Somme Battlefields and Ypres
Walk the ground where the Great War was fought. Memorials, cemeteries and museums across the Somme and Flanders, with an optional day in Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony.
Stand where the Great War was fought. Bring history off the page.
The Somme Battlefields and Ypres tour takes students to the very ground where the defining battles of the First World War were fought. From the preserved trenches and shell craters of the Somme to the moving Menin Gate memorial in Ypres, students walk landscapes that directly connect what they have studied in the classroom to the human reality of the conflict.
Based at the Auberge des Remparts in Peronne, a purpose-built youth hostel in the heart of the Somme region, the tour is available as a 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-night programme. The four-day option extends into Belgium for a full day in Ypres, including the opportunity to attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, a tradition held every evening without interruption since 1928.
The trip is delivered in partnership with Energy Travel, fully managed from departure to return, and is mapped to the Ofsted personal development framework with impact evidence built in.
3 or 4 days across the Somme and Flanders.
The 3-day/2-night tour covers the core Somme battlefield sites. The 4-day/3-night tour adds a full day in Ypres, Belgium, including the Flanders Field Museum, Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.
- Depart from school and transfer to Dover
- Ferry crossing to Calais
- Drive 90 minutes south into the Somme region
- Afternoon visit to Vimy Ridge Memorial
- Check in at Auberge des Remparts, Peronne and evening meal
- Full day tour of the Somme sites, chosen from the optional visits list
- Sheffield Memorial Park
- Newfoundland Memorial Park, including original preserved trenches
- Ulster Tower
- Delville Wood (Delville Wood South African National Memorial)
- Lochnager Crater, formed by the largest mine detonated on 1 July 1916
- Sunken Lane, site of the famous pre-battle film footage
- Beaumont Hamel
- Fricourt German Military Cemetery
- Commonwealth War Graves Visitor Centre
- Evening meal and overnight at Auberge des Remparts
- Full day in Ypres (Ieper), Belgium
- Flanders Field Museum in the historic Cloth Hall
- Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world
- Essex Farm Cemetery, where John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields
- The Trench of Death at Diksmuide
- Optional late evening attendance at the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate
- Return to Peronne for overnight stay
- Morning opportunity to visit any sites not covered on Day 2
- Afternoon ferry from Calais back to Dover
- Transfer back to school
Everything covered from departure to return
- 49-seat executive coach for the full duration of the tour
- Driver for the duration plus any required UK feeder drivers
- Return channel crossings (Dover to Calais)
- All taxes, tolls, fees and driver expenses
- 2 nights (or 3 nights) at Auberge des Remparts, Peronne
- Full board throughout at the accommodation
- Students in multi-bed rooms (4 to 6), all adults in twin rooms
- Local tourist tax for all adult passengers
- All visits and stops as per the chosen itinerary
- Youth Tour Specialist travel insurance
- Dedicated 1-to-1 contact with an experienced tour coordinator
- Full itinerary and planning service
- Meals on travel days other than those stated
- Drinks with meals (except water)
- Additional hire fees
- Single room supplements
- Any visa costs
- Additional tours or excursions not on the itinerary
- Services of a dedicated Tour Manager
November 2026 to February 2027
Available as a 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-night programme. Pricing is based on multiples of 40 paying students with a 1:8 free staff ratio. Excludes Christmas and New Year dates. The price is valid against currency fluctuations until 30 June 2026.
Prices valid until 30 June 2026. Contact us to discuss your group size. Free places: 1 staff per 8 students. Excludes Christmas and New Year dates. Contact us to discuss bespoke itinerary options.