All About Paris

Custom World War One Tour


Take a Custom World War One Tour from Paris with Us

Though the living memory of World War I has faded, touring the famous sites of the ‘War to End All Wars” is easily done in a day trip from Paris, mostly just little more than a two hour drive.

Below are three sample tour itineraries, but we can organize your day any way you like.

This preserved battlefield is the grounds on which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on July 1, 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
This preserved battlefield is the grounds on which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on July 1, 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.

World War One Tour Option 1 – America in World War I – The Battle of Belleau Wood

After the Russians surrendered to the Germans on the Eastern Front, the Axis powers were free to focus exclusively on capturing Paris. France was surely doomed. Right? Wrong. Four long years of trench warfare decimated the Allied armies. In early 1918 fresh American troops arrived and the tide turned. Among them, the 9th and 23rd Infantry regiments, and, fatefully, the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.

The fighting, and arguably the fate of the war, focused on Belleau Wood. Almost foot by foot, American forces fought to flush out the battle hardened Germans. Your guide will take you through the brutal story of this decisive battle. You’ll visit Hill 142, taken at great cost to 1st Battalion, 5th regiment – nearly all men were killed. To this day, trenches, shells and shattered structures dot the peaceful landscape.

After three intense weeks of battle, in June 1918, the commanding U.S. officer sent a simple message to command: “Woods now U.S. Marine Corps entirely.”

Your day includes visits to Chateau-Thierry and the monument to American sacrifice in World War I, Aisne Marne Cemetery, and Meaux, site of the Museum of the Great War.

World War One Tour Option 2 – Verdun and Meuse-Argonne

See the site of the 300-day-long battle referred to as “the hell of Verdun” and explore its history, including:

  • The London Trench
  • Ossurary of Douaumont – 100,000 unknown French and German soldiers are interred here
  • Fort Douaumont – The German-held fort was a crucial point of contention
  • Trench of Bayonets
  • Lunch break in Argonne (included)
  • Visit of 1918 Meuse-Argonne offensive led by General Pershing
  • Romagne War Museum
  • Meuse Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial – 14,000 Americans are buried here, the largest U.S. Cemetery in Europe

Pick-up in Paris around 7 a.m., return approximately 7:30 p.m.

World War One Tour Option 3 – The Battle of the Somme

The ill-fated and bitter Battle of the Somme lives in history as one of the bloodiest of World War I.

British soldiers in a trench during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
British soldiers in a trench during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

You will walk the battlefield with your guide, learning the history on site, including:

  • Longueval and Deville Wood Cemetery
  • Lochnagea mine crater at La Boisselle
  • Lunch (included)
  • British Memorial at Thiepval
  • Historical Great War Museum at Perrone
  • Somme 1916 museum at Albert – this special museum under the town recreates the soldiers’ trench life in a specially-built warren of tunnels.

Pick-up in Paris around 7 a.m., return approximately 7:30 p.m.

Day trip to Ypres and Belgium available on request.

Please note April 15, July 1 and November 11 are remembrance days. Tours will run and incorporate special commemorations when possible.

Come take a World War One tour with us. A perfect add-on to a history-enthusiast’s Paris vacation.