Battlefields with Netherlands and Belgium

Be met at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the historic centre of Paris. Later this evening, you’ll have the chance to get to know your fellow travellers and Tour Director at a Welcome Reception.

Arrive in Paris and begin your European journey in style. This morning, set out on a guided tour taking in some of the city’s best-known landmarks, including the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. The afternoon is yours to explore at leisure. Perhaps relax at a cafe and wander the elegant boulevards.

Travel from Paris to Bayeux in Normandy today. Little fighting occurred here during the Second World War, and the town became one of the first French centres of importance to be liberated following the D-Day landings. On arrival, visit the Bayeux War Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Second World War cemetery in France, where more than 4,000 servicemen are laid to rest. Later, admire the impressive Bayeux Cathedral.

Enjoy a special Insider Experience today exploring the Normandy landing beaches.

Insider Experience – Normandy Beaches

Visit the coastal town of Arromanches, where the remains of the remarkable Mulberry harbours at Gold Beach can still be seen — an extraordinary engineering achievement that helped supply Allied troops after D-Day. You’ll also view the Arromanches 360 Circular cinema presentation.

Continue to Omaha Beach, one of the most fiercely contested landing sites of 6 June 1944. Nearby, visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, set on a bluff overlooking the shoreline and the English Channel. More than 9,000 American servicemen are buried here, including Medal of Honor recipient Theodore Roosevelt Jr. This eight-kilometre stretch of coast witnessed some of the heaviest casualties of the landings, making it one of the most poignant sites in Normandy.

Head to the charming harbour town of Honfleur today. On a guided tour, wander the old port lined with colourful houses and visit the Saint-Catherine's Church. Your visit concludes with a tasting of Honfleur’s famous caramels at a local confectionery.

Later, visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, the war memorial dedicated to over 70,000 missing British and South African servicemen, and the nearby Pozières Memorial. You will also stop at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, where many New Zealand soldiers are buried. Today these quiet fields and villages stand as a moving tribute to the thousands who served and lost their lives.

Travel to Villers-Bretonneux today for a moving Insider Experience.

Insider Experience – Somme Battlefields

Visit the Franco-Australian Museum of Villers-Bretonneux, located within the historic Victoria School. In the playground, the words 'Do Not Forget Australia' remain painted as a lasting symbol of gratitude from the local community.

Later, visit the Australian National Memorial, overlooking the surrounding countryside. You will also explore the Sir John Monash Centre, named after General Sir John Monash, commander of the Australian Corps, whose leadership contributed to key Allied victories on the Western Front, including the Battle of Le Hamel in July 1918. Through immersive multimedia displays and personal accounts, the centre brings to life the experiences of the Australian soldiers who served here.

You will visit a series of important sites along the Western Front today. Begin at the Australian Memorial Park in Bullecourt, which honours Australian soldiers who fought in the First and Second Battles of Bullecourt in 1917, where heavy losses were suffered during attempts to breach the Hindenburg Line. Continue to Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, established after the recovery of Australian and British soldiers from a mass burial site discovered in 2008. The men were killed during the Attack at Fromelles in July 1916 and later reinterred with full military honours.

Later, visit the nearby Australian Memorial Park, located on the Fromelles battlefield and home to the moving ‘Cobbers’ sculpture of Sergeant Simon Fraser rescuing a wounded compatriot from No Man's Land after the battle. Your final stop is V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial which commemorates more than 400 unidentified Australian soldiers who lost their lives at Fromelles, a poignant reminder of one of Australia’s most tragic days of the First World War.

This morning visit the Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, where engaging exhibits tell the story of the First World War across the West Flanders region. Housed within the Cloth Hall, the historic building was largely destroyed during the war and carefully reconstructed in the years that followed. The afternoon is yours to spend at leisure.

Insider Experience – Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony

This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before attending the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. The memorial stands on the route taken by British and Commonwealth soldiers as they marched from Ypres towards the Ypres Salient. Inscribed on its walls are the names of more than 54,000 servicemen who died in the area and have no known grave. Since 1928, the Last Post Ceremony has been performed every evening as an act of gratitude and remembrance. At precisely 8:00 pm, buglers sound the 'Last Post', honouring the fallen in a tradition that has continued almost uninterrupted for nearly a century.

Today, journey from Belgium into the Netherlands, where you will board your river ship.

