Somme Battlefield Tour from Paris
with Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery & John Monash Centre
Small Group Tour
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Explore the Somme Battlefields
Visit the Somme battlefields where some of the bloodiest battles of WWI were fought. On this small group tour you’ll learn about the Great War and the many struggles faced by the Australian, British, and Canadian soldiers who fought in it. As you walk on the still scarred battlegrounds of the Somme region on this fascinating day trip from Paris.
You’ll walk in the trenches at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, visit the Sir John Monash Center, marvel at the huge Lochnagar mine crater. You’ll also pay your respects to the fallen soldiers in Pozieres at the Windmill, the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, and at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Finishing off the day with a visit to the 13th century Cathedral of Amiens, the largest Cathedral in France.
We focus on providing a personal and in depth experience of the Somme region in order to help the memory of these brave men live on. As such we limit the size of our groups to no more than 8 people. This means we can avoid the confusion, and delays, that are caused during big group tours and share more important places and historical moments of interest with you.
War of the Trenches
Your day of exploration will start with a pleasant drive through the French countryside from Paris to the Somme region. The first historical stop on this tour is the massive Lochnagar Mine Crater. On July 1st 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 30 tons of explosives were tunneled under and used to obliterate German dugouts creating this crater. On that day alone more than 72,000 casualties occured on all sides of the battle lines.
To honor these men, you’ll visit the massive and very moving Thiepval Memorial of the Missing, where row after row of tombs are marked with only: “A soldier of the Great War, known unto God”. The stories shared by your guide and the grandiose nature of this memorial will impress on you the great sacrifices of the soldiers it commemorates.
Afterwards you’ll discover the largest Somme battlefield site that has been preserved: The Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel. Your guide will explain the hardships faced by the men who lived and fought on this battlefield as you walk in the original trenches, dug out by hand back in 1916.
The Great War
Then your guide will take you to the crash site of the infamous “Red Baron” who shot down more than 80 allied planes before he himself was shot down in 1918. Following that you’ll explore the little town of Pozieres where the heaviest Australian casualties occurred. In Poziere you’ll visit the site of “the Windmill”, “Mouquet’s Farm”, and also the 1st Australian Division Memorial.
Then you’ll have about one hour of free time to eat lunch at “Le Tommy”. This restaurant is owned and operated by a man named Dominique who is a local legend for his strong character and his passion for the history of the Somme during WWI. He serves good, classic, meals at very reasonable prices and will let you explore his private collection of artifacts from the Battle of the Somme.
After lunch you’ll visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and learn even more about the soldiers who travelled farther than any others to fight for freedom in Europe, the brave men from Australia. Between 1916 and the end of WWI almost 11,000 Australian men were killed and their graves are still unknown today.
The War to end all wars
Then your explore the fascinating Sir John Monash Center. There video testimonials and interactive displays will help you to be immersed in the personal stories of how other brave men lived through the hardships and horrors of the Great War first hand.
On your drive back to Paris your guide will make a special stop for the stunning 13th century Cathedral of Amiens, the largest Cathedral in Europe. You’ll learn about the Cathedral from your guide and then have free time to visit inside of it. Then you’ll continue your trip back to Paris arriving around 7:30pm.
WWI was massive and horrific. Those who lived through it called it: The War to End all Wars because it marked them deeply. Our day trip from Paris will also mark you, but in a good way. As you explore the most important historical sights of the Somme and learn about the true stories of the soldiers who fought here, their stories will become a part of your own life story and continue to be remembered for years to come.
Good to Know:
- Our easy to find meeting point is next to the Arc de Triomphe. We’ll send you more details in a confirmation email once you book the tour.
- It takes less than 2 hours to drive to the Somme region from Paris.
- You can expect to be back in Paris around 7:30pm depending on traffic conditions.
- There will be frequent opportunities to use restrooms during this day trip.
- The lunch stop in Poziere is at your own cost. So make sure to bring a little cash to pay for it. The food is down to earth dinner style food. So bring between 10€-20€ for your meal.
- Gratuities aka "tips" are not included but welcomed by our guides.
Group size
Max. 8 pers. per tour
Duration
All day
Back in Paris around 7:30PM
What's Included
- Transportation by luxury A/C minibus
- Friendly & Knowledgeable guide
- Somme Trench Museum tickets
Language
All of our tours are commented in English
Dates & Times
April to October
7AM
Meeting point
12 Avenue des Ternes
Click here for picture
Reservation required
For the Somme WWI Battlefields Day Trip from Paris you will meet with your driver-guide outside of < 12 Avenue des Ternes in Paris.
Tour Highlights
Thiepval Memorial
Thiepval Memorial of the Missing has the names of more than 72,000 United Kingdom and South African men who died and have no known grave.
Lochnagar Mine Crater
Lochnagar Crater was blown into existence on, July 1st 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme. It’s 30m deep and 100m wide!
Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel
The Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel is the largest Somme battlefield site that has been preserved. You can still see & walk in the trenches.
Pozières
Admire the delicate arched ceiling in this beautiful Gothic church.
Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux
This memorial commemorates 10,738 Australian servicemen with no known grave who died on the Western Front. Anzac Day celebrations take place at the memorial every April 25.
Frequently Asked Questions
We allow you to cancel, for any reason, up to 24 hours before the start of your tour. It’s easy to cancel just send us an email then we’ll give you a full refund.
If you fail to email with your cancellation at least 24 hours before the tour starts then we will not be able to provide you with a refund.
We accept children that are at least 7 years old on this tour. While this tour’s content was not planned out with kids in mind we do allow children that are aged at least 7 years old to join it with one of their parents. Kids younger than 7 years cannot join this tour as we do NOT have the suitable baby/child seats for them to ride in that are required by European law.
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