australian ww1 battlefield tours france

Australian World War I Battlefield Tours made for Australians…

• Our half-day & full-day tours are based on ‘first hand’ historical research & literature of the  Great War , such as the Official Australian War History of the Great War written by Charles W. Bean , Australia’s official correspondent for the First World War , or on Sir John Monash’s book: The Australian Victories in France in 1918 .
• Our Australian full day tours will enable you to measure the outstanding contribution of Australian soldiers and their officers. You will stand on the very ground   the  ANZAC troops   fought and understand why   WWI became successful with Australian tactics . 20th century definitely started in 1918. A truly Australian (Hi)story…

TRUE BLUE DIGGER TOURS offers you guided day tours to Australian fighting places, memorials & museums…

…on the old Western Front for individuals,  as well as for groups of up to 8 persons . All our tours focus on Australian WW1 History.

• The Somme tour starts by a pick up from either your Amiens hotel or Amiens station ( 70 min by train from Paris ) or at the high speed TGV station in Arras for Flanders .
• You will travel in a Mercedes bus.
• You will visit the places where your soldiers fought and the headstones of your family’s soldiers are .
• You will enjoy lunch at places especially selected in France & Belgium for lasting quality a t fairest price . And moreover…
• We always guarantee you individualized service . The pattern of your private tour is always decided by you and made to suit you . We give you time to link up with your family’s soldier.
• TRUE BLUE DIGGER TOURS is an independent French company , exclusively working for AUSSIES , complying to all obligations in force in France, member of Somme Battlefield Partners , the offical label of the Somme Tourist Department .

Our partners

Terms of Use/Terms & Conditions

Privacy Statement

Oficial site “Circuit du Souvenir”

Proud of our success !

© 2024 TRUE BLUE DIGGER TOURS.

Made with by Graphene Themes .

• Connect with :

Western Front Battlefield Tours

Welcome to the western front battlefield, 2023 tour dates, 2024 tour dates, what's included, optional extras, packing list, fitness requirements, booking info, australian tour leaders, contact an expert.

The Western Front of The Great War during the period 1916 to 1918 saw the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in action on the mainland of Europe in Belgium and France after their grueling initiation to battle at the Dardanelles in Turkey. Our tour takes us back into history and focuses on the Australian involvement in these battles. The legacy that these service personal left remains a major part of our ANZAC history.

Click on our Western Front tour dates  (tab at the top of the page) to see our small group set departure dates and all the information you require.

The start and finish of our tour begins in Paris, France. The tour has been crafted to not only explore our Great war history but enjoy the touristy activities on the regions we travel though; in addition to this there is opportunities to explore France in detail.

Addition services we offer from our ordinary tour information is the opportunity to share with us your personal interest in the Western Front battles, and, should that interest involve the service of a relative, family friend. If you desire inform us about the interest or significance events prior to the tour and we will do our best to accommodate your especial requirements within the programme’s limits – or provide consultative advice on how your requirements may best be achieved. Our Western Front staff understand what this can mean as we too have family who served in the First AIF.

Private Group Tours

Enquire about our private group tour’s. We can host school groups, corporate groups, family groups and mates looking to tour the Western Front.

June 28th 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie are shot dead in Sarajevo. The assassinations are the work of Serbian nationalists who want to bring the empire’s Slav territory into a greater Serbia.

July 23rd 1914 Austria-Hungary’s reacts to the killings of the Archduke when it sends an ultimatum to Serbia with 48 hours to comply to its strict terms. A day later Germany declares it’s support to Austria-Hungary.

By July 25th 1914 Serbia orders its troops to mobilise while Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, arranges for soldiers to be stationed on the Austrian frontier.

On July 28th Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

Britain warns Germany that it cannot remain neutral in a European conflict. Germany prepares for war and sends an ultimatum to Russia demanding that military preparations are stopped within 12 hours. Britain asks France and Germany to declare their support for the ongoing neutrality of Belgium – but while France agrees, Germany does not respond.

By the 3rd of August Germany declares war on France. Britain than is compelled to give the order for its troops to mobilise. That same day Britain gives Austria-Hungary an ultimatum to stand down from hostilities.

Germany sends a message to Belgium that it will “treat her as an enemy” if the country does not allow free passage of German troops across Belgium land to fight the French.

Finally on the 4th August 1914 with Britain having failed to receive reply from Germany assuring the neutrality of Belgium, and citing a “moral obligation” to defend France and Belgium, declares war on Germany.

Being a dominion of the British Empire Prime Minister Joseph Cook and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher, who were in the midst of an election campaign, pledged full support for Britain. If Britain was at war so to was Australia.

The outbreak of war was greeted in Australia with great enthusiasm with thousands rushing to volunteer in what was to become the first AIF.

The period 1916 to 1918 saw the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) involved in a bitter action on the mainland of Europe after the failed Gallipoli campaign. It was here in this theatre of battle that the result of the First World War – The Great War – was decided under conditions often beyond full description and at terrible cost to those involved on the battlefields and those at home in Australia. The Australians and New Zealanders gained worldwide recognition and esteem for their contribution to victory. That legacy remains and commands our respect as we visit the sites where on, over and under those tumultuous events unfolded.

In a nation with a population of fewer than five million over 416,000 men enlisted, of whom more than 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. Lest We Forget.

Our Western Front Tour Brief Itinerary

• Roissy, Arrival day and meet tour group
• Transit to Ypres and settle into hotel, field museum visits
• Ypres, historical sights and commentary
• Ypres,historical sights and commentary
• Transit to Peronne, historical sights, commentary and free time
• Peronne,historical sights and commentary inc. Hitler bunker
• Peronne, historical sights and commentary
• Peronne, historical sights and commentary inc. Australian memorial
• Peronne, explore German offensive, historical sights and commentary inc. Villers-Bretonneux
• Peronne, Hamel memorial, historical sights, commentary and free time
• Hamel Commemorative Ceremony
• Transit to Roissy, explore Hindenburg Line
• Armistice, Return to Paris
• Roissy, tour conclusion

Day 1 Arrival location Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris)

Arrival location Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris) and transfer to Roissy. Overnight stay

Day 2 Ypres & Menin Gate

Bus pick up, transit to Ypres.

Settle in hotel, Suggest Flanders Fields Museum visit and take in the afternoon Menin Gate Ceremony.

Day 3 – Messines and Mines Experience

Today we have a full itinerary with many sights to cover so please ensure you are ready early and have any essential items with you for the day (this is the same for each day on the tour).

Our sights visited to include Spanbroekmolen crater, Messines Church – Freckleton VC memorial including Hitler painting. Followed by the NZ Memorial – pillboxes and view of Messines attack and the Irish Tower.

Neville and Frank will cover the details surrounding Prowse Point, Mud Corner, 1914 Truce plaque.

Historical information on Messines and a battlefield visit to the J Carroll VC site and the 48th Bn area near Huns Walk. While at Messines, the battlefield visit includes the 12 and 13th Bde attacks.

We will stop at the Bethlehem Farm East Cemetery as it has a 44th Bn connection.

Lunch stop at Hooge Crater and Museum visit and Hill 60 site visit.

Day 4 – Menin Road and Passchandaele

Another day jammed packed with sight seeing and commemoration.

Today we will visit Menin Road and Hellfire Corner.

Our Ypres battlefield visit include Glencorse Wood, Nonne Bosschen attack and the Polygon Wood attack.

Important memorials we see are the 5th Division Memorial and Zonnebeke Five.

Today has a delightful lunch at Café de Dreve followed by sightseeing at Passchendaele, battlefield visit and Tyne Cot visit.

Day 5 Langemark German cemetery visit

Today we visit the Langemark cemetery and this is one of only four First World War German cemeteries in the Flanders region.The origins of this military cemetery began with a small group of German graves in 1915. Between 1916 and 1918 the burials at Langemark were increased by order of the German military directorate in Ghent. By the conclusion of the war it contained 10,143 German war dead.

During the war the village was known by the spelling of Langemarck.

Bruges visit includes free time. Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium.

Day 6 Fromelles

Today our tour includes visits to;

Armentieres Nursery Sector

The ‘nursery’ sector around Armentieres was sometimes referred to as a relatively quiet sector on the front and units new to the Western Front were sent there, often going into the trenches in company strength, attached to the more experienced units already there. Today a memorial lays quietly in the area.

Bridoux salient

In April 1916 the 1st corps of the AIF were assigned to the British frontline in the west. The 5th Infantry Brigade was assigned to the frontline trenches of Bridoux Salient. During late April and early May the Bridoux salient was subjected to heavy enemy shelling and attacks by German infantry.

Discussions today cover the Black Anzacs and the actions they partook in the area.

Fromelles, battlefield visit to Cobbers Memorial, VC Corner.

Out in these fields on 11 November 1918 Charles Bean, Australia’s official historian of World War I, discovered the remains of the Australian dead of the Battle of Fromelles: ‘We found the old no-man’s-land simply full of our dead … west of the Laies river … the skulls and bones and torn uniforms were lying about everywhere’.

Lunch will be at Fromelles.

Pheasant Wood Cemetery contains the remains of 250 World War One Australian and British soldiers were carefully exhumed from a mass grave dug there by the Germans after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. The remains of these soldiers where uncovered in 2009 after an exploratory dig done in 2008.

Hitler Bunker is another site we uncovered after the WW2 pictures show Hitler returning to the area in 1940. Hilter and his regiment were stationed in Vlaanderen and French-Vlaanderen. The regiment was in Fromelles most of the time.

We may also include an trip to Merris or Poperinghe (should our group requirements call for this).

Towards the afternoon we will transit to Peronne and check in to our new hotel for the next few days.

Day 7 Pozieres Experience

Visiting Lochnagar Crater we discover it is almost 300ft (91m) in diameter and 70ft (21m) deep. Lochnagar mine was the location the tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers mined tunnels in separate drivages that where strategically placed under a German field fortification known as  Schwabenhöhe.

Pozieres a small village in the Somme valley in France, was the scene of bitter and costly fighting for the 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions in mid 1916.We visit Pozieres Trench (battlefield visit) uncovering the 11th Bn attack.

Moving along to the 1st Division Memorial is built upon the site of “K’ Trench”. This trench was captured at Pozieres. The 1st Division choose this site due to the Division lost more soldiers in the Pozieres fighting than any other action.

The Windmill at Mouquet Farm was a 4 week battle that the 7th Brigade partook. The 16 Battalion was one unit that saw the beginning and completion of these actions suffered heavy losses. We move over this battlefield trying to imagine the terror this quant place bore witness to in 1916. We will commemorate the scene of O’Meara VC.

After our busy morning we relax and enjoy lunch at Le Tommy’s.

Thiepval Memorial is another large and amazing but somber memorial followed by a shop visit to bag a souvenir.

We will also uncover the story surrounding the Irish Tower, Beaumont Hamel – Newfoundland Memorial visit and Hebuterne, battlefield visit. – 16th Bn defense

Day 8 Winter 1916 & Bullecourt

The Battle of Delville Wood was a series of bitter engagements during 1916.The bitter cold in damp trench warfare was something we can only imagine. Both sides battled to capture small prominent towns, woods or features which offered either side tactical advantages from which to direct artillery fire or to launch further attacks. Delville Wood was one such feature, making it important to both sides.

We will next visit the A.I.F. Burial Ground is 2 Kms north of the village of Flers, in the Department of the Somme. This A.I.F. Burial Ground cementry contains 1212 known burials.

The Maze battlefield had been deluged with heavy rain and the attacks were made in atrocious wet conditions. The lines of attacking troops were hindered in their advance sucked down by the mud making it almost impossible to keep up with their creeping artillery barrage therefore after the barrage ceased they became easy targets for German machine-gunners and riflemen.  Here we will explore the 28th Battalions role in this battle.

Stormy Trench was the location of further AIF involvement and the location of the award for a VC to scene of Harry Murray. We explore this battle site in detail in the same manner as all our location assessments.

Lunch will be held in Bapaume today.

Following lunch we will visit Bullecourt Church, the Bullecourt battlefield of the 12th Brigade zone and the 4th Brigade zone.

We also discuss the stories about Albert Jacka and the scene with the German officer.

Other import sites visited today include the Australian Memorial, Noreui, Bullecourt, battlefield visit, Lagnicourt/Boursies, battlefield visit (the scene of Lt Pope VC).

Worth mentioning was the work taking place back home in Australia during August 1916 the Australian comforts fund was set up mainly run by women did there very best to try and improve the soldiers life during the bitter European winter.

Day 9 – German Offensive

Today we visit the Albert Museum in the Somme. It occupies what was originally the crypt beneath the basilica, used as aircraft shelters in the world war 2. Different rooms show what life was like in the trench warfare during the world war 1. Many displays are set up with original uniforms and equipment , while the show-cases contain quantities of weaponry and other war materials recovered after the war from the surroundings fields and old trenches.

The Dernancourt sector was held primarily defend by the 4th division AIF. We visit this site and explore the bitter fighting that took place here with 15 divisions of Germans pushing the Australian and British troops back during April 1918  with their eyes set upon capturing Amiens. The orders came for the recapture of Villers-Bretonneux bringing with night attacks resulting in the Germans loosing ground. We explore this battlefield before moving on to Morlancourt battlefield tour, where the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Australian Divisions in turn advance towards Morlancourt.

