the end of the year". New Zealanders register through the same Anzac Day services ticketing site, which the NZDF links from its own announcement. Our advice is simple: register as soon as it opens, even if your travel plans are not final. The pass does not cost anything, and it can be the one document you cannot arrange at the last minute.

When you book a tour for the night of 24 to 25 April, ask the operator to confirm in writing that its coach and guide will be accredited for 2027. An operator without accreditation cannot drive you into the site area, whatever it promises.

The Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial, a tall four-pillared stone monument on the Gallipoli peninsula

What the night and the day look like

In 2026 the Anzac Commemorative Site opened at 22:30 on 24 April, and the Dawn Service began at 05:30. That means most visitors spend the night outdoors at North Beach, on the grass or in the seating area, with a programme of films, music and readings through the small hours. It is cold. Late April nights on the peninsula can drop close to single figures Celsius with wind off the Aegean, so pack a warm jacket, a hat, a groundsheet or small mat, and food and water. There is security screening at the entrance, so travel light.

After the Dawn Service, Australians walk or are bussed up to Lone Pine for the Australian Memorial Service, and New Zealanders head to Chunuk Bair for theirs, held late morning in 2026. The two overlap, so you can attend only one. Walking uphill between the sites takes longer than people expect, and the coaches move in a fixed order. Turkish ceremonies are also held on the peninsula on the 25th.

By early afternoon most coaches are leaving. If you are returning to Istanbul the same day, you are looking at arriving in the city around evening after a night with very little sleep. Many visitors stay a night in Eceabat or Çanakkale and travel back on 26 April.

Anzac Day vs any other day: which suits you

	On Anzac Day (24 to 25 April)	Any other day of the year
Pass needed	yes, free registration	no
Crowds	about 1,800 at the Dawn Service in 2026	very few, especially in winter
Access to Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair	restricted to the ceremony programme	full freedom with a guide
Time at each cemetery	limited	as long as you want
Hotels in Eceabat and Çanakkale	book months ahead	easy
Atmosphere	the commemoration itself	quiet, personal visit

Rows of white headstones in front of a stone memorial gate at a war cemetery on the Gallipoli peninsula

For many Australian and New Zealand families, being there on the day is the point. For others, especially those looking for a particular grave or unit history, a quiet visit in March, May or October gives far more time on the ground. Our guides usually start at Brighton Beach and Anzac Cove, then follow the line up through Shrapnel Valley, Lone Pine, Johnston's Jolly and The Nek to Chunuk Bair, which is very hard to do on the 25th.

Getting there from Istanbul: 1 day vs 2 days

The drive from Istanbul to the peninsula is about 320 km. Since the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge opened in March 2022, many drivers cross the Dardanelles on it rather than taking the ferry from Lapseki or Çanakkale; the bridge toll for a car rose to 1,170 TL on 1 July 2026. Allow four and a half to five hours each way with a stop.

A one-day private tour leaves Istanbul around 06:00 and returns late in the evening, with five or six hours on the battlefields. It works for travellers short on time. A two-day trip adds a night in Çanakkale and a guided morning at Troy, the Bronze Age city on the Asian side of the Dardanelles, about 30 km south of Çanakkale. The ministry raised the Troy entrance fee for foreign visitors to €27 in 2024; check the current rate before you go, though our two-day tour includes museum and site tickets.

	Private day trip	Private 2 days with Troy
Price	from $405	from $235
Time on the battlefields	5 to 6 hours	most of a day, at an easier pace
Troy and Troy Museum	no	yes, tickets included
Night	back in Istanbul late	Çanakkale (hotel on request)
Best for	short stays	first-time visitors, families

What this means for your trip

If you want to be at the Dawn Service in 2027, the order of work is: register for the free pass as soon as DVA opens the system, book your Çanakkale or Eceabat hotel for the nights of 24 and 25 April, then book a tour with an operator that will be accredited. Easter falls on 28 March in 2027, almost a month earlier, so the two busy weekends do not overlap and April flights to Istanbul are easier to find than in years when they coincide.

If being there on the day matters less than seeing the ground, come in the shoulder season. The peninsula in October and early November is quiet, mild and green after the first rains.

Questions travellers are asking

Do you need a ticket for Anzac Day at Gallipoli?

Yes, you need a free attendance pass for the Anzac Day services at Gallipoli, and entry to the commemorative sites is not allowed without one. Registration for 2027 is expected to open online towards the end of 2026, through the official site linked from the Australian DVA and New Zealand NZDF pages. Each person needs their own pass, including children and guides.

What time is the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli?

The Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site on North Beach began at 05:30 on 25 April 2026, and the site opened to pass holders at 22:30 the evening before. The 2027 times have not been confirmed but are expected to be similar. Most visitors arrive the evening before and spend the night at the site.

Can you go to Gallipoli from Istanbul in one day?

Yes, a day trip from Istanbul to Gallipoli is possible, leaving around 06:00 and returning late evening, with about five to six hours at Anzac Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. The drive is roughly 320 km each way via the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. A two-day trip with a night in Çanakkale is more comfortable and can add Troy.

How much is a Gallipoli tour from Istanbul?

Our private one-day Gallipoli tour from Istanbul starts at $405, with a licensed guide and private van, and our private two-day Gallipoli and Troy tour starts at $235. Group day trips are cheaper but cover fewer cemeteries. For Anzac Day itself, prices depend on accreditation, coach and hotel availability, so ask for a quote early.

Where do people stay for Anzac Day at Gallipoli?

Most Anzac Day visitors stay in Eceabat, the small town on the peninsula closest to the sites, or in Çanakkale across the Dardanelles, which has far more hotels. Rooms for 24 and 25 April book out months ahead. Many travellers spend the night of the 24th at the commemorative site itself and only book the night of the 25th.

Is it cold at Gallipoli on Anzac Day?

Yes, nights in late April on the Gallipoli peninsula are often cold and windy, and visitors sitting outdoors for the Dawn Service should bring a warm jacket, hat, gloves and something to sit on. Daytime temperatures are usually mild. Rain is possible, so a light waterproof is worth packing.

What is the best time of year to visit Gallipoli?

Outside Anzac Day, the best time to visit Gallipoli is April to early June and September to early November, when the weather is mild and the cemeteries are quiet. Summer is hot and exposed. Winter visits are possible and very peaceful, but days are short and the ferry crossings can be windy.

Plan it with us

We run private Gallipoli and Troy tours from Istanbul all year and can help you plan the Anzac Day weekend around your pass and hotel.

Gallipoli full-day private tour from Istanbul, from $405
Gallipoli and Troy private tour, 2 days, from $235
Troy day trip from Istanbul with ferry and lunch, from $175
Istanbul classic private guided tour, from $200, for the days before or after

Message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88 with your dates. Read more in our Gallipoli tour guide for Australians, the Anzac Day tour package page and our Gallipoli day trip from Istanbul guide.

Sources: Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs, Anzac Day Gallipoli page, read 20 October 2026; New Zealand Defence Force, 3 December 2025; SBS, 25 April 2026; Turkish toll tariffs from 1 July 2026 reported by Internet Haber; Rus Tourism News, 6 March 2024.