Board a glass-top boat and glide through Amsterdam’s maze of waterways with a local guide, then enjoy some free time to explore at your leisure.

Enhance Your Journey – Muiderslot Castle

Visit one of the Netherlands’ best-preserved medieval fortresses. Dating to the 13th century, Muiderslot Castle is famed for its round corner towers, surrounding moat and beautifully kept gardens.

In Arnhem, visit the Airborne Museum and gain insight into the Battle of Arnhem, when Allied forces attempted to secure a vital bridgehead on the northern banks of the Rhine River in September 1944.

Enjoy a guided tour of the city of Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands. Situated close to the German border in the east of the country, Nijmegen celebrated its 2,000th birthday in 2005. Nijmegen’s fame stretched to new corners when legendary America singer Nina Simone bought a home there in 1988, staying until 1990. Admire the city’s many beautiful historic buildings and landmarks, and don't miss a visit to one of the city’s many bars to soak up a slice of authentic Dutch charm.

Set out on a guided tour of Maastricht, the birthplace of the modern European Union. Developed as a Roman settlement around 50BC, it is a city of many personalities having undergone a number of identity changes throughout its history. Admire the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady, one of the oldest remaining religious buildings in the city, see traces of the Middle Ages in the city walls, stroll along the city’s iconic cobblestone roads, and enjoy the welcoming feel of what is today an energetic university city.

Enhance Your Journey – Regional Wine Tasting

Masstricht is filled with underground cellars that are ideal for wine storage. On this optional excursion, you'll visit one of the oldest cellars in the Netherlands, where'll you'll be guided around the facilities and the cellars, before sampling three local wines from the region.

Arrive in Antwerp and embark on a guided walking tour. Discover the vibrant Grand Square, with its bustling market, before visiting the impressive Steen Castle and the majestic Cathedral of Our Lady. Spend the afternoon at leisure to explore further.

Today is at leisure to explore Antwerp. For those keen to immerse themselves in Antwerp’s culinary delights, consider joining a Belgium chocolate tour.

Enhance Your Journey – Chocolate Nation Tour

Sample some of Belgium’s renowned chocolate, and taste for yourself why they’re considered the world’s finest.

Embark on a guided discovery of Ghent, then unwind on a scenic canal cruise past gabled facades, historic guild houses and graceful bridges, offering a unique waterside perspective of this beautifully preserved medieval city.

Today, visit the Menin Gate, the iconic memorial honouring Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave. Continue to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele, dedicated to the 1917 battle where nearly 500,000 men died in just 100 days. Afterwards, pay your respects at Tyne Cot Cemetery — the largest Commonwealth War Graves site — and the Polygon Wood battlefield.

Today is a day at leisure, or you may wish to join an optional tour to Bruges.

Enhance Your Journey – Bruges

Join an excursion to discover the historic wonders of Bruges, including the Markt Plaza and medieval bell tower. End your visit with a scenic canal cruise, gliding through the city’s charming waterways and admiring its beauty from a unique waterside perspective.

Enjoy a special Insider Experience today.

Insider Experience - Delta Works

Visit the Delta Works, one of the world’s most impressive engineering achievements. Learn how this vast network of dams, storm surge barriers and sluices — constructed over more than 30 years — protects the Netherlands from the sea. Spanning 13 sections, it is the largest flood-defence system on earth and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

This morning, join a walking tour of Willemstad, exploring its historic streets and fortified harbour. Later, cruise to Kinderdijk and visit the World Heritage-listed village, home to the Netherlands’ greatest concentration of 18th-century windmills.

Stroll through Rotterdam’s striking skyline and past the famous Cube Houses, then stop at a local market to sample the city’s beloved stroopwafels.

Enhance Your Journey – The Hague

Discover The Hague on a guided tour, including a visit to the Binnenhof complex — home to the Dutch Parliament — and the renowned Peace Palace.

Enjoy a day of exploration before gathering this evening for a Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

Insider Experience – Keukenhof Gardens

Visit Keukenhof Gardens, a vibrant floral showcase spanning more than 70 acres of landscaped parklands. Admire sweeping displays of spring bulbs, including colourful tulips (March–April departures).

Insider Experience - National Maritime Museum

Explore Amsterdam’s striking National Maritime Museum, where immersive galleries and historic vessels bring the Netherlands’ legendary seafaring past to life. (July departure).

Today, your journey comes to an end. After saying farewell to your fellow travellers, disembark your ship and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.