Lunch today will be at La Boisselle.

After lunch we tour the 3rd Division Memorial another moving and spectacular memorial to the Australians.

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service. The Red Baron shot down and killed near Amiens on 21 April 1918. We tour this site.

Sailly Laurette battlefield visit was the site where the Australians held the line against many German attacks. We follow this with detailed description of the events that took place here with Villers-Bretonneux.

It goes without saying this is one of the most spectacular and saddening memorials to the war dead at Villers-Bretonneux. We visit the Australian Memorial before moving onto the Villers-Bretonneux, battlefield tour.

The Adelaide Cemetery is our next stop. This cemetery in Villers-Bretonneux, built by troops from South Australia, contains an empty grave with the following inscription : “The remains of an unknown Australian soldier lay in this grave for 75 years. On November 2, 1993, they were exhumed and now rest in the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra”.

Next we travel to the Victoria primary school, inaugurated on ANZAC Day, 1927, was built with the pennies and shillings donated by school-children in Victoria. Ever since then, every classroom and the village’s Community Hall have all displayed a sign which reads, “N’Oublions Jamais l’Australie” – “Let Us Never Forget Australia”

Day 10 – Hamel and Amiens Experience

Our day begins with the Australian memorial at Hamel, followed by Hamel battlefield visit. The recapturing of Hamel featured tanks and for one of the first time the tanks carried forward supplies to the fast moving infantry.

We pause and commemorate the Site of Axford VC and Dalziell VC actions.

Next is the Amiens, battlefield visit including the Site of Gaby VC action. At Amiens Allied forces assembled, this included Australians and Canadians as together launched an offensive to push through the German front lines to victory. We include visiting the headstone of Gaby VC in a Cemetery visit

Site of McCarthy VC action where he rush German machine gun positions and accounted for 3 machine guns, killed in excess of 20 Germans and 50 Prisoners. We also discuss the 11th Battalions Lihons advance during 1918.

Once our battlefield tours are complete the afternoon is spent in Amiens with free time to yourself.

Day 11 – Hamel Commemorative Ceremony

Morning Ceremony at Le Hamel AIF Corps Memorial.

Details to be advised by Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Programme to adjust to ceremony requirements

Overnight in Peronne

Day 12- Breaking the Hindenburg Line

Today we explore the 2nd Division Memorial again another reminder of the lives lost during the First World War.

Towards end of August the German troops occupied at their last stronghold at Mont St Quentin. The 2nd Australian Division crossed the Somme River and attacked Mont St Quentin at 5 am on the 1st September 5 German divisions where dispersed of and Mont St Quentin captured. We tour the battlefield of Mont St Quentin.

The Hindenburg Line was a formidable series of battles over the period of 1916, 1917 and after the spring offensive in 1918 as the allies turned the tide of the war. Australian troops involved in these actions are unearthed today as we explore the Hindenburg Outpost Line and the final attacks from the 11th and 16th Battalions.

Next stop is Le Verguier battlefield site visit and the scene of Woods VC, followed by the 4th Division Memorial before lunch.

Our last group lunch will be at Ricqueval.

After lunch we visit the Somme American Memorial and the Scene of 44th Battalions last attack.

Beaurevoir Line is the next battlefield visit the site of the Scene of 28th Battalions last attack.

Estrees, scene of Wark VC and 32nd Battalion last action.

If time permits we endeavour to visit the Maissemy German Cemetery before returning to the hotel .

Day 13 - Armistice, Return to Paris

Relocate to Roissy

Visit Compiegne Railway carriage Museum – site of the Armistice Signatures to end The Great War

Overnight stay at Roissy.

Day 14 Tour concludes

Relocate to Roissy Overnight stay.

Back to Home airports (Australia) or optional extension ( Paris etc )

Cost may adjust to major fluctuations of the Australian Dollar to the Euro

Whats Included In Our Western Front Battlefield Tours

What’s Included

Escape Trekking Adventures Polo Shirt

11 nights Accommodation included-twin share basis (single share additional)

11 Breakfast included

5 Lunches included

All entry fees included

All land and marine transport included

Expert Australian guide and war historian included

Local tour guide at relevant locations

First aid trained guides

History of the Western Front campaign

Public Liability Insurance Cover (under written by Lloyds of London for 10 million)

Certificate of Completion

Transfers to and from hotel at beginning and completion of the tour

What’s not Included

Lunch and dinner arrangements (suggested locations each meal)

Medication & injections as recommended by your personal Doctor/The Travel Doctor

$15 postage and handling charge of your registration packs

International Flights

Personal Travel Insurance (must have)

Passport (must have more than 6 month validation on departure)

Single share supplement should you not be able to be paired up for a hotel room with the same gender

Optional Extras For Western Front Battlefield Tours

Our optional extras for our western front tours include single supplement for the hotel component of the tour..

Single Supplement 

If you would like to have your own privacy in the hotel this luxury comes at a price of $799 for the entire trip. You can select this option while booking your tour or after the booking is made contact our office to arrange this optional extra.

Gear Required For Your Western Front Battlefield Tour

Lightweights with rainwear are required for summer and waterproof Medium- to Heavyweights clothing for winter including gloves. A sweater is necessary all year round.

Comfortable walking shoes are a must, trekking boots whilst a little heavy can be comfortable to walk around in, but sporting/walking shoes are a good option to use as they are light, breathable and will dry quickly in the if they do get wet (these are our preferred choice of shoe for this tour).

Please do not turn up with thongs or sandals as your only walking attire. Thongs are not that safely suited for walking about in the tour locations as not all surfaces are even (including pavements and footpaths). Walking shoes or light boots are a better option with, perhaps, robust sandals for “after tour hours” where dress standards allow.

You will need very little equipment for this tour however a good small day pack to carry around loose items for each day, a small first aid kit covering basics for a small graze etc. (Quality first aid kits can be obtained through us starting from a little over $20). An emergency sewing kit can come in handy from time to time and any medications prescribed by your doctor.

Visa Information For Western Front Tours

Your passport must be valid and have at least 6 months before expiry on your entry date to France.

Extract from Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Smart-traveller information site:

“Australians seeking to enter countries that are parties to the Schengen Convention are advised that only the country you plan to visit can provide up-to-date and accurate information about its specific visa requirements. Travellers should contact the nearest High Commission, Embassy or Consulate of the countries they plan to visit well in advance of travel. Generally, Australian tourists planning to spend less than a total of 90 days within a 180 day period in the ‘Schengen area’ do not require visas for countries which are parties to the Schengen Convention.

The following countries are parties to the Schengen Convention: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is important to get your passport stamped when entering the Schengen area. The absence of an entry stamp from the initial Schengen port of entry could result in a fine or create difficulties during subsequent encounters with local police or other authorities throughout the Schengen area. A number of changes were approved in June 2013 to entry arrangements under the Schengen Convention. From 19 July 2013 you may be refused entry to the Schengen area if you have less than three months validity

remaining on your passport from your intended date of departure from the Schengen area. See the revised Regulations for further information.”

For full details on requirements for Australian passport holders for approval to enter on arrival please refer to the information provided by the Australian Government.

What are the fitness requirements for a Western Front Tour

This tour is graded 4 out 10 Easy grade (self assessed medical questionnaire required).This will be sent to you upon booking and you will be required to return the form completed and signed by your doctor 70 days prior to departure.

There is some sections of the tour where you will be standing or walking for a prolonged period while visiting the historical attractions.

Only a basic level of cardio is required to walk short distances over formed paths and good terrain to reach the sites and attractions.

Booking Information For Our Western Front Tours

So you have decided to choose Escape Trekking Adventures to facilitate your Western Front adventure, Great choice!

What are the processes to book, pay and complete your Western Front tour?

• Book online via our website selecting the tour date that you wish to join and filling out our booking form as part of the shopping cart. Alternately you can call or email us to make your booking.
• Pay a $700 deposit (non-refundable) in to our account either online through our secure website payment system, deposit money in to our bank account (contact us for details) or call us and make a credit card payment over the phone.
• Escape Trekking Adventures will send out our destination information packs containing destination information, forms (that are required to return to us), a medical questioner and a gear discount voucher.
• Book your flights
• Apply for any visas that may be applicable for your travel.
• Fill out our destination forms and return to us no later than 60 days prior to your adventure beginning.
• Pay your balance 60 days prior to your adventure beginning. (let us know if you need a little more time we are not unreasonable if you have paid for a majority of your tour already).
• Receive pre departure emails from us with advice and information.
• Your big adventure begins!

Escape Trekking Adventures Booking Terms & Conditions

Escape Trekking Adventures Terms & Conditions

(Booking Terms & conditions including cancelation policy)

Please read carefully these terms and conditions of this contract.

In completing and submitting the Booking Form, you agree to be bound by these conditions which constitute the agreement between Escape Trekking Adventures ABN 71 827 095 874 and you. No purported variation of these conditions will be effective unless in writing and signed by a person so authorised by Escape Trekking Adventures. In these terms and conditions reference to “Escape Trekking Adventures representatives” means tour leaders and staff of Escape Trekking Adventures and its officers, employees, agents, licensees, guides and other third parties and representatives and the land management authorities in each country in which the tour is conducted, or any of them.

• How to Book.  To reserve your place on one of the tours, you should complete the Booking Form and send it, along with a non-refundable deposit of $700 per person per trip to the nearest Escape Trekking Adventures office, or to your travel agent. Some trips require a non-refundable additional deposit or instant payment for a permit. In these instances refer to the individual trip notes for details.
• Travel Insurance.  Personal travel insurance is not included in the tour price. Adequate and valid travel insurance is compulsory for all of Escape Trekking Adventures travelers. Your travel insurance must cover accidents, injury, illness and death medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation (including helicopter rescue and air ambulance where applicable) and personal liability. We also suggests it covers cancelation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. You must provide proof of insurance to Escape Trekking Adventures. Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to cancel or suspend your participation on a trip or in certain activities that comprise part of a trip, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested.
• Evacuation, Withdrawal From Tour.  In the unlikely event of an evacuation or withdrawal from any tour, Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to pass on costs incurred, including transport, logistical support and communications. Clients should submit these costs to their travel insurance company as part of their claim. Clients who have to withdraw from the trek for medical or any other reason, will be required to return to Australia on the first available International flight. They will also be required to meet any personal accommodation, transport and medical expenses incurred during their time away from their nominal home and claim these against their personal travel insurance policy. Escape Trekking will Adventures not accept liability for any of these expenses.
• Personal Images.  You agree that Escape Trekking Adventures may use images of you taken during the tour without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes only through whatever medium it chooses.

If you do not want agree to Escape Trekking Adventures using these images, you must inform Escape Trekking Adventures in writing prior to the departure of the trip.

• Personal Information.  In order to be able to supply our adventure service to you Escape Trekking Adventures will need to collect certain personal information from you. The information may be disclosed to, or collected on our behalf by our service providers to enable the services to be provided, but will not be used by them for any other purpose without your express permission.

6. Health & Fitness Requirements.  You must be in good health and physical condition and are strongly advised to follow our pre departure fitness training recommendations, where necessary. For many of our tours you will be required to submit a medical questionnaire completed by you or your doctor as proof that you are fit enough to participate in the tour. If you have booked a tour graded 1-5 the only time that a medical questionnaire will be required by your doctor is where you have a pre existing medical condition, are over 65 years of age. This will be sent to you upon booking and you will be required to return the form completed and signed by your doctor 70 days prior to departure. If you have booked for a tour graded 6-10 you will be sent a medical form upon booking and you will be required to have your doctor complete and sign your medical questionnaire and return to us 60 days prior to departure. If you suffer from severe muscular, chest heart or bronchial disorders, or if you are a severe asthmatic, or have high blood pressure, you are strongly advised against participating. Tours take place in remote areas where there is little or no access to normal medical services or hospital facilities for serious problems. Evacuation, where necessary, can be prolonged, difficult and expensive. Medical and evacuation expenses will be your responsibility. While we do not discriminate by age, due to the extreme nature of our mountaineering trips we strongly discourage participants over 60 years of age. Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right in its absolute discretion to refuse a participant.

7. Medical Disclosure.  It is your responsibility and you must advise Escape Trekking Adventures of any pre-existing medical condition and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of you requiring medical attention while on our tours. Escape Trekking Adventures or our suppliers may require additional medical assessment by a medical practitioner. Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your booking and refund the money paid by you, less any unrecoverable costs. Escape Trekking Adventures also reserves the right to cancel your participation in a trip at any time, including after the commencement of your trip, with no right of refund if your medical condition and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the trip and the enjoyment of other trip members.

