School Trips - Battlefields – Belgium & the Somme

Experience the living conditions in the tranches and the destructive power, waste and futility of war by touring the battlefields of the Ypres Salient and the Somme. Experience the events of the 1916 Battle of the Somme by following the Circuit of Remembrance, attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, explore the interactive Flanders Field Museum and delve into the trench system at Hill 62 before the humbling experience of Tyne Cot Cemetery gives you pause for reflection. A battlefield tour is a life changing experience for a great number of pupils and a 'must do' educational visit. Seeing is believing and following the footsteps of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy today ensures that their names live on and their sacrifice is never forgotten.

Day 1
Travel to Dover for short sea crossing to Calais.
Arrive in Ypres mid afternoon and check in to the Peace Village - Overlooking the Messines ridge battlefield, the Peace Village Hostel is the ideal group accommodation and base for a visit to Flanders Fields and the Ypres Salient area.
After evening meal, take a guided tour along The March of the Phoenix Remembrance walk
The off the beaten track trail brings you to the beautiful lit Island of Ireland Peace Park with its magnificent round tower.

Day 2
Visit to Passchendaele Memorial Museum & Gardens. The Museum consists of five educational sections and a remembrance gallery.
Visit to Talbot House - In 1915 this soldier’s club was opened and would become the most famous of all the British Army clubs. In this “Every Mans’ Club, all ranks were welcome, form ordinary soldier to senior officer.
Afternoon Visit to Hill 60 - Hill 60 is an area of ground which remains relatively undisturbed since the end of the Great War.
Visit to Chocolate Shop in Ypres - A chance to sample and purchase the finest of Belgian chocolate.
Visit to In Flanders Field Museum - The In Flanders Fields Museum offers an immersive experience with touching video projects, unique sound fragments and the most up-to-date multimedia applications of the life at the front. Each visitor receives a poppy bracelet that enables them to discover four personal stories of 'Joe Public' in the Great War.
Evening Visit to the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial - Every night at The Last Post Ceremony takes place under the Menin Gate. The local people are proud of this simple but moving tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of those who fell in defence of their town.

Day 3
Morning Visit to Langemark the German Cemetery - Langemark cemetery is one of only four First World War German cemeteries in the Flanders region and is a stark contract to Allied cemeteries.
Visit to Entry Point East Crater Wood - This entry point illustrates the creation of the front in the centre of the Salient near Bellewaerde Ridge. The historical film shows the beautiful Castle and parks that studded the landscape before the destructive war. The walking route passes the monument to the Liverpool Scottish and Maple Copse military cemetery.
Afternoon Visit to Hooge Crater Museum - This museum is housed in a restored chapel located where one of the fiercest battles of Ypres was fought and opposite the ‘Hooge Crater Cemetery'. The private museum offers superb life-size reconstructions of war scenes and you can enjoy an impressive ‘trench art' collection in the cafeteria.
Bayernwald Trenches - Bayernwald is a true-to-life reconstruction involving 300 meters of trenches. four bunkers and two mine shafts.
Evening Fun activity at Ice Mountain - The Ice Mountain climbing park brings you to unprecedented heights through ropes, climbing walls, platforms and 500 meter zip lines! All supervised by the guidance of professionals. Alternatively, play Laser Tag – the hide and seek team battle.

Day 4
Check out of hostel after breakfast.
Visit to Tyne Cot Cemetery & Memorial - Tyne Cot is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world. It is now the resting place of more than 11,900 servicemen of the British Empire from the First World War.
Travel to Calais for return short sea crossing & travel back to school

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Special Inclusive Educational Tour Package - 4 day coach tour with 3 nights half board accommodation and inclusive educational visits to Passchendaele Memorial, Talbot House, Hill 60, Flanders Field Museum, Last Post Ceremony, Menin Gate, Langemark, East Wood Entry, Hooge Crater, Bayernwald Trench system, Tyne Cot Cemetery. Prices from £309 per pupil - based on 40 paying pupils with 4 free staff places.