D-Day to the Liberation of Holland
65th Final Anniversary
April 27th - May 10th, 2010

Day One - April 27th: Meet your tour manager at Toronto's Lester B Pearson airport for your flight to Paris. Dinner and breakfast will be served onboard.

Day Two - April 28th: Upon arrival, you will be met by your driver and will begin your journey to Normandy. You will visit Pegasus Bridge, where the 6th British Airborne landed, captured and liberated the first house in Europe, Cafe Gondre. You will then make your way to your hotel for some rest and relaxation before your "welcome dinner", and the opportunity to meet your travelling companions. Overnight - Bayeaux (B,D)

Day Three - April 29th: Your day will begin with a visit to Omaha Beach to the American Military Cemetery to get an overview of the appalling challenge of landing on Bloody Omaha. After leaving Omaha, you will visit LaChaos, the German offshore battery still relatively intact after 60 years. Your next stop will be Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches before traveling to the Juno Beach Centre - dedicated to the 3rd Division landings as well as Canada's full involvement during World War II. You will then visit the Canadian Military Cemetery - Beny-sur-Mer before heading to Verrieres Ridge to v view the area where the Black Watch suffered severe casualties during "Operation Spring". Overnight - Bayeaux. (B,D)

Day Four - April 30th: This morning you will travel through the Normandy countryside to Dieppe. You will visit the Dieppe Canadian Cemetery, Green Beach at Pourville and the main landing beaches of Red and White on the Dieppe seafront. You will explore Blue Beach in Puys to view the gun emplacements on the cliff tops, which were responsible for the terrible Canadian casualties. After leaving Dieppe, you will travel to Arras for dinner and your overnight accommodations. Overnight - Arras (B,D)

Day Five - May 1st: After breakfast you will tour the Somme Battlefield and visit the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval as well as one of the only surviving intact First World War battlefields at Beaumont Hamel. The Park, maintained by Canada, remains as it was during the Battle of the Somme, now dedicatated to the Newfoundland Regiment who lost so many men of the first day of the Somme. This afternoon, you will visit Vimy Ridge. It was on Hill 145, April 1917, that Canada truly became a nation in the eyes of the world. It's troops combined and stormed Vimy Ridge after other allied forces had failed to do so for the previous two years. You will tour the tunnels, trenches and memorial. Overnight - Arras (B,D)

Day Six - May 2nd: Today you tour the short distance to Ieper (Ypres) for the Ypres Salient Battlefield and a visit to John McCrae's Essex Farm, the place where John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields".You will also visit Hill 62 and a small area of the original battlefield and part of the Canadian Front Line, as well as Paschendaele. This evening after dinner you will be able to attend the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony at 8PM, which is led by the Ieper Fire Department. Overnight - Ieper (B,D)

Day Seven - May 3rd: Today you will depart early to make your way to Nijmegen and begin with a visit to the Liberation Museum in Grosbeek and the opportunity for a fuller understanding of Occupied Holland and the operations by Allied Forces in 1944/45. You will then attend the Commemoration Service at the Canadian Military Cemetery Groesbeek before being transferred back to the hotel. Overnight - Rosmalen (B,D)

Day Eight - May 4th: Today you will tour onto the scene of Operation Market Garden and the newly restored Hartenstein Hotel, HQ of the beleaguered Airborne Forces. You will also visit the Canadian Engineers Memorial in Driel before attending the Commemoration Ceremony at Canadian Military Cemetery in Holten. There will be an option to attend the Commeration Ceremony at Bergen-op-Zoom and to tour the "Breskens Pocket" if you choose - as both Ceremonies are being held on the same day. Overnight - Rosmalen (B,D)

Day Nine - May 5th: This morning you travel to Wageningen for the Liberation Parade and Ceremonies. A full days events. Later in the afternoon you will be transferred back to your hotel to prepare for the evenings festivities. Tonight you will be hosted by your Dutch hosts with a Concert and a Presentation Ceremony held by the Mayor . This ceremony is to present to Veterans and or to their family representative, the last Liberation Medal. Truly one of the hightlights of your tour. Overnight - Rosmalen (B,D)

Day Ten - May 6th: After breakfast, you will be transferred to Giethoorn, the Venice of the Netherlands - with canals through the village instead of streets. One of the most delightful villages in the Netherlands. You will also tour the 13th Century capital of the province of Overijssel, Zwolle, where you will have time to wander the town before checking into your hotel. Overnight - Zwolle (B,D)

Day Eleven - May 7th: Today you will attend the Voorthuizen Military Tattoo as a t tribute to the Veterans. Many of the performers and bands are from Canada as well as International military performers and pipe bands peforming music from WWII. Overnight - Zwolle (B,D)

Day Twelve - May 8th: This morning you will visit Leeuwarden and Groningen, both liberated by the 2nd Div in April 1945. Both towns will be celebrating the 65th Anniversary Liberation of the Netherlands with local festivities and events. Overnight - Zwolle (B,D)

Day Thirteen - May 9th: Mid morning you will be attending the emotional and historic final Parade of Apeldoorn, with Veterans on board WWII vehicles. This parade will definately be one of the hightlights of your tour. Overnight - Zwolle (B,D)

Day Fourteen - May 10th: This morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to Amsterdam airport for your flight home. (B) Lunch and snacks will be served onboard.

PRICING

• $3998 CAD per person based on double occupancy
• $3300 CAD LAND ONLY per person based on double
• $ 780 CAD Single Supplement

INCLUSIONS:

• Round trip air transportation from Toronto
• Superior First Class Hotels
• Breakfast & Dinner daily
• All entrances as per your itinerary
• Experienced and knowledgeable Tour Manager
• Luxury coach throughout with washroom / tea / coffee / video
• Porterage

EXCLUSIONS:

• Air Transportation taxes ( approx. $325 )
• Lunches, drinks and items of a personal nature
• Gratuities to tour manager / driver
• Travel Insurance