Day Tour from ParisSomme Battlefields Day Trip from Paris
A Somme battlefields day trip from Paris is the only First World War day tour in the day tours from Paris lineup, and this one runs in a minivan of eight people at most. Blue Fox Travel drives about two hours each way to Picardy, where the day covers the Thiepval Memorial, the Lochnagar crater, the trenches at Beaumont-Hamel, the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, the Sir John Monash Centre and Amiens Cathedral. The price is $259 per person with entrance fees at the stops included, and food, tips and hotel pickup are not. This page sets out what the day is really like, who it does not suit and how it compares with the rest of the catalog, so you can decide before you book. See how it sits in the full day trips from Paris of day tours from Paris. Compare it with the other day trips from Paris.
About This Tour
Blue Fox Travel runs this 12-hour minibus day from central Paris to the Somme battlefields of the First World War. The group is capped at eight, the guide speaks English and the van is air conditioned. The route covers six main stops between Thiepval and Amiens, with about two hours of driving at each end.
The memorials and cemeteries are war graves, so the visit is a quiet one. The tour runs rain or shine and most stops are outdoors. If the Sir John Monash Centre closes for any reason, the Historical Museum of Peronne may replace it.
$259 per person, booked through GetYourGuide. Mobile ticket, ready right after booking.
12 hours, with about 2 hours in the van each way between Paris and the Somme.
Dada, 12 Avenue des Ternes, 75017 Paris. The tour returns to the same address. No hotel pickup.
Air-conditioned luxury minibus, up to 8 travellers, with an English-speaking guide.
Entrance fees at the stops, transport and the guide are included. Lunch at a local restaurant, the Pozieres Memorial stop, food, gratuities are extra or not covered.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Reserve now and pay later is available.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing flags this tour as likely to sell out, so pick a date early. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
Quick answer Price, length and stops in brief
The Somme battlefields day trip from Paris costs $259 per person, lasts 12 hours and runs in a minivan of up to 8 people with an English-speaking guide and entrance fees included.
Key takeaways
- Six main stops in about 12 hours: Thiepval, Lochnagar crater, Beaumont-Hamel, Villers-Bretonneux, the Monash Centre and Amiens Cathedral, with the stops listed in the itinerary.
- Lunch, the Pozieres Memorial stop, gratuities and hotel pickup are not in the $259, as set out under what the price covers.
- The memorials are war graves, the tour runs rain or shine, and several stops are outdoors, so read who this rules out before booking.
- It is the only First World War day in the day tours from Paris lineup. For the Second World War landings, see the Normandy D-Day beaches day trip.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $259 covers the van, the guide and the entrance fees at the stops. The verified included list from the operator is short, and several itinerary items sit outside it.
Included
Three things are included. An English-speaking guide rides with you all day. Transportation is by air-conditioned minibus for the roughly two-hour drive each way.
Entrance fees at the stops are in the price. The memorials and cemeteries themselves are outdoor sites, and the listing does not itemise a per-site fee for them.
- English-speaking guide
- Transportation by A/C minibus
- Entrance fees at the stops
Not Included
Food, gratuities and hotel pickup and drop-off are excluded. The itinerary also marks two items as extra fee. Lunch is a quick stop at a local restaurant that you pay for yourself, and the 10-minute Pozieres Memorial stop carries an extra fee as well.
There is no stated drinks inclusion and no departure time or pickup window, so plan to arrive at Dada on Avenue des Ternes under your own steam.
- Lunch at the local restaurant (optional, extra fee)
- Pozieres Memorial stop (extra fee)
- Food and drinks generally
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
What You May Pay on the Day
Budget for lunch and drinks at the restaurant stop, a tip for the guide if you feel the day earned one, and the extra fee for the Pozieres Memorial stop if you want it. No amounts are stated for any of these in the listing. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.
One point of context: the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux is the longest stop of the day. If it closes exceptionally, the Historical Museum of Peronne may replace it.
Sources: operator listing on GetYourGuide
The Thiepval Memorial stands 45 m high and carries the names of more than 72,000 missing British and Commonwealth soldiers. Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The itinerary below comes from the operator's own listing, with its stated times on site and drive segments. No clock start time is published, so the day is described in phases.
