Plan your private battlefield tour

Tell me what you want to discover.

Whether you are tracing a relative, planning your first visit to the Ypres Salient or travelling further into the Somme and Northern France, send me your plans. I personally read and answer every enquiry.

Send an enquiry WhatsApp me

Private tours only Guided personally by Niels SYNTRA-certified regional guide Somme Battlefields' Partner English · Dutch · French

Your tour starts here

Tell me what you're looking for

You do not need to know exactly which tour you need. Give me your date, group size, where you are staying and the history that interests you. I will help you work out the most realistic route.

Name *

Email *

Country / location

Group size

Preferred pickup location

Preferred date

Which tour interests you?

Family member, soldier, regiment or unit

Tell me about your plans *

Personal battlefield research

If you have a name, send it.

A soldier's name can completely change a battlefield tour. If you have a service number, regiment, photograph, letter, war diary reference or family story, include it in your enquiry.

Names

Soldier, relative, officer, nurse or another person connected with the war.

Unit

Battalion, regiment, brigade, division or service number if you know it.

Documents

Letters, photographs, service records and family documents can help identify meaningful locations.

What matters to you

Tell me whether your priority is family history, battlefield terrain, military history, remembrance or a mix.

Northern France

Somme Battlefields' Partner

Visit Flanders Fields is a member of the Somme Battlefields' Partner network, connecting tourism professionals and remembrance sites committed to preserving and explaining the First World War heritage of the Somme.

For guests travelling beyond Ypres, I also guide private battlefield routes across the Somme and wider Northern France, including Beaumont-Hamel, Thiepval, Pozières, Bullecourt, Villers-Bretonneux, Vimy Ridge and Arras.

Explore Northern France tours

Questions

Before you contact me

Can you build a tour around a relative?

Yes. Send me the soldier's full name, service number, regiment or unit and any records you already have. I can then determine which battlefield locations may be relevant and how they can realistically fit into your tour.

Do you also guide on the Somme?

Yes. Private tours cover both Flanders Fields and Northern France, including the Somme, Arras, Vimy Ridge, Bullecourt, Beaumont-Hamel and other Western Front locations.

Are your tours private?

Yes. Your vehicle, route, guide and day are reserved for your group. Visit Flanders Fields does not operate shared coach tours.

Which languages can you guide in?

Tours are available in English, Dutch and limited French.

Where can you pick us up?

Bruges and Ypres are the standard starting points. Other pickup locations can be arranged depending on the tour and routing. Tell me where you are staying when you enquire.

Visit Flanders Fields

Start with the story you want to follow.

Tell me your date, your interests and who is travelling. I will help you decide what makes sense.

Send an enquiry Check availability

    
 
 
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   William Paterson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We could not have asked for a better guide than Niels to the Western Front battlefields. He is deeply knowledgeable, very efficient and very pleasant. He shaped the tour of two days to our particular interests, is flexible and imparts great understanding of the strategies, tactics and massive scale of the warfare in both the Somme and Flanders. He is, in short, outstanding and we would highly recommend him to anyone seriously interested in exploring campaigns that were so important in shaping the twentieth century. Hugely interesting, but also a very satisfying and agreeable excursion with an excellent expert and communicator.
  
 
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   Simon Perry 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What an amazing day , Niels has so much knowledge of the area and its history, great interaction with us , informal which is what we wanted. Would definitely use him again . Thank you.
  
 
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   Olivia Whirty 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A fantastic tour. I am no history buff but Niels made it interesting and engaging with his enthusiasm and knowledge. He had answers to every question, was excited about every stop, and i loved every minute of it. Thank you so much!!
  
 
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   Ed Kammerer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A very enjoyable trip. Niels is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. Also very entertaining and engaging. He clearly enjoys his work and this comes through.
  
 
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   Lauren Kammerer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Niels was simply amazing. We had an amazing time. He is an expert and a great guy to spend time with!
  
 
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   Will Kammerer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Niels is amazing and passionate and very personable. Great tour
  
 
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   Melissa Markson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was an outstanding tour. Niels knowledge and passion for WW1 is palpable and he has a wonderful ability to relate a vastly overwhelming topic into meaningful historical context. Most tours will describe front lines, trench warfare and unfathomable human loss, 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. His knowledge of weapons and artillery was of particular interest to my husband. Niels arranged for me to purchase a wreath at Ypres and thanks to his contacts at The Menin gates we were able to place the wreath at the Last Post ceremony which should not be missed if you are traveling to Flanders Fields. The stops were well timed including lunch breaks and our dinner reservation was also arranged on our behalf. In addition, Niels is an excellent communicator and all of my emails were answered very efficiently with helpful suggestions from Niels about the best way to structure our tour for maximum efficiency. I highly recommend Visit Flanders Fields Tours for a small group personalized tour with a passionate, interested guide.
  
 
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   john bullen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What a fantastic Tour - it was definitely time well spent.  Niels is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide.  With a focus on Canada, we left Flanders Fields with a far greater understanding of Canada's significant contribution and sacrifice - during WW 1.
  
 
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   Grant Martin 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Niels is passionate about the WWI and with his knowledge, stories and photos brought it to life for us. He went out of his way to take us to Remy after hearing my grandfather was sent there after being injured. We would definitely recommend him if you wish to tour the many battlegrounds, cemeteries and towns around Flanders Fields. Thank-you from our group of six Canadians from Ontario!