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The Battlefields of France & Belgium

In the Footsteps of Heroes

Itinerary

Wednesday, May 26, 2027

Departure from the US

Day 1:  Thursday, May 27, 2027

Welcome to Paris (2 Nights)

Upon arrival in Paris, you will have one group transfer to a local restaurant for an included lunch.  Afterwards, stroll through the intriguing Marais district on a guided walking tour, uncovering its grand mansions, hidden courtyards and rich history.  Then, enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Copains (*subject to availability and time permitting), a gluten-free organic boulangerie, where you’ll meet the team and enjoy a private tasting of their mouth-watering pastries and bread.  This evening, join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

Meal(s ): Lunch, Welcome Dinner

Day 2:  Friday, May 28, 2027

Discover the Icons of Paris

Join your Travel Director for a panoramic tour of Paris, viewing the Sorbonne, Boulevard St. Germain, Opéra, Champs-Élysées, Rue de Rivoli and views of the Eiffel Tower.  Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral (*subject to availability) before continuing to Montmartre, the city’s charming artistic quarter, where you’ll have time to wander its cobbled streets.  Later, explore Napoleon’s Tomb and the Musée de l’Armée at Les Invalides, then ascend the Arc de Triomphe (*subject to availability) for sweeping views across the City of Light.  This evening, savor an unforgettable dinner on the first floor of the iconic Eiffel Tower (*subject to availability), where you’ll enjoy delicious French cuisine while taking in spectacular views of the illuminated City of Light.

Meal(s):Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3:  Saturday, May 29, 2027

Paris to Versailles to Caen (2 Nights)

Travel to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, where you’ll explore the opulent State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors, the setting for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I.  Continue to the historic town of Caen, your gateway to Normandy.  Tonight, dine at your hotel.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4:  Sunday, May 30, 2027

Explore the D-Day Normandy Beaches

Walk in the footsteps of the courageous Allied soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, a pivotal moment that helped change the course of World War II.  Begin your day at Omaha Beach, one of the most fiercely contested landing sites of the invasion, before visiting the moving Normandy American Cemetery, where rows of white crosses stand as a solemn tribute to the thousands who gave their lives in the fight for freedom.  Continue to Pointe du Hoc, where American Rangers heroically scaled towering cliffs under intense enemy fire during one of the most daring operations of the invasion.  Conclude your day at Arromanches 360 (subject to availability), where the powerful panoramic film The 100 Days of the Battle of Normandy brings the events of the D-Day landings vividly to life through immersive archival footage and surround-screen projection.  Then enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5:  Monday, May 31, 2027

Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo

Journey through the rolling Normandy countryside and the land of Calvados en route to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed island of Mont-Saint-Michel.  Join your Local Specialist to discover the fascinating history of the medieval Benedictine Abbey dramatically perched above the bay.  Next, take in the stunning natural beauty of the Emerald coastline and learn about the privateer past of Saint-Malo. This port town is known for its striking medieval ramparts, handsome aristocratic houses and its famous son, Jacques Cartier, who claimed what is now Canada for the French. Join our Local Specialist to uncover the secrets of this “Jewel of Brittany.”  Then, enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Meal(s):Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6:  Tuesday, June 1, 2027

Le Tronchet, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, and Caen

Leaving Brittany behind, journey north toward the Normandy coast, arriving first in the picturesque fishing town of Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, where you’ll have free time to stroll the harbor, watch the fishing boats come and go, or simply soak up the seaside atmosphere.  Continue to a memorable Be My Guest experience (subject to availability) with the Ferrut family at their beautiful equestrian center overlooking the Normandy countryside and Bayeux Cathedral.  Enjoy a homemade lunch while learning about their family’s story and experiencing genuine Norman hospitality.  This afternoon, visit Juno Beach, where Canadian forces landed during the D-Day invasion, before paying your respects at the nearby Canadian War Cemetery, a moving tribute to those who fought for the liberation of Europe.  Later, continue to your hotel in Caen.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7:  Wednesday, June 2, 2027

Normandy to Amiens via the Somme

The battlefields of the Somme take center stage today.  Stop at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, honoring the Australian soldiers who lost their lives in WWI with a visit to Franco Australian Museum.  Take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Ocean Villas WWI Museum, where you’ll walk through an original British trench, explore recovered artifacts and visit the private Remembrance Wall, preserving the memory of both the fallen and those who survived.  Carry on to Thiepval to see the poignant memorial that honors the 72,337 missing British and South African men who died with no known graves.  Later, arrive in Amiens, where you can enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Meal(s): Breakfast

Day 8:  Thursday, June 3, 2027

Vimy Ridge, Fromelles, and Dunkirk

Visit the memorial at Vimy Ridge dedicated to the Canadian soldiers who fought here in 1917.  This horrific battle, and the bravery of the men who fought in it, came to symbolize Canada’s coming of age as a nation.  Stop in Fromelles, where there was a combined operation between British troops and the Australian Imperial Force.  Described as the “worst 24 hours in Australia’s military history”, visit the Australian Cemetery and Memorial.  Our last stop is Dunkirk where Operation Dynamo miraculously saw over 330,000 Allied troops evacuated to Britain.

Meal(s): Breakfast

Day 9:  Friday,  June 4, 2027

Dunkirk, Ypres, and Brussels

Step back into history as you join a Local Specialist to explore the World War I battlefields of the Ypres Salient.  Visit Langemark, Vancouver Corner, Tyne Cot Cemetery, the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke, and Essex Farm Cemetery, where Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields.  Continue to Waterloo, site of Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, and visit the battlefield, monuments, and the iconic Lion’s Mound.  End the day in Brussels with an orientation tour featuring the Atomium, Manneken Pis, and the magnificent Grand Place, famed for its ornate guildhalls and historic beauty.

Meal(s): Breakfast

Day 10: Saturday, June 5, 2027

Windmills, Delftware and Dutch Heritage

Leaving Brussels behind, journey into the Netherlands and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk, home to 19 historic working windmills that showcase centuries of Dutch water-management ingenuity.  Enjoy a scenic boat cruise through the picturesque polder landscape before continuing to Rotterdam for an orientation tour of this vibrant city.  Next, visit the renowned Royal Delft Pottery workshop to learn about the craftsmanship behind the famous blue-and-white porcelain.  Conclude the day in the charming fishing village of Monnickendam, where you’ll stroll past historic gabled homes before enjoying a three-course dinner in the town’s former cheese weigh-house, then continue to your Amsterdam hotel.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11, Sunday, June  6, 2027

Departure

After breakfast, your journey comes to an end.  One group transfer will be provided to Amsterdam Airport at the designated departure time. Note: Guests traveling outside the designated transfer time will need to make their own arrangements.

Meal(s): Breakfast

Sightseeing Highlights

• Explore the icons of France with guided sightseeing in Paris, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Montmartre, Les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palace of Versailles, and the UNESCO-listed Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey.
• Follow the footsteps of history across the Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches, Omaha Beach, Normandy American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc, Juno Beach, the Somme Battlefields, Vimy Ridge, Fromelles, Dunkirk, the Ypres Salient, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, and the Battle of Waterloo.
• Discover the cultural treasures of Belgium and the Netherlands, with sightseeing in Brussels, a cruise through the UNESCO-listed Kinderdijk windmills, a visit to the Royal Delft Pottery workshop, an orientation of Rotterdam, and a visit to the charming Dutch village of Monnickendam.