THE CANADIAN ROAD

One-Day Tour of the Canadian Battlefields The Somme & Vimy Ridge: The Road to Victory

Vimy Ridge & The Somme: The Canadian road

From the muddy trenches of the Somme to the « Birth of a Nation » at Vimy

Immerse yourself in the defining moments of the Canadian Corps on the Western Front. This comprehensive journey connects the stunning victory at Vimy Ridge to the tragic battlefields of the Somme, including a visit to the majestic Canadian National Memorial, and the raw reality of the now-naturally preserved trenches at the Newfoundland Park near Beaumont-Hamel.

→ Departure: Arras or Saint-Quentin (These locations offer the best logistics to maximize visiting time).
→ Schedule: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.
→ Group Size: Ideal for up to 3 people (please contact me for larger groups).

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→ Morning: Vimy Ridge (1917) – The Birth of a Nation

We begin at the site of Canada’s most celebrated military victory. The four Canadian Divisions—fighting together for the first time—achieved the impossible.

• Vimy Visitor Education Centre: We start here to understand the strategic stakes of the battle through personal stories and artifacts.

• Grange Tunnel: Subject to availability. We will descend into the Grange Subway to walk the underground tunnels and visualize how troops lived and moved safely beneath the enemy lines before the assault.

• The Memorial: We will visit the iconic Vimy Memorial, the majestic tribute to the 11,285 Canadians with no known grave in France.

• The Attack & Outcome: Learn how 20,000 Canadians stormed the ridge to capture the heavily entrenched ridge in 5 days of fierce fighting.

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→ Mid-Day: Lunch on the Somme

Leaving the Arras sector, we drive south to the 1916 Somme battlefields.

• Lunch Break: We will stop for lunch in the heart of the battlefield at the historic Le Tommy Café & Museum in Pozières, a place filled with atmosphere and memory.

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→ Afternoon: The Somme (1916)

We explore the vast battlefields of the muddy fields of th Somme.

• Courcelette: Visit the site where Canadians fought alongside a secret weapon used for the first time in history: the Tank. The capture of Courcelette remains one of the finest Canadian achievements of the war.

• Mouquet Farm: A place of fierce hand-to-hand combat where Canadians relieved the Australians.

• Newfoundland Park of Beaumont-Hamel: The absolute highlight for understanding trench warfare. Walking through this incredibly well-preserved trench system, we pay tribute to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, which was nearly wiped out here on July 1st, 1916.

Return: Drop-off at your hotel or railway station in Arras or Saint-Quentin.

This itinerary is subject to change depending on special requests (e.g., visiting a specific relative’s grave).