NORMANDY

FULL DAY TOUR - DEPARTING FROM NORMANDY

Today your private guide will pick you up at your hotel around 9am and you will depart for a full day tour of the D-Day sites. It is a very interesting day and sometimes a moving one. On the 5th and 6th of June, 1944 three airborne divisions were dropped on the beaches of Normandy, while 5,000 ships, 135,000 men and nearly 20,000 vehicles approached the five landing beaches along a 50-mile stretch of coastline. From June 6th forward, history changed its course on the world political landscape.

Your first stop is at the most remarkable site, the remains of the astounding Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches also known as Port Winston. You will then continue on to Batterie de Longues where half a century later, mammoth German artillery still sit.

We continue to Omaha Beach, where the first assault wave landed, and to Colleville-sur-Mer and St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Here you’ll stand before the Normandy American Cemetery (the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II) and its beautiful Memorial. You’ll continue with a walk along the protected and spectacular Pointe de Hoc—the 100-foot-high cliffs rising vertically from the Channel between Utah and Omaha Beaches and scaled on June 8, 1944 by the intrepid U.S. Army Rangers who fearlessly took the German fortification as part of the famous Operation Overlord.

Our tour may also include a visit to Sainte-Mere-Eglise, hailed as one of the first towns to be liberated in France. It was made famous by the paratrooper John Steel and by the film The Longest Day.

Back to the hotel around 6pm.

NORMANDY FROM PARIS

FULL DAY TOUR - BY TRAIN OR BY CAR

Today your private guide will pick you up at your hotel around 8am and you will depart for a full day tour of the D-Day sites. It is a long day but a very interesting and moving one. On the 5th and 6th of June, 1944 three airborne divisions were dropped on the beaches of Normandy, while 5,000 ships, 135,000 men and nearly 20,000 vehicles approached the five landing beaches along a 50-mile stretch of coastline. From June 6th forward, history changed its course on the world political landscape.

Your first stop is at the most remarkable site, the remains of the astounding Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches also known as Port Winston. You will then continue on to Batterie de Longues where half a century later, mammoth German artillery still sit.

We continue to Omaha Beach, where the first assault wave landed, and to Colleville-sur-Mer and St. Laurent-sur-Mer. Here you’ll stand before the Normandy American Cemetery (the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II) and its beautiful Memorial. You’ll continue with a walk along the protected and spectacular Pointe de Hoc—the 100-foot-high cliffs rising vertically from the Channel between Utah and Omaha Beaches and scaled on June 8, 1944 by the intrepid U.S. Army Rangers who fearlessly took the German fortification as part of the famous Operation Overlord.

Back to the hotel around 8pm.

JEEP WILLIS TOUR

Enjoy a very fun and adventurous ride (2 or 3 hours) on a true former Jeep Willis that the soldiers used during the D-day events. The ride takes you to the sand dunes along the shore while discovering some of the D-Day sites.

SECRETS OF NORMANDY WITH ADRIENNE

This tour is all about culture, meeting local people, discover the traditions, get a feel of the region. NOT about History and WWII.

This very interesting and behind the scenes full day tour starts with a private visit of Adrienne's home which has been in restoration for the last six years. She will explain the entire history and highlight the architectural characteristics of the different eras. You will enjoy very much many anecdotes, original photos, and archives. You are invited not only to discover the major reception rooms and bedrooms but also learn about the ‘life in a chateaux in the 18th century. We explore the servants quarters in the attic, the four a pain (bread bakery) in the annexes, the horse stables, and cellars. The setting is bucolic: horses, free range chickens, medieval vegetable garden, and French boxwood rose garden.

Our visits continue throughout the local area: you will taste some Calvados at one of the best distilleries, visit a farm where tasty cheese is produced, enjoy lunch at a café in a small and finally visit a friend of the family who just acquire a 17th century manor.

Back to the hotel around 5:30pm.

FLOWERY COAST AND HONFLEUR

This morning you will enjoy a truly scenic drive along the Normandy coast toward Honfleur. Along the way you’ll enjoy beautiful shoreline views and discover the charms of little villages such as Cabourg, Trouville and Deauville. Our destination is Honfleur.

Hailed as one of the most charming towns in all of France, Honfleur is historic, charming and picturesque. Its position at the mouth of the Seine River makes it both a sea and river port and the hundreds of fishing boats and yachts that line the quay make for colorful photographic opportunities. Narrow streets in the Vieux Basson meander past slate- fronted houses and past 17th century salt warehouses which have been converted into art galleries. The Eglise St. Catherine, built entirely of wood, is fascinating to visit as is the Maison Satie, the home of beloved composer Erik Satie. You’ll enjoy lunch at one of our favorite Honfleur restaurants.

Honfleur is also surrounded by verdant pastures, where happy cows yield the perfect ingredients for fabulous cheeses. And the area’s apple orchards produce fruit that is world-famous for tarts and Calvados, the delicious apple brandy. After lunch, we may enjoy local cheese and Calvados tasting.

MONT St. MICHEL

Le Mont Saint Michel—a UNESCO World heritage Site—is a granite island about three quarters of a mile from the Normandy shore. The views of the “rock” and its 8th century monastery in the distance are, simply, magical. According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of nearby Avranches who built the first church on the rock and dedicated it to the saint. The current Abbey was completed in the 11th century. Visitors can explore the beautiful abbey, whose heaven-bound spire is crowned by a statue of St. Michael. Today, a causeway connects the island with the mainland.

We recommend lunch at the famous Mère Poulard restaurant where the fabulous omelets are unlike any you’ve ever tasted!

BAYEUX TAPESTRY MUSEUM

Bayeux is a very charming French town home to the British World War II cemetery. The Bayeux Tapestry Museum displays the world’s most famous woven wonder. In the 11th century, millions of wool threads attached to a linen canvas and covering an area 230 feet long by 19.5 inches wide, recreated the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. Viking ships, Norman and Saxon cavalries, and a host of legendary animals are all used to tell the heroic story. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage, the Bayeux Tapestry is listed as a “memory of the world.”

CAEN MEMORIAL PEACE MUSEUM

Memorial is a museum dedicated to peace, placing the events of D-Day into the context of World War II using a host of interactive and audiovisual techniques, including stunning compilations of archive and fictional film. A recent extension gives a wider perspective on cultural, religious, border and ecological conflicts in the second half of the 20th century.