Generally, we do not allow travelers under the age of 12 years. However we will occasionally make exceptions for under-18s traveling with their legal guardian or following discussion with parents or legal guardian. The decision for any person less than 18 years of age to travel on our scheduled itineraries is at the absolute discretion of the directors and guides of Escape Trekking Adventures. We reserve the right to;

You declare and warrant that

• You are in good health and mental and physical fitness at the time of booking this tour;
• You have disclosed to Escape Trekking Adventures every matter concerning your health and mental and physical fitness of which you are aware, or ought reasonably be expected to know, that is relevant to Escape Trekking Adventures decision to permit you to go on the adventure tour;
• Immediately upon any adverse change in your health or fitness that may be likely to affect Escape Trekking Adventures decision to permit you to go on the adventure tour, you will notify Escape Trekking Adventures in writing of any such adverse change;
• Escape Trekking Adventures are permitted to disclose medical information to our consultant doctor.
• Escape Trekking Adventures consultant doctor may exclude you from a tour if he/she deems it necessary. You acknowledge that the obligation to disclose under this condition continues from the time of booking the tour through to departure and extends for the duration of the tour.
• You have taken the necessary precautions to immunise/vaccinate for the destination you are travelling to. If you fail to comply with the duty of disclosure in this condition and if Escape Trekking Adventures would not have permitted you to undertake the tour, or continue participation of the tour, had you made full disclosure under this condition, Escape Trekking Adventures will not be liable, except to the minimum extent.

8. Tour Leaders.  Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure. In this condition, ‘tour leader’ includes both the nominated tour leader and any other nominated person given at any time the task of leading or supervising any aspect of the tour. Escape Trekking Adventures tour leaders take their responsibilities seriously and if for any reason a tour leader believes, in his or her absolute discretion, that you should not participate in the tour, before your departure, even if you pass your medical, he/she may exclude you from the tour. In this event, but subject to condition 6, you will be offered the option of taking another tour considered suitable for you or a full refund. If for any reason during a tour the tour leader considers you should not participate further due to you committing an illegal act, or in the opinion of the nominated tour leader, your behavior is causing or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, or your fitness or health is inadequate, he or she may direct you not to continue and you must follow the nominated tour leader’s instructions. In this case you will not be entitled to any refund. Travel insurance may compensate you depending on the circumstances. Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to change, at any time, the tour leader of any tour. If that happens, Escape Trekking Adventures will try to ensure that the alternative tour leader has expertise commensurate with that of the tour leader. Any such change by Escape Trekking Adventures will not give rise to any right on your part to cancel the tour or claim any expenses, loss or damage which may be suffered.

9. Cancelation by Escape Trekking Adventures.  Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to cancel a departure and will advise you of such cancelations no later than 30 days before the tour departure date. If due to ‘Force Majeure’ or government travel advice, Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to cancel a departure at any time. With any form of cancelation, Escape Trekking Adventures will do it’s best to offer you alternative arrangements if available, and if the price of your alternative adventure is of lower value than the original booking we will refund the difference to you. If you do not accept alternative arrangements we will refund all payments you have made to Escape Trekking Adventures, (in case of ‘Force Majeure’ or government travel advice refunds will be less any unrecoverable costs). Escape Trekking Adventures will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you.

Force Majeure
Escape Trekking Adventures will not be liable for any delay in, change to or cancelation of trips due to ‘Force Majeure’. ‘Force Majeure’ definition means a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of Escape Trekking Adventures and includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, industrial or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and strikes.

Escape Trekking Adventures and or its third party reserve the right either before or during the course of the tour to refuse to carry or accommodate any client which it reasonably considers, in the light of the best interests of all participants within the tour group and crew, to be unsuitable by reason of physical or mental condition or unruly behavior.

10. Cancelation due to small tour numbers.  Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in the event that there are too few people booked on a tour in which case you will be given a full refund of the tour price paid by you. You will not be entitled to claim any additional amounts or seek any compensation for any injury, loss, expenses or damage (either direct or consequential) or for any loss of time or inconvenience which may result from such cancellation (including but not limited to visa, passport and vaccination charges, or departure, gear purchases, airport and airline taxes). We require a minimum of 6 trekkers in a selected trek. If numbers fall to 6 or below, we reserve the right to cancel, or change dates of the trek or refer you to another existing trek. Trek numbers are regularly reviewed and we will notify you of any cancelations no later than 50 days prior to your selected trek.

If numbers for your selected trek decrease below 6 people, you may be required to pay a small group trekking fee should you wish to proceed with the tour. A $4-600 fee per person is required to be paid. This does not happen very often, so if you have any questions regarding this just ask.

11.  Itineraries and brochures.  Itineraries and other details are published in good faith as statements of intention only and reasonable changes in the itinerary and related items may be made where deemed necessary or advisable by Escape Trekking Adventures. The information contained in Escape Trekking Adventures brochures, itineraries, and internet site is, to the best of Escape Trekking Adventures belief, correct at the date of publishing.

12. Route changes, Postponement, Cancellation or Delay.  Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to:

Cancel or modify any routes within the tour or objectives set out in the itinerary; or

Substitute different or equivalent routes within the tour in place of cancelled or modified routes, or

Postpone, cancel or delay (either in relation to the departure or arrival times or the duration of the tour) any such aspect of the tour if, in the absolute discretion of Escape Trekking Adventures, it is necessary to do so due to inclement weather, snow or icy conditions or conditions that are otherwise likely to be hazardous or dangerous or due to any other adverse or threatening conditions whether political or military or terrorist or otherwise or if, in the absolute discretion of Escape Trekking Adventures, there is a likelihood of any such event occurring which may impact upon the safety of the participants, or if an act or omission of a third party prevents the tour or the aspect of the tour being undertaken in accordance with your booking or for any other reason considered necessary by Escape Trekking Adventures. In the event of any change, modification, cancellation postponement or delay under this condition, you acknowledge that you will have no right of refund of the tour price (whether in whole or in part) and no right to claim compensation for any injury, loss or damage or other additional expenses incurred by virtue of the change, modification, cancellation postponement or delay. Escape Trekking Adventures also reserves, in its absolute discretion, the right to cancel any tour due to any government travel warning or advice, or any change in such warning or advice. In this event, condition 4 applies as if you had transferred or cancelled the tour at the date that Escape Trekking Adventures cancelled the tour due to the governmental travel warning or advice. Travel insurance may compensate you depending on the circumstances.

13. Tour Prices.  Package prices are per person based on ground costs, fuel prices, airfares, exchange rates and assumptions made at the time of printing the brochure. Escape Trekking Adventures tries its utmost not to increase tour prices, however sometimes increases are outside its control. The most current prices will be listed at  www.escapetrekkingadventures.com.au  so visit the website before booking. Escape Trekking Adventures reserves the right to amend tour prices without notice at any time before and including the departure date. Amendments may be necessitated for many reasons including, but not limited to, exchange rate fluctuations, increased fuel costs, airfares, airport charges, increases in ground operator service fees, or the need to engage alternative air or ground operators. Any increase in tour prices must be paid prior to the departure date.

14. Proof of citizenship or information required to travel . It is your responsibility to obtain proper identification or proof of citizenship as required by the authorities of the destination to which you are travelling. You will not be entitled to a refund if you are denied boarding or entry on any basis, including without limitation, improper documentation or failure to provide information. It is recommended that your passport is valid for six months beyond the date of your return home to your home country.

15. Airlines and other transport providers.  Any material published by Escape Trekking Adventures, the Booking Form and these conditions of contract are not issued on behalf of, and do not commit any airline whose services are used or proposed to be used in the course of the tour. In the event that an airline’s proposed travel or fare schedule is amended or cancelled, such amendment or cancellation will not be considered a cancellation of the tour by Escape Trekking Adventures. Any flights or other transport forming part of the tour arrangements are subject to the conditions of the carrying airline or other transport entity, which in most cases limits the airlines’ or other transport entity’s.

16. Exclusions from tour price.  Without limitation, the following items are excluded from the tour price:

Personal travel insurance;

Visa, passport and vaccination charges;

Departure, airport and airline taxes and on some tours internal domestic flights;

Extra meals, transport costs, accommodation costs, or other expenses not included in the itinerary; laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses & items of a personal nature; emergency evacuation and/or emergency search charges;

Additional expenses caused by delay, accidents or disruption of planned itineraries;

Tips, onboard beverages and excess

17. Assumptions of Risk.  You understand and will accept that your proposed tour may expose you to inherent dangers. Only people in good physical and mental condition should undertake this tour. Our tours are physically and mentally challenging you will be required to consult with your Doctor and ensure that your health is sound and you are able to undertake a rigorous training program as necessary to complete this tour. You must accept that you will be traveling through remote areas where external assistance may be delayed or unavailable if an unforeseen event occurs. This may be due to medical, weather or political situations and may affect you or other members of the group or our trekking crew. You must understand and accept that a medical emergency in this remote area may be life threatening and by completing your booking form you accept these potential adverse and unfavorable conditions and potential life threatening situations as your choice. You acknowledge and agree that:

By the very nature of adventure travel and trekking holidays, they are more challenging and demanding with a commensurately higher level of risk compared with conventional holidays, and involve potential exposure to injury and possibly death;

In the countries and regions in which adventure travel is undertaken, standards of accommodation, transport, health care, hygiene, safety and service provision generally are often not as high as those standards in your country of residence and may require flexibility and patience on your part;

The additional dangers and risks associated with adventure travel may include difficult and dangerous terrain; high altitude; extremes of weather, including sudden and unexpected changes; political instability; remoteness from normal medical services and from communications; and evacuation difficulties in the event of illness or injury;

The enjoyment and excitement of adventure travel is derived in part from the inherent dangers and risks associated with adventure travel and that those inherent dangers and risks are a reason why you wish to undertake the adventure tour, and

You have submitted your booking for the tour after giving due consideration of relevant travel information including, without limitation, any relevant information or advice given by the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the British Foreign Office and US Department of State and that it is your responsibility to acquaint yourself that information or advice.

For the above reasons you therefore accept the inherent and increased dangers and risks associated with the proposed adventure tour and the accompanying risk of injury, death or property damage or loss.

18. No Liability.  You acknowledge and agree that:

Where Escape Trekking Adventures acts as a booking agent for third-party tour operators it accepts no liability for the acts or omissions of those third-party tour operators and does not authorise any suppliers including hotel management to promise refunds on our behalf; and

Operational control of the tour may be in the hands of a third party and that your right of action in regard to any shortcomings of that third party’s performance is against the third party and not against Escape Trekking Adventures; and

Escape Trekking Adventures will not be liable for any breach of any law by any person with whom you travel on the tour; and

You may not rely on any representations concerning the tour made by Escape Trekking Adventures, which are not contained in these conditions.

19. Release and discharge of Liability.  To the extent permitted by law, by accepting the additional inherent dangers and risks associated with the tour, you release, waive and discharge all Escape Trekking Adventures representatives from all claims, actions or losses for personal injury or death, property damage, loss of services, loss of profits, consequential, exemplary, indirect or punitive damages or otherwise which may arise

Out of or occur during your travel in connection with the tour or any activities conducted in conjunction with the tour unless caused by the reckless conduct of Escape Trekking Adventures representatives, or

In connection with any optional activities which you may undertake during the course of your tour but which do not comprise part of your tour itinerary and you accept that any assistance given to you by Escape Trekking Adventures representatives in arranging such optional activities will not render the Escape Trekking Adventures representatives liable to you in any way.

20. Australian Consumer Law  Under the Australian Consumer Law, statutory guarantees apply to the supply of recreational services of the kind offered by these terms and conditions. “Recreational services” is defined as including activities that involve a significant degree of physical exertion or risk undertaken for the purposes of recreation, enjoyment or leisure. These guarantees mean that Escape Trekking Adventures, as the supplier, is required to ensure that the recreational services it supplies to you are rendered with due care and skill and are fit for their intended purpose. Under the Australian Consumer Law, Escape Trekking Adventures, as supplier, is entitled to ask you to agree that these statutory guarantees will not apply to you. If you sign this form you will be agreeing that your rights under this agreement, if you are killed or injured because the services provided were not rendered in accordance with these statutory guarantees, are excluded, restricted or modified in the way set out in this condition. To the extent permitted by law, you hereby exclude, release and forever discharge all Escape Trekking Adventures representatives from all liability for any and all claims, loss, damage, cost or expense arising from your death or your suffering physical or mental injury or any other condition, occurrence, activity, form of behaviour, course of conduct or state of affairs as specified in section 139A of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (except in the case of liability arising from the reckless conduct on the part of the Escape Trekking Adventures representatives) and connected with your participation in the recreational services which comprise the tour.

22. Cancelation, Amendments, Quotations and transfers 

Deposit & Final Payment

The non-refundable $700 Deposit secures your place in the trek, and No bookings will be made until the deposit is paid. This may result in missing the opportunity to be involved, so we suggest you book early.

Once your deposit is paid, your trek place & price is secure.

Balance is due 8 weeks prior to your selected trek.

Quotes are valid for 30 Days, after which we reserve the right to increase costs.

Note:  Only due to changes beyond our control, such as the exchange rate between Australia and our international destinations /or unexpected increases in outsource services/ costs (charter, accommodation, transport, fees etc) and/or review of trek package and prices, will prices be increased.

If you need to have your quote reviewed please contact us.

Cancelation

If a cancelation is made:

• Prior to 60 days departure if you select to cancel your trek you loose 100% of the $700 deposit.
• Between 29 & 59 days prior to your selected trek, a $1600 cancelation fee applies (per trekker).
• Between 28 & 1 days prior to your selected trek, a $2800 cancelation fee applies (per trekker).
• (We can assist with travel insurance claim).

