Things to do in Lower Normandy

Meet your guide at Place de Québec and then begin your D-Day exploration adventure, retracing history as you uncover the day of June 6, 1944. The first stop is at the village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, the heart of the jump zone for the 82nd Airborne U.S. forces. Listen to stories of how paratroopers rained on the village, and how one of them famously got caught in the tower of the church. Visit Utah beach, the second location where American troops landed on D-Day. Pay a visit to the Utah Beach Museum and learn more about the fascinating history. Then, continue to Pointe du Hoc, a breathtaking cliff offering lunar landscapes and a magnificent viewpoint over the English Channel.  The site was built as a key point of the Atlantic Wall by the Germans because it was the highest point between the Omaha and Utah beaches and provided a great observation spot to notice any arrivals from the sea. Head to Omaha beach, where the deadliest landings of the day took place. From your guide, learn about the landings here and the soldiers who risked their lives. Your D-Day sightseeing tour of Normandy ends with a visit to the US military cemetery where you will have the chance to pay your respects and honor the soldiers of World War ll. 

Enjoy an unforgettable day trip from Paris, and visit the Normandy Landing Beaches, where the outcome of changed World War II and the future of Europe forever. Learn about the dramatic events of 6 June 1944, with round-trip minibus transfers from Paris. Drive through the Normandy countryside to discover some of the most significant sites of the campaign. During the day, go to Omaha Beach, see the German Bunkers, visit Operation Overlord Museum, and travel to Pointe du Hoc. Gaze in wonder at more than 10,000 white crosses that mark the fallen soldiers in the American Cemetery. Listen as your guide brings the battlefields to life, telling unique stories of the soldiers who fought and died to put an end to Hitler’s plans for Europe and the world.

Meet your guide at Place de Québec and then begin your D-Day exploration adventure, retracing history as you uncover the day of June 6, 1944. The first stop of the tour is Omaha beach, where the deadliest landings of the day took place. From your guide, learn about the landings here and the soldiers who risked their lives. After Omaha, visit the US military cemetery for the chance to pay respect and honor the soldiers of World War ll. The tour continues to Pointe du Hoc next, a breathtaking cliff offering lunar landscapes and a magnificent viewpoint over the English Channel. The site was built as a key point of the Atlantic Wall by the Germans because it was the highest point between the Omaha beach and provided a great observation spot to notice any arrivals from the sea. Tailor your half-day experience to your meet interest and schedule.

Spend the day visiting four locations over three and a half hours. Visit the Longue-sur-mer battery, typical of German coastal defense batteries. Built in September 1943 and comprising 4 casmates and a fire direction post. Arrive at Omaha Beach, known for by its code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Visit Gold Beach located between Port-en-Bessin on the west and La Rivière on the east. High cliffs at the western end of the zone meant that the landings took place on the flat section between Le Hamel and La Rivière, in the sectors code-named Jig and King.

Learn about the history of World War II and the D-Day events with a small group guided tour of key D-Day sites, along with admission to the unmissable Mémorial de Caen Museum. The tour consists of a self-guided visit of the Mémorial de Caen Museum and a guided tour of the D-Day key sites. You can spend as much time as you wish discovering the Mémorial de Caen on the same day as your D-Day guided tour or another day.  The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial which you can explore at your own pace. Here, go on an historical journey through the 20th century, discovering major events from the end of World War I to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The museum features an entire section devoted to D-Day, and is the only museum in Normandy to relate the intensity of the invasion and explain its preparation in both enemy camps. You'll get the chance to visit the Normandy landing beaches in the company of an expert guide from Le Mémorial de Caen. Travel by air-conditioned minivan to the key sites: the American Military Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc. This is a small group tour with a maximum of 7 passengers.

On June 6th, 1944 the largest seaborne invasion ever attempted in history took place. The Allied troops waged an extremely difficult attack on the German forces who were entrenched in bunkers along the coast of Normandy. More than 14,000 Canadian soldiers landed or parachuted into France on that day. Though the soldiers knew that they were fighting against the odds they carried on with courage and helped to win the battle for Normandy. During this insightful tour, you will take a guided journey through many of the historical landmarks that are pivotal to this moment in history. Take a walk on Juno Beach, just like the Canadian troops did in 1944, you can walk on the same sand they did on that very day. Whilst at Juno Beach, your guide will take you to see Juno Beach Center, the most comprehensive museum about the Canadian landings in Normandy. Visit the Canadian Cemetery in Beny-sur-Mer. There, stroll through the beautiful cemetery whilst paying your respects to the fallen Canadian soldiers. Also see "Hell's Corner," the furthest advance inland taken by Canadian troops on D-Day, 5-miles from the city of Caen. You'll also be able to see Abbey d'Ardenne, a HQ point for the nazis. Whether you’re a great admirer of military history or someone who is just curious about how the events really played out on D-Day, this tour will help you better appreciate the remarkable acts of courage that took place on Juno Beach. For they are well worth learning about and being remembered by all free folk today.

