An Ypres day in July 2024: Sanctuary Wood, a lakeside lunch and the Last Post

A week ago, on Thursday 18 July, Helena T. from Delph in England and her travel companion spent the day in Ypres with me. They had booked the day on Viator, and I picked them up at their hotel in Ghent.

How the day was built

An Ypres day is planned backwards from one fixed time: the Last Post at the Menin Gate, at eight in the evening. Everything else fits around it. The trenches come in the morning, then a long lunch, the museum in the afternoon and an early dinner. Before the day I sent Helena a few messages about what was included and where we would meet.

Sanctuary Wood in the morning

The first stop was Sanctuary Wood, on a quiet lane east of Ypres. The preserved trenches, the museum of Hill 62 and the cemetery sit close together here. Most of the front line was tidied away after the war, but not this piece of it. The cemetery holds 1,989 Commonwealth soldiers, and for 1,353 of them nobody knows the name. Helena and her companion had plenty of time for all three.

Lunch by a lake

Then came a lake. Helena and her companion walked around it while I set out lunch, with a beer tasting at the table. The photo at the top shows that table, a few minutes before they came back.

Coffee on the ramparts

After lunch we walked along the ramparts of Ypres to a coffee stop, with coffee, tea and local cookies. The ramparts are medieval. Vauban rebuilt them in the seventeenth century for Louis XIV.

The museum and the Last Post

In the centre of Ypres they had plenty of time for the In Flanders Fields Museum in the Cloth Hall. The museum tells the First World War in Belgium through the people who lived it. After a cold drink and an early dinner, we stood at the Menin Gate in good time for the Last Post. The gate carries the names of more than 54,000 Commonwealth soldiers who have no known grave. Then I drove them back to their hotel in Ghent.

In Helena’s words

Helena posted this review on TripAdvisor the day after, as Helena T from Delph, United Kingdom.

Jorish sent us several texts before the day to give us details about costs, what was included and where to meet. He met us at the pick up point with a car provided with bottled waters and a warm welcome.

On the drive to Ypres he chatted about Belgium and the distinct languages and cultures.

We visited Sanctuary Wood where we had plenty of time for the trenches, the museum and the cemetery.

We then visited a lake where we walked around whilst Jorish prepared a lunch with beer tasting as well.

After lunch we walked along the ramparts of Ypres to a coffee stop which he provided with coffee/ tea snd various local cookies.

After this we went into the city centre and had plenty of time to visit the Flanders Fields Museum in the Cloth Hall.

After a refreshing beer we had an early dinner in order to be at the Menin Gate in good time for the Last Post

Jorish brought us back to our hotel and nothing throughout the day was too much for him.

It was sn incredible experience and well worth the cost.

Helena T, Delph, United Kingdom, on TripAdvisor, July 2024

Jorish brought us back to our hotel and nothing throughout the day was too much for him.

Helena T., on TripAdvisor

A day like this

This day suits a first visit to Ypres, with the war history at a calm pace and real time in the museums. It suits you less if you want a short day. The Last Post is at eight in the evening, and the drive back to your hotel comes after that.

What would a day like this cost today? Read what a private day in Belgium costs, and what is in it.

If you want a day like this, tell us your dates on the private page.