World War I Tour of Northern France; the Argonne Forest

Reims, France

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore ancient battlefield sites and hear stories from the front line on this 2.5-hour First World War tour in northern France. Head into the Argonne Forest, site of fierce fighting between German and Allied forces during WWI. Discover campsites, trenches and tunnels used by the soldiers. Listen as your guide reads diary entries from French and German fighters serving on the front line, and hear tales of their hardships. See hidden communication posts, field hospital sites and canon bunkers, all interconnected during the war of 1914-1918.

WWI battlefield tour in northern France
Walk with a guide to bunkers in the Argonne Forest
Hear tales of soldiers fighting behind the front line
Small-group tour ensures personalized attention

What's Included

Local guide

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
cloths that can get dirty and wet

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

2 Rue du Pont, 51800 Servon-Melzicourt, France
at the church

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:00 am

Itinerary

Lost Batallion Memorial (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately for the outdoors and through nettles and stuff; We may get wet and dirty in the trenches and the bunkers; Bring a flashlight if you have one. And you need to be capable to walk in rough terrain.
In winter it's best to visit trenches and bunkers because they are free of plants.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.0

based on 7 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Terrific tour of the Argonne.

Casey_M, Jun 2024

Our guide was very knowledgeable and detailed. She was interesting and flexible. She adjusted our tour due to our misunderstanding. A great guide.

We are glad we signed up for this tour!

Amy_E, May 2024

Our operator was wonderful! We had some travel/scheduling hiccups and she made some plan suggestions/adjustments that allowed for a wonderful time of exploring and experiencing the trench conditions of WW1 in the Argonne area. We appreciated both our operator's flexibility and her knowledge of the area and WW1 time period!

Rare WW1 Argonne Tour - Must See!!

Owen_O, Oct 2022

Excellent tour off the beaten path, but worth the visit if you're interested in US WW1 history Argonne sector. Tour guide is very knowledgeable, friendly, and will accommodate tour to your interests. See old bunkers still in tact, trench lines, and even on my tour found an old grenade (see picture). Easy to get to from major cities with a rental car. I stayed in Metz, and it was 90 minutes from me on A4. Step in actual trenches and bunkers used during WW1. Walk the battlefields and be where history actually occurred.

Hiking to bunkers & trenches from WWI

Robert_K, Jun 2019

This was not the type of tour we expected with paved paths to the bunkers; monuments, museums, & cemeteries to visit. We hiked in tall grass, up and down hills and walked in the rain. We had mosquito bites and had to check for ticks when we got back to our hotel. Also there was no restuarant nearby to eat afterwards. Our tour guide did read from diaries from soldiers fighting at the time which we enjoyed.

tour of battle of Argonne Forest --sept. oct- 1918

Labotravels, Jun 2019

Isabelle, our guide, was exceptionally well informed and knowledgeable about the geographic area.. she showed us numerous sites including trenches, bunkers, bomb craters, monuments, and similar. this tour was vigorous and one should be reasonably fit because it requires hiking and climbing, though nothing technical. Isabelle prepared carefully for our tour and ably guided us to the areas about which we were interested. We were very pleased with it. it exceeded expectations greatly.

Beware! this is NOT a easy walking...

Bev, Oct 2016

Beware! this is NOT a easy walking tour. This tour should be sold with a caveat that there is extensive walking, climbing, etc. and meant for those with hearty stamina and energy. The meeting spot was difficult for a US traveller to find - even our hotel in Reims did not know where it was. If you are interested, make sure you phone the guide direct before the tour to learn about the meeting place and the clothes you should wear. Our guide was GREAT, and re-arranged the tour for us when we met, knowing we would not be able to complete the scheduled tour.