Somme Battlefields Day Trip

Explore the Somme Battlefields
Take an unforgettable day trip from Paris to the Somme battlefields where the bloodiest battles of World War I were fought. Our guide will help you learn about the Great War and the struggles faced in the trenches as you walk on the still scarred battlegrounds of the Somme.

You’ll marvel at the huge Lochnagar mine crater, walk in the trenches at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, visit the Somme Trench Museum in Albert, and pay your respects to the fallen soldiers in Pozieres at the Windmill, the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, and at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. You’ll also admire the beauty of the 13th century Cathedral of Amiens, the largest Cathedral in France.

We focus on giving quality tours and limit the size of our groups to no more than 8 people. As such we can avoid delays caused by larger group tours and provide more personal attention to you during our tour.

The Great War
Your day of exploration will start with the Lochnagar Mine Crater. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the Royal Engineer tunnelling companies used almost 30 tons of explosives to obliterate German dugouts and create this massive crater. On that day alone almost 60,000 casualties occurred to French and British troops.

All told 1 million men were wounded or killed over the 5 months that the battle raged. To honor these men you’ll visit the Thiepval Memorial of the Missing, where row after row of tombs are marked with only: “A soldier of the Great War, known unto God”. The grandiose nature of this memorial will impress on you the great sacrifices of the soldiers it commemorates.

War of the Trenches
You’ll then have the chance to walk in the original trenches, dug out by hand in 1916, at The Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel. This is the largest Somme battlefield site that has been preserved. Afterwards, you’ll stop in the little town of Pozieres where the heaviest Australian casualties occurred during WWI. In Poziere you’ll visit the Cemetery, The site of the Windmill, Mouquet Farm, and also the 1st Australian Division Memorial.

Then you’ll head to the town of Albert and have free time to eat lunch in one of the local cafés or boulangeries. After lunch you’ll explore the fascinating Somme Trench Museum where you will see uniforms, weapons of all sorts, war posters, and many personal items of soldiers who fought in the trenches. You’ll walk through the tunnels and see the outstanding displays at your own pace.

The War to end all wars
Then at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux you’ll learn even more about the soldiers who travelled farther than any others to fight for freedom in Europe. Finally, driving back to Paris your day of discovery will include a visit to the stunning 13th Century Cathedral of Amiens, the largest in France and one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in Europe.

WWI was massive and horrific. Those who lived through it called it: The War to End all Wars because it marked them deeply. Our day trip from Paris will also mark you, but in a good way. As you explore the most important historical sights of the Somme and learn about the true stories of the soldiers who fought here, their stories will become a part of your own life story and continue to be remembered for years to come.