Arras Adventure: Your 2-Day Australian Country Escape

One of the best, most emotional and special tours you could do. Phil was not only a great guy, he was so knowledgeable. He knew everyone in the local areas which made the tour so intimate. I left this area with a deep sense of pride for our Australian soldiers. Sad too that so many lay beneath fields never to be found.

We’ve just spent two unforgettable days with Phil from Sacred Ground Tours, the only Australian guide in Arras offering WWI Western Front tours. Walking the battlefields, hearing the stories, and standing where history was made was incredibly moving — we had a tear in our eyes more than once. Phil’s knowledge, passion, and deep respect brought everything to life in such a meaningful way. Visiting so many places of sacrifice and remembrance is something we’ll carry with us forever. If you ever have the chance, we can’t recommend this experience enough. Phil went above and beyond in so many ways .

Friendly knowledgeable and a great tour guide.Would highly recommended .Any one considering this type of tour Phil is your man

2 Day Australian tour, solo, with Phil, the owner. His knowledge of the Great War was incredible. He was able to articulate the events that took place, then gave me plenty of time to soak it all up, wandering the battlefields, memorials & cemeteries, even though the time I went it was cold and miserable with drizzle rain we searched battlefields in his gum boots and found a lot of artefacts not seen since they were last used, thrown or fired in over 100 years. I had relatives in the war which Phil researched and took me to the places they fought, were injured and killed. I was on a 3 month holiday and this was a big highlight. It had me in deep thought for days afterwards. Don’t be afraid of going solo. It was actually better for me. Had the places to myself and could really give time to the blokes that fought and lost their lives there. We did the South one day & the North the other which is his standard itinerary. Phil’s a great bloke and a true Aussie. If you have any interest in the Great War and Western Front, especially if you have relatives who spent time there, it was great value for money and well worth the time dedicated to the soldiers who went there, and the many who never returned. Read up before you go so you understand and take it all in. Phil will orientate you for the best experience and fill in the gaps. You will not regret the pilgrimage to these sacred sites.

Laying a wreath at Menin Gate during the Last Post ceremony was definitely a very moving and memorable moment and a wonderful way to complete this experience. We enjoyed every minute of the 2 day tour. Visiting these memorials along the Western Front has long been a dream of my husband’s and Phil certainly did it justice. We would recommend this to all visitors.

Great tour to go on and Phil was a fantastic tour guide. Got to see all the key sites and a few out of the way places. 100% recommended tour if you want to see all those key Australian sites

The whole experience stepping into the history of the battlefields and being guided by a well knowledgeable guide!. Very emotional! Eye opening moments. Thanks Phil!

We did two days of personalised tours with Phil to areas that our relatives had been involved in. Phil's knowledge of the whole Australian history was very impressive and gave us the background we needed to understand the region we visited He had done background reading on our relatives and was able to take us to the specific regions they fought in. We highly recommend these trips to any Australian travellers - it is life changing experience.

The two day Sacred Ground Tour of the World War I battlefields in France and Belgium (backed up with an additional three days in the beautiful town of Arras) was the highlight of our recent holiday in Europe. The tour is led by Phil Hora, a charismatic tour guide with a wealth of knowledge of World War I, delivered with an insightful Australian perspective. The two-day tour had a balanced itinerary, visiting Canadian, Newfoundland, British, New Zealand, French, German and Australian memorials/cemeteries. We visited such well-known memorials as Villers-Bretonneux, Thiepval, Vimy Ridge, Fromelles , Poziers, Passchendaele, Le Hamel, and VC Corner. However, the highlight for my wife and I was visiting the graves of three great uncles who were killed during the Great War. Phil had researched our great uncles and was able to provide information on their war service. He then seamlessly incorporated visits to Doullens (Extension No.1) and Hooge Crater, as well as the memorial wall at Villers-Bretonneux, into the tour so we could pay our respects to the fallen uncles. The fitting finale to this wonderful tour was a visit to Ypres to witness a moving Last Post service at Menin Gate. Sacred Ground Tours is a truly wonderful and worthwhile experience.

I would give this tour a 6 out 5 if I could. Phil is a brilliant guide and as an Australian tourist, the tour felt more like travelling with an old mate. Phil is extremely knowledgeable but also very passionate about what he does. We were even able to trace some of the footsteps of my wife's great, great Uncle who fought in WW1. If you want an immersive, entertaining and informative tour of the Western Front, then Phil is your man. Thanks for making our visit to the Somme an unforgettable experience.