The Somme Day Trip
The Battle of The Somme took place between July and November 1916, and our tours will enable you to visit the main sites in the area. Guided Tours For groups looking to enhance their excursions to the battlefields of Europe, we are partners with the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and therefore have access to trained, experienced and vetted guides. They are chosen for their suitability to work with school groups to bring the reality of war to life. All Guild members have one thing in common, their love of Military History.
PLACES TO VISIT
Historial de la Grande Guerre
This museum is located in the medieval chateau of Peronne and is dedicated to the memory of the people who fought in and experienced the Great War. Based around four large rooms, the ’Historial’ deals sensitively with the multi-cultural aspect of the war, displaying British, French and German exhibits.
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.
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.
Pozieres
The site of the memorial to the dead of the Tank Corps of 1916-1918, and where the first tanks in history saw action.
Thiepval Memorial
Standing out from the surrounding countryside, the 45 metre high memorial is dedicated to the 73,000 Allied troops who lost their lives in The Somme and who have no known grave. On the old German front line, it marks the site of some of the bloodiest fighting of 1916 and remains a truly poignant reminder of the scale of the suffering encountered during the Battle of The Somme.
Ulster Tower
A memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. The tower is located very near to the famous Schwaben Redoubt which the Division attacked on 1st July 1916. The front lines were at the edge of Thiepval Wood which lies to the south-west of the road between the Thiepval memorial and the Ulster Tower. Guided tours of nearby trenches are available (advance booking essential).
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.
Newfoundland Park
A Canadian National Historic Site and a memorial to the Newfoundland Battalion, the park remains very much as it was in 1916.
Delville Wood
Virtually obliterated by shellfire in 1916 (and since re-planted), the wood was the location of some of the Western Front’s most savage and intense fighting.
Musée Somme 1916
Albert was subject to continuous bombardment in the months before the Battle of the Somme. Built within the shelters constructed during the Second World War, most of the museum displays weapons of the era, wartime equipment and lifelike tableaux detailing trench life.
Musée Vivant 1914-1918
An excellent museum, adjacent to the cemetery, with an audiovisual presentation, life-like dioramas and many interesting artefacts and documents.
Vimy Ridge
This spectacular site centres on the Canadian Corps’ superbly planned capture of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, an event that proved to be a turning point for the Allies in the First World War.
The trenches and subways have been preserved and restored for visitors. Guided visits of the tunnels and trench system are possible at certain times of year.
Lochnagar Crater
This impressive crater is situated east of the village of La Boiselle. Approximately 90 metres in diameter and 20 metres deep, it was created by a mine detonated on 1st July 1916. This is now a permanent memorial to the soldiers who lost their lives on the first day of the Battle of The Somme.
Itinerary Example
1-Day Express WWI History: The Somme Battlefields
Designed for your organisations seeking a focused, cost-effective study tour in a single day. Leaving early from the UK, this intensive itinerary gives travellers an authentic, hands-on connection to the events of 1916 on the Somme, covering key trench networks, colossal craters, and major memorials with zero overnight accommodation costs.
Early Crossing & The First Day of the Somme (WWI History Focus)
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 south directly to the Somme battlefield sector. Visit the towering Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, paying respects to over 72,000 officers and men with no known grave.
Late Morning: Walk through the remarkably preserved trench systems and shell-pocked landscape at Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park.
Colossal Craters, Trenches & Memorials (Military & Human History)
Afternoon
Lunch: Packed lunches at the visitor centre or a designated picnic site on the battlefield. or dine in local cafe.
Early Afternoon: Stand on the edge of the massive Lochnagar Crater at La Boisselle, the largest man-made crater created on the Western Front on July 1, 1916.
Late Afternoon: Visit Ulster Tower or the preserved German and British trench lines at Serre to discuss tactical maneuvers, weaponry, and life in the trenches.
Homeward Crossing & Return to your organisation
Evening
Early Evening: Depart the Somme sector and drive back to Calais for your evening channel crossing.
Late Evening: Complete the return coach journey back to your organisation, bringing home powerful historical insights and reflection.
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:
Vimy Ridge Memorial Park: Explore the restored Canadian trenches and subway tunnels en route back toward Calais.
Historial de la Grande Guerre (Péronne): A world-class museum focusing on the international history and social impact of WWI.
Thiepval Visitor Centre: View detailed artifacts, personal letters, and interactive battlefield maps.
Note on Feasibility: 1-Day trips to The Somme 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.