The 2023 Battle of the Bulge Tour
MHRP & GBC Tours are proud to present our first stand alone Battle of the Bulge Tour, covering battles along the Northern Shoulder of the Bulge and down south where we'll look at the defense of the vital town of Bastogne, culminating with the town's annual "Nuts" celebration where they honor all those that served during the largest battle the United States Army has ever fought.
Dates TBD/TBA.
For scheduling, please contact Joe for details.
Day 1
09 December
Travel Day
Guests travel from all points of the compass, heading for Germany.
After landing at Dusseldorf Airport, the group will gather and head out to the small town of Monschau, a beautiful, storybook German village and the perfect start to our adventure.
OVERNIGHT: Monschau
Day 2
10 December
For the first touring day, we'll start at the small village of Lanzerath, where one U.S. platoon held off and entire German regiment, and we'll begin to understand the ferocity of the German onslaught.
From there, we'll head out to the villages of Bullingen and Butgenbach, as well as the Elsenborn Ridge, to discuss critical actions where small bands of mostly green U.S. troops delayed Kampfgruppen Peiper and started the unraveling of the German battle plan.
That night we'll retreat to our wonderful hotel for an outstanding meal and some well-earned rest.
OVERNIGHT: Butgenbach
Day 3
11 December
On Day 3, we'll continue to follow the path of Kampfgruppen Peiper along it's assigned "rollbahn" as it attempted to find a clear path to the Meuse River. We'll get an appreciation for the difficulties of trying to advance the point element of a Panzer army down small forest tracks and how it wreaked havoc with the German battle plan..
At Malmedy, we'll pay respects to GI's gunned down by the Germans and then continue along the path where the Germans smashed into small bands of tough fighting GI's in villages like Stavelot and Trois Ponts.
Once we've spent time understanding the hardships endured by both sides, we'll head back to our hotel for a fine meal and good night's sleep.
OVERNIGHT: Butgenbach
Day 1
Day 4
12 December
The day will begin with a visit to the Losheim Gap, then head over to St. Vith to examine the epic fights involving the 82nd Airborne. From there, we'll conclude our days on the Northern Shoulder with stops at the famous ambush site of the 14th Cavalry Group at Poteau, another at Vielsalm and wrap up the day at Parker's Crossroads, before heading to our hotel. We'll get cleaned up, enjoy a wonderful meal, and finally, a well-deserved sleep.
OVERNIGHT: St. Vith
Day 5
13 December
The day will begin with a visit to La Gleize, the scene of bitter fighting and the resting spot of one of the world's remaining King Tiger tanks. The scenic village saw some of the campaign's hardest fighting, and in such a compact area, it became, "a little slice of hell."
From there, we'll conclude our days on the Northern Shoulder with a stop in Stoumont before proceeding south to Marcourt, where you'll enjoy a four-night stay at one of the finest hotels in Belgium.
OVERNIGHT: Marcourt
Day 6
14 December
We'll spend a very full day by delving into the story of the world-famous Easy Company's contributions to the defense and counter-attack against this last great German offensive on the Western Front in WWII. After an excellent breakfast at our hotel, we'll head over to the massive American memorial at Mardasson for a couple of hours to gain a full overview of the battle.
After lunch in Bastogne, we'll turn our full attention to Easy Company. We'll head over to the Easy Company Memorial at Halt Station, a spot that marked the unit boundary between the 501st Parachute Infantry and 2d Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry, and saw heavy fighting in December 1944. We'll then proceed over to the foxholes of the Bois Jacques and walk among them and discuss this chapter of Easy's WWII campaign.
From there, we'll make the short drive to Foy and look at routes that Easy took during their assault on the town. We’ll stand where Shifty Powers took out a German sniper, see where 3d Battalion medics maintained an aid station until overrun by German forces, and see the field where Easy took cover behind several haystacks as they moved into the town.
Once we finish in Foy, we’ll head up to Noville. From the center of town, we’ll examine how Easy advanced and helped seize this small village. Depending on time and energy, we have a few other spots to examine.
We'll then head back to our hotel, which is perched on an outcrop overlooking a small river valley and surrounding forests and hills for another delicious four course meal and a peaceful night of rest.
OVERNIGHT: Marcourt
Day 7
15 December
After breakfast, we’ll start out the day at Saint Pierre's Church, recounting a the moving tale of a 501st paratrooper's story of loss and his faith-driven recovery. After spending some time touring some memorable locations within the city proper, we’ll pause to enjoy a first class meal at one of our favorite restaurants in Europe (the entrance is an old rail car).
Bellies full, we'll head to the "X" Crossroads where the 101st Airborne's Medical Company was captured in the early hours of the Battle of the Bulge, a debilitating loss of critical medical personnel that would impact the Division throughout the duration of the battle.
After a pause at the location where the German surrender demand was delivered to tell that story, our last stop of the touring day will be at village of Assenois, where Patton's 4th Armored Division finally broke through the German lines to link up with Screaming Eagles of the 326th Airborne Engineers, thus ending the siege of the beleaguered town and it's defenders.
Once we finish up this full day of touring, we’ll head back to our hotel in Marcourt for a few rounds of drinks and a delicious four-course meal.
OVERNIGHT: Marcourt
Day 8
16 December
For the last two days of the tour, we'll focus on the city of Bastogne, and all of the celebrations related to Nuts Weekend. Between reenactment camps, memorial ceremonies at the many points of interest, and a vibrant night life, we'll enjoy a day of light travel and some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We'll close out the day with some shopping and site-seeing, and then back to our world-class hotel for dinner.
OVERNIGHT: Marcourt
Day 9
17 December
Today's activities will be focused on taking part in all that Bastogne has to offer. There's a few other stops, specifically to visit the memorials to the two valiant civilian nurses that cared for GI's during the encirclement, as well as a bit of shopping and lunch, before we pack up and head to Dusseldorf for our last evening together.
OVERNIGHT: Dusseldorf
Day 10
18 December
Travel Day - Heading Home
In the morning, we'll grab a quick breakfast before heading to the airport to catch our flights home.
The Details, Specifics and Fine Print
Full price of this tour is $3,675 (single supplement/occupancy is an additional $325).*
Full balance of $3,675 is due 15 September 2023 ($4,000 for single supplement/occupancy).
Payment methods accepted: Check, credit card, PayPal
WHAT THIS PRICE INCLUDES:
- Nine nights in 4 or 5 star hotel or AirBnB, located nearby to a battlefield location, with all breakfasts and three dinners included.
- All ground transportation from arrival meeting point at Dusseldorf, to the departure point back in Dusseldorf.
- One to two full-time tour guides for the duration of this eight-day tour, with the possibility of guest guides for specific sites/topics (schedule dependent).
- All listed events in the itinerary.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
Your airfare, all lunches and dinners not listed in the itinerary, trip insurance, and any additional purchases or excursions you choose during your free time.
* Tour price is based on double occupancy. For pairs of friends wanting separate beds, we will have this arranged at all hotels where possible. In a few instances, you may be in a more traditional European bed that consists of two separate mattresses and blankets, on one large platform. You'll survive...(or we can bring a shovel for you to dig your own authentic foxhole outside!).
BOOKING FLIGHTS:
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us. We'll directly assist everyone with their flight bookings as well, for we know how to secure great rates, intelligent flight routes, and we want a coordinated arrival and departure time for everyone traveling.
​
FINAL POINTS:
Entrance at some of the battle sites maybe limited due to owner unavailability. We will do our best to insure access but in some cases, circumstances may limit our ability to access some sites. Weather can be an issue during that time of the year, with rain a distinct possibility. Please pack appropriately.