Vimy & Arras Day Trip
This popular day excursion will offer your History groups an interesting and thought-provoking combination of World War I visits in Northern France.
Places To Visit
Neuville-St. Vaast German War Cemetery
Established by the French in 1919 as a concentration cemetery for German war casualties from the areas north and east of Arras, it is the largest German cemetery in France, containing 44,833 burials.
Musée Vivant 1914-1918
An excellent museum, adjacent to the cemetery, with an audiovisual presentation, life-like dioramas and many interesting artefacts and documents.
Arras Memorial to the Missing
Situated on the outskirts of Arras, the memorial wall carries the names of 36,000 servicemen with no known grave who died in battles in the Arras sector. The enclosed Faubourg d’Amiens cemetery contains 2,700 graves.
Wellington Quarry
Located 20 metres below the town of Arras, this network of tunnels was transformed from chalk quarries by New Zealand soldiers during WWI and provided billeting for thousands of troops.
Visitors are taken on a guided tour to see audio-visual presentations of the campaign (admission fee applies).
Advance booking is essential and Galloway can make this arrangement on your behalf.
Notre Dame de Lorette
The largest cemetery for French soldiers, with 40,000 burials including 8,000 in a mass grave and the remainder in eight ossuaries, the site is dominated by an imposing chapel and 52 metre high Lantern Tower.
Vimy Memorial Park
See the preserved remains of trenches and mine craters and the impressive Memorial that dominates the Ridge. The names of 11,000 Canadians who were posted 'missing presumed dead' are inscribed on the ramparts of the Memorial. The Visitor Centre includes exhibits, archive photographs and a short audio-visual presentation.
Vimy Tunnels
A guided visit of the underground tunnel system is highly recommended, but this is only possible between February and November. Advance booking is essential and Galloway can make this arrangement on your behalf. There is no charge for this visit but you are encouraged to make a donation on the day.
Itinerary Example
1-Day Express WWI History: Arras & Vimy Ridge
Designed for organisations seeking a focused, cost-effective study tour in a single day. Departing early from the UK, this intensive itinerary gives travellers an authentic, hands-on connection to the underground warfare, tactical planning, and major memorials of Northern Francem all with zero overnight accommodation costs.
Early Crossing & Underground Tunnel Warfare (WWI & Military History)
Morning
Early Morning: Depart your organisation early by executive coach for an early ferry or Eurotunnel crossing from Dover/Folkestone to Calais.
Mid-Morning: Drive directly to Arras to explore Wellington Quarry (Carrière Wellington). Descend 20 meters underground into the preserved chalk tunnels where thousands of Commonwealth soldiers lived and prepared for the secret 1917 Battle of Arras.
Vimy Ridge Battlefield & Memorial (Tactics, Trench Warfare & Remembrance)
Afternoon
Lunch: Packed lunches at the visitor centre or in the historic squares of Arras or dine in local cafe.
Early Afternoon: Travel to Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. Explore the remarkably preserved frontline trench systems, shell craters, and subway tunnels with an expert guide.
Late Afternoon: Walk up to the towering Canadian National Vimy Memorial, standing atop Hill 145 for sweeping views of the Douai plain and time for quiet reflection.
Homeward Crossing & Return to your organisation
Evening
Early Evening: Depart the Arras/Vimy region and head back to Calais for your evening channel crossing.
Late Evening: Complete the return coach journey back to your organisation, bringing home powerful historical insights.
Optional En-Route Visits & Extensions
Depending on your organisation's departure location and channel crossing times, popular alternative or add-on stops for this 1-day route include:
Arras Memorial to the Missing: Pay respects at the memorial honoring over 34,000 soldiers with no known grave from the Battles of Arras.
Maison Blanche German Cemetery (Sallaumines): Visit the largest German war cemetery in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region for a balanced perspective on wartime loss.
Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (Ring of Remembrance): Stop at France’s largest military cemetery and view the striking international memorial listing nearly 600,000 fallen soldiers in alphabetical order, regardless of nationality.
Note on Feasibility: 1-Day trips to Arras and Vimy Ridge are most suitable for your organisations based in London, the South East, and the East of England due to travel distance from cross-channel ports.
Itinerary Example
1-Day Express WWI History: Arras & Vimy Ridge
Designed for organisations seeking a focused, cost-effective study tour in a single day. Departing early from the UK, this intensive itinerary gives travellers an authentic, hands-on connection to the underground warfare, tactical planning, and major memorials of Northern Francem all with zero overnight accommodation costs.
Early Crossing & Underground Tunnel Warfare (WWI & Military History)
Morning
Early Morning: Depart your organisation early by executive coach for an early ferry or Eurotunnel crossing from Dover/Folkestone to Calais.
Mid-Morning: Drive directly to Arras to explore Wellington Quarry (Carrière Wellington). Descend 20 meters underground into the preserved chalk tunnels where thousands of Commonwealth soldiers lived and prepared for the secret 1917 Battle of Arras.
Vimy Ridge Battlefield & Memorial (Tactics, Trench Warfare & Remembrance)
Afternoon
Lunch: Packed lunches at the visitor centre or in the historic squares of Arras or dine in local cafe.
Early Afternoon: Travel to Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. Explore the remarkably preserved frontline trench systems, shell craters, and subway tunnels with an expert guide.
Late Afternoon: Walk up to the towering Canadian National Vimy Memorial, standing atop Hill 145 for sweeping views of the Douai plain and time for quiet reflection.
Homeward Crossing & Return to your organisation
Evening
Early Evening: Depart the Arras/Vimy region and head back to Calais for your evening channel crossing.
Late Evening: Complete the return coach journey back to your organisation, bringing home powerful historical insights.
Optional En-Route Visits & Extensions
Depending on your organisation's departure location and channel crossing times, popular alternative or add-on stops for this 1-day route include:
Arras Memorial to the Missing: Pay respects at the memorial honoring over 34,000 soldiers with no known grave from the Battles of Arras.
Maison Blanche German Cemetery (Sallaumines): Visit the largest German war cemetery in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region for a balanced perspective on wartime loss.
Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (Ring of Remembrance): Stop at France’s largest military cemetery and view the striking international memorial listing nearly 600,000 fallen soldiers in alphabetical order, regardless of nationality.
Note on Feasibility: 1-Day trips to Arras and Vimy Ridge are most suitable for your organisations based in London, the South East, and the East of England due to travel distance from cross-channel ports.