Normandy History

• Day 1: Travel via coach to Calais. Cross the channel. Carry on via coach and travel to Normandy.
• Day 2: After breakfast the group departs for the Pegasus Memorial & Bridge where the gliders of 6th Airborne Division landed during the night of 5th to 6th June 1944. The group then drive via Sword and Juno Beach to Saint Come-de-Fresne. From here there is a superb view over Gold Beach and the remains of the Mulberry Harbour. A visit to Arromanches 360 has been arranged where “The Price of Freedom” film is shown on 9 screens in a round theatre. Drive down or walk down into Arromanches and visit the Landings Museum in Arromanches.
• Day 3: After an early breakfast depart for Omaha Beach and visit the American Cemetery at Colleville-Saint-Laurent.  It is possible to walk down and along part of Omaha beach and up to the Cemetery.  From here drive to Pointe du Hoc, the scene of Colonel Rudder and his Rangers assault on D-Day. After lunch drive up to Saint-Mere-Eglise and visit the US Airborne Troops Museum and from there drive out to Utah Beach if there is time.
• Day 4: Drive to Bayeux and spend the morning in this delightful town, visiting the Bayeux Tapestry and Cathedral.  After lunch drive back to Caen to visit Le Memorial de Caen.  This museum not only recounts the build-up to World War Two and what happened during the war, but it also has a hall dedicated to Peace.  This visit including the Peace Gardens will take up the afternoon.  There may be time to drive into Caen itself.
• Day 5: Travel via coach to Calais. There is chance to visit the Merville Battery or Nausicaá National Sea Centre one of largest aquariums in Europe before you reach Calais for the channel crossing. Carry on via coach to your destination._‍

_{Battlefield and History Tours recommends the following}

• Arromanches 360-degree cinema: The Arromanches 360-degree cinema is situated on top of the Arromanches cliff tops, overlooking the artificial Mulberry harbour. This unique cinema features nine screens that display a mixture of original pictures of Normandy today and the D-Day Landings, with the show titled "The Price of Freedom."
• Pegasus Bridge Memorial: The Pegasus Bridge Memorial commemorates the first bridge liberated on the French mainland. It is dedicated to the 6th Airborne Division, which held the eastern flank of the Landing Beaches. The memorial includes a model glider and the original bridge and houses hundreds of artifacts.
• Musée du Débarquement: The Musée du Débarquement is in Arromanches, in front of the actual artificial 'Mulberry B' harbour. This museum is devoted to the remarkable technological achievement by the British, with two artificial ports (Mulberry A & B) prefabricated in England and towed across the channel to Arromanches. The museum features animated 3D scale models, photographs, and film archives.
• Pointe du Hoc: Pointe du Hoc was a strategic stronghold used by the Germans and was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The site is now open to the public, allowing visitors to explore the original fortifications still in place and the surrounding area covered with bomb craters. It is known for the heroic exploits of Colonel Rudder’s Rangers.
• The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer: serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the Americans who helped secure the future for Europe. This historical site contains 9,387 perfectly aligned white crosses, a memorial, and a chapel overlooking Omaha Beach.
• The Landing Beaches: offer a marked tour route that gives visitors a comprehensive view of the enormity of the invasion that led to the end of World War II.
• The Merville Battery Museum: was originally used as a coastal fortification and part of the German’s Atlantic wall. Now a museum, it allows visitors to explore the bunkers, each set with different items and stories. In casemate No. 1, the battery retraces the history of the operation carried out by the British 6th Airborne Division.
• The Caen Memorial Museum: was designed by architect Jacques Millet to commemorate WWII, D-Day, and the Battle of Normandy, as well as France during the occupation, the Cold War, and Peace. The museum houses exhibitions dedicated to the history of the twentieth century, with a focus on the fragility of peace during this time.
• The US Airborne Museum: at St Mere Eglise records the American airborne landings of the D-Day campaign in June 1944. It is known worldwide for the paratrooper and his parachute that became entangled in the church spire.‍

‍Other Visits and Excursions

• The Bayeux tapestry: The original embroidered tapestry was made in the 11th century and is nearly 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high.  It depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England, culminating in the Battle of Hastings.
• Mont-Saint-Michel: One of France’s most famous magical sights.  An island topped by a medieval monastery with a breath-taking bay, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major pilgrimage destination.  The location has long inspired and awed the imagination and its history is colourful.  Its history stretches back as far as 966 with the dukes of Normandy and French kings.

Other variations on numbers and duration available plus day trips available on Request.