The WWI BattleField Experience

About this tour

28th Sept - 4th Oct 2025

During World War I the battles around Ypres and the Somme alone cost the lives of millions of young men from all around the globe.

Many of them had flocked to join up in the early months of the war and could not have imagined what awaited them as the grim realities of the Western Front unfolded.

Our Battlefields Experience allows you to walk in the very footsteps of the men - and women - who fought and died there.  We will immerse you in the sights, sounds and stories of the Great War to bring you a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

• Put yourselves in the minds of those who served on the battlefields around Ypres and the Somme

• Remember those who served on both sides in the sombre cemeteries of the Western Front

• Visit the mighty monuments to the missing at Thiepval and the Menin Gate

• Hear stories of bravery, tragedy, luck and suffering in the very places they happened.

• Be moved by the Last Post as it is played at the Menin Gate Ceremony 

An experience that can truly change the way that you think.

Enquire about this tour

Itinerary, Rates and Schedule

28th Sept - 4th Oct 2025 (7 days/6 nights) 

£975pp (sharing)

Day 1: Departure

  • Depart Edinburgh 10am
  • Lunch en route*
  • Overnight ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam

Day 2: Arrival

  • Arrive in Amsterdam
  • Travel to Salient
  • Lunch en route*
  • Arrive at hotel
  • Dinner at hotel

Day 3: Ypres Salient, South

  • Visits to: Spanbroekmolen Mine aka the Pool of Peace, Messines and Church, Sanctuary Wood Museum, Black Watch Corner Memorial, Hill 60, Hooge Museum
  • Lunch* close to Ypres
  • Dinner at hotel

Day 4: France and the Somme Battlefields

  • Visits to: Newfoundland Memorial Park, Ulster Tower, Thiepval, Dartmoor Cemetery (previously Becordel-Becourt Military Cemetery), Lochnagar Crater, Vimy Ridge
  • Lunch in the trenches* 
  • Dinner in Ypres

Day 5: Ypres Salient, North

  • Visits to: Essex Farm Cemetery, St. Julien Memorial Vancouver Corner, Poelcapelle (now Poelkapelle), Hill 60, Tyne Cot, Langemark
  • Lunch* in Ypres with free time to explore
  • Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony, Ieper - Ypres

Day 6: Departure

  • Travel to Amsterdam
  • Lunch en route*
  • Overnight ferry
  • Dinner and breakfast on board*

Day 7: Return

  • Arrive UK 09.00
  • Lunch en route*
  • Arrive Edinburgh approx 3pm

* meals not included

Included

  • A trained, experienced Mercat Tours International guide

  • All transport to and from departure point

  • All accommodation 

  • Dinner, breakfast and packed lunch options as indicated

  • Free entry to all museums and sites on the itinerary 

Tour Rates

If you would like to find out more about our upcoming World War I Experience, get in touch.

 

What our customers think

"A very interesting and moving experience leaving us all with much to think about and remember."

The variety of the visits and the personal stories made it even more memorable. the supporting materials of appropriate videos, songs and information booklets made us realise that much thought and preparation and enthusiasm had gone into the planning and execution of our Battlefields experience. Thank you very much.

Mrs Shiela Allan, The WWI Battlefield Experience,

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