A fully private, door-to-door tour with return transport included – from your hotel in Amsterdam, from Rotterdam, or from the IJmuiden cruise port. It works equally well as a day trip or as a cruise shore excursion.
Nijmegen in the Netherlands and has a history that dates back to Roman times. As an important Roman settlement along the River Waal, the city played a strategic role long before the events of the Second World War.
During World War II, Nijmegen’s location once again made it strategically significant. Close to the German border, it became the first Dutch city to be occupied by German forces. As you walk through the city, your guide will share stories that connect Nijmegen’s ancient past with its wartime experiences, including the devastating accidental bombing by Allied aircraft and the fierce fighting that took place during Operation Market Garden
This layered history gives Nijmegen a unique character, where Roman foundations, medieval streets, and wartime scars all coexist within the modern city.
The tour continues to Arnhem, internationally known for the daring Allied attempt to capture the Rhine bridge, later immortalised as the story of a “bridge too far”.
Here, you will explore the strategic locations connected to the battle and learn about the bravery of the soldiers involved. Your guide will explain why Arnhem was so crucial to the Allied advance and how the battle unfolded on the ground.
A visit to the Airborne Museum provides deeper insight into the events of Operation Market Garden. The museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts, personal stories, and interactive exhibits that bring the operation and its human impact to life.
This visit adds important context to the locations you explore throughout the tour.
You will also have the opportunity to visit the Canadian War Cemetery, where rows of white gravestones stand as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made during the liberation of the Netherlands.
If time allows, additional museums in the region can be considered, such as the Liberation Museum or the War Museum in Overloon. These visits are optional, and your guide will be happy to discuss the possibilities and tailor the itinerary to your interests.
This is a private tour and we shape the day around your interests and the time available, so we visit a selection of these places rather than all of them. Depending on what matters most to you, your guide may include:
Just tell us your priorities and your guide will build the route around them, at a relaxed pace, rather than trying to fit everything into one day.
Each September, Arnhem and Oosterbeek hold commemorations marking the anniversary of Operation Market Garden, including ceremonies at the Airborne War Cemetery. It is a moving and popular time to visit, so please book well ahead if you would like your tour to coincide with the events.
This tour is part of our World War II tours in the Netherlands.
Operation Market Garden was a major Allied airborne operation in September 1944 that aimed to capture a series of bridges across the Netherlands and open a route into Germany. It included the battle for the bridge at Arnhem, later known as A Bridge Too Far. Your guide explains how the operation unfolded across Nijmegen and Arnhem on the ground.
Yes. Arnhem’s road bridge, the objective made famous by the book and film A Bridge Too Far, is a central part of this tour, along with the wider story of the British, American and Polish airborne forces who fought here.
Yes. This is a full day private tour of around eight hours with door-to-door transport included. We collect you from your hotel in Amsterdam, from Rotterdam, or from the IJmuiden cruise port, and your guide builds a route through the key Market Garden sites in both cities, tailored to your interests and pace.
The tour typically includes the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek, the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem, the Airborne War Cemetery and the war cemeteries around Nijmegen and Groesbeek. Museum entrance is included and the exact route can be tailored.
Very much so. We often guide families researching a relative who served, and can build the day around a particular unit, action or memorial. Let us know in advance and we will prepare a meaningful route.
Yes. Whether your interest is the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem, the American 82nd and 101st around Nijmegen, or the Polish Brigade, your private guide can focus the day on the actions and sites that matter most to you.
Each September, Arnhem and Oosterbeek host commemorations marking the anniversary of Operation Market Garden, including ceremonies at the Airborne War Cemetery. It is a moving time to visit and we can plan a tour around the events, but please book early as it is a busy period.
Arnhem and Nijmegen are about 1 hour 15 minutes from Amsterdam by car. This full-day private day trip from Amsterdam covers the key sites of Operation Market Garden and the area’s Roman history, travelling door to door.
What Is Included in This Private Tour?
