Canada We Love Thee
9 days / 8 nights
History tour in Netherlands, Belgium & France: Exploring Canada’s World War Legacy
This journey gives your students a focused, meaningful look at Europe’s key First and Second World War sites, with an emphasis on Canada’s role in both conflicts. From the Western Front to the beaches of Normandy, students visit the places where Canadian soldiers served and are remembered, bringing Canada’s overseas history into clear perspective. The tour goes beyond dates and battles by supporting curriculum goals around remembrance, historical thinking, and global perspectives. Students explore how different nations remember war and how those memories continue to shape the present. By connecting classroom learning to real places, this experience deepens understanding, builds perspective, and leaves students with learning that lasts a lifetime!
Destinations can be booked separately or combined. Just ask us and we can customize a trip for your class.Sample Itinerary🗓️ Day 1 – Departure to Europe
Meet your group at the local international airport.
Check in for your overnight flight to Amsterdam and begin your journey to Europe.
Overnight flight.
🗓️ Day 2 – Arrival to Amsterdam
Morning: Arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and meet your WCC Tour Leader. Transfer to your hotel and check in.
Afternoon: Enjoy a scenic canal cruise through Amsterdam’s historic waterways, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that reveals the city’s centuries-old merchant houses, bridges, and vibrant neighborhoods from a unique perspective. Amsterdam has long been a center of art, trade, and free thought, and this cruise is a relaxing way to see how its history shaped the city we see today.
Evening: Enjoy a welcome group dinner.
Overnight in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
🗓️ Day 3 – Amsterdam & Ypres, Belgium
Morning: Visit the Anne Frank House to reflect on her diary’s powerful message of hope and humanity in the face of oppression. This visit offers a personal glimpse into life under Nazi occupation and the lasting impact of prejudice and intolerance.
Afternoon: Departure in your motor coach to Ypres, Belgium. Arrive in town and explore the In Flanders Fields Museum, an immersive, student-focused experience that brings the realities of World War I to life through personal stories, interactive exhibits, and powerful historical context.
Evening: Attend the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial after the group dinner. This is a powerful, student-relevant tribute that honors fallen soldiers and deepens understanding of remembrance, sacrifice, and the human impact of World War I.
Overnight in Ypres, Belgium
🗓️ Day 4 – Remembering the Fallen in WWI
Morning: Visits to powerful locations will allow students to understand the scale of loss and the global impact of World War I. These key memorial sites include:
Passchendaele, where Canadian forces secured victory in 1917 at a heavy cost
Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world
St. Julien Memorial (Brooding Soldier), marking where Canadians endured the first gas attacks in 1915
Langemark German Cemetery, the resting place of more than 44,000 German soldiers
Afternoon: The group will continue to the Ring of Remembrance at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, striking circular monument inscribed with the names of nearly 580,000 soldiers of all nationalities who died in northern France during the First World War. Here, students will see how remembrance has become a shared commitment that transcends national borders..
Evening: Travel onward by private coach to Arras. Group dinner.
Overnight in Arras, France
🗓️ Day 5 – Vimy Ridge, Dieppe, and Caen
Morning: Start the day by exploring the Ypres Salient, one of the most fiercely fought-over areas of the Western Front during the First World War. While there, you will also visit to Vimy Ridge, one of the most sacred sites in Canadian history. Walk through the preserved trenches and tunnels where Canadian soldiers fought during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. This pivotal victory helped define Canada’s national identity on the world stage. Stand before the towering Vimy Memorial, engraved with the names of over 11,000 Canadians who died in France with no known grave, and take time for quiet reflection.
Afternoon: Visit the coastal town of Dieppe, the site of the ill-fated Dieppe Raid of August 19, 1942. Visit the beach landing area and memorials that commemorate the nearly 900 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during this operation.
Evening: Group dinner.
Overnight in Caen, France
🗓️ Day 6 – Normandy and the Canadian Sector
All day tour of Normandy from a Canadian perspective:
Begin the day at the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer, where Canadian forces landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Explore the museum’s powerful exhibits and join a guided tour of the beach and German bunkers to understand Canada’s role in the Normandy landings.
Visit the nearby Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, the resting place of 2,044 Canadian soldiers who gave their lives during the liberation of Normandy.
Tour will also include as many Canadian stops as possible with possible additions being the British Normandy Memorial, Gold Beach and Sword Beach. If time allows the German battery at Longues-sur-Mer and a stop in Arromanches to see the remains of the massive Mulberry harbours that made the Allied invasion possible will be considered.
Evening: Group Dinner
Overnight in Caen, France
🗓️ Day 7 – Paris
Morning: Drive by private coach from Caen to Rouen, giving students time to relax, reflect, and take in the changing landscapes of the Normandy countryside. Free time to explore Rouen and have lunch.
Afternoon: Continue the drive to Paris. Visit the iconic Arc de Triomphe, where students can connect with the legacy of Napoleonic Wars and reflect on themes of national identity, commemoration, and history brought to life in one of Paris’s most recognizable landmarks.
Evening: Group dinner. After the meal, visit the Eiffel Tower and travel to the second floor, where students can experience one of the world’s most iconic landmarks up close while gaining sweeping views of Paris and its historic layout.
Overnight in Paris, France
🗓️ Day 8 – Paris
Morning & Afternoon: Spend the day discovering the beauty and history of Paris through guided visits to landmarks such as the Latin Quarter, Île de la Cité, and Montmartre, helping students connect classroom learning to real-world history, culture, and architecture. This experience builds global awareness and historical understanding as students explore how Paris has shaped art, ideas, and society over time.
Evening: As a final memorable experience, return to the Arc de Triomphe and take part in the Rekindling of the Flame Ceremony. This is a daily tribute to the Unknown Soldier of World War I, offering students a reflective moment to connect Canada’s shared wartime history and remembrance with France’s enduring commemoration. Enjoy an evening farewell group dinner after, sharing highlights from this memorable trip.
Overnight in Paris, France
🗓️ Day 9 – Return Flight
Return home with memories of an unforgettable journey of history, remembrance, and discovery!