Ypres WW1 Private Tour: Passchendaele, Messines & Menin Gate

Walk the ground where 55,000 soldiers fell, from the Christmas Truce to Passchendaele.

This private guided WW1 tour from Ypres covers the Ypres Salient from Messines to Passchendaele, following Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and British soldiers through the battles of 1914–1918. The guide tailors the route to include your ancestors if they fell in these battles. Groups are small (between 2 and 4 guests, with at least 2 adults), so the commentary stays focused and the pace stays yours. Bottled water and entry to a trench museum are included. Lunch is on your own.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Hill 6045m
2. Tyne Cot Cemetery45m
3. Menin Gate Memorial20m

Explore Ypres WW1 battle sites

• Hear Battle of Messines story
• Visit mine craters and Christmas Truce site
• See crypt where Hitler was treated
• Visit Pat Bugden VC site
• Stand on Menin Road near gun pits
• Visit Australian HQ site from 1917
• Walk woods and visit concrete bunkers
• Visit cemetery and Australian 5th Division monument
• Hear story of Captain Woodward and mine
• See mine crater blown in June 1917
• Drive along Australian advance line
• Visit Tyne Cot Cemetery
• See hospital site of 'In Flanders Fields'
• Hear story of Menin Gate Memorial
• Drive through Zonnebeke on advance line
• See original WW1 trenches and museum

The experience

You arrive in Ypres with a free day and a family connection to the Western Front, or simply a need to understand what happened here. The guide picks you up and drives first to Messines, where you'll stand at mine craters from 1917 and hear the story of the Christmas Truce, then visit the crypt where Adolf Hitler was treated for his wounds. From there, the route follows the Australian assault toward Passchendaele, stopping at the exact ground where gun pits sat alongside Menin Road, at the Australian HQ from September 1917, and at the woods where soldiers captured concrete bunkers during the battle itself.

Hill 60 is where Captain Woodward and the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company placed a massive mine that was blown at 3:10 a.m. on 7 June 1917. You'll see the crater. The drive then follows the line of the Australian advance through the landscape they crossed. Tyne Cot Cemetery, the world's largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, holds 12,000 soldiers. Only 3,000 have names. Two Australian Victoria Cross recipients are buried here. You'll also visit the hospital site where Lt Col John McCrae composed "In Flanders Fields" and stand at the Menin Gate, where 55,000 names of the missing are listed.

The tour runs eight hours and ends at a small WW1 museum with original trenches on display. Because this is a private tour capped at four guests (and at least two must be adults), the guide can adjust the route if you have ancestors who fell in these battles. You'll move at a pace that lets the history settle, not rush past it.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the day.
• entry to a trench museum with original WW1 trenches.
• pickup from your Ypres location.
• a private guide in English who can adjust the route to include your ancestors' graves or memorials when possible.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (19 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (9 to 18 years) · Under 9: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by A Foreign Field WW1 Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and tailors the commentary to your group's interests and family connections, which works well if you're visiting with relatives who share a connection to these battles or if you want the history explained at a pace that lets it sink in rather than rushed through with a large group.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (9 to 18 years). Children under 9 can't be included in the booking.

What is the Menin Gate and why are 55,000 names listed there?

The Menin Gate is a memorial in Ypres dedicated to Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient and have no known grave. The 55,000 names inscribed are soldiers whose bodies were never identified or recovered. The gate was built to honor them when no cemetery could.

Will the guide help me find my ancestor's grave or name?

Yes. If you have an ancestor who fell in the Passchendaele or Messines battles, tell the guide before the tour starts and they will tailor the route to include that cemetery or memorial when possible.

How long is the drive between stops?

The tour covers the Ypres Salient across eight hours total, with driving between Messines, Passchendaele, Hill 60, Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Menin Gate. The guide will drive you through the landscape the Australian soldiers crossed during their advance.

What is included in the tour price?

Bottled water and entry to a trench museum are included. Lunch is not covered, so bring money or arrange a meal stop in one of the towns you pass through.

Is this tour only for people with Australian ancestry?

No. The tour follows Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and British soldiers through the battles of 1914–1918. The guide can tailor stops to your family history regardless of which country your ancestors served.