Download Brochure

D-Day Anniversary and the Somme

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:

Day 1, 1 June (Paris)

Welcome to Paris and the start of a very special journey. This evening we will get to know our fellow travellers, Tour Manager and Historian with a welcome drink and dinner in our hotel. (D)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Welcome drink – Welcome dinner

Day 2, 2 June (Paris)

Today we will explore Paris as a group. In the morning we will enjoy a panoramic tour of the city’s iconic sites including the Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and more. We will enjoy a traditional Paris restaurant lunch and then have the afternoon at leisure to further explore this wonderful city. (B, L)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Paris sightseeing tour – Lunch

Day 3, 3 June (Paris to Normandy)

This morning we will depart Paris and drive west into the beautiful countryside of Normandy. As we travel towards the coast we will be passing through the villages and fields where Allied and German troops fought the bitter 77-day Battle of Normandy from June to August, 1944. Almost every inch of ground was the scene of courage and sacrifice during this long campaign, and Mike Peters will point out significant sites of interest during the drive. We will arrive in the town of Caen in time for a traditional Norman lunch. In the afternoon we will have free time to explore Caen. (B, L)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Services of Mike Peters, a leading WW2 historian – Central Caen accommodation – Lunch

Day 4, 4 June (US Sector)

Today we will explore the American sector of the D-Day battlefields. Highlights include the landing beaches Omaha and Utah; Sainte Mere Eglise, scene of landings by US Airborne troops; the Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise; the formidable German battery at Pointe du Hoc that was captured by US Rangers who scaled sheer cliffs before the attack; and the moving US Cemetery at Colleville. We will also see Brecourt Manor, scene of a skillful action by members of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, depicted in the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg mini-series Band of Brothers. At the end of this memorable day we will return to Caen where our evening is free. (B)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Full day touring the US Sector of the D-Day battlefields – Airborne Museum

Day 5, 5 June (British and Canadian Sector)

Today we will explore the British and Canadian sector of the D-Day battlefields. Highlights include Pegasus Bridge, scene of a tough fight by glider troops in the early hours of D-Day; Sword, Juno and Gold landing beaches; Ranville War Cemetery, where many Allied soldiers killed during the Normandy fighting lie; the ‘Mulberry’ artificial harbour at Arromanches; and the German artillery battery at Longues-sur-Mer. In the evening we will return to Caen where our evening is free. (B)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Full day touring the British and Canadian Sector of the D-Day battlefields

Day 6, 6 June (D-Day Anniversary)

Today we will commemorate a very special event, the anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Our day will be flexible to allow us to participate in services in both the US and British/Canadian sectors. We will join thousands of visitors and veterans to remember the men and women who died to liberate France. At the end of this special day we will return to Caen where our evening is free. (B)

STAR INCLUSIONS: D-Day anniversary commemorations

Day 7, 7 June (Normandy to the Somme)

This morning we will farewell Normandy and travel north towards the First World War battlefields of the Somme. On the way, we will stop in Rouen and spend several hours exploring this historic medieval city. Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in Rouen in 1431 and a church now occupies the site. Rouen is also famous for its Gothic cathedral, the subject of a series of famous paintings by the Impressionist Claude Monet. In the afternoon we will depart Rouen and drive to Amiens, our home for the next two nights. We will enjoy dinner on arrival at our central hotel. (B, D)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Visit to historic Rouen – Central Amiens hotel – Dinner

Day 8, 8 June (The Somme)

Today we will explore the 1916 battlefields of the Somme. Our first stop is Pozieres, scene of the most costly battle in Australia’s history. 23,000 men were killed or wounded capturing the ruins of the town, and we will visit the scenes of their heroic sacrifice at the 1st Division Memorial and the Windmill. We will also see Mouquet Farm, scene of bitter fighting between Australian and German troops in August 1916, and visit the Thiepval Memorial, where the names of 72,000 British soldiers missing from the Somme fighting are recorded. Later we will explore the trenches at the Newfoundland Memorial Park and see the incredible 30-metre-deep Lochnagar Mine Crater, blown by the British on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Our final stop will be the inspiring Australian 2nd Division Memorial and the remains of trenches captured by Australian troops on the battlefield of Mont St Quentin. At the end of this memorable day we will have free time to enjoy dinner in Amiens. (B, L)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Full day touring the Somme battlefields – Lunch

Day 9, 9 June (The Somme to Paris)

Today we will explore the scenes of Australian triumph on the Somme in 1918. Our journey begins at the imposing Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, which bears the names of almost 11,000 Australians missing in France. The memorial, built on the site of a great Australian victory in 1918, is where the Anzac Day Dawn Service is held each year. Later we will visit the Victoria School in Villers-Bretonneux and see the sign that entreats the children of Villers-Bretonneux to ‘Never Forget Australia’, as well as Adelaide Cemetery, where Australia’s Unknown Soldier lay for 75 years before being moved to Canberra in 1993. We will also visit the Australian Corps Memorial Park at Le Hamel, which commemorates the great victory orchestrated by General John Monash on July 4, 1918. In the early afternoon we will farewell the battlefields and return to Paris. This evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner while cruising on the River Seine, a wonderful opportunity to see the icons of Paris bathed in light. (B, D)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Victoria School Museum in Villers-Bretonneux – Seine Cruise with Dinner

Day 10, 10 June (Paris)

Unfortunately our tour ends this morning after breakfast. The journey may be over but the memories will last a lifetime. (B)

STAR INCLUSIONS: Assistance with hotel check-out


WHAT ARE STAR INCLUSIONS?: 'Star Inclusions' are the extra things we provide each day that make your tour really special. You don't pay extra for Star Inclusions - they are included in the tour cost, and many of them are exclusive to Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours.

Spend some more time in Paris before or after your tour! Pre- and post-tour accommodation is available at discounted rates.

*Per person, twin share, land only. Single supplement: $1297. Ask about our airfare deals, which offer great discounts when booked in conjunction with our tours.