History Tour to Britain, France and Belgium – Remembering World War I and World War II

London is the largest city in Europe and it's location is perfect for an administrative, communications and trade center, as the Romans realized when they founded their city in AD 1st century. London is filled with countless historic and cultural treasures that meld seamlessly in this exciting, contemporary city.

During our time in London we will explore the areas of Westminster and Whitehall, including Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horseguards Parade, Parliament Square, Downing Street, St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace.

Visit St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wrenn's Renaissance-style masterpiece. Our visit will include an ascent to the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic marvel in which the faintest whisper can be heard clearly on the opposite side, plus time at the American Memorial Chapel. If we are lucky, we will be here when the massive organ fills the entire cathedral with breathtaking music.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Encounter the stark reality of war in the 20th Century. Housed in the former Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane, the museum includes the Blitz Experience of Londoners during World War II and a Holocaust Exhibition, the first of its kind in Europe.

Discover the Cabinet War Rooms, from which Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet planned and executed their strategy during World War II. The 21 rooms include the Transatlantic Telephone Room, from which Churchill spoke directly with the U.S. President in the White House.

Dedicated to the history of aviation and the British Royal Air Force in particular. It contains over 100 exciting displays of aircraft from around the world, including some very early aircraft designs and war planes, as well as the latest modern day jets and military aircraft.

This evening we will dine in a local restaurant near to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, two of London's most vibrant and lively areas.

Today we will travel from London to Normandy. En route we will explore Bovington and Portsmouth.

Featuring the largest collection of tanks in the world, the museum traces the history and development of tanks from their first appearance in World War I through the modern era.

Experience Britain’s only museum dedicated solely to covering all aspects of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. It was established to tell the story of Operation Overlord and the centerpiece is the Overlord Embroidery. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, it is a moving tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the Allies in defeating Nazi Germany. The museum’s other displays expose visitors to the sights and sounds of Britain at War -– an air raid warden’s living room in the Blitz, a factory resounding to the strains of 'Music While You Work’, and troops preparing for D-Day in their forest camp.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

We will board an overnight ferry and journey to Normandy

The Normandy region of France comprises 360 miles of coastline bordering lush farmland and bustling market towns. Despite its natural beauty and gastronomic delights, the area is primarily known for its history: from William the Conqueror to WWII. It is perhaps this rich heritage, along with the verdant surroundings, that inspired the Impressionist movement, begun here in the 19th century.

The quaint town of Sainte-Mère-Église in Normandy possesses a rich history dating back to the 12th century. Today it is known primarily for its role in the Normandy landings of WWII. Located very close to both Utah and Omaha beaches, and directly on the route for any German counterattack, the town was one of the first to be liberated by the Allies.

Walk on Utah Beach, where we will view the US Monument. Visit the Utah Beach Museum, housed in an old German bunker. We will get an intimate look at how the D-Day landing took place through a short film and by seeing personal items the soldiers carried.

Explore Pointe du Hoc, a nearly 100-meter-high cliff, with perpendicular sides jutting out into the Channel. It was assigned to the U.S. 2nd Rangers to take and hold during the D-Day landings. Pointe du Hoc now features a memorial and museum dedicated to the battle. Many of the original fortifications have been left in place and the site remains speckled with a number of bomb craters.

Visit the German Battery at Longues-sur-Mer.

Caen became the favorite residence for William the Conqueror and Queen Matilda in the 11th century, and despite extensive bombing in WWII, much of the city remains. While the war and subsequent reconstruction left the city without much of the traditional Normandy charm, it is still beautiful and full of historic interest.

En route we will stop in Compeigne.

Explore the Peace Museum, which uses some of the most advanced interpretative techniques available to take us on a trip through the history of World War II.

See the Clairière de l'Armistice, the spot where the armistice ending World War I was signed on November 11, 1918.

The Battle of Amiens was the crucial Allied breakthrough counter-offensive, launched on the Western Front around Amiens, in the Somme sector. An "all arms battle", the Allies made effective use of infantry, artillery tanks and aircraft, which led to an unprecedented advance and vast numbers of German prisoners.

An area of France within the Picardy region, named after the Somme River that flows through it. It was the site of numerous battles in WWI, and is home to many haunting military cemeteries and monuments.

This is the biggest battalion memorial on the Western Front and the largest area of the Somme battlefield that has been preserved. In addition, see the Schwaben Redoubt and the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Thiepval was chosen as the location to commemorate those who died in the Somme sector before March 20, 1918 and who have no known grave.

Explore the Underground tunnels and trenches. The attack at Vimy Ridge was part of an offensive mounted primarily to draw the Germans’ attention from a major French offensive on the Aisne. The site is now owned by the Canadian Government, and is maintained as a Memorial to the Canadian forces who fought in the Great War.

En route we will explore Ypres. Ypres's medieval wealth is reflected in its extravagant Gothic Lakenhalle (Cloth Hall). Gilded statues adorn the roof, and a statue of Our Lady of Thuyne, the patron of Ypres, stands over the main entrance, the Donkerpoort. Inside, the spacious first-floor halls where wool and cloth were once sold are now used for exhibits; the upper-floor storage space houses the In Flanders Fields Museum.

This museum provides an interesting and comprehensive background guide to the causes and actions of the Great War.

Visit this vibrant city that has grown from a 10th century fortress into a “Capital of Europe.” With many specialized museums, fun sculptures and plazas, and terrific food, there is something for everyone in Brussels.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Built in 1806 as part of a defensive chain, Fort Breendonk was used in WWII as a prison camp by the occupying German army. Visit the extensive collection of the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History.

Visit an international tourist attraction that is the symbol of Brussels and Belgium. This unique piece of architecture, created on the occasion of the World Fair of Brussels in 1958, became the most popular monument of the capital of Europe.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.