2-Day WWII Normandy Tour from Paris: D-Day Landing Beaches, Bayeux and Colleville-sur-Mer

Day 1: Paris – Sainte-Mère-Église – Sainte-Marie-du-Mont – Pointe du Hoc – Bayeux (D)
Meet near the Ecole Militaire metro stop in central Paris in the morning. Hop aboard a climate-controlled minivan and begin the 4-hour drive north to Normandy. You'll first visit Sainte-Mère-Église, the first French village to be freed from the German invasion. Visit the Airborne Museum and then drive to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and Utah Beach, the code name for the westernmost landing beaches of the Allies. As General Theodore Roosevelt said about Utah Beach, “We’ll start the war from here!”.

Continue to Pointe du Hoc, a prominent cliff overlooking the English Channel that was the highest point between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. As you'll learn, the Germans fortified Pointe du Hoc with concrete casements and gun pits, and on D-Day the United States Army Ranger Assault Group successfully assaulted the area after scaling the cliffs.

After a long day of WWII sightseeing, head to your hotel in the city of Bayeux for check-in, dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight: Campanile Bayeux, or similar, in Bayeux

Day 2: Bayeux – Colleville-sur-Mer – Arromanches-les-Bains – Longues-sur-Mer – Paris (B)
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before spending your second day discovering more fascinating WWII sites with your guide. Leaving Bayeux behind, head to Colleville-sur-Mer to visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, with its stark white gravestones. A visit here is a truly moving experience.

Next, head to Omaha Beach, the principle landing site of American forces, before continuing to Arromanches-les-Bains. Browse historical exhibits at the Arromanches Museum and visit the remains of Port Winston, named after Winston Churchill (own expense) Your final stop on this tour is at Longues-sur-Mer, where you can see the impressive German artillery battery.

At the end of your WWII Normandy tour, board your minivan and relax on the drive back to Paris, arriving around 7pm.