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Image: Modern photograph of a bare farm field bathed in golden light after a storm has passed through, with a double rainbow in the distance. Text: '2024 Battlefield Tour / Prelude: Belgium and the Great War'

Messines Ridge, West Flanders, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.46

 


“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.”

—“In Flanders Fields” by Lt. Col. John McCrae, Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915

 

2025 Battlefield Tour

Prelude: Belgium and The Great War

Monday, Sept. 8 - Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025

 

In a beautiful landscape immortalized by Lt. Col. John McCrae’s iconic poem “In Flanders Fields,” explore the gateway of the Western Front with the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Belgium. Tracing the first and last footsteps of the Great War in Europe, we will examine the strategic and cultural significance of the region – from French trenches to “French” fries.

The tour begins and ends in Brussels (BRU) with five nights of lodging dispersed between Liège, Mons and Ypres.

Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Ypres. Object ID: 2021.169.69

Planned Itinerary

(May be subject to change)

 

The group meets in Brussels and travels southeast to Liège. Studying the battle of Aug. 1914, we will visit defensive forts and military cemeteries.

Overnight Liège – Dinner and museum admissions included.

Southbound to Dinant to learn about the town’s destruction and German fears of retaliation by Francs-Tireurs. We explore the citadel and Meuse River bridge before ending the day at Mons.

Overnight Mons – Breakfast, with admissions to Citadelle de Dinant and Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe included.

Our travels focus on the service of the British Expeditionary Forces. We will visit Casteau, Obourg, Nimy, the Binche Crossroads, San Symphorien Military Cemetery and the Mons Military Museum, then conclude the day at the site of the last shots fired by British soldiers in Nov. 1918.

Overnight Mons – Breakfast and museum admissions included.

Southbound to Chateau Bellignies, the home of Prince Reginald de Croy, we will learn about Edith Cavell and the underground network to hide Allied soldiers during German occupation. We finish the day at Ypres, watching the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate.

Overnight Ypres – Breakfast included.

Studying American participation with the British Expeditionary Forces in the Ypres Salient, we cross the Scheldt River at Oudenaarde to visit the Flanders Fields Cemetery and Memorial and watch a TAPS ceremony in Waregem. The tour concludes with a final group meal.

Overnight Ypres – Breakfast included.

Transfer to Brussels Airport (BRU) for departures.

Questions? Check the FAQ.  Frequently Asked Questions

 

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Modern photograph of a green grassy wood on a sunny day with two woolly sheep wandering around in it.

Hill 60, Ypres, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.7

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Modern photograph of a wood with golden autumn leaves covering the forest floor. A concrete bunker structure rises from the ground.

The “Blighty Hall” bunker, Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.52

Tour Pricing

Price per person (you'll share a hotel room): $2225
Price per person (you'll have your own room): $2550

$500 deposit (per person) due by Feb. 28, 2025

Funds are non-refundable after the deadline.

Remaining balance due by June 30, 2025

Funds are non-refundable after the deadline.

Costs include:
  • Pick-up and drop-off at Brussels Airport (BRU)
  • Bus, driver and guides throughout tour
  • 5 nights accommodation (includes meals indicated in itinerary)
  • Small group size
It does not include:
  • Flights to and from Belgium
  • Meals not indicated in itinerary
  • Incidentals
Travel Insurance

Traveler is responsible for securing their own optional travel insurance.

Flight

We encourage scheduling your arrival the day before the tour begins to avoid any risk of a delayed flight.

 

 

Ready to register? Reserve your tour

 

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Modern photograph from inside the crumbled remains of a concrete underground bunker.

German aid post at “Cryer Farm,” Ypres, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.58

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Modern photograph of a tree on a grassy hill against a backdrop of more trees, surrounded by mist, in blue and pink dawn light.

Ploegsteert Wood near Messines, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.23

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: Modifications may occur due to current global travel restrictions.

 

All participants should meet at the designated meeting place and time, provided with your tour information. It is recommended to arrive in the destination city the day before the tour, giving you ample time to meet at the gathering place.

Once you receive the green light to purchase your airfare, please forward your arrival time and flight number to the Museum and Memorial's Learning Coordinator at travel@theworldwar.org. This will assist guides in roll call before starting the tour.

Please see the itinerary sent by the guides. The itinerary is loose, allowing flexibility in visiting additional sites.

Please see the itinerary sent by the guides. Breakfast, WiFi and laundry services are generally available.

Breakfasts and at least one group dinner are covered under your registration. Lunches and other dinners are not included, unless otherwise specified. Please notify us immediately if you have any special dietary requirements. For most destinations, lunches will be approximately €15-€20 and dinners approximately €35.

Participants will travel by coach (bus) between cities and will walk around most sites.

The bus will have A/C and heating, a refrigerator, a restroom and complimentary water.

