Amiens: Australian Somme Battlefields Full Day Tour
Walk the Australian Western Front: Somme Battlefields from Amiens
You walk eight major WWI sites across the Somme battlefield near Amiens, starting at the 800-year-old cathedral and moving through Australian memorials, the Sir John Monash Centre, and the largest craters and monuments from 1916. Lunch is included, all entry fees are covered, and your guide adjusts the route if you need to visit a relative's grave in a Commonwealth cemetery. Expect a full day of walking and standing—moderate fitness is needed, and it's not suitable for pregnant travelers or those with spinal or heart conditions.
8h
Step-by-step itinerary
Australian Battlefields and Somme Memorials
- Pass by Amiens Cathedral
- Learn about Amiens and Somme landscape
- Visit Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux
- Pay respects at Diggers' graves
- Explore Sir John Monash Centre
- See Australian National Memorial
- Stop at 58th British Division Memorial in Chipilly
- View Somme valley from Camp Cesar viewpoint
- Pass Basilica Notre Dame de Brebières
- Take one hour lunch break
- Visit Lochnagar Crater site
- Explore 1st Australian Memorial at Pozières
- Pass Windmill site and Tank Memorial at Pozières
- Pass Mouquet Farm
- Visit Memorial of the Missing at Thiepval
- Pass Ulster Tower memorial
- Visit Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel
The Experience
The rolling fields around Amiens hold the weight of a hundred years. You start the morning at Amiens Cathedral—800 years old this year, the largest Gothic structure in the world—and your guide begins the story there, moving through the landscape toward Villers-Bretonneux and the Australian Memorial. The drive itself is part of it: the guide talks about the Somme valley, the French economy, the way the land looks now compared to 1916. By the time you reach the Australian Corps Memorial Park, you understand why these fields matter so much to so many people. The names of 10,729 Australian servicemen are engraved on the memorial walls. If you have a relative buried in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery along the route, there's flexibility to stop and pay your respects.
The Sir John Monash Centre sits a short walk away and takes about an hour. It's not a traditional museum—it's multimedia, interactive, built around the voices of the soldiers themselves. Letters, diaries, life-size images. You hear from the men who were there. After that, the tour moves into the valley proper: the Lochnagar Crater, 70 feet deep and 330 feet wide, created by a mine on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Then Pozières, where almost 7,000 Australians died between July and September that same year. The 1st Australian Memorial, the Windmill site, Mouquet Farm. The Tank Memorial. Each stop has its own story, and the guide carries the weight of knowing what happened in each place.
Lunch breaks the day in the middle—an hour to eat and step back from the intensity. After that, you move to the larger memorials: Thiepval, the largest British War Memorial in the world, with over 72,000 names of the missing or unidentified. The Ulster Tower, opened in 1921, where you can still see the traces of the front lines from the opposite field. Finally, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, the largest battlefield site in the Somme, purchased in 1921 by the women of Newfoundland. It's a full day—you're on your feet, moving between sites, listening, absorbing. The guide speaks with warmth and care for your comfort, but this is not a light tour. It's built for people who want to understand what happened here, and why it still matters.
What’s included
All entry fees to memorials and sites, access to the Sir John Monash Centre, lunch during the day, and a full-day guided tour with a knowledgeable guide who can adjust the route to include a relative's grave in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery if it aligns with the itinerary. Service animals are welcome, and specialized infant seats are available if needed.
Operated by WW1 Battlefields guided tours: Brigitte De Cuyper from Get a Guide
Is this one for you?Right for travelers with a family or personal connection to the Australian Western Front, or anyone wanting to understand the Somme through the Australian experience in depth. Plan for a full day of walking and standing at outdoor sites—that's what allows the guide to move through eight major memorials and give each one the time and attention it deserves.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
How long is the full day tour?
The tour runs the full day with multiple stops across the Somme battlefield. It includes an hour at the Sir John Monash Centre and an hour for lunch, with walking and standing at each memorial and site.
Can I visit a relative's grave?
Yes. If a family member is buried in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery along the route, the guide can include a stop if it fits sensibly into the itinerary.
What is the Sir John Monash Centre?
A multimedia museum at Villers-Bretonneux that tells the Australian Western Front experience through interactive installations, letters, diaries, and life-size images of soldiers who served. You have about an hour to explore.
Which Australian sites are included?
The Australian Corps Memorial Park at Villers-Bretonneux, the 1st Australian Memorial at Pozières, the Windmill site at Pozières, and Mouquet Farm. You also visit major British and Commonwealth memorials like Thiepval and Beaumont-Hamel.
Is lunch included?
Yes. An hour is allocated for lunch during the day. All fees and taxes are included in the tour price.
What is the Lochnagar Crater?
A massive crater 70 feet deep and 330 feet wide, created by a mine placed beneath German lines on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916. It is the largest crater in the Somme.
Who is this tour not suitable for?
The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or those with poor cardiovascular health. Moderate physical fitness is required due to walking and standing at multiple outdoor sites.
Can I visit Amiens Cathedral on this tour?
Yes. The tour begins at Amiens Cathedral, where your guide explains its 800-year history and Gothic architecture on the way to Villers-Bretonneux.
Amiens: Australian Somme Battlefields Full Day Tour
8h · EN · FR · at your hotel
from € 210 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.89119 reviews
