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Belgium & France Itinerary: A Luxury Battlefield Sojourn – Flanders, Normandy & Paris

  • Vimy Ridge & Flanders Fields, Bruges, Normandy & the D-Day Beaches, the Loire Valley & Paris
  • 11 nights / 12 days, prices start from USD $10,000 per person

A moving, beautifully appointed journey through the defining battlefields of two world wars — and the elegant cities and châteaux that surround them. Stand on the ground of Vimy Ridge and the Ypres Salient with a private military historian, attend the nightly Last Post at the Menin Gate, then trace the Normandy D-Day beaches with an expert guide. Between the remembrance, the journey indulges: the medieval canals of Bruges, a tranquil Loire Valley château, and a grand finale in Paris at the legendary Four Seasons Hotel George V.

Explore more of our France luxury travel journeys, or request a tailor-made quote for a remembrance tour designed around you.

Top Highlights

  • A guided visit to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, en route from Paris into Flanders
  • A full day on the Ypres Salient battlefields with a private military historian — Passchendaele, Hill 62, Essex Farm, Vancouver Corner and more
  • The nightly Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, honouring the Commonwealth soldiers who fell in the First World War
  • A private guided visit to the In Flanders Fields or Passchendaele Memorial Museum
  • Time in medieval Bruges — canals, art and fine dining — from the 15th-century Hotel Dukes' Palace
  • A full-day private historian-guided tour of the Normandy D-Day landing beaches, including the Canadian beach at Juno
  • A restful interlude at a storied Loire Valley château
  • A grand Paris finale at the Four Seasons Hotel George V
  • Private expert guides, luxury châteaux and hand-picked hotels throughout

What’s Included

We design unforgettable and luxurious journeys just for you. Our bespoke trips include:

  • Luxury and boutique hotel accommodations
  • Daily breakfast at your hotels
  • Private expert military-historian guides in Flanders and Normandy
  • Private transfers in Belgium, including a guided stop at the Vimy Ridge Memorial
  • Car rental for the scenic self-drive through France
  • Selected dinner reservations arranged at acclaimed restaurants
  • Full support from your travel designer and on the ground support, 24/7

Itinerary

A Note on Customization:

This itinerary is a starting point. We can adjust the pace, upgrade accommodation, add extra cities, extend into Morocco, or layer in exclusive experiences at the monastery — all tailored to how you like to travel.

Arrive in Paris

Vimy Ridge & Flanders Field (Belgium)

Following an overnight flight to Paris, you’re met by your private military historian and set off north into Flanders, pausing at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial — where expert commentary brings the events of 1917 and the sacrifice of a generation vividly to life — before continuing to your hotel in Ypres (Ieper). A full guided day on the Ypres Salient follows, taking in the most significant sites of the First World War — among them Passchendaele, Hill 62, Vancouver Corner and Essex Farm, where the Canadian physician John McCrae wrote his famous wartime poem. As evening falls, attend the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, a moving nightly tribute that has honoured the missing since 1928. A final morning offers a private guided visit to your choice of the In Flanders Fields or Passchendaele Memorial Museum before you continue on.

Suggested Accommodation: Novotel Ieper Centrum Flanders Fields, Ypresa

Bruges (Belgium)

A private transfer brings you to enchanting Bruges, one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities. Settle into the Hotel Dukes’ Palace, set within a 15th-century former ducal residence, then give yourself over to the city at leisure — gliding the canals, lingering in its art museums, browsing the cobbled lanes, and dining exceptionally well between it all.

Suggested Accommodation: Hotel Dukes’ Palace, Bruges

Normandy & the D-Day Beaches (France)

Collect your rental car and drive south-west into Normandy, settling into the elegant Château La Chenevière near Port-en-Bessin, close to the landing beaches. A full day is given to the D-Day sites with a local military historian, tracing the events of June 1944 across the landing beaches — including Juno, where Canadian forces came ashore — with time for reflection at the memorials and cemeteries that mark them.

Suggested Accommodation: Château La Chenevière, Port-en-Bessin

The Loire Valley

Leave the coast behind for a tranquil interlude in the Loire Valley, with two nights at a storied 18th-century château — time to slow down amid formal gardens and rolling countryside, and to savour the gentler pleasures of the French art de vivre before the journey’s final chapter.

Suggested Accommodation: Château du Grand-Lucé

 

Paris (France)

A scenic drive delivers you to Paris and the legendary Four Seasons Hotel George V, just off the Champs-Élysées. Enjoy the City of Light entirely at your own pace — its museums and gardens, grand boulevards and celebrated tables — before a final-morning transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Suggested Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel George V

 

Depart from Paris

We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something just for you.

Hear it from our clients first

I had an absolutely incredible experience with G/Hardy Tours for my trip to Switzerland. From start to finish, everything was flawlessly organized and executed. The attention to detail was remarkable – from the seamless travel arrangements to the carefully selected accommodations that provided stunning views of the Alps. I can confidently say this was one of the best travel experiences I've ever had. I'm already looking forward to my next adventure with them!
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Rob Romero / King City, Canada
The GHardy team planned the perfect family vacation to Italy for us! The hotels, private tours and excursions were all exceptional and exactly what we were hoping for! We didn’t have to stress over anything - we just showed up and there was always someone to meet us. We also took great comfort knowing if any issue did arise, the G/Hardy Tours team, as well as a 24/7 emergency contact on the ground in Italy were always a message or call away.
Kerri Torrey / Toronto, Ontario
Our family vacation to Greece, which included Athens, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos, was unforgettable! The accommodations were lovely and centrally located to maximize our time at all of the hot spot destinations. Our private guides were very informative with all of the history and culture that Greece has to offer. Various transportation needs were met through planes, boats and private transfers which made travel effortless from one destination to the next. Thank you G/Hardy Tours for putting together a remarkable experience for the whole family to enjoy and providing memories to last a lifetime.
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Why we are the top choice for your next luxury trip.

Our unique approach to planning transformative experiences ensures our clients gain more than just a vacation: they come away with a greater understanding of the world, their place in it, and how the journey has enriched their lives.

  • We prioritize personalized experiences tailored to guests’ wants and needs, from holiday getaways to educational trips and everything in between.
  • Travel is about more than just going from point A to point B. It's an experience; we're here to help you create the best possible one for you and your family or friends.
  • Taste. Indulge. Immerse. Each destination has unique flavours and dishes. Bespoke travel is the perfect way to indulge your senses.
  • Our team of experienced travel planners has an eye for detail, meaning no stone goes unturned when crafting the perfect itinerary. Whenever you want it, the way you want it.