Historic Battlefields
Moderate pace with leisurely intermittent walks up to 2 hours on a variety of terrain, including cobblestones and moderate hills. Must be able to climb at least two flights of stairs, negotiate steps without railings and tolerate periods of standing during guided tours. Some days may include 3–5 km of walking over the course of the day.
We depart for London.
After arrival we proceed to our central London hotel. Free day to rest and explore on your own. Tonight is our Welcome Dinner.
As bombs fell during WWII, thousands of Londoners volunteered to fight fires and save lives. Our “London at War” tour aboard a vintage double decker bus provides a unique insight into life in London during the two World Wars. We will unwind with a relaxing cruise from Runnymede, and enjoy classic views of Windsor Castle from the boat with an Afternoon Tea.
We travel to Portsmouth and visit the D-Day Museum, which tells the story of the D-Day Landings during WWII and features the magnificent Overlord Embroidery - a tribute to the heroism of those who took part in the operation. We will also explore Historic Portsmouth Harbour, home to the HMS Victory - the Royal Navy's most famous warship, and The Mary Rose - flagship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII.
We take the ferry to Caen, Normandy to visit Pegasus Bridge, where the British captured and liberated the first house in Europe, the Café Gondrée. After visiting the small but fascinating museum, we head to our hotel for dinner.
We begin at the Canadian Memorial Garden in the Abbaye d’Ardenne, and visit Verrières Ridge, where Canadian troop suffered many casualties. Then we visit the Juno Beach Centre, which details Canada’s full involvement in World War II, and stop at the famous Queen’s Own Rifles House on the beach of Bernièressur-Mer and the moving Canadian Cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer.
Today we’ll see the cratered landscape in Pointe du Hoc, visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery, see the German battery at Longues-sur-Mer, and visit the Disembarkation Museum and Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches.
We travel to Dieppe to see its landing beaches, and see the clifftop gun emplacements responsible for the many Canadian casualties, and visit the Dieppe Memorial Museum and Canadian Cemetery.
Our focus switches to WWI as we explore the Somme, starting in Albert and the Musée des Abris. We visit the Somme Battlefields, the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, and the memorial park at Beaumont Hamel, dedicated to the Royal Newfoundland and Labrador Regiment that lost so many in the battle.
In Vimy Ridge, Canadian troops stormed the ridge after other allied forces failed. We will tour its tunnels, trenches and the memorial, and explore the Wellington Tunnels, used by the Allies to support the Western Front close to town.
We travel to Lens and the new Hill 70 Memorial, which commemorates a major Canadian victory, then proceed to Ypres to visit the In Flanders Fields Museum.
This morning we visit Essex Farm, where John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields, then stop at Langemark cemetery, the burial site of 44,000 German soldiers, and Vancouver’s corner, site of the memorial of the Brooding Soldier. Later you can take an optional tour to Dunkirk, and in the evening, witness the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.
We begin with a visit to the Canadian Memorial at Crest Farm, the objective of the 1st Canadian Corps on Passchendaele Ridge. Next, we visit the largest Commonwealth Cemetery at Tyne Cot, where the Canadians first began the Third Battle of Ypres to take Passchendaele. The We visit the Canadian Memorial at Crest Farm, see the largest Commonwealth cemetery at Tyne Cot, and explore the Passchendaele Museum, which has an actual battlefield with trenches and German defenses. We continue to Hill 62 to view a well-preserved part of the original Canadian Front Line, and finish with some free time in Ypres.
Today we drive to Paris, with free time to explore before checking into our centrally-located hotel. Dinner is at a charming local restaurant, followed by an illuminated cruise along the Seine.
Today we will see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Les Champs Elysées, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saint- Germain-des-Prés and more. The afternoon is free for strolling and photographing, with our Farewell Dinner in the evening.
A warm “au revoir” to France as we fly home.
You may cancel your tour up to 60 days prior to departure (90 days prior for tours requiring a visa, cruises or rail journeys) for any reason, and receive a full refund of your deposit / payment (less the $75 administration fee).
Cancellation & trip interruption insurance included!
Included in the cost of your tour is our Cancellation Insurance Policy, which provides coverage in case of emergency injury or illness (including Covid), right up to your date of departure (terms and conditions apply).
Our Manulife Out-of-Country Health Insurance Plan covers expenses related to Trip Interruption in case of emergency injury or illness. For tours within Canada, Senior Discovery Tours will cover such expenses (terms and conditions apply to all policies).
