Part of the TTC Family of Brands

HomeCustom Private Travel

Battlefields of Europe - Netherlands, Belgium, France

Jewish Heritage Tour of World War II

Battlefields of Europe - Netherlands, Belgium, France

Your search for ""

clear search

Day 1: Welcome to Amsterdam

Welcome to the Netherlands! On arrival at the airport, you are met by your Travel Director and transferred to your hotel. Tonight we enjoy a Welcome Reception and dinner with your host, Jody, and your Travel Director. (WR, D)

Day 2: Amsterdam City of Canals

This morning, see all the highlights of Amsterdam on an orientation excursion including the Mint Tower, the floating flower market and the Royal Palace in Dam Square. We visit the Anne Frank House, where Anne Frank and her family hid during the war and where Anne wrote her now famous journal. We then enjoy a cruise along the canals, taking us past traditional Dutch-gable houses built right on the water’s edge and under picturesque bridges. (BB)

Day 3: Belgium & Brussels

Today we travel to Belgium and visit the Waterloo Battlefield where Napoleon met his final defeat in 1815. Then it’s onto Brussels for a guided walk with our Travel Director through the Grand Place, voted Europe’s most beautiful square thanks to its many gilded buildings dating back to the late 17th century. Our visit also includes a stop at the Gothic Town hall. Stroll through the back streets to the capital’s most celebrated feature, the cheeky Mannekin Pisstatue. (BB)

Day 4: Adegem, Bruges & Ypres

We depart Brussels to visit the Canada-Poland War Museum in Adegem, built as a tribute to Belgium’s liberators. In the afternoon, we visit picturesque Bruges before proceeding to the Vladslo German Cemetery. We then head to our hotel in the historic town of Ypres where dinner is served. (BB, D)

Day 5: Battlefields of Ypres

After breakfast, we visit the Flanders Field Museum, the Tyne Cot Cemetery, St. Julien Memorial, the town of Passchendaele and the Canadian Memorial at Crest Farm. We also visit the Essex Farm bunker where Ontario native, John McCrae, composed In Flanders Fields. Additionally, we will see preserved trenches in the Sanctuary Wood Museum and Hill 62. This evening, we attend the famous Last Post Ceremony, which takes place at the Menin Gate every day at 8pm. (BB)

Day 6: Battlefields of Vimy Ridge & Arras

Today we explore the Vimy Ridge battlefield from the rear areas at Notre Dame de Lorette to the stunning monument on Hill 145 and the tunnels under the ridge itself. Hotel: Hotel de l’Univers, Arras. (BB, L, D)

Day 7: Somme Excursion

Our day starts with a visit to the famous battlefields of the Somme, beginning with the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel, where the Newfoundland Regiment was virtually wiped out on July 1, 1916. Later in the day, we visit the impressive Franco-British Memorial at Thiepval, the Canadian Memorial in Courcelette, and the Somme Museum in Albert. Finally, we visit the Australian memorial at Villers- Bretonneux before returning to Arras. (BB)

Day 8: Dieppe Excursion & onto Rouen

After breakfast, we embark on a tour to Dieppe during which we’ll visit the Canadian War Cemetery and see the Canadian landing sites of the ill-fated raid. Later, we visit the Memorial Museum, housed in the Municipal Theatre. (BB)

Day 9: Delightful Honfleur

Our journey today takes us to Honfleur where Samuel de Champlain set sail and founded Quebec. Visit Merville Battery and Pegasus Bridge, before reaching our hotel. Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (BB, D)

Day 10: D-Day Normandy Beaches

Today’s itinerary is flexible in order to accommodate our participation in the ceremonies commemorating the 73rd anniversary of D-Day on Juno Beach. We will visit the Canadian War Cemetery at Beny-Sur-Mer, along with 3rd Canadian Division landing sites at Bernieres-sur-Mer and Courseulles-sur-Mer. Schedule permitting, we will also visit the remains of the Mulberry Harbour, the gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer, and the memorial dedicated to Canadian POWS murdered by the SS at the Abbaye Ardenne. (BB)

Day 11: Falaise Battlefields & Bayeux

We take the road to Falaise where we will learn about Canadian operations during the latter stages of the Battle of Normandy, including Operations Spring, Totalize and Tractable. We will stop at Point 67 and Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, before visiting Falaise, St. Lambert-sur-Dives (where Major David Currie won the Victoria Cross), Vimoutiers, and Mont Ormel to explore the closing of the Falaise Gap. We then journey on to the medieval city of Bayeux. (BB)

Day 12: Medieval Bayeux

After breakfast, we visit La Cambe German cemetery as well as the bunkers and the Rangers Memorial at Pointe du Hoc. We then spend a few reflective moments at the American Military Cemetery of St. Laurent near Omaha Beach. Return to Bayeux for an afternoon at your leisure. You may want to visit the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy or see the Bayeux Tapestry. (BB)

Day 13: Paris, the City of Lights

We depart Bayeux for Paris today. Here our local expert guide introduces us to all the fabulous sights of Paris, including Notre Dame Cathedral with its tale of Quasimodo. We enjoy a drive to the Place de la Concorde and onward along the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. As night falls, we head for the Latin Quarter, famous for its Sorbonne University, Boulevards of St Michel and St Germain. In the evening we enjoy our ‘Diner de Célébration’ served with wine in a typical authentic Parisian bistro. (BB, CD)

Day 14: Farewell Paris

After breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to your travel companions and transfer to the airport for your onward journey. (BB)

Jewish Heritage Tour of World War II

Your search for ""

clear search

Day 1: Welcome to Warsaw

On arrival at the Warsaw Chopin Airport, meet your Travel Director and transfer to your hotel. Relax and settle in, or perhaps take a stroll along parts of the Royal Way. Later, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Reception and an opportunity to mingle and get to know your fellow travellers over a pleasant evening of dinner and wine. (WD)