Please note the above is a guide and maybe dependent on what has been booked for your participation in the trek itinerary – So Cancelation fee may increase to cover these costs. The cancelation fee is in addition to the $700 deposit.

Should you require canceling your trek as mentioned above – You are able to keep your ETA polo etc. that has been sent to you. – Should you need to cancel your trek, remaining balance can be transferred to another trek less your cancelation fee.

At Escape Trekking Adventures we pride ourselves on offering  SAFE,  professional treks, led by experienced guides and friendly service, so if you have any questions please feel free to  Contact Us .

Please read carefully these terms and conditions of contract.

If you wish to transfer from one tour to another, you must notify Escape Trekking Adventures in writing. Once Escape Trekking Adventures receives your notice the transfer will take effect subject to the following. Transfers may only be made to another tour to commence within 12 months of your original departure date and the following transfer charges will apply: • If your notice is received more than 70 days prior to your original departure date a $100 transfer fee will apply. In addition, any increase in airfares or operational services will be payable by you: or • If your notice is received within 70 days prior to your original departure date up to 50% of your original tour price will be forfeited provided your notice is received at least 35 days prior to your original date.

Additional charges will be applied to you if you add, adjust or change a service prior to, during or before the completion of a trek. The cost of these will be charged out at the full rate and may incur a surcharge fee of $80 to cover any additional logistic arrangements that may be required for this service. Examples of this service could be but not limited to change from twin share to single share accommodation, use of (additional) personal porter, excess luggage, room upgrade or airport transfer out side the itinerary.

22.  Severance of conditions.

If any part of a condition is illegal, unenforceable or invalid, it is to be treated as removed from the conditions, however, the remainder of the conditions are not altered.

Why Join Our Western Front Tours

10 Reasons to trek with us

• THE LASTEST COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
• MEDICAL TRAINING TO ASSIST YOUR FIRST AID REQUIREMENTS
• GUIDE TRAINING & EXPERIENCE
• DISCOVER THE ENTIRE WESTERN FRONT CAMPAIGN
• FULLY LICSENCED & INSURED
• BEST LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS IN EUROPE
• DEDICATED STAFF THERE TO PLEASE YOU
• HOLISTIC HISTORICAL INFORMATION SUPPLIED
• COMPASSION AND CARE TO OUR CLIENTS NEEDS IS OUR PHILOSPHY
• BEST VALUE FOR MONEY OPERATER IN EUROPE

Australian Tour Leaders For The Western Front

Frank Taylor and Neville Browning has been contracted to deliver this 12-day programme. Frank is renowned for his high level of historical detail he is renowned for with his Kokoda Trail, Thai Burma and Borneo. Neville’s historical detail set out in his publications of various titles from the Western Front battles such as Fix Bayonets. Anecdotal history of the 51st Battalion AIF, Gallipoli to Tripoli (joint author with I Gill). History of the 10th Light Horse Regiment and The Westralian Battalion. History of the 44th Battalion AIF just to name but a few of his completed published books.

Working with Escape Trekking Adventures Franks Training in military tactics and the understanding of the battles and actions that took place there compliments Escape Trekking Adventures philosophy of adventure travel with highly trained guides delivering historical and culturally exciting tours.

Shane, Frank & Neville’s desire to keep this important part of Australia’s history alive and fresh in Australians memories for years to come.

Health Information For Western Front Battlefield Tours

If you are looking at touring Europe it is essential that good health and preparation with regard to your health is the first and foremost task. As with all adventure travel outside of your usual environment you will need to be prepared for the activity.

Diarrhoeal illness is quite common around the Mediterranean countries and outbreaks of water-borne illness are common.

Hepatitis A  is becoming less common, but still represents some risk to travellers.

Influenza  is a problem across Europe in winter months and  tick-borne disease  occurs through the summer months in rural areas of central and northern Europe.

Rabies  does occur in several countries.

Insects can transmit  leishmaniasis  in the dry areas of the south.

Yellow Fever  vaccination may be required for all travellers arriving from or transiting through Yellow Fever infected areas such as Africa or the Americas.

Immunisations

The required immunisations  for every destination around the world could change on a daily basis and as a result you will be required to check with your Doctor what you should be protected against.

The general major risks to your health while traveling in Europe can be but not limited to :

Hepatitis B

This is a viral disease of the liver that is transmitted via blood, blood products or bodily fluids. It is vaccine preventable and now part of the childhood immunisation schedule. Many adults may have missed this important vaccine and travel is a good reason to get up-to-date.

Tetanus, Whooping Cough and Diphtheria

Tetanus is caused by a toxin released by a common dust or soil bacteria which enters the body through a wound.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the throat and occasionally the skin. It is found world wide and is transmitted from person-to-person by coughing and sneezing.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is a highly infectuous respiratory infection responsible for 300,000 deaths annually, mainly in children.

Because many adults no longer have immunity from childhood immunisation it is advised that travellers to less developed countries have a tetanus, dihtheria and pertussis booster.

Measles, Mumps & Rubella

Childhood immunisation coverage in many developing countries is not good. As such, travellers under the age of 40 years should have their MMR immunisation completed. Those over the age of 40 years are most likely to have long term immunity from previous exposure as a child.

This very comon infectious disease can now be prevented through immunisation. Many people miss the disease in childhood only to have a significant illness as an adult. If you do not have history of immunisation, a simple blood test can show whether you are at risk.

Individuals intending to travel out of an Australian winter might consider the current flu vaccine at the beginning of the season. exposure to illness in airports and commuter transport is common and exposure may ruin a much needed break.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrance overlaying the brain. It can be caused by bacteria, a virus or a fungus. Bacterial meningitis is the form of most concern to travellers. It is a serious disease and can rapidly become life threatening. It is transmitted from person-to-person through close contact (i.e. droplet infection – the same way you catch a cold). Vaccination for type C meningitis might be considered for those backpacking or staying in crowded hostel style accomodation. This vaccine was offered to all Australians ages less than 19 in 2003 but some young travellers may not have been vaccinated.

Rabies is a deadly viral infection of the brain transmitted from animal to human. The disease is rare in travellers but the risk increases with extended travel and animal contact. The best way to prevent rabies is to avoid all contact with animals. In Europe the main carriers are wild life (including foxes and bats). Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for extended travel and those who work with or are likely to come in contact with animals.

Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE)

Travellers who walk through infected areas during tick season (spring to early autumn) may warrant vaccination. Insect repellents and appropriate clothing will also provide some protection. The vaccine is not licensed in Australia, but can be obtained through the Special Access Scheme for those at high risk. Alternatively vaccination is readily available in Europe for those spending an extended period in the continent.

Travellers' Diarrhoea

Up to 40% of tourists may develop diarrhoea wihtin the first week of travel. A variety of germs can be responsible and a Traveller’s Medical Kit containing appropriate therapy can rapidly improve the symptoms. It is also important to follow the rules of healthy eating and drinking to minimise risks.

View Our Adventures Trek series Videos

First aid kits & what they should contain..

When trekking in Remote area’s you should always be mindful of what items you may require to treat any aliments that may occur as if you are on the Kokoda trail or Kilimanjaro you will not be able to purchase any such items. Everest Base Camp treks (and Nepal lodge trekking in general) you can buy some supplies but these are mainly limited to the large Sherpa villages so it is best to carry the right things with you.

If you suffer from heyfever, sinus, reflux or any such medical condition you should bring medication to treat this, plan for the worst case scenario and be prepared.

Some items that are worth your consideration include but are not limited to;

Anti-inflammatory tablets and gel (as prescribed by your doctor, remember voltaren and the like take up to 48 hours to relive symptoms so a fast acting tablet such as ibuprofen is great to start with), antibiotics for treating diarrhoea (as prescribed by your doctor), gastro stop, antibacterial gel, betadine liquid (Betadine can also treat your water for purification as a emergency back up if required), blister packs, one roll of broad elasticated bandage, roll of strapping tape, antihistamines, anti sickness tablets, painkillers such as Panadol Forte/Aspirin tablets/capsules, Codral cold and flu tablets, sunscreen, pawpaw cream along with one pack of a general use antibiotics.

• Kokoda tours
• Port Stephens Rock Climbing
• Borneo tours
• Port Stephens Tours
• Nepal tours
• Mt Wilhelm tours
• Kilimanjaro tours
• Western Front Battlefield tours
• Australian Tours
• Vietnam tours
• Other Tours
• Please specify
• How did you hear about us? * Google search Google Ad Friend Poster Newspaper Brochure Information session Other
• Please specify *
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

2025 Anzac Tours to the Somme and Flanders battlefields

   ***  register your interest today  *** .

For over 20 years France at Leisure has organised ANZAC tours to the Somme and Flanders battlefields sites and monuments.   Our 2025 Anzac tours have been specifically designed to cover WWI battlefield sites and are designed for Australian travellers. 

Picture standing in the shadow of the Menin Gate, or at the Villers Bretonneux Anzac Day daun Service, the air around you filled with the atmospheric notes of the Last Post... 

Whether you have relatives who fought on the Western Front or a keen interest in historic military tours, our ANZAC tours allow you to explore key WWI battlefields and immerse yourself in endless stories of soldiers’ bravery. Some of our expert-led battlefield tours fall on ANZAC Day itself, giving you the opportunity to pay your respects in person. Venture along Europe’s backroads to battlefields that remain forever entrenched in history. 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.

Our local partners have offered our signature Battlefields tours of France and Belgium for over twenty years. Each one is led by our expert Battlefields Tour Leaders, some of whom are former servicemen and women – and all of whom have a keen interest in history. Our 2024 Anzac Tours professional guides specialise in taking Australians to memorials, battlefields, and military cemeteries and visiting the gravesites of fallen relatives and friends. Whether your interest is personal or historical, our tours are extremely informative. 

FOR THE 2025 ANZAC TOURS, WE CAN OFFER THESE TWO OPTIONS. 

• Anzac Day ceremony in Villers-Bretonneux in the Somme tour -  7 Days/6 nights.    This tour has two departure dates - 20th, 21st and 22nd April 2025. 

Anzac on the Western Front the Somme & Flanders -  6 Day/5 Night tour This tour has various departure dates from May to October 2025.  

A few of the sites visited during the tour:  Adelaide Cemetery /  Villers-Bretonneux Franco-Australian Museum and School / Australian National Memorial / Albert, Pozieres / Beaumont Hamel Trench Park / Australian 1st Division Memorials…

Amiens -  Gothic and medieval sights abound in this simply gorgeous city. Don’t miss a boat trip around Les Hortillonnages (floating gardens), a visit to the 800-year-old Amiens Cathedral listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a wander through the boutique-lined alleyways of Quartier Saint-Leu. Linger longer, so you can take in the incredible archaeological finds at the Musée de Picardie and the wonderful eccentricities at Jules Verne’s old home.

Villers-Bretonneux - Thousands of Australian tourists travel the Remembrance Trail through northern France every year, and Villers-Bretonneux in the Somme region is at its very heart. This was the site of the first tank battle in history, as well as epic clashes during World War I, now memorialised by world-class museums such as the Australian National Memorial and the Sir John Monash Centre .

ANZAC 4-Day Tour 2024

The Somme Battlefield sites

Walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs on our most popular Western Front Tour – the perfect addition to any European holiday. Central Paris pick-up and drop-off - From April to November with a multitude of departure dates.

• Services of an expert WWI Historian
• All excursions as described in the itinerary
• 4 Days / 3 nights’ in 3 to 4-star accommodation
• Travel by comfortable air-conditioned coach
• Breakfast daily, 2 lunches and welcome dinner
• All entrance fees as per the itinerary

2025 ANZAC DAY TOUR

Includes Villers Bretonneux Dawn Service

From the trenches of Ypres to monuments marking The Somme, our 2025 ANZAC DAY on the Western Front tour maps Australian and New Zealand troops’ movements in WWI – This tour includes the ANZAC Day Dawn Service a Villers Bretonneux.

• 6 Nights in hand-picked accommodation
• Villers Bretonneux Anzac Day Dwan service
• Experienced Tour Leader and Driver
• Premium mini-coach transportation
• Small group of 18 people maximum
• Depart and finish in Lilles

2025 Western Front Tour

From April to November

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.

• 6 Days / 5 nights in hand-picked accommodation
• Experienced Back-Roads Tour Leader and Driver
• 7 Meals 5 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners
• - Small group of 18 people maximum

• Travel Guide
• Useful Links
• Testimonials
• Recent Newsletters
• France@Leisure
• More about us
• Affiliations and Partners
• Travel at Leisure Terms & Conditions
• Payment Methods
• Photo Usage

Australian Battlefields

Introduction

It would be difficult these days to find an Australian who hasn't heard of Gallipoli . What many Australians fail to realise is that after this bitter and bloody campaign against Turkey many of these same troops were sent to France to fight on the Western Front of World War I. It is here that they made a significant contribution to the defeat of the German forces who had invaded France in 1914.

It is hoped that in some small way the information presented here can provide a better idea of the contribution that these men and women made. Now that many Australians are visiting the battlefields of northern France we hope that it also serves as an informative guide to the locations and the history of the region. For those who are interested in the touring the area please see the 2001 and 2009 travel diaries. You can support this site by purchasing our 120+ page PDF eBook for only AU$7.95

with all the information from this web site and locations of Australian Burials . Also follow @anzacsif on Twitter for reminders of the events detailed here.

