1 day

Full Day

About this activity

Commemorating the Australian New Zealand Army Corps who came together to aid the British Empire during World War I, ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the war. It originally commemorated the landing of forces at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 – which would ultimately prove a bloody failure – but ANZAC Day has grown to become an important Australian day of remembrance around the world.
Make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before ANZAC Day, as you’ll depart Paris in the early hours to make it to the dawn service in Villers-Bretonneux, located about 2 hours north. When you arrive, you'll attend the 6am ANZAC Day Dawn Service, which honors the sacrifice of the Australians and New Zealanders during the war.
This moving service is a major part of the tradition of ANZAC Day, dating back to the military practice of 'standing to' at dawn, the most favorable time for attack. The ANZAC legend was poignantly put into words by Sir William Deane, Governor-General of Australia: "Anzac is not merely about loss. It is about courage, and endurance, and duty, and love of country, and mateship, and good humor and the survival of a sense of self-worth and decency in the face of dreadful odds.”
After the dawn service, you’ll spend the rest of the day on a guided tour of the surrounding Somme area, a part of France that suffered severely in the violent and bloody battles of WWI. Visit Somme's many battlefields, memorials, cemeteries and landmarks while hearing vivid stories and learning about the successes and failures of WWI from your guide.
Visit the massive Lochnagar Crater in the village of La Boiselle, followed by the site of the Battle of Pozières. Then, visit the Thiepval Memorial.
At the end of your ANZAC Day tour, hop back in the minivan or coach and return to Paris around 3:15pm.

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Included

Guided sightseeing tour with English-speaking guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan, 15-seat mini-coach or large coach depending on the group size
Entry/Admission - Thiepval Memorial
Entry/Admission - Lochnagar Crater
Entry/Admission - Franco-Australien Museum
Entry/Admission - Adelaide Cemetery

Not included

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Many of the sites on this tour are outside so please dress appropriately
There will be one short stop on the way to Villers-Bretonneux for the dawn service ceremony and one stop around lunch time. Food and drinks are not included.

Features

Tourism

100%

Cultural

70%

Reviews

4.8

7

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brenandabi

5 | 2017-05-15

Loved this Tour, was pricey, but money well spent. Picked up at midnight and driven to Villers-Bretonneux for the transfer to the Dawn service, given a gift package that had some light brekkie. After Dawn service we went on a day tour of the battlefields. Nicola the guide was extremely knowledgeable, and loved to talk, we all loved to listen, when someone knows what she does, why wouldn't you listen. Don't hesitate to book these guys, it is well organised and a great day, with other like minded individuals for the day.

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Susan C

5 | 2016-05-06

Very moving ceremony. Fantastic knowledgeable guides. Had a great time and highly recommend

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Christina R

5 | 2016-05-05

My husband and I went on this tour to Villers Bretonneux for the dawn service on Anzac Day, 2016. We met up with our tour guides Nicola and Regis at Opera Garnier and left Paris at 2.15am. When we arrived at Villers Bretonneux the tour guides provided us with ponchos, croissants, orange juice and water along with information on the order of service. On arrival the security was understandably strict after which each person was given booklets and 2 pins for the service. The Dawn Service itself was a very moving experience. After the Service there was a wait for each tour bus to be called in turn because there were a lot of people and tour buses! Our tour then continued on to visit a few of the battlefields and memorials with Nicola and Regis who were very friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and informative. This is a must-do tour for Australians and New Zealanders but wear a lot of warm clothes and a waterproof jacket - we were lucky it didn't rain. It was zero degrees Celsius during and after the Service. We returned to Paris at 3.45pm after a very satisfying day.

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Peter W

5 | 2016-05-01

We also did the Villers-Bretonneux tour in April 2016 and Lynettes comments earlier are a very good description and sum up our experience exactly.Recommended.

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btward

3 | 2015-05-04

Great tour, very informative, hosts great, weather let us down, although can appreciate what it was like in 1915. A bit of a wait for buses to pick us up after the ceremony.

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Collections

Normandie & Battlefields 77 Activities

Anzac Day Trip from Paris to Villers-Bretonneux with WWI Somme Battlefields Tour

Paris

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