“He who holds the Crimea holds the Black Sea.” As a result it has been fought over, settled in and traded from, and has as wide and fascinating a variety of peoples as any other place in the world. However, it was Russia that eventually gained control and although it is now part of independent Ukraine, 63% of the population is Russian.

It was the scene of the bloodiest battles of the Crimean War, the holiday resort of the Imperial family and, following the 1917 Revolution, a rest-and-recreation resort for the Party faithful. It was again heavily fought over in the Second World War and during the Cold War was the home of the mighty nuclear equipped Soviet Black Sea Fleet.

In 1854 the soldiers that embarked for the Crimea were described in The Times as: “the finest army ever to leave these shores”. By November they had endured a cholera epidemic, were malnourished, inadequately supplied but had fought three major battles that became household names – Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman.

This new and fascinating tour, led by Colonel Peter Knox, Chairman of The Crimean War Reasearch Society will begin in Istanbul where visits will be made to Scutari Barracks, made famous by Florence Nightingale, the Haidar Pasha CWGC cemetery and Crimean graves, the Anglican or Crimean church as well as the Haghia Sophia and Yerebatan Saray or Underground Palace. We then fly to the Crimea and en route to our hotel, in the centre of the once closed city of Sevastopol, we visit the Palace of the Khans at Bakhchisaray. Besides visiting all of the major battlefields of the Crimean War and exploring Sevastopol, we visit the ancient city of Chersonesus, a late 5th century BC Greek colony located just outside the present city limits, and finally the palaces of Alupka and Livadia outside Yalta.

ITINERARY
Day 1 (Tuesday): Fly London – Istanbul. Check into our hotel for a two night stay. Group dinner.
Day 2: Guided tour of Istanbul to include Scutari Barracks, Haidar Pasha Cemetery, the Anglican Church and Haghia Sophia. Group dinner.
Day 3: After breakfast check out of our hotel and proceed to Atatürk International Airport for our flight to Simferopol in the Crimea. On arrival, lunch, followed by a visit to Bakhchisaray en route to our hotel in Sevastopol where we spend four nights. Group dinner.
Day 4: A guided tour of Sevastopol to include the Malakhov and world famous Panorama Museum. Group lunch followed by a visit to the ancient Greek city of Chersonesus. Group dinner.
Day 5: A full day’s visit to the Alma battlefield including the landing beaches at Kalamita Bay. After lunch in a local restaurant, continue the tour of the battlefield and then return to Sevastopol via the Inkerman battlefield. Dinner under own arrangements.
Day 6: A full day’s visit to the Balaklava battlefield. Lunch in a local restaurant, followed by a visit to Balaklava port and on our return we visit the site of the Great Redan. Group dinner.
Day 7: After breakfast check out of our hotel and drive to Yalta stopping en route at the Alupka Palace. Lunch and check into our hotel for one night. After lunch visit the Livadia Palace. In the evening a farewell dinner.
Day 8: After breakfast, check out of our hotel, travelling to Simferopol airport for our return flight to London via Istanbul.