Description

Day 1 : Houplines and Messines

Start of the tour in the area of Armentieres where the New Zealanders had their first experience on the Western Front. We visit: Houplines, Fleurbaix and Fromelles.
Your journey continues to Ploegsteert (Plugstreet Wood) and visit Prowse Point and the site of Christmas Truce.

We follow the route of the New Zealanders when they took the Messines Ridge and visit the different memorials to the New Zealanders and their missing.
We visit Hill 60 related to the big explosions of the mines on the 7th June 1917, a successful operation prologue to the 3th battle of Ypres.
In the cloth hall on the main square in Ypres we visit the Flanders Fields museum.

Included pick up Lille or Ypres, lunch, entrée fees, accommodation *** hotel Ypres.

Day 2 : Ypres and Passchendaele

Today we will discover the different phases of the 3th battle of Ypres and we will approach Passchendaele Ridge just like the New zealanders did in October 1917.
We start at Hellfire Corner, follow the Menin Road, Hooge Crater and Clapham Junction. During our visit to Polygon Wood we discover the memorial for the missing New Zealanders.
In Zonnebeke we visit the Passchendaele memorial museum. After Broodseinde we reach Passchendaele Ridge and visit Tyne Cot cemetery ,the biggest Commonwealth cemetery of the world, with the memorial to the missing New Zealanders of the battle of Passchendaele .
At the end of the day Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Possibility to lay a wreath (ask us in advance).

Included breakfast, lunch, entrée fees, accommodation *** hotel Ypres.

Day 3 : Somme and Le Quesnoy

We visit the Wellington tunnels in Arras.
We start our tour discovering battle of the Somme 1916 and visit: Bapaume, Grevillers, Flers, Longueval and Carterpillar cemetery, where the unknown New Zealander was exhumed to be taken back to New Zealand. We continue our journey further and visit the sites related to the battle of the Somme 1918 such as Havrincourt, Vertigneul and Le Quesnoy.

Included breakfast, lunch, entrée fees, accommodation  *** hotel  Ypres.

Day 4 : Poperinge and Armentieres

We visit Essex farm were John McCrae wrote his famous poem: In Flanders Fields. In Langemark we visit the German cemetery. We visit Lijssenthoek cemetery and the visitor centre to discover how the evacuation of the wounded took place. We visit the grave of Dave Gallaher in Nine Elms cemetery. In Poperinge we visit Talbot House and find out about life of the soldiers when they had rest and recreation. Also what happened to the thousands of civilians.

In Armentieres we visit Cité Bonjean Military Cemetery.

At the end of this tour we take you back to Lille on time to catch your train to your next destination.

Included breakfast, lunch, entrée fees drop off Ypres or Lille.