110th Anniversary of Verdun and the Somme Battlefield Tour

28 June – 2 July (5-days / 4-nights)

1916 would epitomize the war of attrition brought about by trench warfare on the Western Front. Battles would last for months. Millions of shells would be fired. Casualties would be counted in the hundreds of thousands, and relatively little ground would be gained, leaving neither side closer to a breakthrough or victory.

Get Knee Deep Into History as we examine the two greatest battles of 1916: Verdun and the Somme. We will start with a two-day look at Verdun, including the West Bank of the Meuse River. More than 500 kilometers of trenches, countless monuments, dozens of fortresses and concrete structures exist to this day. With the reconciliation summit of Kohl and Mitterand in September 1984, Verdun today stands as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation.

We will then travel to the Somme for three days, beginning with the various jump-off lines and expanding to other key sites of the five-month battle. On 1 July, we will participate in the 110^th Anniversary Commemorations at the Lochnagar Crater and at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

Learn about the leaders and their strategies as well as the suffering of the individual soldiers in this in-depth look at these two 1916 battles.

The Remains of Fort Douaumont, Verdun are a highlight of the tour — The Remains of Fort Douaumont, Verdun. Photo by Valerie Young.

Schedule (Subject to Modification)

Pick-up and return point for this tour will be CDG airport. A specific meeting point will be provided later. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the meeting point. Participants with their own vehicles can arrange to meet us at an alternate location.

Day 1, Sunday, 28 June: Pick up at CDG at 11:00am. Drive to Verdun. Focus on the East Bank of the Meuse River, starting with the fighting for the Caures Forest, Fort Douaumont, Fleury and the Vaux ravine. Time permitting, move to the battlefields on the western banks of the Meuse River: the Mort Homme and Cote 304. Hotel in Verdun, TBD.

Day 2, Monday, 29 June: Continuation of the Verdun battlefields, including a look at the German hinterland, one heavy artillery firing position and the Camp Marguerre, a German experimental concrete factory site. Afternoon drive to St. Quentin. Hotel in St. Quentin, TBD.

Day 3, Tuesday, 30 June: Starting with the Somme battlefields, we will visit various jump-off lines from 1 July, Beaumont Hamel and Lochnagar Crater and follow the battle’s progression. Hotel on the Somme, TBD.

Day 4, Wednesday, 1 July: Participation in certain Somme Battle commemorations, starting with the early morning remembrance ceremony at the Lochnagar Crater and the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. (We need to be on-site at Lochnagar before 7:00am. Whistle blows at 7:28. I believe the Thiepval ceremony begins at 12:00pm. If there is interest, there is also a late afternoon commemoration at Fricourt German Cemetery.)

Continuation of the Somme battle including the fighting around Delville Wood. Then we will focus on some portions of the French fighting such as Belloy-en-Santerre, where French Foreign Legion soldier and poet, Alan Seeger, died on 4 July 1916. Hotel on the Somme, TBD.

Day 5, Thursday, 2 July: Continuation of Somme sites not yet visited. Early afternoon drive back to CDG. We anticipate arriving at CDG around 3:00pm and the tour ends at that time.

Participants are responsible for their own lodging arrangements or further travel after the end of the tour. Options include: booking a hotel near the airport, booking a hotel in Paris and taking a train or taxi to the hotel, or traveling further via rental car or train.

Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park on the Somme still has trench lines — Trench remains in Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park. Photo by Dave Gaddis.

110th Anniversary of Verdun and the Somme Battlefield Tour Overview:

Tour Price (based on double occupancy) $2,550

Single Room Supplement $340

Tour Price Includes*

TWO military historian guides who understand both sides of the story and who speak multiple languages and understand European culture
- Local guides at specific sites as needed
3-Star accommodations, typically in European family-owned hotel / restaurants
Transportation typically in comfortable 9-person people movers with A/C or in cars
Almost all meals, except those specified as “on your own” in the itinerary
Water, soda and snacks available in the van
Cultural outings (calvados tasting, church tour, etc.) and shopping time on trips longer than a few days
Admission fees to all sites

Tour Price Excludes*

Transportation to and from the starting point and lodging and transportation before or after the tour’s start and end times; for example, the cost of a hotel night for participants who choose to arrive early.
Dinner drinks
Dinners or lunches specifically excluded in the tour brochure
Souvenirs and gifts

*See KDIH’s 2026 Terms and Conditions for full details.