Discover the History of the Ypres Salient
Explore the Battles Around Ypres
Discover the major battles fought around Ypres and their importance on the Western Front.
Visit Memorials and Historic Sites
Explore significant battlefield locations and memorials that commemorate those who served and lost their lives.
Trace the battles of Ypres in 1914 and 1915
We visit Broodseinde, Zandvoorde, Gheluvelt, Glencorse Wood and Nonne Bosschen to examine the fighting in 1914, then continue to Pilckem, Sint-Juliaan, Mouse Trap Farm and Kitchener’s Wood. In The Footsteps Tours, we link these locations with the changing front and the large-scale use of gas in 1915. Our historian explains how the fighting shaped the Salient and why the sites remain central to its military history. We compare front shifts.
Explore Messines and the Passchendaele campaign
The route includes Spanbroekmolen crater, Wytschaete, Messines, Ploegsteert Wood, Pilckem Ridge, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele village. In The Footsteps Tours, we discuss the mine detonations, infantry advances and the role of Irish, Ulster, New Zealand, Australian and Canadian formations. The tour concludes at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial, bringing the sequence of battlefield visits together with a place of remembrance. We explain how sites fit the campaign timeline.
Day One: The early battles of Ypres
Morning, 1914: The 7th Division Memorial at Broodseinde, Zandvoorde (Household Cavalry and Royal Welch Fusiliers), Gheluvelt (Worcestershire Regiment and South Wales Borderers), then Glencorse Wood, Nonne Bosschen and Black Watch Corner, where depleted British battalions faced the Prussian Guard.
Afternoon, 1915: The French Memorial at Pilckem, the Canadian Brooding Soldier near Sint-Juliaan, Mouse Trap Farm and Kitchener's Wood, finishing at Langemark German Military Cemetery. This is where gas was used on a large scale on the Western Front.
Day Two: The Battle of Messines
Morning: Spanbroekmolen crater and the detonation of the mines, then the side-by-side advance of the 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions at Wytschaete. Time permitting, the preserved German trenches at Bayernwald.
Afternoon: The New Zealand Division's capture of Messines (Mesen), including Lance Corporal Samuel Frickleton's Victoria Cross, then the Australian attack towards Ploegsteert Wood, including the VC actions of Captain Robert Grieve and Private John Carroll.
Day Three: The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)
Follow the Guards Division and 38th (Welsh) Division along Pilckem Ridge on 31 July 1917, the Irish and Ulster Divisions at Langemarck, and the ANZACs at the Menin Road and Polygon Wood. Visit the Passchendaele 1917 museum at Zonnebeke, then follow the ANZAC assault on Broodseinde Ridge and the Canadian final attack on Passchendaele village. The tour finishes at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial.
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 £205.00. 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.