Explore the Enduring Legacy of Verdun
Discover the Battle of Verdun
Learn about the 1916 battle that became one of the longest and most devastating engagements of the First World War.
Explore the Battlefield and Memorials
Discover important sites that preserve the history of the battle and commemorate those who fought there.
Follow the defence from the frontline to the forts
The tour starts at Bois des Caures, where Lieutenant Colonel Emile Driant’s Chasseurs resisted the German attack in February 1916. In The Footsteps Tours, we then visit Flabas, Douaumont village and Fort Douaumont, connecting forward positions with the fortifications behind them. Our historian explains how the early fighting affected the defence and why the forts and surrounding villages remain essential to understanding the Verdun campaign. We examine nearby defensive positions.
Explore remembrance sites and the Sacred Way
We visit Fort Vaux, the Memorial de Verdun, Bayonet Trench, the Douaumont Ossuary, Mort-Homme and the Citadelle de Verdun. In The Footsteps Tours, we also follow the Voie Sacree, the supply road between Bar-le-Duc and Verdun, and visits Souilly, where senior commanders established headquarters. Together these stops explore the battle’s military infrastructure, the memory of the dead and the continuing significance of the Verdun landscape. We remember Verdun’s fallen here.
Day One: Bois des Caures, Flabas and Fort Douaumont
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Bois des Caures, where Driant's 2,200 Chasseurs faced the German 81st and 87th Infantry Regiments: the French and German frontlines, Driant's command post, the memorial and his original grave
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The Flabas reprisals camp and memorial
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Douaumont village, one of the nine "lost villages" of Verdun
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Fort Douaumont, once considered the heavily defended fort in Europe, explored with its audio guide
Day Two: Fort Vaux, the Memorial de Verdun and the Ossuary
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Fort Vaux, the second fort to fall, and the defence led by Major Sylvain-Eugene Raynal
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The Memorial de Verdun Champ de Bataille
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The Bayonet Trench
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The Douaumont Ossuary and French National Cemetery
Day Three: Mort-Homme, the Citadel and the Sacred Way
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Mort-Homme (Dead Man's Hill) and its monument to the 40th and 69th French Divisions
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The Citadelle de Verdun
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The Voie Sacree Memorial, the supply road between Bar-le-Duc and Verdun
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The Mairie at Souilly, headquarters of Generals Petain and Nivelle in 1916
Your tour ends at your tour hotel.
Itineraries are subject to change for operational reasons. Any changes will be advised before departure.
Price: From £850.00 GBP per person
Based on: pick-up and drop-off from your tour hotel; six people touring; a dedicated tour vehicle driven by an expert battlefield historian; two people sharing a twin room.
Notes: Costs may vary with hotel availability and selection. Single occupancy supplement £160.00. A supplement may apply for anniversary dates. Deposit is 30% or £200.00 per person, whichever is greater. Booking indicates acceptance of the Standard Terms and Conditions.