The Mont Saint Michel is an island off the coast of Normandy in the English Channel, and sees some of the biggest tides in Europe. The first church was built on the mount in 709 at the request of Archange Michael. The construction of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey as we know it today was finished in the 13th and 14th centuries. Those hundreds of years of architectural prowesses have left us with a magnificent monument, now referred as the “Wonder of the Western World” and deemed a UNESCO world heritage site. Travel with a friendly driver and professional English-speaking guide from Bayeux to the Mont Saint Michel, which you will access via shuttle across the bridge in accordance with local requirements. Head to the very top of the mount and enter the abbey. The history of its construction will be explained in detail, while you marvel at stunning views of the surrounding bay. After visiting the abbey, explore the town at your own pace and pick up some souvenirs for friends and family. Your guide will suggest some great restaurants for lunch, suitable for all budgets. At the end of the tour, your chauffeur will take you back to your original meeting point in Bayeux.

You will start the day at Omaha Beach where the 1st and 29th US infantry divisions landed. Our guides, with the help of maps and pictures, will explain to you all the details of “bloody Omaha”. From the layout of the German defenses to the plight of the first waves, we will share with you the stories of these brave GI’s who conquered the beach. Your guide will show you the American Cemetery behind Omaha beach. the resting place of more than 9,000 American servicemen and women. This sacred place, run by the American Battle Monuments Commission, is the most visited D-Day site in Normandy. You will discover the unique site of Pointe du Hoc. Follow the footsteps of the 2nd US Ranger Battalion led by the famous Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder who scaled the cliffs to destroy a German gun battery threatening the whole US landing operation. Bomb craters, bunkers, dugouts, come and see this outstanding battlefield. In the heart of the Airborne operation, you will visit the small town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise. It was the first town to be captured by the American paratroopers. One of them got stuck up on the church tower during that night. Your guide will share with you the details of this crucial operation and many stories of these brave men. The visit of the Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise is included in the tour, this museum is extremely well done and will provide you a great experience. At Utah Beach your guide will tell you how the 4th Infantry Division successfully breached the German defenses. The first wave was led by Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr who landed on that Beach at 6:30am. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor. Your guide will bring you to the church of Angoville-au-Plain. This site was used as an aid-station. Two young medics treated about 80 wounded soldiers for two days. Discover their heroic feat, a moving story about humanity and dedication on the battlefield. The best way to get an overview of the American involvement on D-Day with plenty of details given by our experienced guides.

Enter the Utah Beach D-Day Museum (Musée du Débarquement Utah Beach) at the site where the American troops landed on the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944 during one of the most important campaigns of World War II. Journey through the museum's 10 chronological sections independently and learn about the events, from the preparation in England to the success of the campaign in France. See a rich collection of items, equipment and vehicles, such as an authentic B26 bomber that relate the story of the campaign. Watch the film, "Victory in the Sand" as it recreates that crucial day, hour by hour. Build a better understanding of the strategic choice of the Normandy beach and the reasons for its military and technological success and significance. Honor the memories of the soldiers who fought for our freedom.

Explore some of the most important sights in Normandy – the remains of historic Allied landings that changed the course of the Second World War. The full-day tour from Paris will take you to the German battery of Longues sur Mer, part of the German's Atlantic Wall of defense. You will also stop at the American Cemetery in Colleville, for an emotional visit, where 9,386 soldiers now rest. In 2007 a new Visitor Center was created to commemorate the operations of the D-Day Landings, and you will have time to learn more about these dramatic events. Continue to Omaha Beach, where more bloody events took place, and spend some time contemplating those moments before you break for lunch. In the early afternoon, you will see the ruins of the Arromanches’ artificial harbor, built by the Allies in less than 15 days. Finally, continue along the coast past Gold Beach to Juno Beach, where you will get a guided tour of the remains of the Atlantic Wall, before your return to Paris.