At War With Wellington: The Peninsular War

Location: Santander

We take the overnight ferry from Plymouth to Santander in Spain.

Accommodation: Overnight Ferry

Location: Salamanca

On arrival in Spain we travel down to our hotel in Salamanca for three nights, stopping at the Tordesillas battlefield from October 1812. On the first evening, we have a briefing from the Battlefield Guide on the history of the Peninsular War, along with an overview of the battlefields that will be visited on the tour.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Salamanca

Today, we visit the Salamanca Battlefield. Here, in July 1812, Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese Army defeated the French in a battle that cemented his reputation as a skilful commander. We have a full day exploring this important battlefield, offering a fascinating insight into the fighting which led to more than 13,000 French casualties. We also visit the Battle of Salamanca Museum.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Ciudad Rodrigo

This morning, we visit the Battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro, one of Wellington’s closest run and finest victories in May 1811. After lunch, we will walk the defences used in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, when Wellington’s men besieged the French garrison here. Walking the ramparts, our journey will end at the castle to get an impression of how formidable the defences were.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Badajoz

Departing Salamanca, we go to Badajoz for a look at the costly siege of this walled city. We see where the fighting took place in 1812, at the infamous Breach involving the men of the Forlorn Hope. Once the position was taken, Wellington stood on the walls and looked down at the losses and visibly wept. We continue to our hotel in Badajoz for two nights.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Elvas

Our destination is Albuera, where one of the bloodiest battles of the Peninsular War took place in May 1811. We walk the battlefield and see the ‘Fatal Hill’ as well as the monuments in the nearby town, and visit the Battle of Albuera Museum. We also travel to Elvas, to view the burials made in the British cemetery after the Battle of Albuera.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Talavera de la Reina

We spend the day on the battlefield at Talavera, where the battle took place in July 1809. It was here that Richard Sharpe took an Eagle from the French while serving in the Light Company of the fictional South Essex. We examine the real events of the engagement and tour the battlefield – visit the memorial sited on the slopes of the Cerro de Medellin Hill and study the landscape on which the principal fighting occurred, before travelling to our hotel in the Madrid or Toledo area, where we stay for two nights.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Toledo

We visit the temporary exhibition at the museum of the Spanish Army in Toledo.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Burgos

We head to northern Spain, looking at the British retreat from Burgos and then the Battle at Vittoria in June 1813. From here, we continue to Pamplona for our last night in Spain.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Location: Orthez

Departing Spain, we head into France, just as Wellington’s Army did in 1814. We visit the battlefield of Orthez where the fighting took place in February 1814, and then continue to the ground near Toulouse, where the city was captured by Wellington in April 1814. We stay overnight in Toulouse.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Toulouse

We travel from Toulouse to the Paris area for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3 or 4-star city-style hotels

Meals: Breakfast

Location: Paris

Return home.

Meals: Breakfast