Somme Battlefields from Paris with Australian memorial & Amiens Cathedral
Description
Take an unforgettable day trip from Paris to the Somme battlefields where the bloodiest battles of World War I were fought. The 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 New John Monash Centre, 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. The maximum group size is 8 people.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Thiepval Memorial of the Missing has the names of more than 72,000 United Kingdom and South African men who died and have no known grave.
Lochnagar Crater was blown into existence on, July 1st 1916, the first day of the battle of the Somme. It’s 30m deep and 100m wide!
The Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel is the largest Somme battlefield site that has been preserved. You can still see & walk in the trenches.
Pozieres Memorial.
This memorial commemorates 10,738 Australian servicemen with no known grave who died on the Western Front. Anzac Day celebrations take place at the memorial every April 25.
You'll explore the fascinating Sir John Monash Center. There video testimonials and interactive displays will help you to be immersed in the personal stories of how other brave men lived through the hardships and horrors of the Great War first hand.
You’ll have about one hour of free time to eat lunch at “Le Tommy”. This restaurant is owned and operated by a man named Dominique who is a local legend for his strong character and his passion for the history of the Somme during WWI. He serves good, classic, meals at very reasonable prices and will let you explore his private collection of artifacts from the Battle of the Somme. Lunch price not included.
Finishing off the day with a visit to the 13th century Cathedral of Amiens, the largest Cathedral in France.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 7 years
- In case of exceptional closure, the Sir John Monash Centre may be replaced by the Historical Museum of Péronne.
Reviews(263)
My husband and I did the Somme battlefields tour with Chris on Sunday 21/6/26. We were the only ones on the tour so we had our guide all to ourselves. Chris had a HUGE wealth of knowledge and you could tell he was passionate about WWI history and history in general. The air conditioned mini-van was great and the pick up point was easy to get to. We visited quite a lot of sites and I really liked the John Monash Centre. I also liked getting out of Paris and seeing the beautiful countryside in the Somme area. This tour is very much geared towards Australians which was great for us. I had a special interest as my grandfather fought on the Western Front when he was only sixteen years old. We had lunch at a lovely restaurant in Albert recommended by Chris - the food and service was great and we enjoyed our conversation over lunch with Chris. This tour is totally worth it for anyone who has an interest in WWI, Western Front battles and the Anzacs. Thanks Chris for a great day !! Greg & Cheryl Australia
It was amazing. Our tour guide, Victor, was outstanding. He was extremely knowledgeable, professional, thoughtful and fun! We learned so much and the connections to oir Australian troops.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour and that Victor made it such a memorable, informative experience, especially with the powerful connections to Australian troops. Regards, - Alice
Our guide had lots of information for us. The van was very clean and comfortable and he was a safe driver. We visited all the sites and had plenty of time at each one. It was a very wonderful experience.
The Somme battlefields tour provides an excellent background of the start of WW I and the early trench warfare in NW France before the Americans entered the war. It includes war cemeteries, an excellent Australian war museum, and a visit to Amiens Cathedral.
Thank you for your review! We're glad you found the tour informative and enjoyed the Somme battlefields, memorials, and Amiens Cathedral. We appreciate your recommendation! - Alice
Clement was our guide. He shared a vast amount of information with us as we moved from one site to another to see old trenches, memorials, and other important and fascinating sites that brought the hardships, horror, and gallantry of those soldiers to life. A day well spent whose memories will last.
The tour was very emotional and yet so rewarding. Being in the fields where so many young men lost their paid the ultimate sacrifice was such an honour. I would like to mention our guide Etienne, he was so knowledgeable, informative and such a delightful young man. A credit to Blue Fox Travel. Thank you for making our day so memorable. We recommend this tour as a very informative and emotional day yet very rewarding day.
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. We’re truly glad to hear you found the Somme tour so meaningful and memorable, and that Etienne made such a positive impression with his knowledge and care. Kind regards, - Alice
It is mainly catered towards Australian visitors as the focus was on Sir John Monash and the Australian effort. For somebody who is relatively new to the First World War, I was hoping it would be more general around WWI and that the guide would know more about the battle itself and not just little bits and facts about what happened here and there.
Thank you for your feedback. Please note that the Somme Battlefields from Paris tour is specifically focused on the Battle of the Somme and the events that took place there, which is why the guide concentrates on this particular battle and the Australian involvement. We also offer other war tours, such as our Normandy D-Day tours (USA or Canada focus), which provide a broader historical overview, while still highlighting the role and impact of American or Canadian soldiers during the war. Kind regards, - Alice
The tour was a very full day (12 hours) and very comprehensive - we went to at least a dozen sites and had adequate time at most. Our guide was friendly and accommodating, a good driver, and genuinely interested in the topic. He did need to read off the cheat sheets rather than know the material by heart. We had a nice lunch stop and a small but sociable group. It was more or less ideal for my needs. We went on a public holiday which did cause some challenges with finding a public toilet, and there was traffic chaos returning to Paris (no one's fault). Thanks for a great tour.
I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in WWI history, especially Australians. Our tour guide Frankie was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He went to the extra effort to help us visit the memorial graves of our two great great uncles who died in the battlefields of the Somme, along way from their small farming communities in Tasmania, Australia. It was very memorable and moving. All the sites visited were excellent as were the food stops. Frankie's local knowledge was a great asset. I especially loved the tour of the Amiens cathedral and morning tea at the nearby French cafe. Brilliant! Highly recommend.
Good experience and enjoyed the trip. We would have liked our guide to have given more commentary whilst travelling. He did an excellent job at each location, but would have liked more about other places (where we didn’t stop) when driving passed / through.
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the trip and the visits at each site, especially the Australian War Memorial. We also appreciate your comment regarding the commentary during travel and will share it with our team for improvement. - Alice
