Ypres Battlefields and Passchendaele Museum Full Day Tour
Description
I am a well established Battlefield historian and author and have been guiding in the area for several years. As an Expat Brit living in Belgium you can book me in confidence knowing there will be no language issues, I also have a great level of local knowledge which means I am able to recommend hotels, restaurants etc should you wish to know. We are the perfect partner for your battlefield pilgrimage. I look forward to meeting you Roger Steward
Tour Options
Itinerary
A visit to the excellent Sanctuary Wood museum to see its unbelievable collection of rare 3D original battlefield photographs, huge collection of Great war artifacts, weapons and uniforms and to walk through its extensive preserved British trench system. Closed on Mondays but we visit alternative trenches
After driving through the battlefields of Passchendaele we arrive at the beautiful Tyne Cot cemetery, with its 12,000 graves its the largest British and Commonwealth war grave cemetery in the world. At the rear of the cemetery is the Tyne Cot Memorial wall which contains the names of a further 35000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who are listed as missing with no identified grave. A beautiful place of reflection and remembrance.
The iconic Canadian monument and gardens "The Brooding Soldier" commemorates the Canadian soldiers lost in the gas attacks of 1915. Here we will learn of the gas attacks of 1915 and the history of chemical warfare in the Ypres Salient. Arguably the most iconic memorial in the Ypres Salient set in a beautiful memorial garden.
The second largest German cemetery in the area, with 44,000 burials Langemark has a very different atmosphere to the British and Commonwealth cemeteries. Its design was heavily influenced by the Nazis of WW2, some of which is in evidence today . The mass grave in the centre of the cemetery is of mind blowing proportions. This site is one of the 'must see' sites in the area. Prior to your tour why not purchase a copy of the book, Studentenfriedhof to Soldatenfriedhof, written in English it gives you a fascinating insight into the history of the cemetery and is the go to history of the cemetery.
A visit to the preserved dressing station bunkers to learn of the wounded evacuation process and the memorial to Lt Col John McCrae to hear the story of the In Flanders Fields Poem and its influence on remembrance today. We will also visit the grave of Valentine Strudwick killed at the age of 15 and learn the story of underage soldiers in the Great War.
A visit to the world class Passchendaele museum, including replica British and German trenches, underground replica dugout experience and its new Battle of Passchendaele immersive room. The museum focuses on the Battle of Passchendaele and its combatants. Always a popular stop on the tour, the museum is being updated ready for 2025. A fabulous visit.
Named 'The Murder Hill' by British Soldiers we walk over its hallowed preserved battlefield, bunkers and mine craters. Hill 60 is today an official war grave as the remains of many soldiers and tunnellers lay concealed beneath its surface. The story of the terrible fighting at Hill 60 is legendary, with its terrible casualty rate and very compact battlefield men where often separated here by only a few meters of ground. We discuss here the fighting of 1915 and 1917, the underground war and also the fighting on the hill once again in WW2
The story of the battle of Messines Ridge and the war underground at the site of the awe inspiring Caterpillar crater. Of the 19 massive underground mines blown by the British and Commonwealth tunnellers on June 7th 1917, the Caterpillar Crater is the best preserved of them all. Breathtaking in its scale and beauty it is in complete contrast to the horrors that took place there during the Great War.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
I collect either from your accomodation in Ypres or from the car park at Ypres Rail station at 9.45 am
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(17)
Roger was an excellent guide with an astonishing knowledge of the area. I cant recommend this tour highly enough - definitely do the full day. If you have any family connections let him know as he adjusted the itinerary for those of us who did.
Yesterday we spent 8 wonderful hours with Roger on the Ypres battlefields and Passhendale tour. We never looked at our watch once! Roger held our attention the whole day with his wealth of knowledge and interesting stories. Roger tailored the tour to the nationalités onboard the coach(New Zealand and Canadian-6 on our tour in total) but we also visited all the major sites. Rogers demenour allowed us to ask questions and feel comfortable. Had a lovely lunch halfway through. Some of the sites we visited included Tyne Cot cemetery, Langemark cemetery, Hill 60, Essex Farm, 2 very good muséums, walking the actual trenches at two sites, the brooding soldier, the NZ mémorial and many more. All in all a very compréhensive tour which was worth every cent paid. There is no way you could do this all by yourself and get the complete picture and in depth knowledge that Roger shares. Roger knew all the dates, the battles, where the front line was at all Times of the advancing armies. Roger deliveries this all in a very fair and respectful manner towards both sides. We would thoroughly recommend Roger at Ypres Battlefields tour- this is the one you have been looking for . Bonita and Martin Watt - ( New Zealand)
Roger's tour was amazing! His knowledge about the war is encyclopedic and his particular expertise in the war dead was a unique perspective. One of the families on the tour had recently been told her WWI ancestor's body had been identified after 100+ years. Working with his contacts Roger pinpointed the likely spot where the body had initially fallen and drove us there across a field for a special moment for the family - and all of us.
We loved learning all about WWl and what the western front/Salient soldiers went through. Horrible war- Roger also knew all about the writer of Flanders Field poem, the Last Post and more. Yrpes was a VERY pleasant surprise !
Thank you, Roger for a lovely WW1 tour. For anyone looking to book an English speaking tour by a British man who lives in Belgium, this is an excellent tour. Suitable for families or individuals. Roger went that extra mile to cater for our needs to find names of graves. 5 🌟.
Roger was very knowledgeable and gave us a real insight into the Strategy of the Battles. He was very entertaining as well and answered all questions with enthusiasm. We would certainly recommend Roger!
I had the pleasure of doing a tour with Mr Steward and from start to finish, it was amazing. His local knowledge of the batttlefields and menorials are beyond impressive. We visited cemetaries, trenches, and monuments. I cannot emphasize how incredible this tour was. His knowledge and passion for the history of this sacred area made this an experience I will never forget.
Very enjoyable day on this tour. January saw some of the museums closed but we still made the best of our time and had a great day touring many of the WW1 sites around Ypres. One nice touch was they I was contacted in advance to let me know that the museums were closed with the offer to cancel. Gained lots of insights in to the battles around Ypres from a very knowledgeable guide.
I have to say Roger our guide was so knowledgable, passionate and clear in explaning the battle for Ypres over four years I left enlightened and deeply moved Well done and a Big Thank you
Outstanding tour! I was engaged for the full day. Roger is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. Can’t imagine a better tour exists anywhere else.
