# Somme and Vimy Ridge WWI private tour from Paris Source: https://www.privatetrip.fr/battlefield-tours-from-paris/somme-vimy-ridge-ww1-tour/ Updated: 2026-11-05 The preserved trenches of Beaumont-Hamel, the Lochnagar crater, the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge and Amiens cathedral, in one private day from Paris. - **Length** Full day, 6:30 am to about 8 pm - **Drive** 2 h each way - **Group** 1 to 7 guests - **Winter price** €800 winter price, instead of €1,000€1,000 per group ## At a glance The Somme battlefields are about 2 hours from Paris. This private day tour leaves at 6:30 am and returns around 8 pm, visiting the Frise viewpoint, the Beaumont-Hamel trenches, Le Hamel, the Lochnagar crater, Amiens cathedral, Vimy Ridge and the Armistice clearing at Compiègne. It costs €1,000 for up to 7 guests. - Full day, 6:30 am to about 8 pm - About 2 h drive each way from Paris - €800 winter price, instead of €1,000€1,000 per group of 1–7 (about €114€143 each for 7), 20% off for tours until 28 February 2027 - Pickup and drop-off at your Paris hotel - Best for: First World War history, Canadian and British families ## About this tour The Somme and Vimy Ridge are two of the most moving battlefields of the First World War. On the first day of the Somme, 1 July 1916, the British Army suffered more than 57,000 casualties; at Vimy in April 1917 the four Canadian divisions, fighting together for the first time, took the ridge. Your guide takes you through preserved trenches, explains the tactics and conditions soldiers faced, and connects each place with the stories of the men who fought there. ## Itinerary A typical day. As the tour is private, every stop can be changed. 1. 6:30 am**Pickup in Paris** At your hotel, with a coffee and croissant stop on the way. 2. Frise viewpoint**The Somme valley** A hilltop view over the valley that explains the geography of the 1916 offensive. 3. Beaumont-Hamel**Trenches and no man’s land** The best-preserved battlefield of the Somme, where the Newfoundland Regiment was almost destroyed on 1 July 1916. 4. Le Hamel**Australians and Americans in 1918** The memorial to the combined attack of 4 July 1918, planned by General Monash. 5. German trench**Recently uncovered positions** A section of the German line seen from the other side. 6. Lunch**Local restaurant** In a village restaurant or sandwiches in the van. 7. Lochnagar crater**The great mine** One of the largest mine craters of the Western Front, blown on the morning of 1 July 1916. 8. Amiens cathedral**A Gothic masterpiece** The largest cathedral in France, with its labyrinth and a relic said to be part of the head of John the Baptist. 9. Vimy Ridge**The Canadian memorial** The monument and preserved trenches on the ridge taken by the Canadian Corps in April 1917. 10. Compiègne**The Armistice clearing** Where the Armistice of 1918 was signed and where France signed the armistice of June 1940. 11. 8 pm**Back in Paris** Drop-off at your hotel, depending on traffic. ## What’s included ### Included - Spacious air-conditioned 8-seater van for your group only - Professional English-speaking guide who also drives - Pickup and drop-off at your Paris hotel or apartment - Fuel, tolls and parking - Itinerary planning and changes on the day - Hotel and restaurant suggestions and bookings - Passenger insurance while you are in the vehicle - All taxes, no hidden fees - Family or military history research for your relative ### Not included - Meals and drinks - Entrance fees to museums, châteaux and monuments - The guide’s lunch (up to €20) - Personal purchases and gratuity (optional) - Your own travel insurance ## Practical information ### What to wear Walking shoes for uneven ground in trenches and around craters; a waterproof jacket. ### Walking Moderate walking on uneven terrain. Most fitness levels can join; tell us about any mobility needs. ### Drive About 2 hours each way, with breaks. ## This tour in winter 20% off for tours from 1 November 2026 to 28 February 2027: **€800** instead of €1,000 per group of 1–7. - The Canadian visitor centres at Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel are open until 11 December 2026, then closed until early February. The memorials, trenches and cemeteries stay open all winter, but the guided tunnel tours stop. - 11 November, Armistice Day, is a public holiday in France. The tour ends at the clearing near Compiègne where the Armistice was signed in 1918. - The Christmas market in Amiens, the city of the cathedral on this tour, runs from 20 November to 30 December 2026. - The sun sets at about 4:50 pm at Vimy in December, so we plan the order of the stops around daylight. [Winter prices, events and opening times for all our tours](https://www.privatetrip.fr/winter-tours-from-paris/) ## Did a relative serve here? Send us a name, unit or division. In partnership with Ancestry®, we research military records and war diaries, usually in 2 to 4 weeks, and build the day around the ground your relative crossed. More than 40 families so far. ## Questions about this tour **Can we visit a Canadian or Newfoundland ancestor’s battlefield?** Yes. Send us the name and unit; we research Canadian, British, Australian and American soldiers alike. **Can we add Arras or Ypres?** Arras is close to Vimy and easy to add. Ypres, in Belgium, makes a very long day; we suggest a two-day tour instead. **What is your cancellation policy?** The booking fee is non-refundable. For one-day tours cancelled more than one month ahead, it can be used for a future tour; for multi-day tours, more than three months ahead. If we cancel for safety reasons, such as severe weather, we refund it in full. [Read the full terms](https://www.privatetrip.fr/terms/). **Is the tour really private?** Yes. It is for your group only, from 1 to 7 guests, with pickup at your Paris hotel, and the itinerary can be changed on the day. ## What guests say Page updated 5 November 2026. Prices and times are checked at every update. **Winter offer** For tours from 1 November 2026 to 28 February 2027 €800€1,000 instead of €1,000 per group of 1–7 guests about €114€143 per person for 7 Deborah applies it when she confirms your booking. [Offer terms](https://www.privatetrip.fr/winter-tours-from-paris/#terms) - Full day, 6:30 am to about 8 pm - Pickup at your Paris hotel - Reply within 24 hours [Rated 5.0 from 124 TripAdvisor reviews](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187145-d7040140-Reviews-Private_Trip-Fontainebleau_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html) ## You may also like ### [Belleau Wood: the US Marines in 1918](https://www.privatetrip.fr/battlefield-tours-from-paris/belleau-wood-usmc-tour/) Full day, 8 am to about 7 pm · drive 1 h 15 each way Walk the forest where the 4th Marine Brigade fought in June 1918, then pay your respects at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. - Belleau Wood battlefield - Hill 142 & the wheat fields - Devil Dog fountain - Aisne-Marne American Cemetery - Château-Thierry & Hill 204 ### [Bastogne & the Battle of the Bulge](https://www.privatetrip.fr/battlefield-tours-from-paris/bastogne-battle-of-the-bulge-tour/) Full day, 6:30 am to about 8 pm · drive 3 h 45 each way The siege of Bastogne, December 1944, with the Easy Company foxholes from Band of Brothers, Foy and the Mardasson Memorial. - Easy Company foxholes in Jack’s Woods - Foy - Bizory chapel - McAuliffe Square - Mardasson Memorial - Bastogne War Museum ### [Champagne: Reims, Épernay & small producers](https://www.privatetrip.fr/wine-tours-from-paris/champagne-tour/) Full day, 7 am to about 7 pm · drive 1 h 45 each way A famous house and two independent growers, Reims cathedral, the Avenue de Champagne and Dom Pérignon’s abbey at Hautvillers, with a WSET-certified guide. - Reims cathedral - Taittinger cellars - Two small producers - Avenue de Champagne in Épernay - Hautvillers & Dom Pérignon