Out of Paris
The group meets at Dada, 12 Avenue des Ternes in the 17th arrondissement, and leaves by van. The drive to the Somme takes about 2 hours. Avenue des Ternes sits near Porte Maillot, so allow metro or a taxi to reach it, since no hotel pickup exists.
A single metro ticket to the meeting point costs €2.55.
The Morning Memorials
The first stop is the Thiepval Memorial, 30 minutes on site, reached after the 2-hour drive. A 10-minute van hop brings the group to the Lochnagar crater for a 30-minute guided visit, where Royal Engineer tunnelling companies used 30 tons of explosives. Another 10 minutes in the van leads to the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, 30 minutes to walk the trenches along the same ground as the Canadian soldiers.
Midday and Villers-Bretonneux
A 10-minute drive reaches a local restaurant for an optional quick lunch at extra fee. Then 20 minutes by van to the Commonwealth Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery for a 30-minute visit among rows of graves marked a soldier known only to God. The Sir John Monash Centre follows, with a full hour, the longest single stop of the day.
Afternoon Close
A 10-minute drive brings the option of the Pozieres Memorial, a 10-minute stop at extra fee. Twenty minutes more in the van arrives at Notre Dame Cathedral in Amiens, a 13th century building and the largest cathedral in France, for a 30-minute visit. The van then drives 2 hours back to Dada in Paris.
| Stop | Time on site | Drive to next |
|---|---|---|
| Thiepval Memorial | 30 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Lochnagar crater | 30 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial | 30 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Local restaurant (optional, extra fee) | Lunch stop | 20 minutes |
| Villers-Bretonneux cemetery | 30 minutes | None listed |
| Sir John Monash Centre | 1 hour | 10 minutes |
| Pozieres Memorial (extra fee) | 10 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Amiens Cathedral | 30 minutes | 2 hours to Paris |
Exploring the WW1 Somme Battlefields in France
Thiepval, the Lochnagar crater and the Somme memorials, filmed on the ground. Third-party video by Ruth Aisling. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a long, quiet, outdoor day with a fixed central meeting point. Several traveller types should look elsewhere.
The Length and the Clock
Twelve hours is a long day, and at least 4 of them sit in a van. If you have young children or limited stamina, a shorter option such as the Giverny half-day trip from Paris fits better. There is no stated minimum age, no stated difficulty rating and no stated wheelchair access, which means no guarantees either, so ask the operator directly if any of those matter to you.
The Meeting Point
There is no hotel pickup or drop-off. Everyone meets at Dada on 12 Avenue des Ternes in the 17th arrondissement, near Porte Maillot. If you stay across the river, the early start adds a metro ride at €2.55 each way.
Travellers who want door-to-door collection should accept that no listing in the catalog offers it, including the Normandy D-Day beaches day trip.
The Tone and the Weather
The memorials and cemeteries are war graves, so the visit is a quiet and respectful one, and most stops are outdoors. The tour operates rain or shine, so pack for weather. If you want a livelier sightseeing day instead, the Champagne day trip from Paris with Reims and six tastings runs from the same meeting point with a similar van format.
The Budget
At $259 this is one of the pricier listings, and lunch comes on top. If the Somme specifically matters to you the price is easier to justify, since no other First World War day exists in the catalog. For cheaper full days, compare coach trips on the day tours from Paris homepage.
Could You Do It Without a Tour?
Honest answer: no official train-and-bus route covers these stops.
Why the Train Is Awkward Here
The stops are spread across the Picardy countryside between Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, Pozieres, Villers-Bretonneux and Amiens. The listing puts 10 to 20 minutes of van driving between the stops, and no official source gives a Paris departure station, journey time or connecting bus for any of them, so no train plan is quoted here. A rental car, a local driver or this kind of van tour is the practical way to cover them in one day.
When the Tour Earns Its Price
The $259 buys the four hours of driving, the sequence of six stops that would take real planning to link, an English-speaking guide and the included entrance fees. For travellers without a car, that is a fair trade. If you can drive, a self-guided day is possible and the memorials are public outdoor sites.
If one battlefield region deserves more than a day, the Somme and Normandy pair better over a 2 day trip from Paris than as two rushed single days back to back.