If you are planning on visiting the Australian battelfields of northern France we recommend the tours provided by Colin Gillard of www.anzac-tours.com .

For many that never returned may their memory live on through their deeds.

Lest We Forget.

Grave of Unknown Australian Soldier

Background to Australians on the Western Front

June 28, 1914 - Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary and his wife, were assassinated in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia.

August 4, 1914 - Germany invades Belgium in plans to encircle and cut off Paris. Doing so they move through Belgium and northern France. The invasion of Belgium causes England to declare war on Germany.

August 12, 1914 - 100,000 troops of the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) are rushed to France. They are deployed in the North of France and Belgium ( near Ypres ). They stop the German advance at Mons and Le Cateau.

All sides are now forced to dig in on what became known as the the Western Front. It ran from the North Sea, at the port of Nieuport Belgium, 800 kilometres south to Switzerland.

The cost of these encounters was horrific. The British lost 2,368 officers and 55,787 men in the first battle of Ypres.

April 25, 1915 - Australian troops land at Gallipoli

December 19, 1915 - Australian commence withdrawals from Gallipoli

December 20, 1915 - At 4.10am last Australian leaves Gallipoli .

Australian = 8,709 Killed, 664 Officers and 17,260 enlisted wounded New Zealand = 2,500 Killed, 5,000 Wounded Prisoners < 70

Commander in Chief of British Expeditionary Force, Sir John French, replaced by General Douglas Haig.

Australians deployed to the Western Front

After escaping the horrors of Gallipoli , the Anzac troops were redeployed to France to fight the Germans. The only units not sent to the Western European front were the light horse which remain in the Middle East. By July 1916 there were more than 90,000 Australians on the Western Front, another 90,000 training in England while about 25,000 remained in the Middle East. 

WW1 WW1 Australians in the Somme battlefields -Villers Bretonneux, Le Hamel, Pozieres, Péronne

Tour code : somme1 ww1 australians in the somme battlefields 1916 - 1918 tour.

Day trip from Paris in a small group aboard a Minivan (max 7 pax)

• Information
• Tour Description
• Similar Tours

HIGHTLIGHTS

• Day trip from Paris to the Somme in France’s Picardy region.
• Follow the footsteps of the braves australians soldiers who fought in the Somme in WW1.
• Walk along the graves and pay your respect in front of the wall of the missing australians soldiers at the Australian Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux
• Discover the “Sir John Monash Centre” in Villers-Bretonneux
• See the huge landmine « Lochnagar Crater »
• Walk along the original WW1 trenches at Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park
• See the Digger’ statue standing on top of the mount saint quentin ridge in Péronne
• Browse thousands of war-objects collected and displayed at the Historial of Peronne

THE PRICE INCLUDES

• Small group tour (Max 7 participants)
• Travel aboard an air-conditioning Minivan vehicle
• Guided sightseeing tour with English-speaking guide
• Visit of the John Monash Centre
• Admission to the Historial of the Great War in Péronne

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDES

• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Food and drinks, unless specified
• Not guided inside the Museum of the Great War in Péronne
• Gratuities (optional)
• Pick up in central PARIS
• INTRODUCTION
• STOP 1 - Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux (30mn)
• STOP 2 - Sir John Monash Centre in Villers- Bretonneux (30mn)
• STOP 3 - Australian Corps Memorial - Le Hamel (30 mn)
• STOP 4 - The « Red Baron » crash site (05 MN)
• STOP 5 - « Lochnagar Crater » site in La Boisselle (10 mn)
• STOP 6 - AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL, POZIERES WINDMILL (15 MN)
• STOP 7 - Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park (01 hour)
• STOP 8 - Lunch Time in Péronne (01 hour)
• STOP 9 - MEMORIAL OF THE 2ND AUSTRALIAN DIVISION OF MOUNT ST QUENTIN, PERONNE (15 MN)
• STOP 9 - Historial of The Great War in Péronne (01 hour)
• RETURN TO PARIS

In the morning the driver guide will pick you up at 06:25 am at the following adress : UGC CINEMA NORMANDY 116 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris

(Easy to access by metro Line 1 and to get off at Metro station « George V »)

The tragedy of the Somme in 1916, even nowadays is remembered by all commonwealth countries as the bloodiest battle ever. At the end of the fisrt day (1st July 1916) of the attack, casualties  went up to 56,000 and among them at least 19,000 commonwealth countries'soldiers got killed. By the end of the offensive in November 1916, more than 1 million soldiers would have been wounded, captured or killed.

Come and join us for a day of remembrance and discover this large and very flat areas of farming lands. War cemeteries are standing everywhere in the fields and forever will testimony of the violence and bloody battles of the Great War.

To start your trip, you will be pickup by the driver guide in central Paris near « Place de la Concorde » at 06H40 in the morning aboard a comfortable minivan. Leaving Paris, we are now heading north towards the county of Somme wich is Located at only 1h40mn drive away from the french capital.

This tour wil also give you the opportunity to see both the front line of the battle of the Somme 1916 (July to November) and also the front line of the battle of the Somme 1918 (March to September).

Your full-day history’ tour will begin in the areas of the Somme 1918 battlegrounds.  First stop to visit the «Australian War Memorial » at Villers- Bretonneux who stands on top of a ridge overlooking the town.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is the main memorial to Australian military personnel killed on the Western Front during World War I . It is located on the Route Villiers-Bretonneux (D 23), in the Somme département , France . The memorial lists 10,773 names of soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force with no known grave who were killed between 1916, when Australian forces arrived in France and Belgium, and the end of the war. The location was chosen to commemorate the role played by Australian soldiers in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux (24–27 April 1918).

Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens , the memorial consists of a tower within the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery , which also includes a Cross of Sacrifice . The tower is surrounded by walls and panels on which the names of the missing dead are listed. The main inscription is in both French and English, on either side of the entrance to the tower. The memorial and cemetery are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

In addition you will have time to discover the new visitor centre "Sir John Monash", unveiled on the 25th of April 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Villers Bretonneux and the recapture of the town by 2 australians brigades.

The Sir John Monash Centre tells Australia’s story of the Western Front in the words of those who served.Adjacent to the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, the Sir John Monash Centre is the hub of the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front.

This cutting-edge multimedia centre reveals the Australian Western Front experience through a series of interactive media installations and immersive experiences.

A cinema offers you a 20 minute modern film which broadcasts impressive sounds system and 3D special effects that will plunge you directly into the heart of fierces fightings alongside the Australian soldiers during the battles of the Somme between 1916 and 1918.

The Australian Memorial Corps of the Hamel was built at the initiative of the Australian government.   It is dedicated to the memory of Australian soldiers who served in the Australian Corps in France during the Great War.   Created in 1917, this corps was composed of five divisions that had served in France and Belgium since 1916.

On July 4, 1918, with the support of American troops, General John Monash launched a large-scale victorious attack combining infantry, artillery, aviation, armoured and parachute for the first time, thus foreshadowing the tactics of modern warfare.

The Memorial Park is located on the plateau east of the village, on the site of the final goal of the Battle of the Hamel.   It was inaugurated on July 4, 1998, eighty years after the Battle of the Hamel.   It commemorates the sacrifice of more than a thousand Australian soldiers during the First World War.

On 21 April 1918, exactly a month after von Hindenburg and von Ludendorff launched their last offensive, the  Kaiser's Battle, the Canadian pilot, Captain Roy Brown, claimed to have shot the Red Baron down, in a field, near Vaux sur Somme.

Von Richthofen was involved in an active dogfight with British RE 8s and Camels led by Captain Arthur Roy Brown. During the last stage of this pursuit, Von Richthofen was hit by a single bullet that caused massive damage to his heart and lungs, resulting in rapid death.

In the last seconds of his life, he managed to make a hasty but controlled landing in a field, just north of the village of Vaux sur Somme, in a sector controlled by the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). His Fokker was not damaged by the landing, but Australian souvenir hunters stripped most of it.

Leaving the « Red Baron » crash site, then the ride will takes you 20km north more far away to discover the most importants sites of the battle  of the somme in 1916.

Impressives sites such as the huge mine crater in « La Boisselle » detonated by the british tunneling companies in July 01th 1916.

The Lochnagar Crater was created by a large mine placed beneath the German front lines on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, it was one of 19 mines that were placed beneath the German lines from the British section of the Somme front, to assist the infantry advance at the start of the battle.

The British named the mine after ‘Lochnagar Street’, a British trench where the Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers dug a shaft down about 90 feet deep into the chalk; then excavated some 300 yards towards the German lines to place 60,000 lbs (27 tons) of ammonal explosive in two large adjacent underground chambers 60 feet apart. Its aim was to destroy a formidable strongpoint called « Schwaben Höhe » in the German front line, south of the village of La Boisselle in the Somme département.

The memorial is on the site of a windmill on the northern edge of Pozières village.

From 27 th  September 1914 the German Army arrived in Bapaume and fought the French Army down the main road towards Albert during the next few days. Blocking the way to Albert, the French managed to hold off the advance of the 26th and 28th Reserve Divisions in this area. The German Army stopped its further advance a few kilometres south of Pozières on the main road at the village of La Boisselle. With the high ground at Pozières securely behind its forward line the German Army here had magnificent views of the countryside for 360 degrees.

During 1915 and into early 1916 the German divisions in this sector of the Somme battlefield constructed a fortified Front Line between the villages of Gommecourt, Beaumont-Hamel, Thiepval, La Boisselle, Fricourt, and Mametz to Curlu on the Somme river. An Intermediate Position consisting of barbed wire defences and strongpoints was constructed behind the Front Line, and behind that a Second Position was built up. This Second Position comprised a series of strongpoints and observation points on good sites of high ground.

The windmill on this high ground was used from September 1914 as a German field artillery observation post and command post. The views were magnificent to the front and rear of this position. The site was built up as a strongpoint just to the north of the fortified village of Pozières.

Following, the guide is now taking you to visit the Newfoundland Memorial Park in Beaumont Hamel. Over there, quite a large portion of the battleground has been preserved and so while walking through the network of the now-serene originals trenches you will see the scars of the battle which still remain on the ground.

The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during World War I . The 74-acre preserved battlefield park encompasses the grounds over which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on 1 July 1916 during the first day of the Battle of the Somme .

On 1 July 1916 at 8:45 a.m. the Newfoundland Regiment and 1st Battalion of the Essex Regiment received orders to move forward. Of the 780 men who went forward only about 110 survived unscathed, of whom only 68 were available for roll call the following day.

In the afternoon, you will discover the town of Peronne where we will take a break for lunch in a local restaurant or you will just decides by yourself of your own choices of meals (own expense).

Mont Saint-Quentin Australian war memorial , located in  Mont Saint-Quentin  region of  Picardy , is an Australian  First World War  memorial.

The  Australian Second Division  has a war memorial on the road from Bapaume to Péronne. It is the only one of the five Australian division memorials initiated by members of the division. The base was erected in 1925. It has bronze bas-reliefs by  May Butler-George  of men hauling and pushing a gun and of men advancing with bayoneted rifles and hand-grenades. It had on its top an Australian soldier thrusting his bayonet through a German eagle. The sculptor was  Charles Web Gilbert .

However, in 1940, German soldiers smashed the memorial. A replacement statue by  Stanley Hammond  of a thoughtful Australian soldier looking down was erected in 1971

After lunch and to end that very moving day, you will get a free access to explore the «Great War Historial and museum" in Péronne. A 13th century medieval castle house the WW1 museum which display a a large exhibits of uniforms and weapons  all worn, designed and used by the soldiers during the conflict.

The historial of peronne museum also offers a permanent collection of Trench Artists such as « Otto Dix » who did testimony of  the atrocities of the war with sketching some very graphic etchings.

Museum Layout

The Historial, Museum of the Great War in Péronne opened in 1992. A highly respected museum devoted to the history of the First World War, the Historial studies the full cultural, social and military scale of this important chapter of history.

The central part of each gallery pays testimony to life at the front, that which concerned every population at war the most.

Soldiers of various nationalities are represented by mannequins dressed in their uniforms with their weapons and personal effects by their sides. These bodies, lying in white marble pits cut out of the museum’s floor, symbolise the entire territory of the Somme riddled by trenches, and the common suffering of the men at war.

Weapons and military equipment are displayed in the centre of the galleries; placed on the ground, in pits, they pay testimony to the common suffering of the soldiers. The lives of the civilians, each and everyone ‘mobilised’ by war, are studied in the wall cabinets, divided into three sections and respectively dedicated to Germany, France and Great Britain.

During the return drive to Paris you will have time to relax aboard the minivan before to be dropped off in Central Paris  (Drop off in front of the "LIDO DE PARIS 116 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris" in the evening between 06:30 pm till 07:30 pm).

Easy there to catch a taxi cab either to find metro station (Ligne 1 Métro : George V).

More about Somme

• battlefields

« ADRIAN ROADS » passionate team company is motivated by the same core values, namely the sharing of remembrance and transmission of history knowledge in both world wars. We do run our tours in small groups only (Max 8 people) aboard a comfortable and Air conditioned minivan.

