The Silent Cities: The CWGC Story


5 days from £699pp

About the tour: The Silent Cities: The CWGC Story


Tour Introduction

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves and memorials of 1.7 million men and women who died in the two World Wars. Founded in 1917, its dedicated staff now work at 23,000 different places across more than 150 countries and territories. This special tour, developed in association with the CWGC, provides a unique insight into the story of this remarkable organisation.

Tour Includes


  • 4 nights hotel with continental breakfast & 1 lunch
  • Specialist Battlefield Guide
  • Convenient local joining points
Book Now
(Deposits from £50pp)

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 -

  1. 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.
  2. Send payments via online banking.
  3. Send payments via cheque.
  4. 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.

Abta - Travel with confidence
Atol protected

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Local departure by coach, then to our hotel in Belgium or northern France, where we stay for four nights.

Day 2

We visit the ‘Forgotten Front’ today – the ground between some of the main battlefields of the later war period. Here we examine the early battles of 1914 and 1915, seeing the Le Touret Memorial to the Missing, and the Indian Cemetery at Zelobes. Lunchtime in Bethune and in the afternoon, we see the Loos Memorial and then visit the new extension to the Loos British Cemetery where dead recovered from new building work in Lens and the Canal du Nord will be buried. We also visit Quarry Cemetery for the story of Fergus Bowes-Lyon and the battles at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. We then return to our hotel.

Included meals: Breakfast

Loos Memorial

Loos Memorial (4)

Key Visits

  • Loos Memorial
  • Le Touret Memorial
  • Quarry Cemetery, Montauban

Day 3 - Arras

Today we begin in Northern France near Arras and visit the CWGC Experience where we have a specially arranged visit looking at the global work the Commission does, with talks and demonstrations. We then visit Vimy Ridge to look at the Canadian commemoration of their dead, seeing battlefield cemeteries on the Ridge, and the missing commemorated on the Vimy Memorial. Lunchtime in Arras and then we visit the Somme Battlefields looking at the early work of the Imperial war Graves Commission at Louvencourt, one of the ‘experimental’ cemeteries. We then look at New Zealand on the Somme and their missing at Caterpillar Valley, examining the story of their Unknown Warrior. After dinner we return to the battlefields for a special illumination of the Thiepval Memorial as it gets dark, which means a late finish and return to our hotel.

Included meals: Breakfast

Vimy Ridge

Leger Group at Vimy Ridge (3)

Key Visits

  • Leger Group at Vimy Ridge
  • CWGC Experience, Arras

Day 4 - Ypres

Today we are in Flanders and look at the early war British sector along the Messines Ridge, visiting the Ploegsteert Memorial and some of the battlefield cemeteries started in 1914, also examining the story of the Christmas Truce. After included lunch at Hooge, with time to see the new exhibition about the cemeteries, we get an update from the Commission about the work at the Menin Gate, and then examine the cemeteries in Ypres itself including Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, and Ypres Town Cemetery, where we look at the story of War Graves Gardeners seeing their special plot and talking to modern day gardeners about the work they do today. We stay in Ypres for free-time and attending the Last Post Ceremony before we return to our hotel.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

CWGC Workshop, Ypres

CWGC Workshop, Ypres (5)

Key Visits

  • Menin Gate
  • Ploegsteert Memorial
  • Last Post Ceremony
  • CWGC Workshop, Ypres

Day 5

Return home.

Included meals: Breakfast

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.

Previous Next

Hotel

You will stay for four nights at a minimum 3-star hotel in Belgium or northern France.

Des Acacias Lille Tourcoing

Des Acacias Lille Tourcoing
Hotel des Acacias
Hotel des Acacias

About the hotel

The Des Acacias Lille Tourcoing Hotel is set in a leafy area near to the towns of Halluin, Roncq and Tourcoing to name a few. The hotel's facilities include a bar, a restaurant, lounge, fitness room and Wi-Fi/internet corner.

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

Alize Hotel Mouscron

Best Western Plus Hotel Alize Mouscron
Hotel Alize

About the hotel

The 4-star Alize Hotel Mouscron is located in the heart of Mouscron. Despite not having its own restaurant, the hotel is ideally located only a short walk from the Mouscron Market Place, where a selection of bars and restaurants can be found. The hotel does have a bar, and all rooms are equipped with a T.V., tea and coffee-making facilities, and a fridge.

Hotel Features

  • Bar
  • English Speaking Staff
  • Guest Lounge
  • Lift
  • WiFi Available

Room Features

  • Hairdryer
  • Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
  • Telephone
  • TV

Travel Options

All our coaches and transfer vehicles operate a 'no smoking on board policy'. The use of electronic cigarettes is strictly forbidden.
In the interest of fellow guests, do not take hot food or ice cream on board.
alcohol can only be taken on board our vehicles at the discretion of your driver.

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

Silver Service, refreshments
Silver Service, lounge
Silver Service, entertainment

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

/

Luxuria Coach

Luxuria - Charging sockets
Luxuria - TV
Luxruia - Seating

Luxuria Features

  • Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests with cup holders and retractable calf rests give you a more comfortable journey.
  • Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch screen T.V. offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
  • There’s also a selection of double and single seats, including four seats face-to-face with tables. And with a total of 7 single seats available, these are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
  • Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
  • Onboard toilet.

Luxuria Seating Plan

Luxuria Seating Plan

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

Join 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.

Book Now

OR

Call our friendly advisors on:

Sign up for FREE email offers