2-Day Australian Tour from Arras: Western Front battlefields

Walk the trenches and cemeteries where Australians fought the Western Front

A 2-day tour from Arras tracing Australian military history across France and Belgium, with stops at Villers-Bretonneux, Pozieres, Fromelles, Ypres and Passchendaele. The tour includes entry to all sites, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, and a guide who is Australian and speaks English. Groups stay under eight people. You visit the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, walk through authentic trenches from the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and attend the nightly Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Out in the Somme Day Tour

• Visit largest Commonwealth cemetery
• Walk through authentic WWI trenches
• See Thiepval Memorial
• Explore Pozieres battlefield
• Visit Wind Mill Site
• Tour Australian village Pozieres
• Learn about 1st Australian Division losses
• See underground mine crater
• Visit Monash's 1918 battle site
• Explore Villers-Bretonneux ANZAC site
• Visit Australian action information centre
• See Victoria School memorial
• Visit Le Hamel memorial park

Day 2: Fromelles - Ypres Day Tour

• Visit Australian mass grave site
• See Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery
• Visit Fromelles battlefield and Cobber's Statue
• See Fromelles missing soldiers memorial
• Visit 1914 Christmas Truce site
• Explore ridge blown by Allied mines
• Walk through Hill 60 crater
• Visit Western Front brothers memorial
• Explore Polygon Wood ANZAC site
• Tour Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917
• Visit Tyne Cot Cemetery
• See Menin Gate Memorial
• Dine in Ypres old town
• Attend Last Post Ceremony

The experience

The tour starts and ends in Arras each day, moving through the Somme battlefield on day one and into Belgium on day two. Day one covers Villers-Bretonneux (the site of the ANZAC Day Dawn Service in France), and Pozieres, where the 1st Australian Division lost more men than on any other battlefield in France and Belgium. You walk through the preserved trenches at Beaumont-Hamel, see the Thiepval Memorial where over 73,000 missing British soldiers are commemorated, and visit the Australian Corps Memorial Park at Le Hamel, where General Monash introduced the tactics that shifted the war's momentum.

Day two crosses into Belgium and the Ypres Salient. The itinerary includes Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, the newest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, where Australians discovered in a mass grave are now buried. You walk through the massive crater at Hill 60, created by an underground mine in 1917, and visit the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, regarded as the best museum on the Western Front. Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, and the Menin Gate Memorial frame the final hours. Dinner is in the old town of Ypres, followed by the Last Post Ceremony: a nightly ritual performed by locals every day since 1928.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and carries a maximum of seven clients, so the pace stays leisurely and the group stays small enough to find individual graves or follow a relative's actions. Bottled water is provided throughout both days. The guide is Australian and runs the tour in English, which shapes how the stories land and what gets noticed on the ground.

What’s included

• Entry to all sites and museums.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport for both days.
• bottled water throughout.
• English-speaking Australian guide.
• small group of no more than seven people.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday and ThursdayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (1 to 17 years)

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 11 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Sacred Ground Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're traveling solo, as a couple, or in a small group and want to move at a leisurely pace with an Australian guide who knows the stories firsthand. The maximum of seven clients keeps the group intimate enough to find individual graves or follow a relative's path without the rush of larger tours.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 17 years).

What is Villers-Bretonneux and why does it matter to Australians?

Villers-Bretonneux is a village in the Somme where the ANZAC Day Dawn Service is held in France. It was the site of a major Australian counter-attack in 1918 and is home to Victoria School, where Australians are forever remembered. An information centre there showcases Australian action across the entire Western Front.

Can I visit the grave of a specific relative or soldier on this tour?

Yes. The tour is designed for singles, couples and small groups, and allows you to visit the grave of a unique soldier or follow the actions of a relative. Let the operator know before booking if you're looking for a specific person.

What happens at the Menin Gate and when?

The Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres is where the Last Post Ceremony is performed every evening by locals. A nightly ritual that has run since 1928. The tour ends with this ceremony, which is regarded as a deeply moving way to close a Western Front visit.

Do I need to be fit to walk the battlefields and cemeteries?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You walk through trenches at Beaumont-Hamel and through the crater at Hill 60, but the pace is leisurely and the group stays small, so you can move at your own speed.

What is included in the tour price?

Entry fees to all sites, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, and the guide are included. Meals and accommodation are not covered. Dinner on day two is in Ypres but is not included in the tour price.