- Paris
Start time: 07:00
Duration: 13h
Live guide: English
Join an official guide and dive into some important history on a full-day excursion from Paris to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. Visit Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc, where the American Rangers landed; pay your respects at the St. Lawrence American War Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer; stop at Arromanches to experience the 360° Circular Cinema; and visit Juno Beach.
Leaving from close to the Eiffel Tower, you'll soon be gazing through the coach windows at green fields and grazing cows in the stunning French countryside. Prepare for a trip to the landing beaches. Here's where the action happened when Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Western Europe, occurred during World War II.
The first stage of you tour will be to Omaha Beach. Stormed by the American Rangers on June 6, it was one of the strong points of the German fortifications on the Normandy coast, equipped at the time with a large number of heavy artillery pieces. Then, visit the famous St. Lawrence American War Cemetery located just above Omaha Beach in the town of Colleville-sur-Mer. This 70-hectare site – with 9,387 perfectly-aligned white marble headstones – honours the American soldiers who died during the Battle of Normandy in World War II and is one of 25 permanent U.S. burial sites abroad.
You'll also stop in Arromanches for lunch. This historic site, known for its artificial harbour that was installed as part of the Normandy landings, was used to unload 9,000 tons of material on D-Day. After eating, visit the Arromanches 360° Circular Cinema and enjoy an experience that will immerse you in the past.
Before you journey back, visit Juno Beach and its cemetery. You'll return to Paris around 20:00 with a greater understanding of how the country has moved on since the dark days of World War II.