About us World War 1 Tours World War 2 Tours Private Tour War Museum Contact Terms and Conditions Legal Notice Privacy policy

Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and get exlusive first minute offers straight into your inbox.

WW1 Australian Battlefield Day Tour from PARIS: Somme, Villers-Bretonneux...

• Access to all the sites and museum fees
• Driver / Guide WW1 expert
• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Private transportation
• We pick you up directly at your hotel in PARIS
• Infant seats available
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Stroller accessible
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travellers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Mémorial de Thiepval
• Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
• Lochnagar Crater
• 1st austalian devision memorial
• Sir John Monash Centre

Similar experiences

• You'll get picked up See departure details
• 1 Lochnagar Crater Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 2 1st austalian devision memorial Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 3 Memorial de Thiepval Stop: 30 minutes See details
• 4 Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Stop: 60 minutes See details
• 5 Albert Stop: 50 minutes See details
• 6 Australian National Memorial Stop: 40 minutes See details
• 7 Sir John Monash Centre Stop: 45 minutes See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• lisadS9692ZD 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing Experience Absolutely amazing & emotional experience on this tour with Sylvestre. Visited so many sites of the western front of WW1. Highly recommended this tour for every Australian if you get to France. Thank you Sylvestre. Read more Written 22 January 2024
• wilbur25 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic experience I would highly recommend this tour with Sylvestre. We came from Australia to see the battlefields. The private tour was everything we had hoped for and more. Sylvestre was knowledgeable and helpful and let us move around at our own pace. Went to Albert for lunch which was great as well. Feel very lucky to have experienced this tour . Read more Written 26 September 2023
• spinto13 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing experience! Our guide, Sylvestre, was excellent! He communicated with us the day prior to introduce himself and confirm pick up time/location. He was right on time, and once settled we got on our way. As this was a private tour, he let us set the pace which gave us as much time as we needed at each stop. He provided excellent historical background and was very interesting and helpful in answering our questions. He also took us to areas off the beaten track like an observation post in a farmers field and showed us war ordnance on the side of the road - found by a farmer and awaiting pick-up by local authority. He accommodated our request for a light lunch and joined us as we enjoyed a baguette at a picnic table. We can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed this tour because of Sylvestre - it was a somber day visiting these memorials and cemeteries of WWI, but he added to our day with his knowledge and expertise. Thank you! Read more Written 2 July 2023
• Grandpaw60 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles WWI revisited. Used Michel of RMB transport. He wasn't very good at responding to my emails but he was very good as a driver and guide. His English is understandable. He has an excellent knowledge of not only Vimy Ridge, but also the surrounding countryside. He showed up on time. For 50 Euros, it was worth it. Read more Written 4 June 2023
• Climber45793484221 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Highly recommended - friendly, professional and knowledgable guide for private tour of WW1 memorials Sylvestre is an oustanding guide and I am so happy to reccomend him to other travellers. I travelled with my 70yo mother and a family friend in Sylvestre's comfortable Mercedes van. Always on time and immacualtely clean, the van was equipped to seat 7, so was more than comfortable for our small group of three. My mothers hope in booking this trip was to find the grave of her great-uncle who had died in the first World War and Sylvestre found and provided records about him and took us to his memorial. He was happy to find us a local flower shop for us to purchase flowers for the memorial and accommodating and respectful of our time at the site. Sylvestre is knowledgeable, friendly and quick witted. We loved speaking with him about history, travel and culture. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the wars, battles fought, and the locations. His tour is flexible and goes at your own pace. I love that he can tailor the tour to suit your particular interests, particularly in relation to visiting memorials relevant to you own Country - in my case, Australia. I highly reccomend Sylvestre. Jess Wilkinson Read more Written 4 April 2023
• Ferguson009 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Sylvester’s tour This was an excellent day. Sylvester picked us up from Paris at 8.30am and took my sister and I to The Somme. We visited the WW1 battlefields, museums, thiepval memorial and ancre cemetery, stopping for a break and lunch in between. Sylvester’s knowledge was excellent. The day was well paced and spaced and we really got to know Sylvester who gave us plenty of time to look around, take photos, he even helped carry our shopping..! We had space at ancre cemetery to spend time at the grave of our great great grandfather William Samuel Cully. It was a powerfully emotive day and all the more memorable due to the wonderful guide..! Highly recommended. Read more Written 14 August 2022
• MauiF88 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Highly recommended Can highly recommend Sylvestre for your visit to the WW1 battlefields. He really personalises your tour to your specific needs. My Great Uncle was a doctor in the RAMC and died early in the war. Sylvestre found the road where he thought he was shot and provided us with his research. We visited the Fromelles and the Pheasant Wood military cemetery and adjacent museum given we are from Australia and Vimy Ridge so that the children could see the trenches and tunnels. He also took us to see the German cemetery so we could view the stark difference and mourn the tremendous loss of life on both sides. Thank you Sylvestre for a very moving day. Read more Written 10 August 2022
• anniej20182018 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles What a Great Tour Sylvester went out of his way to take us to a grave site outside of his normal tour to visit our family member who is buried at Armentieres. He took us to many sites which would be impossible to visit unless you had a guide with transport. Sylvester,s knowledge is outstanding and he does a lot of research on each individual tour in terms of the grave sites and family members of the fallen. We had Sylvester pick us up from our hotel in Paris and take us back which made a huge difference to the entire experience. We would highly recommend Sylvester as a tour guide and his ability to be flexible and make each tour unique for each individual tour and family. We were interested in all the Australian site but we also visited the Canadian and Ulster sites as well along with a nice lunch at Arras, which has a unique Flemish influence architecturally. I can not recommend this tour more highly and if you think you can do The Somme on your own, my comments are you are missing out on all the knowledge and the sites themselves are very far apart so you really need to know where you are going. Read more Written 25 June 2022
• OurWanderingCasa 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Humbling We had an amazing private tour. Sylvester our guide was so knowledgeable. We were given lots of time at each site to take it all in. He also took us to some of the more obscure sites, like a German War Cemetery, that really helped gain perspective of WWI. Highly recommend. Read more Written 5 October 2021
• tmccoydc12 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing visit to the Meuse-Argonne Battlefield 🇺🇸🇺🇸 I contacted Sylvestre to ask him to help me trace the movements of my great-uncle, who served with the American Expeditionary Forces and was wounded in action in September 1918 during the early days of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. On an unforgettable sunny June 2021 day, Sylvestre showed me not only sites where my great-uncle’s regiment saw action, he even researched and took me to the location where my great-uncle was wounded. Additionally, we visited quite a few other sites associated with the 37th Division that I would have otherwise never known to visit, plus others still where I was able to walk in trenches and see upclose the places where both Allied and German soldiers lived and died just ovee 100 years ago. The day ended with a visit to where my fellow Tennessean Sgt. Alvin C. York earned his Medal of Honor and to the American Cemetery, which in its beauty and pristine peacefulness packs a powerful emotional punch. Sylvestre’s passion for and knowledge of WWI history is contagious and his ability to explain the big picture of the war and little details is very impressive. I cannot say enough good things about the visit. You will thank yourself for organizing a visit with him. Read more Written 25 June 2021
• Michael G 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent tour Excellent tour with great knowledge by the guide. As it was during the pandemic we had a private tour as it was just myself and my son Read more Written 14 August 2020
• RegalTourist 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Anzac Battlefields 2.5 day tour including Dawn Service, Villers-Bretonneux 2019 I can't speak highly enough of this experience. The tour group comprised approximately 20 people, all Australians, who had travelled to France especially to attend Anzac Day services on the Western Front in April 2019. We travelled in a very comfortable coach for the entire tour. We are a family of 4 and really enjoyed visiting all the important battlefields that are special to Australians, including Pozieres, Bullecourt, and Fromelle over 2 and 1/2 days with the climax being attendance at the Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux. The tour also included a visit to the John Monash Centre and the Victoria School, which was absolutely fantastic, and we also stopped in Arras and Albert on two of the touring days for lunch. Estelle was most helpful with the booking arrangements prior to our arrival. She answered my many questions promptly and left me feeling confident that this was a very experienced crew. Nothing was any trouble for Estelle and she also undertook research for us about our family members, who had fought in the area during WW1. She even provided us with a photograph of our relative who was killed in action, which we had never seen before. We were very touched by this. Lea was our guide and wow, she really has an amazingly in depth knowledge of the history of the area and all aspects of how the battles unfolded. She is a born historian and exudes such passion that made the stories she told about the war all the more compelling. Lea was also able to point out to us the exact location of our relative's death at Pozieres, which was important to us as he has no known grave. The information about the exact location exceeded our expectations and was a highlight for us as we would not have thought this level of detail possible. Lea is also a really lovely lady, who was a pleasure to travel with over the 2 and 1/2 days of our tour, as was Estelle who was a pleasure to deal with also. It was sad to say good-bye when the tour was over. We are sorry to see that the tour is cancelled for 2020 due to Covid19 as it is a really wonderful experience. I commend this tour to all Australians who may be looking to spend a few days exploring and being educated about the Somme battlefields in 2021, particularly as the tour concludes with the not to be missed Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux. Yes, it was very cold and a bit wet, but I would do it all again. Thank you Terres de Memoir, especially Lea and Estelle. I love your work! Read more Written 21 April 2020
• _stuart1606 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Incredible day Lea guided us through the history of western front with well informed and insightful commentary. Absolutely recommend tour, not only those with an interest in the events that occurred but to all. Incredibly moving day and something everyone should experience. Read more Written 15 March 2020
• 430gmail 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Exceptional Service from Lea Lea was our guide for the Somme battlefield Tours. My Brother and I were super impressed with her knowledge of history. Her presentation was superb and the tour, was not only tailored to our historical interests but also based on the questions we asked..we would highly recommend Lea and this Tour Company, if you are looking for an excellent and educational experience..Brendan and Alan.. Read more Written 2 February 2020
• Neil P 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent tour My 16 year-old son and I spent most of the day touring the fields, graveyards, and memorials of the 1916 and 1918 battles. Sylvestre was an outstanding guide and taught us much about the Somme, WWI, and French culture, as well. A great day trip out of Paris. Read more Written 2 January 2020

More to explore in Paris

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Buy it with

• AUSTRALIAN TOUR: 2 DAY
• AUSTRALIAN TOUR: 3 DAY
• GENERAL TOUR: 1 DAY
• GENERAL TOUR: 2 DAY
• TAILOR-MADE TOURS
• Battle of Waterloo Tour
• Dieppe Tour
• V1/V2 sites Tour
• WW2 Normandy Tour
• Agincourt/Crecy Tour
• SPECIAL BREAKS
• USEFUL LINKS
• Family Research
• Life in the Trenches
• FAQ’s

SPECIALIST WW1 BATTLEFIELD TOURS

Fields of France offer battlefield tours, which cater for both the inexperienced and experienced battlefield visitor. We also offer planned and researched guided tours for those who wish to follow in a family member’s footstep.

EXPERIENCED WW1 BATTLEFIELD TOUR GUIDES

When you book a tour with Fields of France Battlefield Touring, you’re not just paying for a guide, we include collection and drop off at a range of locations; family or battlefield research is undertaken to make the most of your tour; and provide assistance with your accommodation and rail bookings.

ON-SITE COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation can be arranged in our comfortable and Great War themed bed and breakfast situated in Flers, right in the heart of the Somme Battlefields.

FIND OUT ABOUT THE ANZAC TOUR HERE

We specialise in Australian Battlefield Tours. Feel confident in the knowledge that all our tours are private tours; you will be our only clients, and are conducted by experienced guides

FIND OUT ABOUT THE MEN THAT SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR

Visit the Australian battlefields in France and Belgium in comfort and convenience on our Western Front on a journey to all the major Australian battle sites in both the Somme and the Ypres Salient

BATTLE OF WATERLOO

The best holiday experience I have had. I would happily recommend this tour and look forward to doing it again in a couple of years’ time with my son.”

EXPERIENCED BATTLEFIELD GUIDES

Welcome to fields of france battlefield touring..

We have many years’ experience of living and working on the Battlefields.

Fields of France offer battlefield tours, which cater for both the inexperienced and experienced battlefield visitor.  We also offer planned and researched guided tours for those who wish to follow in a family member’s footstep.