Full Day Itinerary
Phases follow the operator's listing, which gives stop durations and drive times but no clock start or return time.
-
Early morning
Meet at Dada, Avenue des Ternes
The group assembles at Dada, 12 Avenue des Ternes, 75017 Paris, and boards the air-conditioned minibus. No hotel pickup, and no start clock time is stated.
-
Morning
Drive to Thiepval
About 2 hours in the van from Paris to the Somme. First stop is the Thiepval Memorial, 30 minutes on site.
-
Morning
Lochnagar crater
A 10-minute drive leads to the crater blown by 30 tons of explosives, with a 30-minute guided visit.
-
Midday
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
Ten minutes by van, then 30 minutes walking the trenches along the ground held by the Canadian soldiers.
-
Midday
Lunch stop (optional)
A 10-minute drive reaches a local restaurant for an optional quick lunch at extra fee, then 20 minutes in the van.
-
Afternoon
Villers-Bretonneux and the Monash Centre
Thirty minutes at the Commonwealth cemetery, then a full hour at the Sir John Monash Centre. If it closes exceptionally, the Historical Museum of Peronne may replace it.
-
Afternoon
Pozieres Memorial (optional)
A 10-minute drive allows a 10-minute stop at the Pozieres Memorial, marked as extra fee, then 20 minutes by van to Amiens.
-
Evening
Amiens Cathedral and return
Thirty minutes at the largest cathedral in France, then the 2-hour drive back to Dada in Paris.
Pros and Cons
An even read of the listing, with the drawbacks stated plainly and the fixes attached.
What we genuinely like
- Small group of up to 8 in an air-conditioned minibus, so questions get detailed answers
- Entrance fees at the stops are included
- The only First World War day in the catalog, covering six sites in one logical route
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- An English-speaking guide for the whole day
The honest downsides
- $259 before lunch, and both the restaurant lunch and the Pozieres Memorial stop are extra fee
- At least 4 of the 12 hours are spent in the van
- No hotel pickup, and the meeting point at Avenue des Ternes is a trek from much of central Paris
- Most stops are outdoors and the tour runs rain or shine
- No stated wheelchair access, minimum age or difficulty level, so accessibility is unconfirmed
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who need hotel pickup, guaranteed step-free access, a short day or a low price, and not for anyone who wants a lighter sightseeing day rather than a solemn one.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the Somme battlefields day trip from Paris cost?
It is $259 per person, with entrance fees at the stops, transport and an English-speaking guide included, and food, gratuities and hotel pickup excluded. Compare it against the other day tours from Paris before booking.
Where does the tour start and end?
Both at Dada, 12 Avenue des Ternes, 75017 Paris, with no hotel pickup or drop-off. Arriving by metro costs €2.55 a ticket, the flat Île-de-France fare explained on the how to plan a day trip from Paris page.
How long is the day and how far is the drive?
The tour lasts 12 hours, with about 2 hours in the minibus each way between Paris and the Somme. The full stop-by-stop timing is in the itinerary section above.
Is lunch included?
No. The itinerary includes an optional quick lunch stop at a local restaurant marked as extra fee, and the Pozieres Memorial stop is also extra fee. For a tour where lunch is genuinely included, see the Normandy D-Day beaches day trip with lunch.
What happens if the Sir John Monash Centre is closed?
In case of exceptional closure, the Historical Museum of Peronne may replace it, per the listing. The centre carries a 1-hour visit, the longest stop of the day, and entrance fees at the stops are among the included items.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes, free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure gives a full refund, and reserve now and pay later keeps plans flexible. Cancellation terms differ across operators, so always check the listing on the booking platform.
Is this the only World War I day tour from Paris?
It is the only First World War day in the catalog of day trips from Paris. The Second World War landings are covered separately by the Normandy D-Day beaches tour.
What Travelers Said
Amazing trip! Philip is a great guide and helped us with everything. The tour was so complete; I saw everything that I wanted and more. Highly recommended.
Christopher was a great guide. His knowledge was very good and he went out of his way to ensure that we were engaged and enjoying the trip.
Really enjoyable tour seeing all the main sites of the Somme battlefield
Fabulous day with our guide Clement. He made it a memorable day and provided us with a lot of background information and was extremely helpful throughout the day
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure