Monday 23rd April:
Meet your tour leader and the rest of the tour group at St. Pancras Station early morning for the quick Eurostar train through to Lille where we’ll board our local coach and head down to The Somme in France where many of the ANZAC's fought and lost their lives during World War 1. We will have local historian guides on board our coaches while we visit the various sites in and around the Somme area including The Australian Memorial Villers-Bretonneux and Caterpillar Valley which is the main New Zealand site in the Somme. Later this afternoon, we’ll head over to our accommodation in Belgium for check in, followed by free time this evening in beautiful city Ypres.

Tuesday 24th April:
This morning after breakfast we will board our coach with our local historian guides on a tour around Messines, Ypres & Passchendaele area of the Western Front to see the many cemeteries, battlefields and memorial sites. including Hill 60. We’ll visit Essex Farm cemetery where there is a memorial to John McCrae who wrote the well known poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, plus a visit to a German cemetery for a different perspective. Our final stop is at the Memorial Museum in Zonnebeke where there is a great example of a bunker system. Late afternoon we will head back to Ypres, where you can attend the Last Post service which is the only place in the world where it is played every evening at the Menin Gate Memorialat 8pm.

Wednesday 25th April:
Up early this morning [approx 5am] for the ANZAC Dawn Service at Buttes Polygon Wood.This service is an intimate, very moving place to commemorate our fallen soldiers – if you wish to purchase a personalised wreath to lay during the ceremony, please see further information below. After the Dawn Service we will head back for breakfast before checking out of our accommodation. Mid morning we have been invited to join the NZ and Australian Embassy officials at our respective countries ANZAC Memorial services, joining together again later for the march to the Menin Gate for the combined ANZAC service, followed by free time in Ypres for lunch, before heading back to Lille for our evening Eurostar return to London for the end of our tour

Please note: First Festival Travel are very proud to be included in the Official Australian & NZ Embassy convoys during the ANZAC Day services in Belgium. This is a great honour, and assists us greatly in getting around the memorial services without delay!

Hostel Option (Multi share dorm rooms, ensuite bathroom, modern, clean and excellent facilities, very centrally located): £279 per person

4* Hotel Option (Double, Twin or Triple rooms with ensuite, A/C, TV and all mod-cons, 4* Hotel, excellent facilities, central location) £329 per person

2 nights accommodation in multi-share dorm units all with ensuite bathroom (Town Centre Ypres) OR in a Twin/Triple room at the 4* Novotel Ypres (both accommodations are very centrally located, giving you access to the picturesque town centre & its amenties)
Return Eurostar London - Lille
Coach shuttle transfers throughout the tour
Internationally recognised guides and historians on board coaches
Entrance fees to visited sites
ANZAC memorial services on 25th April including a Dawn Service at Buttes Polygon Wood
Daily breakfast
Guided tours of the Australian and New Zealand battlefields
Services of experienced First Festival Travel tour representatives

Monday 23rd April:
An early start this morning as we board the coach in London and travel to Dover for our morning ferry crossing to France. Once in France, we drive to Lille where we’ll meet the rest of the group and head down to The Somme in France where many of the ANZAC's fought and lost their lives during World War 1. We will have local historian guides on board our coaches while we visit the various sites in and around the Somme area including The Australian Memorial Villers-Bretonneux and Catepillar Valley which is the main New Zealand site in the Somme. Later this afternoon, we’ll head over to our accommodation in Belgium for check in, followed by free time this evening in Ypres for dinner.

Tuesday 24th April:
This morning after breakfast we will board our coach with our local historian guides on a tour around Messines, Ypres & Passcehndaele area of the Western Front to see the many cemeteries, battlefields and memorial sites. This afternoon you’ll be taken on guided walking tour with a local historian guide ‘in the footsteps of the ANZACs’ at Messines [New Zealand] and Passchendaele [Australia]. We’ll visit Essex Farm cemetery where there is a memorial to John McCrae who wrote the well known poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, plus a visit to a German cemetery for a different perspective. Our final stop is at the Memorial Museum in Zonnebeke where there is a great example of a bunker system,Late afternoon we will head back to Ypres, where you can attend the Last Post service which is played every evening at the Menin Gate Memorial at 8pm.

Wednesday 25th April:
Up early this morning [approx 5am] for the ANZAC Dawn Service at Buttes Polygon Wood. After the Dawn Service we will head back for breakfast before checking out of our accommodation. Mid morning we have been invited to join the NZ and Australian Embassy officials at our respective countries ANZAC Memorial services, joining together again later for the march to the Menin Gate for the combined ANZAC service. Mid Afternoon we will depart for Calais for our evening channel crossing back to London for the end of our tour

Please note: First Festival Travel are very proud to be included in the Official Australian & NZ Embassy convoys during the ANZAC Day services in Belgium. This is a great honour, and assists us greatly in getting around the memorial services without delay!

Hostel Option (Multi share dorm rooms, ensuite bathroom, modern, clean and excellent facilities, very centrally located): £199 per person

4* Hotel Option (Double, Twin or Triple rooms with ensuite, A/C, TV and all mod-cons, 4* Hotel, excellent facilities, central location) £249 per person

2 nights accommodation in multi-share dorm units/hotel all with ensuite bathroom or OR in a Twin/Triple room at  4* Novotel Ypres (both accommodations are very centrally located, giving you access to the picturesque town centre & its amenties)
Return transport from London & channel ferry crossings
Coach shuttle throughout the tour
Internationally recognised guides and historians on board coaches
Entrance fees to visited sites
ANZAC memorial services on 25th April including a Dawn Service at Buttes Polygon Wood
Daily breakfast
Guided tours of the Australian and New Zealand battlefields
Services of experienced First Festival Travel tour representatives