Hidden Ypres: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
- 1.5–2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
From the ashes of World War I, Ypres rose and became a city dedicated to peace. On this walking tour, you’ll wander the rebuilt streets of the historic Flemish city that was almost totally destroyed in the war. You’ll find out how Churchill wanted to preserve the ruined city, as it was, and see historic photos of the city taken during war time. But this tour isn’t only about war and destruction. I’ll also show you some of the city’s best coffee spots, romantic restaurants, and authentic bars where you can try a local West Flanders beer. Starting on the main square outside Ypres Museum and ending at Menin Gate, you'll hearing fascinating stories about the war years including the 1914 Truce, the creation of The Wipers Times trench newspaper, and one of the loudest explosions in human history. You'll also find out about the vanished school that once taught the cemetery gardeners’ children. You‘ll finish this walk with a better understanding of this ancient city‘s fascinating history.
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- App for Android and iOS
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
What's not
- Smartphone and headphones
- Personal expenses for attractions not included during the tour
- Food and drink
- Transportation
Itinerary
This self-guided audio tour starts on the main square outside Ypres Museum. From there, you’ll see ancient buildings that have been carefully reconstructed, including the vast medieval cloth hall.
You’ll see ancient buildings that have been carefully reconstructed, including the vast medieval cloth hall, the gothic St Martin’s Cathedral, and the picturesque Vismarkt (fish market).
On this tour, you’ll pass reminders of World War I including the In Flanders Fields Museum, the British St George’s Memorial Church, and the beautiful Ramparts Cemetery on the city’s edge.
Some of the highlights of this 90-minute Ypres tour include enjoying a hot or cold drink at Mimi’s Koffie en Theehuis, De Ruyffelaer Ieper, or Brasserie Kazematten.
On this tour, you'll walk past Saint Nicholas Church and hear its story.
On this tour, you'll stroll along parts of the ramparts, taking in various cemeteries including the Ramparts Cemetery.
On this tour, you'll see the Lille Gate and learn how the Flanders poppy became a universal symbol of remembrance.
Some of the highlights of this 90-minute Ypres tour include enjoying a hot or cold drink at Mimi’s Koffie en Theehuis, De Ruyffelaer Ieper, or Brasserie Kazematten.
You'll take in several prominent memorials including the Memorial for Indian Soldiers and you'll hear fascinating stories about the war years including the 1914 Truce, the creation of The Wipers Times trench newspaper, and one of the loudest explosions in human history.
The walk ends at Menin Gate, a huge limestone arch carved with the names of 54,896 soldiers whose bodies vanished in the Ypres battlefields.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 53
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 3 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- This tour starts at Markt22, Grote Markt 22, Ypres. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Ypres
- Its from-price is 97% below the median of the 27 experiences we list in Ypres.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 10 of 27.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Ypres
Ypres, a Flemish town rebuilt from the ruins of the First World War, centres on a vast Cloth Hall and is ringed by memorials and cemeteries.
The Cloth Hall on the Grote Markt, a Gothic trading hall begun in the thirteenth century, was destroyed in the fighting and rebuilt in the decades that followed, together with the town around it. The belfry rises from the building, and the In Flanders Fields Museum is housed inside it. A short walk away, the Menin Gate bears the names of more than fifty thousand Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave, and the Last Post is sounded beneath it every evening.
Top-ranked sights in Ypres: Tyne Cot Cemetery, Menin Gate Memorial (Ypres Memorial), Hill 60.
