DAY 1

From Paris to Ypres Battlefields and Lille.
Depart Le Méridien Etoile, at 09:00 bound for Flanders Fields. Visit the Ypres Salient battlefields, including Hill 60, Polygon Wood, the Passchendaele Memorial and Tyne Cot Cemetery. In the town of Ypres, hear the Last Post sounded at the Menin Gate. Continue to your hotel and join your Travel Director for a Welcome Drink.
Hotel: Mercure Lille Centre Grand Place Hotel.
Meal:

DAY 2

Time for reflection at Fromelles and Vimy Ridge, then onto Amiens.
See the Australian cemetery of Fromelles, commemorating one of the darkest days in Australian military history. Continue to the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge, dedicated to the battle which became a defining moment for Canada as a nation. Take in a visit to the trenches preserved just as they were during the Great War with a Local Expert, who tells stories of battles that raged the now silent pastures.
Hotel: Mercure Amiens Cathédrale Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 3

The Battlefields of the Somme.
Meet your Local Expert to explore the key battlefields of the Somme. Visit the Lochnagar Crater, the South African and New Zealand Memorials at Longueval, Newfoundland Memorial and Museum and the Franco-British Memorial at Thiepval. Enjoy a stop in Albert to see the church and hear the legends of the Golden Virgin statue atop – once a beacon to many soldiers who passed through the town during the Battle of the Somme. Afterwards, explore Beaumont-Hamel, one of the largest allied offensives of the war, and return to Amiens where you will have the afternoon at leisure.
Hotel: Mercure Amiens Cathédrale Hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

DAY 4

Return to Paris.
Visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Franco-Australian Museum in the local Victoria School. Stop to explore Le Hamel and then continue to Péronne. On return to Paris, a stop is made at Charles De Gaulle Airport. For those departing in the evening, please do not schedule flights before 20:00. Alternatively the coach will drop you at Le Méridien Etoile hotel.
Meal: Breakfast

Insight Experiences

• Vimy Ridge: Visit the Canadian National Memorial, dedicated to a battle that defined Canada as a nation. Your Local Expert will share stories of the battles that once raged here, as you explore the well-preserved 100-year-old trenches.
• Somme Battlefields: Venture through the battlefields of the Somme as your Local Expert explains how brave soldiers fought tirelessly for five months.

Stay in Style

• Mercure Amiens Cathédrale: The modern Mercure Amiens Cathédrale is located in the heart of the city, right next to the Gothic cathedral.

Top Rated Highlights

• Ypres: Tour the Ypres Salient Battlefields and hear the final salute to the fallen as the Last Post is sounded at the Menin Gate.
• Lille: Be enchanted by the little town of Lille as you enjoy listening about its history.
• Fromelles: See the Australian cemetery, commemorating one of the darkest days in Australian military history.
• Amiens: Enjoy a city orientation with your Travel Director and see a medieval town tastefully rebuilt after WWII.
• Albert: Hear the legends of the Golden Virgin, and later Leaning Virgin statue atop the church.
• Beaumont-Hamel: Explore Beaumont-Hamel, once the site of one of the largest allied offensives of the war.
• Villers-Bretonneux: Visit the Franco-Australian Museum in the local Victoria School and learn how Australian soldiers saved this town.
• Le Hamel: Learn about the battle that lasted just 93 minutes, 3 minutes more than calculated by Lieutenant General John Monash.
• Péronne: Like many others, this town was almost completely destroyed during German occupation, and was finally liberated by Australian Troops in September 1918.

Included Insight Services

• Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
• Enjoy the comfort of Insight’s luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.
• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating commentary.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included – you’ll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.