Walking the Ypres Salient
5 days from £789pp
About the tour: Walking the Ypres Salient
Tour Introduction
On this tour we walk the Ypres battlefields of World War 1, visiting the sites of the Ypres Salient and discussing the fighting that happened here in 1917. Our walks take us to places such as Artillery Wood, Pilkem Ridge, Tyne Cot Cemetery and Wartime Ypres. We also see cemeteries, memorials and visit museums as we walk the battlefields and learn of what happened here more than a century ago.
Tour Includes
- 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
(Deposits from £150pp)
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your battlefield tour either online, or by telephone (), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can -
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Tour Itinerary
For customers living outside of the UK, if you want to make a booking you will need to provide a UK postcode on our online booking system. If you are not able to provide a relevant UK postcode then you can enter the postcode for London Victoria Coach Station – SW1W 9TP. You should then be able to proceed to complete your booking.
If you do encounter a problem then you can speak to one of our friendly advisors who will be happy to help.
Please Note : After completing your booking, a member of our Customer Service team will be in touch to make sure everything is okay.
Either e-mail our Reservations Department or call on 01709 830 333 and they will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.
Day 1
Local departure by coach, then to Ypres for a four-night stay.
Day 2 - Pilkem Ridge & Hooge
Our first walk starts at Artillery Wood where Third Ypres started on 31st July 1917. We look at the Guards attack and also the role of the 38th (Welsh) Division. We then follow the old railway line across the Pilkem Ridge, visiting Ruisseau Farm Cemetery and ending with the story of Harry Patch at Langemarck: The Last Fighting Tommy. After lunch at Hooge we walk the battle here, fought over during Third Ypres. We walk up to the Bellewaarde Ridge and see an area of mine craters opened up to the public as part of the WW1 Centenary and see how the low ridges around Ypres could dominate the ground.
Included meals: Breakfast
Royal Engineers Grave at Bellewaarde Ridge (6)
Key Visits
- Hooge
- Pilkem Ridge
- Mine Craters at Bellewaarde Ridge
- Royal Engineers Grave at Bellewaarde Ridge
- Harry Patch Memorial
- Ruisseau Farm Cemetery
Day 3 - Passchendaele & Polygon Wood
Our third walk starts at Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world. Here we look at the fighting in this area in October 1917 when ANZAC troops took the ridge. We then walk down into the valley before Passchendaele village and follow the Canadian assault on the village in October and November 1917 up to the valley to the Canadian Memorial at Crest Farm. We then walk into the village, ending at Passchendaele Church to visit the memorial to the British 66th (West Lancs) Division. After lunch we look at the fighting for Polygon Wood in 1917. Starting at Black Watch Corner we go into the wood, seeing the signs of shell holes and bunkers, and visit the Buttes New British Cemetery and Polygon Wood Cemetery, seeing where Australian soldiers fought in September 1917.
Included meals: Breakfast
Scott's Bunker, Polygon Wood (7)
Key Visits
- Tyne Cot Cemetery
- Crest Farm Memorial, Passchendaele
- Passchendaele Village
- Black Watch Corner Memorial
- Scott's Bunker, Polygon Wood
- Buttes New British Cemetery
Day 4 - Walking Wartime Ypres & Lijssenthoek
Today we walk the city of Ypres itself seeing some of the key sites connected with the Great War. We walk the old Ramparts, seeing where the Headquarters were and look at how troops got out onto the battlefield, then at the Lille Gate we visit the moving Ramparts Cemetery. We then look at the Cloth Hall area, visit St George’s Memorial Church and end at the Reservoir Cemetery looking at the stories of those who died within Ypres itself. After lunchtime in Ypres with some free-time to visit the In Flanders Fields Museum (at own cost), we look at Behind the Lines at Ypres visiting Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
Included meals: Breakfast
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery (6)
Key Visits
- Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
- Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
- Ramparts Cemetery
- The Ramparts, Ypres
- Cloth Hall, Ypres
Day 5
Return home.
Included meals: Breakfast
Pre-Tour Reading
A selection of related books for pre or post tour reading.
Barton, Peter Passchendaele 1917
(Constable 2007)
MacDonald, Lyn They Called It Passchendaele (many editions)
Sheldon, Jack The German Army At Ypres 1914 (Pen & Sword 2010)
Reed, Paul Walking The Salient (Pen & Sword Ltd 1999, new
edition 2017)
Passenger Information
Foreign Currency
This tour takes place in Belgium only. As such you will only need euros (€).
Lunch Stops
Although lunch is not included in your tour price, we now offer a very reasonable optional lunch package covering most of your needs while on the battlefields which can be arranged while on tour.
What to Bring
Because this is a walking tour you will need a good pair of walking boots. Ones that are already waterproof or easily made so are ideal. Your walking boots will be kept on the coach when not walking, and so you will also require some shoes to wear outside of the time we are not walking. Given the often changeable weather conditions you are also advised to have wet-weather gear, a hat for the sun, sun lotion for the same purpose, and a small walker’s rucksack to carry all your gear in. Again, one that is waterproof is a good idea.
Specialist Battlefield Guides
All of Leger’s battlefield tours are accompanied by specialist guides. Their individual in-depth knowledge of warfare will be informative, as well as enhance your overall experience, as they recreate a fascinating perception of the history and factual events of each battle. Discover the actual catalysts for war, the strategies employed and the final, inevitable outcomes, as well as experiencing the emotional human side of the front line.
Please note: On certain tours, you may get tour guides other that the ones listed below.
Hotel
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.
Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333
Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 for more information.
Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333.
Your hotels will supply towels in your room.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Novotel Ypres Centrum
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About the hotel
The Novotel Ypres Centrum is located in the heart of historic town of Ypres, just a short walk from the Menin Gate. The hotel makes the ideal base for exploring the rich military heritage of the area.
Hotel Features
- Bar
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Lift
- Restaurant
- WiFi Available
Room Features
- Bath and/or Shower
- Hairdryer
- Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
- Telephone
- TV
Travel Options
Departure times given for each region are approximate. Please check your travel documents to confirm the actual timings.
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £25pp (9 days duration and over) on all European tours. In addition to this seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £15pp (9 days duration and over). This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on feeder journeys to/from the U.K. port. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the U.K. port are not allocated.
Hot and cold drinks are served on the main tour coaches. Prices are approximately £1 or 1.25 Euro per drink. Prices will be confirmed by the driver. Drinks may also be served on the transfer coaches but this is not guaranteed.
Transfer vehicles are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure and will depend on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the U.K. port may not have on-board toilets. When non-British coaches are used on transfers and tours (air holidays only) an on-board toilet may not be available. However, comfort stops will be made during long journeys.
All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.
Depending on the location of your pickup point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the on you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pickup location or service station. We operate a passenger interchange at Stop 24 Services, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.
One medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage can be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach.
It could be either - This will be confirmed in your travel documents.
When it comes to getting to the Battlefields, Leger Holidays make it easy, with a selection of travel options for you choose from.
Silver Service Coach
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Silver Service Features
- Sit back and relax in specially-designed, deluxe reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and more legroom than standard coaches.
- Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
- Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
- Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
- Porterage* at most hotels, so you really don’t have to lift a finger.
- Time flies with our onboard entertainment system.
- With free personal headphones you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs.
- Onboard toilet
Silver Service Seating Plan
Silver Service Virtual Tour
Travel Extras
With an overnight stay or the option to meet us at the interchange, our travel extras allow you to create a travel experience to suit your needs...
Join coach at Interchange
+ Find out moreJoin your tour coach at the interchange.
On most tours if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes tours to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
