Battle of Normandy DDAY Tours

During this tour you will be introduced to an overview of the American landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Omaha Beach : we will present the terrain, the objectives, and the reality of the landings of the 29th and the 1st US Infantry Divisions, maps and pictures will make history come alive as you see the sacred grounds where it all happened.

The Normandy American Cemetery : overlooking Omaha Beach, 172 acres of land where over 9000 Americans rest and are honored every year by thousands of visitors.

Pointe du Hoc : discover the famous cliffs where the 2nd Battalion of Rangers accomplished the impossible, a battlefield where the scars of the war are still visible.

Utah Beach : as with Omaha Beach, a full presentation of the situation at Utah Beach will be explained in details, and you will understand how and why the paratroopers were a strategic element in the landings of the 4th US Infantry Division.

Sainte-Mère-Eglise : made famous in the 1962 movie The Longest Day, find out the real history of the first town liberated by the Americans on DDay. Highly symbolic for both the Allies and the French, it is also the perfect place to tell you about the French perspective. A complete presentation of the Airborne operations will also be explained.

As we drive from Utah to Sainte-Mère-Eglise, discover the terrain, the bocage and its hedgerows, why and how they happened to be centuries ago, how they impacted the movement of the American troops. Find out about the marshlands, visualize the different drop zones and landing zones, and find out about the strategic importance of the paratroopers.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary according to the time of the year, the time of the tides, and any other factor that could impact the tour. The sites remain the same.

This tour focuses on the 101st Airborne Division jumps, landings and objectives in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Sainte-Mère-Eglise : made famous in the 1962 movie The Longest Day, find out the real history of the first town liberated by the Americans on DDay. Highly symbolic for both the Allies and the French, it is also the perfect place to tell you about the French perspective. A complete presentation of the Airborne operations will also be explained. Also the landing place of Dick Winters and a few other men of Easy Co.

Beuzeville au Plain : a monument commemorates the crash of the C47 that was transporting Lt. Meehan, commander of Easy Company. Listen to Meehan's last words to his wife in a moving letter.

Marmion Farm : an interesting farm, right off the coast north of Utah exit 4, where a daring attack of a handful of paratroopers took place. Some of the most famous and earliest photos of the paratroopers were taken there.

Brecourt Manor : made famous in episode 2 of Band of Brothers, the strategy developped by Dick Winters will be presented along with maps.

As we drive through the countryside, discover the terrain, the bocage and its hedgerows, why and how they happened to be centuries ago, how they impacted the movement of the American troops. Find out about the marshlands, visualize the different drop zones and landing zones, and find out about the strategic importance of the paratroopers.

Utah Beach : as with Omaha Beach, a full presentation of the situation at Utah Beach will be explained in details, and you will understand how and why the paratroopers were a strategic element in the landings of the 4th US Infantry Division.

Sainte Marie du Mont : of crucial importance on DDay, this village rests half way between Utah Beach and the N13. Learn of its liberation and understand its tactical significance. This is were Easy Co. spent their first night.

Angoville au Plain : a small church on Drop Zone D where two medics of the 101st AB tended to the wounded, regardless of the side they were fighting for. A haven of mercy in the midst of the battle.

Carentan : a more complex operation that required the whole division to be completed over the course of a week. We will make our way along Purple Heart Lane and finish in the town center while stopping several times to allow you to understand the stakes and actions.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary slightly. The sites remain the same. Time permits, we will add more sites to this tour.

A full-day tour of the British and Canadian Landings.

Arromanches - Port Winston : west of Gold Beach, Arromanches is more than the beautiful sea-side town it appears to be. It was chosen by the Allies to become one of the two artificial harbors built to solve the crucial problem of having the supplies brought to Normandy after DDay.

Gold Beach : leaving Arromanches we will drive through Asnelles onto Ver S/Mer. Understand the landings of the British 50th Infantry Division whose objective was Bayeux.

Juno Beach : a slow drive will take you through all the sectors of the Canadian landings and our stop will be in Bernières S/Mer for a full presentation.

Sword Beach : as we navigate from Hermanville to Ouistreham, the whole picture of the landings at Sword Beach will unfold, our stop will be in Colleville-Montgomery.

Pegasus Bridge : east of Sword Beach, two bridges on the Canal de Caen and the Orne River were of supreme importance for the British 6th Airborne Division. Our stop at Pegasus Bridge will reveal what happened that night.

Ranville War Cemetery : we will visit the local churchyard of Ranville and the Commonwealth Cemetery with 2,235 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 97 of them unidentified. There are also 330 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary. The sites remain the same.

After a presentation of the Atlantik Wall and Mulberry B, embark for a full-day Canadian tour.

Longues S/Mer : located between Omaha Beach and Gold Beach, this German coastal battery was a real threat for the Allies. It is now a unique place as it's the only site where you will be able to see the original German bunkers with their guns still present.

Arromanches - Port Winston : west of Gold Beach, Arromanches is more than the beautiful sea-side town it appears to be. It was chosen by the Allies to become one of the two artificial harbors built to solve the crucial problem of having the supplies brought to Normandy after DDay.

Juno Beach - Graye & Courseulles S/Mer : explore the western part of Juno Beach where the 7th Brigade was to take Mike sector.

Juno Beach - Bernières S/Mer & St Aubin : a lenghty stop in Bernières will allow you to comprehend the Canadian landings of the 8th and 9th Brigades. The objectives of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division were to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airportwest of Caen, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.

Canadian Cemetery Bény/Reviers : Overlooking Juno Beach, the cemetery contains 2,048 Second World War burials, the majority Canadian and 19 of them unidentified.

Drive through Hell's Corner, Villons les Buissons, Authie : between the 7th of June and the 9th of July, Canadians and Germans will face terrible casualties. Learn their story.

Abbaye d'Ardenne : On the 7th of June, 1944, SS Panzergrenadierregiment headquarters, led by the SS SS and Kart Meyer belonging to the 12th SS Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend counterattack towards the beaches and settled in the abbey in order to take advantage of the point of view offered by constructions. 27 Canadian prisoners were executed at this location. This was part of a series of scattered killings during which up to 156 Canadian prisoners of war were murdered by soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division during the Battle of Normandy.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary. The sites remain the same.