ABOUT PETE SMITH

Based on the Somme, Pete Smith is one of France's leading battlefield guides, and has spent more than a decade following in the footsteps of British and Australian troops on battlefields in Europe. Read More

Testimonials

A very moving experience and one that shall be treasured for the rest of my life. Just a perfect way to experience the battlefields of WW1

The best holiday experience I have had. I would happily recommend this tour and look forward to doing it again in a couple of years’ time with my son.” The best holiday experience I have had

Fields of France Battlefield Tours Otago View 48 rue Principal 80360 Flers France Tel: (from UK) 00 33 3 22 85 47 23 [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW US

© 2013-16 Fields of France Ltd | All Rights Reserved | Website by Riley & Thomas Cotswold Website Design

Powered by Riley & Thomas

• Glossary of terms
• Privacy notice
• Accessibility
• World War I 1914 to 1918
• World War II 1939 to 1945
• Kokoda Track 1942 to 1943
• Burma-Thailand Railway and Hellfire Pass 1942 to 1943
• The Malayan Emergency 1948 to 1960
• Korean War 1950 to 1953
• The Indonesian Confrontation 1962 to 1966
• Vietnam War 1962 to 1975
• Gulf War 1990 to 1991
• Peacekeeping since 1947
• Biographies
• Oral histories
• Australians in wartime
• Great War memories
• Documentaries
• 3-nine-39 radio and video series
• National Service Scheme
• Veteran research
• Days of commemoration in Australia
• Event planning
• Personal commemorations
• Symbols of commemoration
• Memorial sites to visit
• Commemorative grants
• Anzac Day commemorative package
• Remembrance Day commemorative package
• Teaching resources
• Themes to explore
• Anzac Day Schools' Awards
• National History Challenge
• Stories of Service series
• Commemorative Activity Centre

Australian Remembrance Trail in Belgium and France

Travelling along the Australian Remembrance Trail is a popular way of making a commemorative visit to the Western Front . Plan your journey well because there are many important battlefields and memorial sites to cover.

Between 1916 and 1918, some 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front. Over 46,000 died, and 134,000 were wounded or captured during this time.

The Australian Remembrance Trail links the most important sites for Australians along the Western Front. It includes battlefields, cemeteries, memorials and museums.

The trail is 250 km long, with northern, southern and central regions. Depending on how much time you have, plan which sites you'd like to visit. Our booklet, A Traveller's Guide , contains extra details to help plan your trip.

Starting your tour from the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux is ideal. It's an Australian Government museum operated by DVA at Fouilloy, in the Somme department of France.

We've suggested a route in Google Maps that you can share to your phone. There's a self-guided audio tour at each major stop that you can download or listen to online.

Stop 1 – Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Australian National Memorial .

Significance for Australians

The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux was an important action. It marked the limit of the German advance towards Amiens on this part of the Somme. Just over 3 months later, the British launched their part of a major Allied offensive north of Villers-Bretonneux. Known as the Battle of Amiens , this engagement marked the beginning of an Allied advance that ultimately resulted in the end of the fighting on the Western Front.

Annual commemorative events take place at the Australian National Memorial. Over 10,700 Australians were killed in France and Belgium during the war with no known grave. The names of those listed as missing in France are etched on the memorial walls.

Nearby is the Adelaide Cemetery, from where the body of the unknown soldier was exhumed.

The town of Villers-Bretonneux has several symbols of its links with Australia. This includes the Victoria School, rebuilt with funds donated by children in Victoria, Australia.

Sites to visit in this area

• Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux
• Australian National Memorial , Villers-Bretonneux
• École Victoria , Villers-Bretonneux
• Musée Franco-Australien , Villers-Bretonneux
• Underground caves , , Naours
• Vignacourt British Cemetery
• Thuillier farmhouse , Vignacourt

The first Australian soldiers arrived in France in July 1916. They left their mark with graffiti in the tunnels of Naours. Thousands of soldiers wrote their names in pencil here. So far, 731 names have been identified as Australian.

Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery near Villers-Bretonneux. Image DVA

The small town of Vignacourt was a temporary refuge for Australian soldiers. It was close to the battlefields but far from German artillery. Many of the men had their photos taken at the Thuillier house. In 2011, the negatives became public and are now on show in this farmhouse.

Group portrait of three unidentified members of the 2nd Australian Division, taken by Louis and Antoinette Thuillier in Vignacourt, France, during the period 1916 to 1918. AWM P10550.571

Stop 2 – Australian Corps Memorial at Le Hamel

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Australian Corps Memorial .

Australian general Sir John Monash made history at Le Hamel. His famous planning and preparation resulted in a brief and very successful action in the Battle of Hamel 4 July 1918 .

The Australian Corps Memorial is at the site of the former German command post.

You can read more about this battle in our book, 1918—Villers-Bretonneux to Le Hamel .

Australian troops also played a role in stopping a major German advance at the First Battle of Dernancourt in March 1918. The town's links with Australia are evident in the street 'Rue d'Australie' and the school hall, 'Pavillon Adelaide'.

• Australian Corps Memorial Park, Le Hamel
• 3rd Australian Division Memorial, Sailly-le-Sec
• Australian memorial places, Dernacourt (Pavilon Adélaïde, Rue d'Australie)

The Australian Corps Memorial at Le Hamel marks the spot of a savage fight and a quick victory. Even though a minor one, it gave Allied leaders then meeting in Paris a distinct morale boost. Image: DVA

The street 'Rue d'Australie' is a commemoration of the Australians at Dernacourt. Image: DVA

Stop 3 – Second Australian Division Memorial at Mont St Quentin

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Second Australian Division Memorial .

Between 31 August and 2 September 1918, 3 divisions of the Australian Corps attacked and captured the German stronghold at Mont St Quentin. Of about 17,000 Australians involved, some 3,000 were either killed or wounded.

You can read more about this battle in our book, 1918—Amiens to Hindenburg Line .

Péronne was held by the Germans from 1914. It was devastated by Allied shelling. The Grande Guerre Museum at Péronne features 70,000 artefacts from all sides.

Nearby is the hamlet of Bellenglise and the Fourth Division Memorial. Some 1,200 Australians died in an action here just 7 weeks before the Armistice.

• Second Australian Division Memorial, avenue des Australiens, Mont St-Quentin
• L'Historial de la Grande Guerre Museum , Péronne
• Fourth Australian Division Memorial, Bellenglise

The Second Australian Memorial is on the Avenue Des Australiens near the Rue D'Allaines intersection and can be seen from the road. The original Memorial, a statue of a digger killing an eagle with his bayonet, was destroyed by the Germans in World War II. In 1971, it was replaced by this figure of a digger in his slouch hat. [DVA]

Stop 4 – Old Windmill at Pozières

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the old Pozières windmill .

More Australians died here than on any other battlefield in France. Australians entered the Battle of the Somme on 23 July 1916 at Pozières. By the time they arrived, the village had been obliterated. It was the first experience of war for many of the soldiers.

The Windmill represents the place where most Australians died.

We are lousy, stinking, ragged, unshaven, sleepless. Even when we're back a bit we can't sleep from our own guns. I have one puttee, a dead man’s helmet, another dead man’s gas protector, a dead man’s bayonet. My tunic is rotten with other men’s blood and partly splattered with a comrade’s brains ... Courage does not count here. It is all nerve. Once that goes, one becomes a gibbering maniac. [From a letter by Second Lieutenant John Alexander Raws, who was killed in action near Pozières on 23 August 1916]

Learn more about:

• Battle of Pozières 23 July to 3 September 1916
• Battle of Mouquet Farm 10 August to 5 September 1916

You can read more about this battle in our book, 1916—Fromelles and the Somme .

• First Australian Division Memorial (the Windmill)
• Tank Corps Memorial (where tank warfare began on 15 September 1916).

The Windmill site is just outside Pozières on the D929 in the direction of Bapaume and to the left shortly after leaving the village. Cut in stone at the site are the words, "… captured on 4th August by Australian troops, who fell more thickly on this ridge than any other …"

Stop 5 – Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery .

The British Memorial to the Missing is the largest Commonwealth War Memorial in the world. It accommodates the 72,243 names of the British and Empire soldiers who were missing after the 1916 Battle of the Somme .

Ten Australians, six of them unknown, are buried in this cemetery.

Symbolically, 300 British and Empire soldiers and 300 French soldiers were buried side-by-side to mark the wartime alliance.

• Thiepval Memorial
• Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery .

Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery is near the Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, built across the front lines of 1 July 1916, a day when the British Army suffered nearly 20,000 men killed and 40,000 wounded. Image: DVA

Stop 6 – Australian Memorial Park and the 'Digger' at Bullecourt

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Bullecourt Digger

During the Battle of Arras 9 April to 16 May 1917 , Australians served in the flanking operations:

• First Battle of Bullecourt 10 to 11 April 1917
• German Attack on Lagnicourt 9 April to 16 May 1917
• Second Battle of Bullecourt 3 to 17 May 1917.

You can read more about these battles in our book, 1917—Bapaume and Bullecourt .

• ‘Digger’ sculpture in the Australian Memorial Park at Bullecourt
• Musée Jean et Denise Letaille - Bullecourt 1917
• Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy
• CWGC Visitor Centre, Beaurains (a behind-the-scenes look at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission teams who care for the fallen)

The bronze 'Bullecourt Digger' stands in the Australian Memorial Park just outside Bullecourt, along the Rue des Australiens and along the side road to Reincourt-les-Cagnicourt. In April and May 1917, the AIF lost 10 000 soldiers, killed or wounded in the fields he gazes across. Image: DVA

Stop 7 – V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery at Fromelles

Follow our self-guided audio tour of V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial

V.C. Corner is one of only 2 Australian-only burial grounds on the Western Front. The other one is Toronto Avenue Cemetery at Stop 8.

The Battle of Fromelles 19 to 20 July 1916 was the first major attack by Australian troops on the Western Front. Australian and British divisions attacked a strong point known as the Sugarloaf. Tragically, Australian casualties numbered 5,500 in a night.

The Australian Memorial Park on the old German front line features 'Cobbers', the bronze sculpture of an Australian soldier carrying a wounded mate from the battlefield.

• Musée de la Bataille de Fromelles
• Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery
• VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles
• 'Cobbers' sculpture in the Australian Memorial Park

Remains of a German blockhouse in the Australian Memorial Park near Fromelles. Image: DVA

Stop 8 – Toronto Avenue Cemetery south of Ieper

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Toronto Avenue Cemetery .

Toronto Avenue Cemetery is one of only 2 Australian-only burial grounds on the Western Front. The other one is V.C. Corner at Stop 7.

Ploegsteert Wood was the site of fierce fighting between the Allies and the Germans early in 1914 and 1915, before the Australians arrived on the Western Front. The Allies called the area ‘Plugstreet’.

Later on, Australians fought in the Battle of Messines 7 to 14 June 1917 . At that time, the Allies tried to take enemy defences from Ploegsteert Wood through Messines and Wytschaete to Mont Sorrel.

You can read more about this battle in our book, 1917—Ypres .

• Plugstreet 14-18 Experience (museum)
• Toronto Avenue Cemetery .

Toronto Avenue Cemetery at Plooegsteert Wood. Image: DVA

Stop 9 – the Cloth Hall at Ieper

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Cloth Hall at Ieper .

The Belgian place most damaged by the war was Ieper (Ypres). The Cloth Hall and the town itself were almost completely ruined by 1918. The Cloth Hall was reconstructed between 1933 and 1967.

The headquarters of Australian General Sir John Monash was in the ramparts of the Menin Gate. As a symbol of remembrance, the Last Post ceremony is performed at the Menin Gate every night.

In the Third Battle of Ypres from 31 July to 10 November 1917 , Australians served in:

• Battle of the Menin Road 20 to 26 September 1917
• Battle of Broodseinde 4 October 1917
• Battle of Poelcappelle 9 October 1917
• Battle of Passchendaele 12 October 1917.

You can read more about these battles in our book, 1917—Ypres .

• Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
• In Flanders Fields museum in the Cloth Hall
• Essex Farm Cemetery and canal bank, Boezinge
• Deutscher Soldatenfreidhof (mass grave of over 25,644 German soldiers), Vladslo.

Stop 10 – Tyne Cot Cemetery north of Ieper

Follow our self-guided audio tour of the Tyne Cot Cemetery .

Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world, with over 11,900 war graves. Sadly, 791 of the 1,369 Australian soldiers buried here are unknown.

Tyne Cot is a former battlefield and a cemetery.

Heavy rain in 1917 had turned the Flanders' battlefields into a morass. By August, men and horses drowned in the mud.

Conditions improved during the Passchendaele campaign, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres 31 July to 10 November 1917 . The 4 Anzac divisions fought together in a line for the first time at:

However, the campaign was costly. Nearly 6,500 of the 15,000 British casualties were Australian soldiers.

• Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917
• Passchendaele Memorial Garden
• Tyne Cot Cemetery
• Tyne Cot Memorial
• Polygon Wood Cemetery
• Fifth Australian Division Memorial, Polygon Wood
• Buttes New British Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery, a view towards the Great Cross. There are 1369 Australian graves here, 791 of them unidentified, making Tyne Cot the war cemetery with the most Australian burials in the world.

Buttes New British Cemetery and 5th Australian Division Memorial at Polygon Wood. Image: DVA

Sir John Monash Centre

Location: Route de Villers Bretonneux, 80800 Fouilloy, Somme, France.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +33 3 60 62 01 40

Plan your visit - entry is free.

Further reading

• A Traveller's Guide: The Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front
• Flanders Fields

Learning Activities

• Australians on the Western Front
• Australians on the Western Front 1916 –1918: Educational Activities
• Life in the Trenches workbook
• Australian Remembrance Trail
• Commemoration
• Western Front
• World War I 1914-1918

Last updated: 12 February 2024

Cite this page

Monthly updates on new content, free resources and commemorations.

We'll protect your details in line with our Privacy Policy. Learn about our newsletter .

