Tour Inclusions

5 Nights
7 Meals 5 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners
Battlefields
Driver
Tour Leader

WWI Battlefields

6 days
France / Belgium
Max 18 Passengers

Overview

This fascinating and moving tour focuses on the major areas of British and Commonwealth involvement across the Western Front – from The Somme to Flanders. Providing guests with a level of flexibility to visit memorials to his (or her) country’s fallen, and the expert knowledge of our Tour Leaders – this tour promises to be as unforgettable as it is enlightening.

Tour Starts/Ends
1 Overnight Stop
Day Stop

Tour Highlights

Have the opportunity to pay your respects at your relatives’ graves with visits to significant sites
Receive a fascinating insight into the lives of WWI soldiers at the Underground City of Naours
Attend the playing of the Last Post under the famous Menin Gate in Ypres

Gallery

Tour Itinerary

Expand Full Itinerary

Day 1 - Lille (France)
After meeting the group in Lille, we’ll kick off our battlefields tour with a delicious welcome dinner. Here’s to the incredible journey ahead. Accommodation: Hôtel Couvent des Minimes (or similar)
- Meals
  - Dinner
Day 2 - Lille – Somme – Amiens
After breakfast, we’ll begin our first full day together by exploring the region of the Somme – the infamous site of one of the costliest WWI battles. While we’re here, we’ll visit Newfoundland Memorial Park – where the original trench lines have been preserved. Later, we’ll visit Ulster Tower – a memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division – and Pozières Cemetery. We’ll also have time to pay our respects at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme before we set a course for Amiens. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 3 - Amiens – Naours – Amiens
Today will begin with a visit to the Underground City of Naours. Here we’ll tour the vast cave network where hundreds of ANZAC soldiers left their mark. With the largest concentration of WWI inscriptions on the Western Front, this site provides a touching insight into the lives of the brave soldiers fighting on the front. Then: we’ll round off the day back in Amiens, where you’ll have some free time to explore at your own pace. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 4 - Amiens – Villers-Bretonneux – Ypres (Belgium)
This morning, we’ll leave Amiens behind us – moving on to the Australian National War Memorial and Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux. After taking some time to pay our respects, our next stop will be the Canadian National Vimy Memorial: Canada’s largest overseas National Memorial. This evening will see us dining together in Ypres – a town that was completely destroyed during WWI and rebuilt anew. Accommodation: The Albion Hotel (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 5 - Ypres – Ypres Salient and Menin Gate – Ypres
The beautiful town of Ypres sits in the epicentre of British WWI endeavours, and there is much to see in the surrounding countryside. We’ll start with a visit to John McCrae’s Dressing Station at Essex Farm Cemetery – the site where his famous poem In Flanders Fields was written in 1915. Continuing our journey, we’ll visit the German Cemetery at Langemark and Vancouver Corner. Then, we’ll explore the fascinating Hooge Crater Museum – home to a unique collection of WWI artefacts and reconstructed trenches. An evocative end to the day is in store: we’ve an appointment to keep at the Menin Gate Memorial, where we’re invited to attend the Last Post ceremony. Whilst renovation to the Gate is ongoing, we’ll still be able to experience the ceremony that has been performed here daily for almost 100 years. Accommodation: The Albion Hotel (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 6 - Ypres – Fromelles (France) – Lille
Today we’ll visit Hill 60 – a manmade promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient where many fierce battles between the Germans and Allied forces took place. After, we’ll take some time to explore the area around Fromelles, VC Corner and the Australian Memorial Park – before having the opportunity to visit Pheasant Wood Cemetery: the final resting place of 250 Australian and British soldiers killed in the battle of Fromelles. After returning to Lille, our compelling journey will come to a close.
- Meals
  - Breakfast

Tour Inclusions

Accommodation

- 5 nights in hand-picked accommodation

The Crew

- Experienced Tour Leader and Driver

Transport

- Premium mini-coach transportation

Other Information

I have ancestors who fought in the region. Are we able to visit any spots of personal significance?

We love helping our groups explore personal connections at specific historic sites or cemeteries in Belgium and France – as long as they’re not too out of the way of our official tour route. Have a chat with your Tour Leader on the first night of your tour and they’ll do their best to add any extra stops to your itinerary.

How much walking can I expect to do?

This tour features several fascinating walking tours which take you across weather- and war-beaten battlefields, through vast and tranquil cemeteries, and into eerie subterranean caverns. We’d recommend packing your comfiest pair of walking shoes and preparing for muddy conditions on rainier days.

Reviews

42 reviews

Reviews Rating

25th October 2024
Review rating

Excellent tour of the main First World War battlefields including some of the cemeteries, memorials and museums. The tour leader was extremely knowledgeable about the battles that were fought on the Western Front and illustrated his talks with very poignant personal stories of some of the soldiers involved. He also gave a practical explanation of the weapons and munitions that were used using relics dug up around Ypres. The coach was very comfortable and we stayed in nice hotels in towns that played a key role in the war.
24th October 2024
Review rating

Good tour leader, good group on the tour, heaps of information, good hotels and breakfasts.
24th October 2024
Review rating

A very comprehensive tour led by tour guide Stephen whose knowledge of the First World War and the battlefields brought the experience to life. The tour was flexible and Stephen was happy to include a visit to Polygon Wood where my grandfather saw action. Stephen arranged a wreath to be laid at the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate. A great tour, full days of sightseeing.