  • Comfortable outdoor wear (e.g. T-shirts, jeans, shorts.) Avoid wearing clothing with large, loud logos.
  • Sweater or lightweight fleece
  • Appropriate footwear (e.g. walking shoes). A change of footwear is also advised.
  • Waterproof outer layers (light jacket)
  • Hat and sunscreen

  • Passport
  • Medicine (in your carry on!)*
  • Camera or phone
  • Toiletries
  • Night clothes
  • Socks and underwear
  • Satchel/day pack
  • Electricity adapters for destination countries
  • Portable power bank (if you have one)
  • Waterproof jacket (and trousers if you have them)
  • Sturdy shoes
  • Large plastic bag for worn clothes

* Note on medicine: should be kept in its original packing, and kept in your carry-on along with a copy of any doctor's prescription. Please consult with State Department travel information to ensure that your prescriptions are not prohibited in the destination countries. Most over-the-counter medicines can be obtained abroad, though they may have different names than those in the U.S. One of the guides, where possible, will accompany you to a pharmacy (widely available) to assist with replacements, if needed.

Unfortunately, due to the size and schedule of the coach, you will not be able to be dropped off at your hotel by bus. If you need assistance returning to your hotel:

  • See if your hotel has a shuttle service—communicate when and where you’ll need to be picked up.
  • If a shuttle is unavailable, the guides can assist you in finding a taxi.
  • If you’d prefer to use public transportation, the guides can assist you in getting the correct ticket/line.

Battle Honours hosts nearly 60 tours yearly and has been in the battlefield touring business for 15 years—many of the guides are former military or police. They have thoroughly assessed any potential risks that may occur during the tour—you will not be visiting any areas that may compromise your safety. Security is both their specialty and priority—you will be in very capable hands. To secure your money and passport, we recommend investing in a wearable money belt/pouch.

We recommend bringing at least €200 in local currency, but how much you bring is truly a personal preference. Please make sure to notify your banks that you will be out of the country if you plan on taking your debit/credit/bank cards.

  • VISA is most readily accepted; American Express/Discover are not accepted at most places.
  • Cards issued by a smaller, regional bank that don’t have backing from larger institutions will not likely be accepted.
  • ATMs are accessible everywhere for cash withdrawal—withdrawal fees/exchange rates may apply.

You will need to contact your service provider to arrange an international plan (plans vary by provider.) To avoid roaming charges, we recommend turning off apps needing WiFi data before departure. Set your phone to “Airplane Mode” before boarding your overseas flight.

Yes! The guides cater the tour itinerary to these requests. Send the name, rank, and any key military/occupational identification of your WWI ancestor to Clive Harris and Mike Sheil approximately two months before departure, to give ample time for research.

Yes, please do! These really help bring your ancestor’s story come to life on the battlefield. Please let the guides know what items you’ll be bringing before packing them.

Participants can expect to walk multiple miles each day across uneven, unpaved terrain. Please make sure you have comfortable, sturdy walking shoes. Battlefield maps will be provided by guides on-site and via email to the participants.

Generally, weather will be warm to mild, and potentially rainy. Feel free to pack a light jacket for the evening and a day pack that includes snacks as you travel off the beaten path.

Questions about mobility and accessibility, or any other questions? Contact travel@theworldwar.org or 816.888.8153.

 

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Modern photograph of wide green fields dotted with autumnal trees. A tall cross memorial is in the center foreground.

Croonaert Chapel Commonwealth Cemetery near Wijtschate, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.49

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Modern photograph of barbed wire fencing against a gray sky backdrop.

Barbed wire picket, Ypres, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.76

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Modern photograph of a bridge across a river at dusk, with forest on both banks.

Nimy Bridge, Mons, France. Object ID: 2021.169.227

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Modern photograph from the inside of the remains of a concrete bunker, looking through twisted iron struts out to a grassy field on a sunny day.

Vee Bend Bunker, Ypres, Belgium. Object ID: 2021.169.81

 

About Clive Harris

Raised in Hertfordshire, Clive developed a lifelong fascination with history. He spent seven years with the Royal Corps of Signals, serving operationally overseas with the 1st Armoured Division in BAOR — an Infantry attachment with the Royal Green Jackets, in Cyprus, Germany and France — and finally taking an instructor’s post in the Signals Wing of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On leaving the army he joined his local Constabulary, serving 11 years in their Force Operations Room as a specialist communications officer and control room manager. In 1998, he began working as a speaker, writer, researcher and battlefield guide and since then has guided groups to the Somme, Ypres, Arras, Mons, Cambrai, The Hindenburg Line, Verdun, and Gallipoli for the Great War, as well as Normandy, Arnhem, The Italian Campaign, and of course the London Blitz for the Second World War. Clive is a Badged Member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (No33) and also a member of the British Commission for Military History.

About Mike St Maur Sheil

Mike is the award-winning curator of Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace 1914-1918. After studying Geography at Oxford, in the early 1970s Mike began his career as a photojournalist covering “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Here he became associated with the New York picture agency, Black Star, and over thirty years later he is still in the fortunate position of being paid to do what he loves doing — taking photographs. Mike has visited over 60 countries around the world, working for a wide range of clients such as ABC-TV, BBC, Anti-Slavery International, British Red Cross, European Commission, National Geographic, The New York Times, Shell, Time and Time Life.

Images courtesy of Mike St Maur Sheil / Fields of Battle 1418

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