Day 1 - May 10th 

After breakfast, say your farewells to some of our group members heading home today before hotel check-out. Today we drive south to Belgium, as we continue to follow the First & Second World War story in Western Europe. Enroute, we explore the mobilization, occupation and liberation of Flanders through lively dioramas at the Canada Poland Museum. This afternoon, we arrive in the City of Ypres, otherwise known as the City of Peace. After checking into our hotel we will enjoy an early group meal together in the heart of Ypres’ Grote Markt. Tonight, at 8PM, we will witness the iconic and historic Last Post Ceremony, at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, led by the Ieper Fire Department & the Last Post Association. This daily act of homage is among the most memorable acts of remembrance that we will witness on our tour.  
[Overnight - Ypres 4* Centrally Located TBC (B, D)] 

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Day 2 - May 11th 

Today we explore the Ypres Salient of WW1. We begin our introduction with a visit to Essex Farm, the place where John McCrae wrote the famous poem “In Flanders Fields”. We will also visit the Tyne Cot Commonwealth Cemetery - the largest Commonwealth Cemetery, of any conflict, in the world. We then discuss the Battle of Passchendaele, with visits to the Crest Farm Memorial. We continue further to explore the German Cemetery of Langemark, and the 'Brooding Soldier' at St Julien, marking the place of the first gas attacks against the 1st Canadian Corps. Lastly, we take a visit to the Hooghe Crater, and Hill 62 - a small area of the original battlefield and part of the Canadian Front Line. Enjoy the rest of the day to shop, dine, and explore Ypres at your own pace.
[Overnight - Ypres 4* Centrally Located TBC (B)] 

 

Day 3 - May 12th 

We say our farewells to Ypres, driving to the North of France to Arras. En-route, we will visit the Canadian Memorial at Hill 70 to commemorate the Battle of Hill 70 - oftentimes dubbed as “Canada’s Forgotten Battle”. In the afternoon, we continue to Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. It was here, at Hill 145, on April 1917, that Canada truly became a nation in the eyes of the world. Its troops combined and stormed Vimy Ridge after all other allied forces had failed to do so. We will tour the tunnels, trenches and memorial, as well as the brand new interpretation centre, which opened in Spring 2017 for the 100th Anniversary. When our explorations of the battlefields are through, we continue on to Arras for our hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight. [Overnight - Arras 4* Centrally Located TBC (B, D)] 

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Day 4- May 13th 

Our day will be spent on the battlefields of the Somme. We start underground, at the Musee Somme 1916 in the City of Albert. We continue to explore the largest preserved battlefield in the world, at Beaumont Hamel - dedicated to the Royal Newfoundland and Labrador Regiment who lost so many men on that first day of battle. After enjoying a locally made picnic lunch at the Old Blighty Cafe we will view the Lochnagar Crater, the largest man-made, non-nuclear crater in the world. We will also see the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, the Tank Monument at Pozieres and the Canadian monument at Courcelette. This evening, we return to the gothic city of Arras, with time to explore the city and enjoy dinner on our own. [Overnight - Arras 4* Centrally Located TBC (B)] 

 

Day 5 - May 14th 

Saying our farewells to the Somme region, we will be transferred to Brussels International  airport for our flight back to Canada OR Paris from Arras if preferred Karen. [(B) Meals onboard].

TOUR END

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