Tour Inclusions

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

ANZAC on the Western Front

6 days
France / Belgium
Max 18 Passengers

Overview

From the trenches of Ypres to monuments marking The Somme, our ANZAC tour maps Australian and New Zealand troops' movements in WWI - delving into the stories of the soldiers' involvement in the battles of the Western Front. With poignant visits to cemeteries and national memorials on the agenda, this history-themed journey is perfect for those wishing to learn more about their countrymen who fought and died in The Great War.

Tour Starts/Ends
1 Overnight Stop
Day Stop

Tour Highlights

Have the opportunity to pay your respects at your relative's graves
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

Tour Itinerary

Expand Full Itinerary

Day 1 - Lille
After meeting the group in Lille, we’ll kick off our history-laden journey with a delicious welcome dinner. Accommodation: Hôtel Couvent des Minimes (or similar)
- Meals
  - Dinner
Day 2 - Lille – Ypres
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: Albion Hotel (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 3 - Ypres
Today, 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 Last Post ceremony under the iconic Menin Gate. Accommodation: Albion Hotel (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 4 - Ypres – 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 a poignant visit 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 – Somme – Amiens
The Somme still captivates the soul and it’s here that the ANZACs first saw major action in 1916. Today 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. Reconvening this evening, we’ll reminisce on our unforgettable tour over a farewell dinner. Accommodation: Hôtel Le Prieuré (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 6 - Amiens – Villers-Bretonneux – Lille
As the home of the National War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is central to Australian WWI commemoration and memory. Today we’ll visit the Franco-Australian Museum, a site paying tribute to the brave Australian soldiers who helped save the town and a monument to international solidarity. We’ll make a brief stop at 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

5 nights in hand-picked accommodation

The Crew

Experienced Back-Roads Tour Leader and Driver

Transport

Premium mini-coach transportation

Reviews

4 reviews

Reviews Rating

20th July 2019
Review rating

The tour guide and the bus driver were superb. However, Blue-Roads delivered a bus with the airconditioning not working properly. The outside temperature was on average 33-35 degrees. When a complaint was put in to Blue-Roads they did nothing to rectify the problem and tried to blame the driver and tour guide!! The situation was handled so badly by the company. Had it been the following week where temperatures were 45 degrees in the North of France it would have been insufferable. They are still not accepting responsibility for putting on a second rate bus!! It has been very bad form and disgraceful behavior on behalf of the company. The guide made the trip exceptional despite the poor bus and the bad attitude of the company
10th June 2019
Review rating

I think it’s a subject you have be interested in. The tour itself was well run and structured. Just that it wasn’t what I expected.
10th June 2019
Review rating

We had an excellent guide and driver, and the tour took us everywhere we needed to go including a side trip to visit a relative's grave. It is great travelling in a small group.