Salient Tours
Salient Tours
5
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
We can be found in the British Grenadier Bookshop on the Menenstraat which is the short road between the main square and the Menin Gate Memorial.
Ieper (Ypres), Belgium
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
296 reviews
Excellent
273
Very good
15
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
3
Donna B
2 contributions
Feb 2020
We arrived in Ypres at 11.15 am, too late for the morning tour and having to be back on the bus to Zeebrugge by 4pm we would not have time to complete the afternoon scheduled tour.
We went to the bookshop, explained our limitations and Steve made a call to Kim who was able to accommodate our times. I'm not sure they can do this all the time but so appreciated their flexibility.
What a fantastic guide Kim is. She really brought to life the experiences and horrors of the war, explaining the history in a chronological order, pointing out geographical vantages and giving examples of individuals which personally made me unexpectedly emotional. Having our 14 and 13 year old sons with us she was able to engage them in the stories of how boys of their age had signed up, how they were made to feel excited at the prospect and the feelings of doom after the war lasted so long.
We visited Essex Farm, the Yorkshire trench, the german cemetary, the Canadian memorial, a farm with a varying display of bombs, rifles etc found whilst farming and Tyne Cot Cemetery. Kim gave us so much information, answered all our questions and gave us time to wander on our own as well. So personable that she felt like a friend by the end of the tour. Could not recommend Kim and Steve highly enough. Thank you. Donna, Banks, Marcos and Tobias (Bishop Family)
We went to the bookshop, explained our limitations and Steve made a call to Kim who was able to accommodate our times. I'm not sure they can do this all the time but so appreciated their flexibility.
What a fantastic guide Kim is. She really brought to life the experiences and horrors of the war, explaining the history in a chronological order, pointing out geographical vantages and giving examples of individuals which personally made me unexpectedly emotional. Having our 14 and 13 year old sons with us she was able to engage them in the stories of how boys of their age had signed up, how they were made to feel excited at the prospect and the feelings of doom after the war lasted so long.
We visited Essex Farm, the Yorkshire trench, the german cemetary, the Canadian memorial, a farm with a varying display of bombs, rifles etc found whilst farming and Tyne Cot Cemetery. Kim gave us so much information, answered all our questions and gave us time to wander on our own as well. So personable that she felt like a friend by the end of the tour. Could not recommend Kim and Steve highly enough. Thank you. Donna, Banks, Marcos and Tobias (Bishop Family)
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the wonderful review Donna. Much appreciated. I am proud of the quality of my guides. They are all top notch. Not sure why I am identified as Wander1732... Not my idea but couldn't change it. Steve
Written February 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Guide75098
7 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
I booked my tour through Steve at the Grenadier, who was really friendly and very informative. The shop itself is amazing well worth a tour on its own !!
They need a minimum of 3 people for a tour , which is understandable , so I had to pay for 3 but it was well worth it to be honest , to have a private guided tour .
My guide Kim arrived spot on time . She adapted our tour to suit me, as I told her what I had already seen.
I cant praise her highly enough for her information , enthusiasm and general "crack "
Fantastic , if you book a tour , book it here
Dave Lee,
Newcastle Upon Tyne
They need a minimum of 3 people for a tour , which is understandable , so I had to pay for 3 but it was well worth it to be honest , to have a private guided tour .
My guide Kim arrived spot on time . She adapted our tour to suit me, as I told her what I had already seen.
I cant praise her highly enough for her information , enthusiasm and general "crack "
Fantastic , if you book a tour , book it here
Dave Lee,
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie C
North Marston, United Kingdom14 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
Kim's knowledge and enthusiasm for her subject was truly infectious, she was a very informative and interesting guide, personable and passionate about the cultural history of the area. We did a half day battlefield tour which she really brought alive with personal histories and information we would never have found had we been on our own. We would definitely recommend this tour
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trail817695
2 contributions
Aug 2023
Lucas was an EXCELLENT tour guide. Our Scout Troop and Venturer Company had two days of touring arranged and it was amazing! Lucas' performance of "In Flanders Fields" brought tears to my eyes. The following day, when we visited Vimy, he brought the poem back to life helping to explain the meaning behind the memorial. "How did we get the best tour guide in all of Europe" was a direct quote from a Youth member of our group.
Steve, the owner of Salient Tours, answered all my questions and was wonderful to work with. Steve and Lucas went above and beyond for our group, and we are very grateful! Thank you Salient Tours for the incredible memories. I highly recommend the Vimy and Somme day trip, and Ypres Standard Tour!
Steve, the owner of Salient Tours, answered all my questions and was wonderful to work with. Steve and Lucas went above and beyond for our group, and we are very grateful! Thank you Salient Tours for the incredible memories. I highly recommend the Vimy and Somme day trip, and Ypres Standard Tour!
Written August 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James Harris
Salt Lake City, UT11 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
This was a wonderful tour I was able to squeeze into my one and o ly day in Leper.
The guide, Kim, was charming, passionate and knowledgeable. I like the way she bases her narratives on the recollections of the veterans.
She uses their words when possible and manages a bit of humor to relieve the weight of very solemn events.
A battlefield tour guide is an important position, and she measured up.
The guide, Kim, was charming, passionate and knowledgeable. I like the way she bases her narratives on the recollections of the veterans.
She uses their words when possible and manages a bit of humor to relieve the weight of very solemn events.
A battlefield tour guide is an important position, and she measured up.
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Korowagirl
Melbourne, Australia47 contributions
Oct 2022
My daughter and I really enjoyed the informative and interesting tour supplied by Steve of Salient tours. His tour guide was excellent and its only a small group of only 5-6 people meant you had lots of opportunities to ask questions about WWI.
