Normandy D-Day Beaches

Few places in the world carry the weight of history as profoundly as the Normandy coastline. On 6 June 1944, the Allied invasion of occupied France began on these beaches — and the events of those extraordinary days shaped the course of the 20th century. This five-day break, led by a specialist battlefield guide for two full days, brings the story of D-Day to life in the very landscapes where it happened.

The British and Canadian sectors take in the landing beaches of Gold, Juno and Sword, the extraordinary engineering achievement of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches — one of the great feats of the war — and the military cemeteries that dot this landscape. The American sectors include the iconic Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, the extraordinary Pointe du Hoc (still scarred with bomb craters and German gun emplacements), and the American Cemetery above Omaha — a deeply moving and unforgettable experience.

The village of Sainte-Mère-Église, the first town liberated in France on D-Day, is also included along with the Airborne sector and selected battlefield museums. The spectacular Mont-Saint-Michel — one of France's most iconic landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — lies further west, around a two-hour drive from Caen, so it is not part of this itinerary.