Band of Brothers tour in Bastogne — in the footsteps of Easy Company
A Band of Brothers tour in Bastogne follows Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, through the winter of 1944–45. It is the part of the story most people know from the HBO series and from Stephen E. Ambrose’s book: the foxholes in the Bois Jacques, the cold, the shelling, and the attack across the open field at Foy in January 1945.
The foxhole lines are still visible in the woods. The field at Foy has barely changed. This tour takes you to both, and to the places in between where the men of Easy Company lived, fought and died.
Every tour is private. You choose the pace, and the day is built around the men and the moments that matter to you.
What the Band of Brothers tour covers
The route circles Bastogne and follows the order in which things happened.
The walk into Bastogne. The 101st was ordered to move to Bastogne by truck; the last stretch the paratroopers walked. We go over where the 506th took up position on arrival.
The first patrol. Near Luzery stands the second regimental command post of the 506th, set up by Colonel Robert Sink on 25 December 1944. Using aerial photographs taken on Christmas Day 1944, we follow the first movements of Easy Company, visit the Easy Company memorial and walk the route of the first patrol by 1st Platoon — the patrol in which John Julian was killed. This is also where the story of Corporal Donald Hoobler is told.
Jack’s Wood — the Bois Jacques. Richard Winters’ command post, and the Easy Company line looking out over Foy. You stand where the men were dug in from 20 December 1944 until 4 January 1945, including the position of Smokey Gordon’s machine gun.
Bois Champay. The 3rd Battalion aid station of medic Barney Ryan and the command post of Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Patch, and the assembly area for the attack on Foy.
Foy. The 13 January 1945 attack, seen from three angles: Lieutenant Dike’s leadership, Doc Roe’s runs across the field, Shifty’s window, and Speirs’ run through the German line — and the question of whether it happened the way the series shows it.
Noville and Rachamps. Easy Company’s part in taking both villages, Lipton’s battlefield promotion, and the memorial tree planted by Babe Heffron and Wild Bill Guarnere together with the children of the village.
A Band of Brothers guide who served in the airborne
I served as First Sergeant in the Belgian Army Airborne, 1st Para Battalion, and I am an official and permitted guide at the Battle of the Bulge sites in Bastogne. When I explain why a platoon was placed on a particular edge of a wood, or what the ground in front of Foy meant to a man about to cross it, I am reading terrain the way I was trained to read it.
Historical photographs of each position are shown on the spot, so you see the same tree line in 1944 and today. Guests regularly ask to watch the scene from the series where it was set — that can be done too. More about my background is on the page about hiring a private WWI battlefield guide.
Easy Company graves at the Luxembourg American Cemetery
Five men of Easy Company rest at the Luxembourg American Cemetery: Patrick Neill, Kenneth Webb, John Julian, Warren “Skip” Muck and Alex Penkala. General George S. Patton is buried in the same cemetery. The visit can be added to the Bastogne day, or made part of a Patton tour through Luxembourg. The cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, whose records list every soldier buried or commemorated there.
Easy Company beyond Bastogne
Easy Company’s war did not start in the Ardennes. The men jumped into Normandy on D-Day and into Holland in September 1944. Both campaigns can be followed as tours from here: Normandy D-Day tours and the Operation Market Garden tour. For the wider battle around Bastogne — the northern shoulder, Kampfgruppe Peiper and Patton’s relief — see the Battle of the Bulge tour.
How the Band of Brothers tour day runs
The day lasts roughly eight to ten hours. Pickup is from your hotel, a train station or the airport in Brussels, usually around 08:30 — or at a time that suits your arrival. Transport is included in my own vehicle; larger parties travel by coach with a licensed professional driver.
The full stop-by-stop route is on the Bastogne 360 day tour page. If one day is not enough, the tour can be extended to two days to take in more of the Ardennes. How a day is priced is set out under battlefield tour prices in Belgium.
Call +32 497 645 645 or email peter@battlefields1.com with your dates and the size of your group.
How a battlefield tour is arranged
Tell me your dates, how many of you are travelling, and what you would like the day to cover. You receive a clear quote in advance with no hidden fees, and the itinerary before you travel. Payment is due before the tour starts. The full basis for pricing is on the page about battlefield tour prices.
Band of Brothers tour — common questions
Do I need to have seen the series?
No. Most guests have, and scenes can be shown on site, but the tour stands on the history, not the television.
Can the tour start in Brussels?
Yes. Pickup is from your hotel, the station or the airport.
How much walking is there?
Short walks on forest paths and field edges. Jack’s Wood can be muddy in winter, so bring sturdy shoes. Mention any mobility limits when booking and the route is adjusted.
Can Normandy and Bastogne be combined?
Yes, as separate days. Normandy is a long drive from the Ardennes and deserves at least a full day of its own.
Can a specific Easy Company veteran be followed?
Yes. Send the name in advance and the day is built around where he served.