At Thompson Travel, we believe travel isn’t just about beautiful scenery or relaxing breaks, it’s about connecting with stories that shaped our world. That’s why our Battlefield Tours are very close to our hearts. We offer you the chance to visit the great WWI & WWII battlefields, places like the Somme, Flanders, Ypres, where bravery, suffering, resilience and remembrance live on.
What Makes Our Battlefield Tours Special
- Meaningful Itineraries
We design our tours to include powerful, memorable sites: from Ulster Tower and the Thiepval Memorial, to Essex Farm and the Menin Gate. Visiting cemeteries, memorials, and trenches isn’t just about seeing; it’s about understanding. Our guides, both our own staff and local experts, bring these places to life with stories, history and moments for reflection. - Ease from Northern Ireland
We know travel logistics well, especially for people travelling from Northern Ireland. That’s why many of our tours include flights (often from Dublin, for convenience), and are ATOL-protected. You spend less time travelling, more time immersing in the battlefield experience. - Comfort, Commemoration, Community
On a Thompson Travel Battlefield Tour, you’ll stay in comfortable hotels, enjoy carefully chosen meals, and travel with people who share a similar horizon, often people from Northern Ireland. That adds a comforting layer: you know the departures, the airports, the times, and often share many references and stories. It becomes a shared journey, not just a guided walk through history. - Flexibility & Reflection
We build in time for reflection, quiet moments at memorials, free time in towns like Ypres, or in small cafés, to absorb the atmosphere. If you want more detail, our guides will deliver it; if you prefer a gentler pace, that works too. Our tours aren’t about rushing.
Sample Tour: WWI Somme & Flanders
Here’s an example of what you can expect on one of our most popular battlefield offerings:
- Depart from Dublin, fly to Brussels → transfer to Moorsele for the 36th Ulster Memorial and cemetery.
- Spend time in Arras, exploring memorials like Ulster Tower, Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, Delville Wood, Lognagar Crater, Vimmy Ridge.
- Continue into Ypres: Zero Hour Kemmel, Lone Tree Cemetery, Island of Ireland Peace Park, Langemark German Cemetery, Essex Farm, Poelcappelle, Tyne Cot, and attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.
It’s four/five days full of emotion, learning, and moments you will carry with you.
Why You Should Join Us
If you care about history, remembrance, and want more than just a holiday, these tours offer something deeper. No matter what age you are, travelling from Northern Ireland, and want to feel part of a group where things are designed with your needs in mind, then our Battlefield Tours are for you.
We’ve been doing these tours for years, refining them so that every detail, from flights, accommodation, guides to timing, is arranged, so you don’t have to worry. You get to focus on the journey, the stories, the places, and the people.
If you’re ready to see where history echoes, to place your feet where others stood, let Thompson Travel take you there. Contact us today and reserve your place, these tours fill fast.
