WW1 Battlefield Tours from London
Our WW1 Battlefield tours from London visit locations where some of the most well-known battles of the war took place. This includes private tours to Ypres, the Somme and Meuse Argonne. Your guide is an expert battlefield historian who is highly knowledgeable about the history of the war. We can visit one, two or all three of these battlefields depending on the number of days you have available for a private tour. We can also arrange visits to other WW1 battlefields locations, as well as create customized itineraries according to your interests. These can include battlefields on the Western Front, Italy, Gallipoli, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Africa.
If you have a relative who fought in the war we can put together a custom itinerary to follow in the footsteps of the soldier.
Quicklinks:
Ypres Battlefield Tours from London >>>
Somme Battlefield Tours from London >>>
Meuse Argonne Battlefield Tours from London >>>
About our WW1 Battlefield Tours >>>
Ypres Battlefield Tours from London
Day One – London to Belgium
We will collect you from your hotel or preferred location in London and drive to the English coast, where we cross the English Channel via ferry.
On arrival in France, we drive to Ypres in Belgium where you will have an afternoon tour of the Second Battle of Ypres battlefields. Our first stop is the Essex Farm Cemetery and Dressing Station, famous as the location where John McCrae wrote the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. We then head to the French Memorial at Pilckem where you will hear the story of the first major use of gas on the Western Front on 22 April 1915 before continuing to the Canadian Brooding Soldier Memorial at Vancouver Corner, Sint Juliann. Here we discuss the reactions of the Canadians to the first gas attack in WW1 and their defence against a second gas attack just two days later.
View on Ypres Menin main gate
In the evening you will attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing.
Stay overnight in a hotel in Ypres.
Day Two – Ypres Salient & Return to London
Your second day concentrates on the Third Battle of Ypres, aka Passchendaele. We begin at Yorkshire Trench, a reconstructed trench built on the original site which was used by the 38th (Welsh) Division on 31 July 1917 at the start of Third Ypres. We then drive along the Pilckem Ridge to the Welsh Memorial in Flanders where your battlefield historian will recount the assault by the Welsh along the ridge. Continue to Langemarck German Military Cemetery where we pay our respects to the German soldiers who fell in the Ypres Salient.
From the German Military Cemetery, head to Passchendaele via the Gravenstafel Ridge where your battlefield historian will recount the ANZAC and Canadian actions that saw this landmark captured at the end of Third Ypres.
Finally, visit the Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial where we pay our respects to the British and Empire troops that fell in the Ypres Salient during the First World War.
Travel Extras:
- Extend your tour and spend extra days in the region
- Extend your tour and visit the Somme as well
- We can also end the tour at selected locations within Belgium and France
Pricing:
- From £499 GBP per person, based on 6 people
- From £599 GBP per person, based on 4 people
- From £1,130 GBP per person, based on 2 people
The costs above are based on two people sharing a twin or double room in a 3* hotel for 1-night.
We can also arrange accommodation in 4* and 5* hotels.
Somme Battlefield Tours From London
Day One
We will meet you at your hotel in London and drive to the English Channel, making the crossing to France via ferry.
We then drive to the 1916 Somme battlefields where you will spend the afternoon touring locations associated with 1 July 1916, the ‘Bloodiest Day in British Military History’. Our first stop is Hawthorne Ridge Crater where one of the sixteen mines, detonated at the beginning of the battle, was set off. We then head to the preserved battlefield at Newfoundland Park, Beaumont Hamel where your battlefield historian will recount actions of the South Wales Borderers and Newfoundland Regiment on 1 July 1916.
From here, we cross the River Ancre to the Ulster Tower where you will hear the story of the 36th (Ulster) Division before continuing to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing where we pay our respects to the fallen.
Stay overnight in a hotel on the Somme
Day Two
The second day of our WW1 Somme battlefield tour concentrates on the southern sector. We begin at Devonshire Trench where your battlefield historian will recount the story of Captain Duncan Lenox Martin and his Company from the 9th Battalion the Devonshire Regiment. We then head to the German Military Cemetery at Fricourt to pay our respects to the German soldiers who fell in the First World War.
From the German Military Cemetery, we drive to Mametz Wood to discuss the epic struggle by the 38th (Welsh) Division to capture the wood from the Prussian Guard. From Mametz Wood we head to Pozieres where your battlefield historian will tell you the story of how the Australians captured this fortified village.
We end our tour at the Tank Memorial where we discuss the first-time tanks were used in battle. From here we return to London.
Travel Extras:
- Extend your tour and spend extra days in the region
- Extend your tour and visit Ypres as well
- We can also end the tour at selected locations within France
Pricing:
- From £499 GBP per person, based on 6 people
- From £599 GBP per person, based on 4 people
- From £1,130 GBP per person, based on 2 people
The costs above are based on two people sharing a twin or double room in a 3* hotel for 1-night.