Our tour visited several cemeteries and memorials around Ypres and finally ended up at Tan Cott cemetery.
The tour showed the development of events that lead to WWI, some history of the men buried in the cemeteries. We also visited the German cemetery so it wasn't one sided and showed what all the troops went through.
We also visited several memorials, Canadian, New Zealand, etc.
As a side note I would also highly recommend the Salient Military bookshop, and its owner Steve who took my daughter out on a drive to visit a spot where my Great Uncle was killed, It meant a great deal to us and it was very kind of him to do so, he shut his shop to do this and in my opinion it made our trip.
Our tour visited several cemeteries and memorials around Ypres and finally ended up at Tan Cott cemetery.
The tour showed the development of events that lead to WWI, some history of the men buried in the cemeteries. We also visited the German cemetery so it wasn't one sided and showed what all the troops went through.
We also visited several memorials, Canadian, New Zealand, etc.
As a side note I would also highly recommend the Salient Military bookshop, and its owner Steve who took my daughter out on a drive to visit a spot where my Great Uncle was killed, It meant a great deal to us and it was very kind of him to do so, he shut his shop to do this and in my opinion it made our trip.
Written October 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim Shanley
2 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
My wife and I reserved a tour and were later informed by the owner (?) that we would have to pay for a third person if we wanted the tour. We received an email stating that we should be at the office at 2:15. When we arrived, a few minutes after 2:15 (navigating the parking situation was not easy) we were informed that there would be no tour, he had told the guide to go home. Extremely unprofessional, arrogant, and adversarial individual — we will never frequent this business again.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So, how long shall we wait for people who don't get here on time. We have gone out of our way to offer you a tour which YOU requested. And then YOU did not show up until 2.30pm. YOU never called or texted to say you were running late. When that happens, we are happy to wait if we know you are coming. We did not know if you were coming and at some point we have to 'call it'. I did. She went home and then you showed up. Next time, get to your appointment early in case of delays or getting lost, or at least on time. Then you are not putting people out. Our web site clearly shows that we needed a minimum of 3 people for a tour. That way we are not losing money just so you can do a tour. Somehow this makes me a bad person. Go figure.
Written April 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ChrisEastleigh
117 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Absolutely wonderful and fascinating tour. I took the tour with my 15 year old son who is studying history at school. We did the morning standard tour, but wish we’d taken the longer option. Our guide, Kim, was engaging, friendly, authentically passionate for the subject and unequivocally knowledgeable. The tour was not rushed, and we had time at each stop to explore ourselves. And my son and I were talking about this most of the way home. This was one of the best guided tours I’ve done anywhere in the world with a truly superb guide. I can’t recommend enough.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
377christopherl
Manchester, UK13 contributions
Jan 2022
Steve arranged two full days for myself and my son on 28th and 29th January 2022. Sadly Ieper is really quiet and this has affected the town and the businesses really badly. This though did not stop Steve pulling out all the stops for us to arrange tours that met what we wanted.
Kim took us on the Flanders tour, she was a font of knowledge, really personable an happy to make adjustments to help us see the sites we really wanted to visit.
We had our Somme tour with Carl, again a really knowledgeable guide who took us to many places and at no point needed to use a sat nav, even though the distance travelled was huge. Carl took us to a lot of different sites around the Somme which covered the main battle sites.
Two great days which was a fabulous experience
Kim took us on the Flanders tour, she was a font of knowledge, really personable an happy to make adjustments to help us see the sites we really wanted to visit.
We had our Somme tour with Carl, again a really knowledgeable guide who took us to many places and at no point needed to use a sat nav, even though the distance travelled was huge. Carl took us to a lot of different sites around the Somme which covered the main battle sites.
Two great days which was a fabulous experience
Written February 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trek54859108928
Paisley, UK1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Solo
I thoroughly enjoyed my half day tour of the Ypes salient with Salient Tours. I had originally booked an afternoon tour but as I was the only person booked at that time, Steve offered me a place on the morning tour. I had great communication from Steve to arrange this. It meant an early start for me from Brussels but I'm so pleased that I made it as the tour was excellent.
Our guide Kim was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the area during ww1. Her tour was informative, detailed and, at times, very moving. A great mix of general overviews and individual stories. Visiting places I've only read about in books like Langemark and Passchendaele gave me a much better understanding of the geography and the detail of the conflicts.
I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Our guide Kim was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the area during ww1. Her tour was informative, detailed and, at times, very moving. A great mix of general overviews and individual stories. Visiting places I've only read about in books like Langemark and Passchendaele gave me a much better understanding of the geography and the detail of the conflicts.
I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have three kids of 12, 10 and 8. Do you think this might work for children of this age? Thanks.
Written May 25, 2016
Hello, thanks for your question. We take many children on the tours and most of them love it. I find that the younger ones are less interested but usually at 10 or 12 yrs they are very keen adn interested and asking all sorts of questions. It is a great educational opportunity for them.
Written May 26, 2016
My wife and I are in Ypres for two full dsays - 9th and 10th June - wish to make probably a half-day tour on each day?
Is that advisable and/or possible and do you have such tours with places on them?
I look forwrad to hearing from you.
Written March 10, 2016
Hello, sorry, just saw this question. Doing the two main tours over two days is fine. Many people do that. Or you could do the full day around Ypres and next day head out to Vimy and/or the Somme for the day, if that was of interest. None of the tours overlap so, no problem with whatever configuration you wish. Drop us an email and we will set it up for you. Cheers, Steve
Written March 24, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.