Vimy Ridge and Somme Battlefield Tour: Canadian WW1 Sites

Walk the tunnels and trenches where Canadian forces fought at Vimy and the Somme

A full-day guided tour from Arras that traces Canada's role in World War I across four major sites: Vimy Ridge, where you explore the Grange Tunnel used by Canadian troops before the 1917 battle; Thiepval Memorial, bearing the names of 72,000 soldiers with no known grave; the Lochnagar Crater, a massive underground explosion from July 1, 1916; and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, where you walk the preserved battlefield from allied to German lines. Hotel pickup and lunch are included. The tour runs nine hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Vimy3h
2. Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery30m
3. Thiepval Memorial1h
4. Lochnagar Crater30m
5. Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial1h

Visit WWI Canadian battlefields and memorials

• View Douai plain near Vimy memorial
• Explore Grange Tunnel used by Canadian troops
• Visit cemetery and preserved trenches on Vimy Ridge
• Spend time at Vimy visitor centre
• See site of Canadian Unknown Soldier exhumation
• Stand on 1916 Canadian battlefields
• Visit Thiepval Memorial to the Missing
• See Lochnagar Crater from 1916 explosion
• Walk preserved battlefield near Danger Tree and Y Ravine
• Visit Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial and visitor centre

The experience

Vimy Ridge opens the day. You stand near the memorial overlooking the Douai plain, then descend into the Grange Tunnel where Canadian troops waited hours before the assault. A cemetery sits on the ridge itself, and preserved trenches remain visible. The visitor centre holds the rest of the story. From there, the tour moves to Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, where the Canadian Unknown Soldier was exhumed, a moment that anchors the weight of what follows.

The afternoon centers on the Somme. Thiepval Memorial dominates the landscape: the largest monument built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, its stone carved with 72,000 names of soldiers who have no known grave. Nearby, the Lochnagar Crater marks the spot where an underground explosion tore open the earth on the morning of July 1, 1916. At Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, you walk the actual battlefield, passing the Danger Tree and Y Ravine, landmarks that still carry their names from the fighting. The 51st Highland Division memorial stands along the route, and the visitor centre provides context for what the ground itself cannot say.

Your guide speaks English, French or Dutch and travels with the group in an air-conditioned vehicle. Lunch is included partway through the day. Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Arras accommodation bookend the nine hours, so you leave and return on schedule.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle transport.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from your Arras accommodation.
• a live guide in English, French or Dutch.
• lunch during the day.
• access to all four major sites and their visitor facilities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except TuesdayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Dutch

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Ploegsteert Sector Battlefield Experience

Is this one for you?Nine hours means you leave your hotel in the morning and return by late afternoon, leaving the evening free for Arras itself. The full-day structure is what fits all four major Canadian sites (Vimy, Thiepval, Lochnagar and Beaumont-Hamel) into a single departure, rather than splitting them across multiple bookings.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French and Dutch.

What exactly is the Grange Tunnel at Vimy, and what will I see inside it?

The Grange Tunnel is one of the underground passages where Canadian troops sheltered before the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. You descend into it during the tour to stand in the space where soldiers waited hours before going over the top. It remains preserved as part of the ridge memorial site.

How long do I spend at each major stop, and is there time to walk around on my own?

The nine-hour tour includes multiple stops at Vimy, Thiepval, the Lochnagar Crater, and Beaumont-Hamel, with time at each to view the memorials, cemeteries and preserved trenches. Your guide leads the group through each site. The itinerary is structured to fit all four locations and lunch into a single day.

What is the Lochnagar Crater, and why is it significant?

The Lochnagar Crater is a massive depression in the earth caused by an underground explosion detonated on the morning of July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. You see it as part of the tour to understand the scale of the bombardment that preceded the infantry assault.

Will I walk on the actual Somme battlefield at Beaumont-Hamel?

Yes. At Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, you walk the preserved battlefield itself, crossing from the allied lines toward the German positions and passing landmarks like the Danger Tree and Y Ravine that remain from the 1916 fighting.

Is lunch included, and what about drinks?

Lunch is included as part of the tour. Alcoholic drinks are not included, though you can purchase them separately.