WWI Battlefields Day Trip Lille: Wellington Quarry & Cemeteries

Walk the trenches and memorials where millions fought the Western Front

A full-day guided tour from Lille through First World War battlefields, with two route options: France only, or France and Belgium combined. You visit Wellington Quarry in Arras, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (the largest French WWI cemetery), and depending on your choice, either preserved French trenches and Vimy Ridge or Belgian Flanders sites including Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Menin Gate Memorial. A guide leads the day. Pickup from your accommodation is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

WWI Battlefields Tour from Lille

• Start at Wellington Quarry in Arras
• Visit Notre-Dame-de-Lorette cemetery
• Lunch break
• Option 1: Explore Belgian Flanders battlefields
• Option 1: Visit Hill 62 and Ypres battlefields
• Option 1: Pay tribute at Tyne Cot Cemetery
• Option 1: See Menin Gate Memorial
• Option 2: Visit Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge
• Option 2: Explore preserved trenches and battlefield remains

The experience

The tour starts at Wellington Quarry near Arras, the underground complex where thousands of Allied soldiers sheltered and prepared for the 1917 Battle of Arras. From there you move to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the largest French military cemetery of the First World War, where you walk among graves and memorials to soldiers from the Western Front. After lunch, the route splits depending on which itinerary you booked at checkout.

If you chose France only, you stay in northern France to explore the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge, preserved trenches, and other battlefield remains tied to the French experience of the war. If you selected France & Belgium, you cross into Belgian Flanders to visit Hill 62, the battlefields around Ypres, Tyne Cot Cemetery (the largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world), and finish at the Menin Gate Memorial. A third option adds 30 minutes in Ypres so you can attend the bugle ceremony of The Last Post, a daily tribute to the fallen at the gate. Your guide speaks English or French and leads the full nine to ten hours. All site entrances and tickets are covered.

The tour is built around walking and standing at memorials and cemeteries, so moderate fitness helps. Public transport options exist nearby if you need an alternative to the included pickup from your accommodation.

What’s included

• Visit and entrance tickets to all sites on your chosen itinerary.
• a live guide speaking English or French.
• pickup from your accommodation in Lille.

Options for this experience

3 options

France Battlefields onlyGuide in English or French · 09:00 and 10:00Visit the French WWI battlefields without crossing the border; pickup is included

Day trip from Lille to the WWI battlefields (France or Belgium)Guide in English or French · 09:00 and 10:00Battlefields of WWI in France and Belgium, including Ypres: pickup is included

"Last Post" with a tour of France and BelgiumGuide in English or French · 11:15Day trip through France and Belgium with an extra 30 minutes that lets you attend "The Last Post" in Menin; pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 9h–10h, runs every day at 09:00, 10:00 and 11:15, from € 539 per person, with a live guide in English and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 10:00 and 11:15

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (under 13)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Cognosimo

Is this one for you?Choose the France & Belgium route if you want to see both the French and Commonwealth perspectives on the Western Front in one day, or the France-only option to focus deeper on the French front and Vimy Ridge. The Last Post ceremony add-on suits anyone who wants to witness the daily bugle tribute at Menin Gate.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 13).

What is Wellington Quarry and why does the tour start there?

Wellington Quarry in Arras is the underground tunnel system where thousands of Allied soldiers prepared for the Battle of Arras in 1917. The tour opens there because it shows how soldiers lived and organized before one of the war's largest offensives.

Can I visit both France and Belgium on the same day?

Yes. The France & Belgium itinerary takes you from Wellington Quarry and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in France, then crosses into Belgian Flanders to visit Hill 62, Ypres, Tyne Cot Cemetery, and the Menin Gate Memorial. You choose this option at checkout.

What is Tyne Cot Cemetery?

Tyne Cot is the largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world, located in Belgian Flanders near Ypres. It is included on the France & Belgium itinerary and stands as a major memorial to British and Commonwealth soldiers of the First World War.

Is The Last Post ceremony included, or do I add it separately?

The Last Post is a bugle ceremony held daily at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. You can add it as an option at checkout, which extends the tour by 30 minutes so you can attend the ceremony and pay tribute to the fallen.

How long is the full day, and what does pickup include?

The tour runs nine to ten hours. Pickup from your accommodation in Lille is included. You return to the same location at the end of the day.

What does the France-only itinerary cover?

The Northern France Battlefields itinerary starts at Wellington Quarry and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, then stays in France to visit the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge, preserved trenches, and other battlefield sites focused on the French front and trench warfare.