Which Australian WW1 sites are visited in the Ypres Salient?

Key Australian sites in the Ypres Salient can include Polygon Wood, Buttes New British Cemetery, Broodseinde Ridge, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Passchendaele and the Menin Gate Memorial. The exact route can be adapted to your interests, family history and available time.

What was Australia's role in the Battle of Polygon Wood?

Australian forces fought at Polygon Wood during the Third Battle of Ypres in September 1917. The battle is one of the best known Australian actions in Flanders. A private Australian Flanders Fields tour can include Polygon Wood, Buttes New British Cemetery and nearby battlefield sites connected to the Australian divisions.

Is the Australian battlefield tour also available with the Somme?

Yes. Australian sites in Northern France, including Pozières, Villers Bretonneux, Le Hamel, Bullecourt and Fromelles, can be visited on a dedicated Northern France or Australian Western Front tour. These tours start from €800 per group because they cover longer distances than a standard Flanders Fields tour.

How far is it from Bruges to the Australian WW1 memorials in Flanders?

The main Australian memorial sites in the Ypres Salient are around 45 to 65 minutes from Bruges by road, depending on the site. Polygon Wood and Buttes New British Cemetery are about 50 minutes from Bruges. Private transport from Bruges or Ypres is included in the tour.

Is the Australian Flanders Fields tour private?

Yes. The Australian Flanders Fields Tour is private for your group only. No other participants join your tour, and the route can be adapted to your interests, pace, nationality and family history.

How many guests can join the Australian Flanders Fields tour?

Private Australian Flanders Fields tours are available for up to 6 guests. This keeps the experience personal, flexible and comfortable when visiting cemeteries, memorials and battlefield sites.

Can we be picked up somewhere other than Bruges?

Yes. Pickup from Ypres, Ghent, Brussels, Lille or another nearby location is possible on request and may require an extra fee. Please share your plans in advance so the most convenient routing can be arranged.

Can we be dropped off at a different location than the pickup point?

Yes. Drop off does not need to be the same as the pickup location. You can finish your tour in Bruges, Ypres, Ghent, Brussels or another nearby destination. Please share your plans in advance.

Can we attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate?

Yes. The Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate can be added as an evening extension when timing allows. The ceremony takes place in Ypres every evening at 8 p.m.

Is lunch included in the Australian Flanders Fields tour?

Lunch depends on the tour format and your booking details. You can bring your own lunch or your guide can arrange a local lunch stop along the route. Any lunch costs are handled separately unless stated otherwise.

What should we bring for the Australian battlefield tour?

Comfortable walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing are recommended. You can also bring family documents, service records, cemetery details, photos or names of Australian soldiers you want to trace.

Australian Flanders Fields Tour — Visit Flanders Fields

Why this tour matters

Australia’s Flanders story is written into the Ypres Salient

For many Australians, Flanders Fields is deeply personal. Polygon Wood, Broodseinde and Passchendaele became defining chapters in Australia’s First World War story.

These places are not always easy to read today. The villages have been rebuilt, the fields are quiet, and some of the most important battlefield positions are hidden in farmland or woodland.

This private tour connects the places into one clear Australian story. You will understand why Australian divisions fought here, how the landscape shaped events, and why these sites still matter.

See Australian Sites

Tyne Cot Cemetery On An Australian Flanders Fields Tour

Choose your Australian Flanders Fields tour

Half day or full day Australian focus

Choose a focused afternoon around the key Australian sites near Ypres, or a deeper full day with more time for Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, cemeteries and family history.

Best first choice

Australian Flanders Fields Private Battlefield Tour

Focused Australian route

Australian Flanders Fields Half Day

Choose this if you want the essential Australian story around Ypres in a clear, moving afternoon route.

Polygon Wood and Buttes New British Cemetery
Tyne Cot Cemetery
Broodseinde or Passchendaele context
Menin Gate in Ypres
Private tour for up to 6 guests

Best if you are short on time but want the Australian story explained on the ground itself.

From €500 per group, up to 6 guests

Book Australian Half Day

Full Day Australian Flanders Fields Tour Around Ypres And Passchendaele

More depth

Australian Flanders Fields Full Day

Choose this if Flanders Fields is your main battlefield day and you want more time for Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Tyne Cot and individual soldier stories.

Polygon Wood and the 1917 fighting
Broodseinde Ridge and Third Ypres
Passchendaele battlefield context
Tyne Cot and Australian graves
Optional Last Post extension

Best if you want the most complete Australian Flanders Fields experience in one private day.

From €700 per group, up to 6 guests

Book Australian Full Day

Key Australian sites in Flanders Fields

Where Australia’s Ypres story becomes visible

The tour is adapted to your interests, but these are the places that give the clearest Australian story in the Ypres Salient.

Polygon Wood

One of the most important Australian battlefield locations in Belgium, linked especially with the fighting of September 1917.

Buttes New British Cemetery

A powerful cemetery inside Polygon Wood, with Australian graves and the memorial to the missing of the Fifth Australian Division.

Broodseinde Ridge

A key ridge captured on 4 October 1917, often regarded as one of the most successful Australian actions of the Ypres campaign.

Passchendaele

A landscape forever connected with mud, sacrifice and endurance during the Third Battle of Ypres.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

The largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, with many Australian graves and names connected to the 1917 fighting.

Menin Gate

The memorial to the missing in Ypres, where Australian names are remembered and the Last Post is sounded every evening.

Australian family history

Bring a name. We will try to connect it to the ground.

Many Australian visitors arrive with a great grandfather’s name, a service number, a unit, a grave location or a family story that has been passed down.

If you share details before the tour, the route can often be adapted around the relevant cemetery, memorial, battlefield sector or regimental story.

Australian Imperial Force names
Service numbers or battalions
CWGC graves or memorial names
Family photographs or letters
Battlefield context explained on site

Send Family Details

“Niels includes stories, photos and even letters of individual fallen soldiers, in our case Australian graves which he tailored to our particular interest of the ANZAC involvement in Flanders Fields and also the Somme.”

Review from an Australian focused tour

Frequently asked questions

Australian Flanders Fields tour questions

What is the Australian Flanders Fields tour?

It is a private WW1 battlefield tour focused on Australia’s role in the Ypres Salient, including places such as Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Tyne Cot and the Menin Gate.

How much does the Australian Flanders Fields tour cost?

The focused half day starts from €500 per group. The full day Australian Flanders Fields tour starts from €700 per group. Both are private tours for up to 6 guests.

Can we trace an Australian ancestor?

Yes. If you provide a name, unit, service number, cemetery, memorial or family information before the tour, the route can often be adapted around the places connected to that person.

Is Villers Bretonneux included?

Not on the standard Australian Flanders Fields tour, because Villers Bretonneux is in Northern France. It can be visited on the Australian Trail on the Western Front tour.

Can we attend the Last Post?

Yes. The Last Post at the Menin Gate can often be added as an evening extension, depending on timing and your chosen itinerary.

Where does the tour start?

Most Australian Flanders Fields tours start from Bruges or Ypres. Pickup from Ghent, Brussels or another location may be possible on request and may require an extra fee.

Plan your Australian battlefield visit

Walk the Australian story in Flanders Fields

Visit the cemeteries, memorials and battlefields where Australia’s First World War story in Belgium still lives. Private tour from Bruges or Ypres, adapted to your interests and family story.

Check Australian Tour Availability Ask a Question First

Follow Australia’s story through Ypres, Polygon Wood and Passchendaele

Australian focus

Private only

Up to 6 guests

From Bruges or Ypres