• [email protected]
• +32 (0)57 20 43 42

• Australian Tours
• British Tours
• Canadian Tours
• New Zealand Tours
• American Tours
• Practical Information
• Cancellation Policy
• Ypres Battles
• Travel Tips
• Reservations

Discover our WW1 Battlefield Tours

Battlefield Tours

New-Zealand

1 Day Tours

Welcome back! Discover our special Tours and Promotions

A local and experienced guide.

The combination of local knowledge and historical research through the years turns out to be a major asset to give our clients the most rewarding experience.

Adapted on your own expectations

The main issue for us is to give our clients a tour adapted to their needs and expectations.Whatever their choice is, a one day or several day tours we can arrange it.

Personal service

Following the footsteps of your relative is very humbling and a lifetime achievement with their suffering in the back of your mind.

Testimonials

"great experience".

We were three friends from Spain and wanted to visit in one day the most important places of WWI at Ypres. Annette was an EXCELLENT guide, the tour that she made absolutly completed our expectations. Without her guidance and knowledge (that is impressive) it would have been imposible to seize the day as we did.

Guided Tours of the Western Battlefields

Battlefield sites

Our guided tour will take you to the most relevant trenches and significant battlefield sites from World War One such as Hill 60, Hill 62, Tyne Cot cemetery, Polygon Wood,Essines Ridge and more in the Ypres Salient. In the Somme we go to Thiepval, Pozieres, Mouquet farm, Villers Bretonneux.

Your own choice

But we take you also to places of your own choice: a small cemetery where a relative is buried or a less known battlefield where he fought was wounded or received an award. We also visit German sites as well Allied.

Trace a soldier

As a special service we can try to trace the movements of an individual soldier during the first world war. If you are interested in that service, please give us notice a few weeks prior to your arrival.

Ypres & Somme Battlefield tours accommodation

During our package tours we use the Novotel in Ypres and breakfast and dinner is included in the price of our 2. 3 or 4 day battlefield tours. Convenient is to arrive in Lille the day before the tour. In this case we will be happy to recommend accommodation near the station where you arrive. If you have choose your own accommodation, we are also able to guide you on the Ypres and Somme battlefields.

Self-drive Itineraries & Tours of the WW1 Battlefields

Travellers wishing to tour the battlefields independently by car, motorbike, motorhome or bicycle can do so with help from specific itineraries drawn up by an expert guide to the WW1 battlefields.

The organizations listed here either offer itineraries and route information to download for your self-drive independent travel to the battlefields, or there are companies which will create tour itineraries and arrange accommodation for you.

Any company listed on greatwar.co.uk is offered to help travellers to the battlefields find a tour company or guide to suit specific requirements. You are advised to contact the tour guide or company directly with any enquiry about the tours or itineraries they offer. Where appropriate you should ensure they comply with any travel, package holiday and package tours regulations. Greatwar.co.uk cannot be held responsible for a guide or tour company failing to comply with package holiday travel regulations and public liability cover.

Self-Drive Battlefield Tour Itineraries

Self-drive battlefield tours (paid-for arrangements/itineraries), australian remembrance trail: france and belgium.

Australian visitors may be interested to see a website established by the Australian Government called the ANZAC Portal. It provides information about the major sites to visit in France and Belgium where the Australian forces fought and where they are commemorated.

Website: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au The Australian Remembrance Trail

“Circuit of Remembrance”, Somme Battlefields, France

The Somme “Circuit of Remembrance” (also called The Remembrance Trail) has been set up by the organisation called Somme Battlefields' Partner. It is a route of approximately 40 miles in total with 10 stops at important sites between the towns of Albert and Péronne. This is a route that can be followed if you are visiting the battlefields independently. You can either make the visits yourself or, alternatively, there are local guides who can arrange to take you round (there would be a charge for this option). For information about the “Circuit of Remembrance”, the location of the main historical sites to visit or recommended guides go to 'The Great War: A Chapter in History' page on the official Somme tourism website:

Website: www.somme-battlefields.com The Great War

Digital Guide to Download: Sites of the First World War (Somme)

For a downloadable guide to the Battles of the Somme, a map and descriptions of the main sites to visit go to this link provided by the official Somme tourism website:

Website: fr.calameo.com Sites of the First World War

Road Trip: The Great War and More

This is the first in a new series of itineraries for self-driving tours from Vicarious Media. The tour includes travel visiting historical locations for the First and Second World Wars, taking in five cities across France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The tour is suitable for motorbikes, cars, motorhomes and campervans.

For more information, testimonials, features, a sample of the guide and how to purchase it visit the Vicarious Media website:

Website: vicarious-shop.com Road Trip: The Great War and More

Battlefields by 4x4

Telephone: 0701 424 1418 (calls charged at premium rate)

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.battlefieldsby4x4.com

Battlefield tours led by experienced battlefield guides and qualified off-road drivers, which are specifically designed for owners of standard four wheel drive vehicles. Commentary by your guides is delivered to your own vehicle and an A5 bound booklet will be given to you with photographs and information about the places you are to visit. Every assistance will be given to lead you through spectacular countryside, including off-road driving, and show you the well-known and not so well-known battlefield sites. Most tours are organized over three days, two and a half days of this consisting of driving time.

Tours are based on either pre-arranged itineraries, or a combination of tour destinations, or on a tour customised to your own requirements. Pre-arranged tour itineraries include:

• The Somme 1916
• The Tank 1917
• D Day 1944 (annual tour in June available from 2015)
• Battlefields of the Aisne, Champagne and Meuse in Eastern France to be announced

For more information, bookings and answers to any questions you may have, visit the website:

Galina Battlefield Tours

Official Tour Operators to the Normandy Veterans Association; Member of ABTA No. Y4466

Address: Galina International Battlefield Tours, 16 Bridge Street Row, Chester, CH1 1NQ

Telephone: 01244 340 777

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.wartours.com

Galina Battlefield Tours is a well-established battlefield tour company offering quality tours for groups and individuals. Self-drive tour itineraries are also available from Galina. Self-drive tours can be tailored to suit your requirements, your travel dates, accommodation needs, and the places you wish to visit.

For full details and to request a free quotation visit the Self-drive page on the Galina Battlefield Tours website:

Website: www.wartours.com Self-drive

Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd.

Member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (GBG)

Telephone: +44 (0)1202 - 880 211

Website: www.battlefield-tours.com

A small company which specializes in Self-Drive tours to the Somme and Ypres battlefields.

Related Topics

Visiting the ww1 western front battlefields.

Advice and useful information about travelling, accommodation and tourist information for visitors to the Western Front battlefields:

Visiting WW1 Western Front Battlefields

Battlefields of the Western Front

Pages on the battlefields by area including comprehensive listings and locations of military cemeteries, main memorials, battle remains, museums and accommodation:

The Yser Battlefields & the Belgian Coast

The Ypres Salient, Flanders, Belgium

French Flanders and Artois

The Somme, Picardie, France

Guidebooks for the WW1 Western Front Battlefields

Recommended guidebooks for visitors:

Maps for Travel to the WW1 Battlefields

For recommended modern road, cycling and walking maps on the Western Front battlefields, see our page:

Apps for the WW1 Battlefield Visitor

Somme Battlefields' Partner, France

The Somme Battlefields' Partner is a network, where local professionals involved in tourism and the history of the Somme battlefield area have come together. Information about the Somme Battlefields' Partner is on the official Somme tourism website at:

Website: www.somme-battlefields.com Somme Battlefields' Partner

Battlefield Tours

Battlefield Tours & Travel

Battlefield Tour Companies and Guides (from the United Kingdom)

Battlefield Tour Companies and Guides based in Belgium and France

Cycling Routes & Tours on the WW1 Battlefields

Walking the WW1 Battlefields

Motorcycling Tours on the WW1 Battlefields

Battlefield Tours by Rail

WW1 Battlefield Tour Companies for Students & School Groups

• Accommodation

Accommodation on the Western Front Battlefields

• Western Front Battlefields
• Battlefield Visits
• Memorials & Monuments
• Museums & Archive Collections
• Tracing Family History
• Researching Military History
• Education Resources
• Experience of the Great War
• Remembrance
• Organizations
• The Poppy Umbrella
• Tours from UK
• Tours start in Belgium/France
• Cycling Tours
• Walking Tours
• Self-Drive Tours
• Motorcycle Tours
• Tours by Rail
• Tours for Schools & Students
• Guild of Battlefield Guides
• Travel Maps

Copyright © www.greatwar.co.uk All rights reserved.

• - Our Tours
• - Version Française

Discover the Battlefields in France

Since 2006 we have specialised in organising  Private Tours of the First and Second  World War Battlefields.

We are delighted to offer high-quality tours around the various battlefields in France and Belgium, along the entire WW1 Western Front and  across the WW2 Battlegrounds.

We exclusively provide our customers with Private or Bespoke tours , guiding families or small parties up to 7 people.

Undoubtedly the best way to experience the battlefields !

WORLD WAR ONE TOURS

The Somme, Arras and Vimy Ridge

Ypres, Flanders battlefields

Verdun, Meuse-Argonne, Marne 1918...

WORLD WAR TWO TOURS

Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches

Ardennes, battle of the Bulge

Northern France ...

 ABOUT US...

Sylvestre Bresson, 

Battlefield Guide, founder and owner 

of "Terres de Mémoire"

HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Our team can also help you to plan this bespoke visit. Should you like to walk in the footsteps of a relative who fought in the Great War or a specific regiment or battalion, then this is the type of tour you need. Should you provide us with any  information you have about a soldier who fought there (for example his full name, his service number, the battalion he fought with) we'll investigate him and take you to all the places linked to his story. We have access to online resources and we also have our own documentation, photos, original trench maps and numerous books...

Affichage Web Affichage Mobile

• [email protected]
• 1300 880 340

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Our office is closed from Friday 22 December 2023 to Friday 05 January 2024. We reopen Monday 08 January 2024.

During this period, for any enquiries please email [email protected] and we will reply after the break.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours

Explore over 50 fascinating battlefield tours.

• All itineraries are personally designed by Mat McLachlan
• All tours are led by expert historians
• All tours include accommodation in the heart of the battlefields
• Unique experiences not provided by any other tour company

Let's start the journey of a lifetime!

Western front explorer 2024.

from $2499 pp

• Multiple Departures in 2024

Anzac Day on the Western Front 2025

Early Bird Offer from $5179 pp

On 25 April 1918 Australian soldiers captured the French town of Villers-Bretonneux. Commemorate this anniversary with a special tour and moving Anzac Day ceremony.

• 19th April 2025

Anzac Day at Gallipoli 2025

Early Bird Offer from $3649 pp

A life-changing experience allowing you to commemorate Anzac Day on the ground where the Anzac legend began.

• 20th April 2025

Gallipoli Explorer Tour 2024

From $2599 pp.

Explore the battlefields where the Anzac legend – the perfect tour addition to any European holiday with fortnightly departures

Gallipoli Discovery Tour 2024

from $3599 pp

Join us on this exclusive, nine-day tour of Gallipoli visiting hidden sites off-the-beaten path.

• Departs 27 September 2024

Book Anzac Day Tours 2025 by 30 June 2024 to save up to $400 per couple

*Terms & Conditions apply. A $400 per couple saving applies to Anzac Day on the Western Front. A $300 per couple discount applies to Anzac Day at Gallipoli. A $200 per couple discount applies to Anzac Day in Ypres.

• Click to view all Anzac Day Tours

Discover your style of tour

Explore Our Tours

Anzac day tours, france & belgium, western front.

“We have no hesitation in giving you a 10/10, and highly recommend Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours. Adrienne & Graham Buttner Bombing of Darwin Anniversary Tour I really enjoyed the tour it was enjoyable, entertaining and informative, could not have asked for anything better. Jack Thomason Bombing of Darwin Anniversary Tour Amazing!  My sister and I visited the Western Front and experienced a one day private tour on the Ypres Salient and also a one day private tour on the Somme. As I go through my photographs of the 3 weeks we spent in Europe, it is these 2 days that I keep coming back to and would class as the highlight of the trip. The information provided was first class, the effort to locate some of our ancestors who did not make it home was very much appreciated and the whole experience was extremely moving.

I know that these 2 days will stay with me forever.

Absolutely incredible!

Erdem as guide, Roachie as our historian and Zafir as our fearless bus driver.

I would like to recommend highly the Western Front Battlefields Tour.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The whole experience was one I will remember.

The Tour Guide was very knowledgeable and approachable. The facilities were amazing.

I have been in complete awe of the service and experience from Mat McLachlan tours.

Not only was my family and I reassured about our safety from the moment we booked but we knew we were in safe hands the moment we started the tour.

Stay updated

Subscribe to our channels

Let’s start the journey of a lifetime!

Contact Details

• 1300 880 340 (Within AUS)

River Cruise Enquiry

80th anniversary of the battle of normandy.

To read our booking terms and conditions please click here

Ask about our airfare, hotel and car hire deals, which offer great discounts when booked in conjunction with our tours.

Please note: Itineraries are subject to change due to operational reasons. In addition, your Historian may alter the sites visited on each day to suit local conditions. Any changes will be advised closer to the time of departure.

Don't forget to Like & Subscribe

Booking enquiry, anzac day tour, booking enquiry - trek kokoda, group bookings.