Anzac Day 2027 River Cruise: Netherlands & Belgium

Arrive in Amsterdam, the enchanting Dutch capital, and embark your luxury river cruise vessel from 4pm. After settling into your comfortable accommodation, join your Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours Historian and fellow travellers for a welcome reception.

Your historian will provide an introductory briefing covering the scope of Australian and New Zealand involvement in the Low Countries across two world wars. We’ll set the scene for the remarkable stories we’ll uncover over the coming days—from the mud of Flanders to the bridges of Arnhem.

This morning, enjoy a leisurely cruise through the Dutch waterways as your Historian provides context for tomorrow’s momentous Anzac Day commemorations.

Later, arrive in the picturesque harbour town of Bruinisse, nestled in the heart of the Zeeland province. Take time to explore this charming fishing village, with its traditional Dutch architecture and peaceful marina setting. Today, your Historian will present a seminar on the Australian and New Zealand forces who served in Belgium during the Great War, setting the stage for tomorrow’s pilgrimage to Ypres.

Today we make our pilgrimage to the sacred ground of the Ypres Salient, where Anzac forces distinguished themselves in some of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. The Salient, that infamous bulge in the Allied lines, witnessed four years of devastating warfare and became synonymous with Anzac courage and sacrifice.

After docking in Ghent, we will drive to Ypres. Our day begins with the moving 11am Anzac Day ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial, where we’ll join the traditional commemoration alongside visitors from around the world. Following the service, we will enjoy free time for lunch in historic Ypres before embarking on our comprehensive battlefield tour.

We’ll explore the Passchendaele 1917 Museum, where the story of the Third Battle of Ypres unfolds through immersive displays and personal accounts. At Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, we’ll pay our respects to the thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who made the ultimate sacrifice. We’ll visit Polygon Wood, scene of a successful Australian attack in September 1917, and Hill 60, where Anzac tunnellers played a crucial role in the underground war.

Throughout the day, your Historian will bring these hallowed sites to life, sharing the personal stories of courage, mateship and sacrifice that define the Anzac spirit. In the evening, we will return to Ghent and reboard our ship in time for dinner.

Today we journey to one of history’s most famous battlefields—Waterloo, where on 18 June 1815, the fate of Europe was decided in a single day. Though predating the Anzac story by a century, Waterloo remains one of the most significant military engagements in Western history, where Wellington’s coalition forces finally ended Napoleon’s ambitions.

We’ll ascend the Lion Monument (Butte de Lion) for panoramic views across the battlefield, visit the comprehensive Waterloo 1815 Museum with its innovative displays, and experience the dramatic Panorama of Waterloo painting. At Hougoumont Farm, we’ll explore the chateau that became a fortress during the battle, whilst at La Haye Sainte we’ll learn how this strategic farmhouse changed hands throughout that fateful day. Your Historian will explain the tactics, personalities, and pivotal moments that shaped this decisive encounter between Wellington and Napoleon. We will return to our ship in time for dinner.

Our focus shifts to the Second World War as we explore the sites around Nijmegen, scene of fierce fighting during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. This ambitious Allied operation aimed to capture the Rhine bridges and open the route into Germany but faced determined German resistance.

We’ll visit the famous Nijmegen Bridge, immortalised in the film A Bridge Too Far, where British and American forces fought desperately to secure the crossing. At the National Liberation Museum in nearby Groesbeek, we’ll learn about the civilian experience during the occupation and liberation of the Netherlands. We’ll also pay our respects at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, where many Allied paratroopers and soldiers who fell during the operation are buried. Your Historian will explain how this daring airborne operation, despite its ultimate failure, contributed to the eventual Allied victory. We will return to our ship for dinner.

This morning we will explore the WW2 battlefields around Arnhem, the most famous site from Operation Market Garden. We will start at the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, where we will visit the British 1st Airborne Division’s headquarters and learn about Operation Market Garden through outstanding exhibits and personal stories. We will then visit the nearby Airborne Cemetery to pay our respects to over 1750 Allied soldiers, before driving to central Arnhem to see the John Frost Bridge – the famous ‘Bridge Too Far’ that was the operation’s ultimate objective. After lunch we will visit ‘The Island’ battlefield, made famous in an episode of Band of Brothers, and see where Easy Company of the 101^st Airborne fought their famous ‘Crossroads’ battle. We will then drive to Rotterdam where we will reboard our ship

This morning we will depart Rotterdam and enjoy scenic cruising back to Amsterdam. On arrival, choose from a range of scenic excursions that explore this charming city. This evening, we will enjoy a farewell dinner aboard our ship as we reflect on our journey through centuries of military history.

Our journey concludes this morning in Amsterdam. After breakfast, disembark and bid farewell to your fellow travellers and Historian. Take with you the memories of sacred sites visited, stories shared and the profound experience of commemorating Anzac Day in the places where the Anzac legend was forged.