Tour Inclusions

6 Nights
8 Meals 6 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners
Battlefields
Driver
Tour Leader

ANZAC on the Western Front: Dawn Service

7 days
France / Belgium
Max 18 Passengers

Overview

This ANZAC tour has been carefully designed to connect you to the past – and with any ancestors who may have fought and died during the Great War. Encounter tales of the soldiers who courageously captured the Messines Ridge at Passchendaele. Breathe in the scent of damp earth as you delve into the Wellington Quarries’ twisting tunnels. And pay your respects at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service as the sun begins to rise over the heroes laid to rest in Villers-Bretonneux. Join us and uncover not just their stories, but perhaps a few hidden narratives of your own.

Worth Noting…

You can choose between two directions on this tour: northbound or southbound. Simply view and select your preferred route by clicking on the buttons above! If you join our tour departing 20 April, Day 5 and Day 6 of the itinerary will be exchanged – meaning we’ll visit The Somme on Day 5 and attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service on Day 6.

Tour Starts/Ends
1 Overnight Stop
Day Stop

Tour Highlights

Attend a poignant ANZAC Day Service in Villers-Bretonneux
Delve into the Australian story on the Western Front at the Franco-Australian Museum
Visit the Wellington Quarries – a network of underground tunnels dug by the New Zealand Tunnelling Company

Gallery

Tour Itinerary

Expand Full Itinerary

Day 1 - Lille (France)
After meeting the group in Lille, we’ll kick off our remarkable journey with a delicious welcome dinner. Accommodation: Hôtel Couvent des Minimes (or similar)
- Meals
  - Dinner
Day 2 - Lille – Ypres (Belgium)
Today’s itinerary will take us from Lille to Ypres via the historic Messines Ridge. Our first stop will be the Passchendaele battlefields – where we’ll walk in the footsteps of WWI allied soldiers who fought to break the German line in 1917. Next, we’ll pay our respects at Polygon Wood and Tyne Cot Military Cemetery before visiting the shell-scarred Hill 60. This afternoon, there’s an opportunity to explore the fascinating Hooge Crater Museum – home to a unique collection of WWI artefacts and reconstructed trenches. We’ll enjoy some free time this evening in Ypres – our home for the next two nights. Accommodation: Hotel Recour (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 3 - Ypres
After breakfast, we’ll continue to delve into the moving stories of the West Flanders Front beginning with a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum – a unique institution that commemorates the four-year trench war and conveys a contemporary message of peace. This afternoon, you’ll be free to explore Ypres at your leisure. A medieval town that was completely destroyed during WWI and rebuilt anew, there is plenty of history to uncover here. This evening we’ll reconvene to attend the playing of the Last Post at the iconic Menin Gate. Whilst renovation to the Gate is ongoing, we’ll still be able to experience the ceremony that has been performed here daily for almost 100 years. Accommodation: Hotel Recour (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 4 - Ypres – Fromelles (France) and Arras – Amiens
Today it’s out of Belgium and across the border. Our destination? Fromelles, the site of the disastrous attack of 19 July 1916 – where we’ll pay an emotional visit to Pheasant Wood Cemetery and the fascinating exhibition nearby. After, we’ll move on to the Wellington Quarries: a network of tunnels built by the New Zealand Tunnelling Company as part of the preparations for the Battle of Arras. We’ll remember Australia’s role in this battle at Bullecourt with a stop at the Digger Memorial later this afternoon. Concluding the day in lovely Amiens, we’ll have the evening to spend as we wish. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 5 - Amiens – ANZAC Day Dawn Service – Amiens
The Australian War Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux commemorates the battle of 24-25 April 1918 – during which Australian and Commonwealth Soldiers liberated the town. Buried here are more than 2,100 servicemen of the First World War – including over 770 Australians. Since 2008, the memorial has been the site of a special ANZAC Day service. Today, stand with fellow visitors from Australia and New Zealand alongside local townspeople in remembering those who lost their lives in the Great War. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 6 - Amiens – Somme – Amiens
The Somme still captivates the soul and it’s here that the ANZACs first saw major action in 1916. This morning, we’ll visit Pozières and Mouquet Farm – significant sites for the Australian soldiers, as well as Longueval and Flers which were similarly monumental to the Kiwis. Before returning to Amiens, we’ll also take some time to remember the colossal loss experienced by Great Britain with a visit to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. This evening, we’ll regroup for one final dinner together and reminisce on our unforgettable journey. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 7 - Amiens – Villers Bretonneux – Lille
As the home of the National War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is central to Australian WWI commemoration and memory. Before we say our goodbyes today, we’ll visit the Franco-Australian Museum – a site paying tribute to the brave Australian soldiers who helped to save the town and a monument to international solidarity. We’ll make a brief stop at the Sir John Monash Centre before shifting our focus to the last year of the war – with a visit to Le Hamel. Our tour will conclude upon our return to Lille.
- Meals
  - Breakfast

Tour Inclusions

Accommodation

- 6 nights in thoughtfully selected accommodation

The Crew

Expert Tour Leader and Driver

Transport

Luxury minicoach

Other Information

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

We love helping our groups explore personal connections at specific historic sites or cemeteries in Belgium and France – as long as they’re not too out of the way of our official tour route. Please contact our Customer Service team before your departure and they’ll do their best to add any extra stops to your itinerary in advance.

How much walking can I expect to do?

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

Is there anything I need to know regarding attending Anzac Day Dawn Service?

Our friendly Customer Service team will be in touch a few months before your tour departs to collect any extra information needed to register you for the ceremony – as you don’t need to register yourself. Please also bear in mind we may need to shuffle around some of the days’ activities so we can attend.