We can also arrange accommodation in 4* and 5* hotels.
Meuse Argonne Tours
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the greatest battle fought by the American Army in the First World War in terms of the number of combatants involved and the number of casualties suffered. The hills and forests of the Argonne provided cover for infantry and observation for the artillery. The Germans had established a deep defensive zone extending up to 20 km from the front line. It was this formidable objective that faced the AEF in a battle lasting from the 26 September 1918 until the Armistice came into effect on the 11 November.
Day One: Travel to Paris
On the first day of this WW1 Meuse Argonne tour, travel from London to Paris via the Eurostar train. The journey takes less than 2.5 hours, and you will have the rest of the day to explore Paris at your leisure.
Day Two: Paris to the Meuse Argonne
This morning take a train from Paris to Reims arriving at approximately 9:15am.
Your guide will pick you up and take you to the battlefields of the Meuse Argonne. You will see the Butte de Vauquois, the Pennsylvania Monument in Varennes, the site of the Lost Battalion, the Meuse Argonne American Cemetery, and the American Memorial at Montfaucon. We will also stop at one of the German cemeteries in the area to allow you to contrast the different commemorative styles.
Stay overnight in Verdun
Day Three: St Mihiel and return to UK
Your third day will be spent visiting the St Mihiel Salient. This is the scene of an American victory that was important not only for strategic reasons but also for psychological ones. Up until this battle, US troops had been incorporated into the command structures of the British and French Armies in their respective sectors. This time they would be operating under their own command. Success here would prove that the American troops were every bit as capable as their European counterparts.
The visit will include the American memorial on the hilltop at Montsec, St Mihiel American Cemetery, Hattonchatel and, to show the nature of trench warfare, the preserved French and German positions at the Tranchée de la Soif.
Your tour will finish when we drop you back off in Reims for your train back to Paris and the Eurostar back to London.
Pricing:
- From £599 GBP per person, based on 6 people
- From £680 GBP per person, based on 4 people
- From £1,150 GBP per person, based on 2 people
The costs above are based on two people sharing a twin or double room in a 3* hotel for 1-night.
We can also arrange accommodation in 4* and 5* hotels as well.
Upgrades and Extras:
There are many ways to customize our WW1 Meuse Argonne tours.
- We can arrange a 3-day private tour to cover more of the battlefields
- We can arrange for you to spend more time in Paris or Reims
- We can arrange Eurostar premium train tickets
- It is also popular to add an extra day in the Champagne area and take in a Champagne tour.
Champagne Tours
Why not finish your tour with an extra night in the champagne region and sample some of the most prestigious champagnes on a cellar tour?
Reims
If you are staying in Reims, we can organise a visit to the oldest Champagne House situated in the centre of Reims. Maison Ruinart is just a short drive or walk away from many of the hotels in the area. Visit the historic white chalk cellars, learn about the production of Ruinart Champagne and end your tour with a tasting of two of their cuvées. If you are visiting on a Saturday or Sunday, in season, we can also organise for you to have a champagne brunch from their local menu.
Épernay
At the end of your battlefield tour, we can take you to Épernay, instead of Reims, for your final night. Épernay is renowned for its prestigious produces of champagne. If you stay in the centre of Epernay, you can experience an array of Champagne houses on the Avenue de Champagne. Alternatively, we can organise a stay in a 5-star Chateaux, south of Epernay, where you will indulge in luxury with dinner at their gourmet restaurant together with a tour of the largest cellar in the Champagne region – Moët & Chandon. The following day we will drop you off in Reims for your onward journey.
About our WW1 Battlefield Tours:
Each private battlefield tour is carefully planned according to your specific interests. You will travel with an expert battlefield historian/guide whose qualification is recognized by the Guild of Battlefield Guides. We work with the highest quality guides who are extremely knowledgeable, passionate about what they do and are excellent storytellers.
Our tours can be customized to trace the footsteps of a family relative who might have served in the First World War. We can also include extra days, with visits to other places of interest in the area. All our quotes including accommodation which can be arranged in 3-star, 4-star or 5-star hotels. If you wish to arrange your own accommodation, you are welcome to do so.
Our Tours Include:
- A battlefield historian who is extremely knowledgeable about World War One
- Pick up and drop off in London
- Transportation in a comfortable vehicle
- Return English channel crossings via Eurotunnel or ferry
- Hotel accommodation (we can arrange accommodation in 3-star, 4-star or 5-star hotels)
Our Tours Exclude:
- Meals and drinks
- Museum entrance fees
- Personal travel insurance
- Gratuities
Let’s plan your WW1 Battlefield Tour
Please get in touch via the enquiry form below to plan your World War One battlefield tour. Please provide as much information as possible so we can provide an accurate quote.