Day 2: Guided Visit to of Warsaw

After a restful night’s sleep, meet a local expert for a guided excursion devoted to the former ghetto area of Warsaw with visits to its main sites. We will see remnants of the ghetto wall and the Umschlagplatz memorial. Also included is a visit to the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews and a visit to Treblinka in the afternoon. (BB, D)

Day 3: Krakow Sites, Including Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum

Today we drive south to medieval Krakow, full of architectural wonder and legend. Visit the former Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz to ‘Old Podgórze’, to see Ghetto Square, and the remains of the Ghetto Wall. We then explore Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum to gain a fascinating insight into the Nazi occupation of Poland and the fate of Schindler’s Jewish workforce. Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (BB, D)

Day 4: Auschwitz-Birkenau Excursion

This morning we make a pilgrimage to Oswiecim, better known by its German name of ‘Auschwitz’. Our visit includes the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial, bearing witness to the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust. Return to Krakow to spend some time in Europe’s largest and most beautiful medieval town square. At its centre stands the huge Cloth Hall, surrounded by historic townhouses, palaces and churches. Listen out for the trumpeter’s call from the Gothic tower of St. Mary’s. A packed lunch will be provided today. (BB, PL)

Day 5: Journey through Slovakia to Budapest

After breakfast, journey into Slovakia and through the breathtaking Tatra Mountains, where villagers still live in traditional wooden houses. See the picturesque Oravsky Hrad Castle before crossing into Hungary en route to Budapest. Enjoy dinner this evening at a local restaurant. (BB, D)

Day 6: Highlights of Budapest, Including The Great Synagogue

With our local expert guide, we will learn about the history of the Jewish settlements in Budapest. Admire the incredible interior decoration of Matthias Church and take in the view from the Fisherman’s Bastion. We will visit the Great Synagogue and cemetery, as well as the Holocaust memorial dedicated to the man who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis, Raoul Wallenberg. We will also have the opportunity to see the memorial of Shoes on the River Danube’s Promenade. Later, enjoy time in the Central Market Hall, its three floors packed with aromatic food stalls, offering Hungarian salamis, spicy papriska and sweet Tokaji wines. The rest of the day is at your leisure. (BB)

Day 7: Culture & Culinary Delights in Vienna

Today we depart for the Austrian Capital, Vienna. With our local guide, we will visit Leopoldstadt and the Judenplatz in the Jewish quarter, the Jewish Museum and the City Temple. We will also visit the Augarten Flakturm, a huge tower built as a platform for German anti-aircraft defences. The Austrian capital offers a variety of culinary highlights and this evening you have the chance to choose between a variety of restaurants. (BB, DA)

Day 8: Highlights of Vienna

Join your local expert today to visit a range of Vienna’s highlights, including the Imperial Palace and Treasuries, the Schonbrunn Palace, the Imperial Burial Vault, St. Stephan’s Cathedral and the Kohlmarkt. The rest of the day is at your leisure. (BB)

Day 9: Cesky Krumlov

Today we drive to Ceský Krumlov, a picturesque medieval town nestled on the banks of the Vltava. With a local expert, walk the narrow cobbled streets and arch-covered footpaths, past colourful townhouses and centuries-old inns. Enjoy a guided visit to the fairytale red-roofed castle, considered by many to be the finest in the land. The rest of the day is at your leisure. (BB, D)

Day 10: Historic Prague

After breakfast, we head to the capital city of Prague. Alongside a local expert, we’ll visit the amazing St Vitus’ Cathedral, which is set inside the 1,000-year-old Prague Castle. Later, cross the Charles Bridge to explore the vast cobblestoned expanse of the Old Town Square, and see Prague’s famous Astronomical Clock. Tonight we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (BB, D)

Day 11: Jewish Heritage Prague

Our day starts with a visit to the ancient Jewish Quarter (Josefov), dating back to the 13th Century. We will then visit the Maisel, Spanish, Pinkas, and Klausen synagogues, Jewish Cemetery, and Ceremonial Hall. Enjoy the evening at your leisure at a local restaurant where you may want to sample tasty Czech cuisine and local beer. (BB)

Day 12: Nuremberg & Munich

Today our journey takes us to Nuremberg where an expert guide will lead the way for us to explore the ruins of the Nazi Party rally grounds. Our tour includes the Zeppelin Field, Congress Hall and the Palace of Justice, which is where the post-war Nuremberg trials took place. We then continue to Munich for an introductory orientation of the Olympic Stadium, university, Victory Arch and the Marienplatz, where crowds famously gather round the Town Hall to watch the antics of the Glockenspiel. This evening, enjoy dinner at the Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich’s famous “Bier Kellers”. (BB, D)

Day 13: Eagle’s Nest – Hitler’s Former Hideaway

A scenic drive into the Bavarian Alps brings us to Berchtesgaden within sight of Hitler’s former mountain hideaway. With our expert guide we will drive up to the ruins of Obersalzberg and explore the tunnels that were built into the mountain for air-raid protection. Transfer onto special coaches, especially adapted to handle the mountain terrain, for a ride to Hitler’s notorious “Eagles Nest”. Take in the spectacular views of snowcapped peaks through the arches, up to the ‘Hohen Goll’. This evening, enjoy a Celebration Dinner with drinks at a cosy restaurant. (BB, CD)

Day 14: Farewell Munich

After breakfast, it’s time to say good bye and transfer to the airport for your onward journey.

ALL THE SIGHTS AND THE INSIGHTS, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, IN COMFORT AND IN STYLE