3 day Normandy History & Culture D Day Live Guided Small Group15

3 days (ID: 167787)

Mercedes

Overview

Live-guided 3-day trip for max 15 people to the most desired sights of Normandy. You will learn not only 8 most significant sights of Omaha and Utah Beach but also French culture and nature like Claude Monet's house in Giverny, Etretat chalk cliffs and rocks of Pointe du Grouin, Medieval harbour town Honfleur and Oysters capital Cancale where Your can taste Fresh Oysters catch. Mont Saint-Michel visit will be the highlight of this trip.

This tour can be booked and customised for a CLOSED PARTY as well.

Just 4 to 6 couples and families are travelling together, easy communication, nice atmosphere. Our own comfortable air-conditioned Mercedes minibus. Live Guided during the whole trip by one of our skilled guides.

All entrance tickets included.

We stay 2 nights in a nice historical town Bayeux. You can reserve Your hotel yourself or purchase our Hotel package for 2 overnights in 3* or 4* hotels.

Itinerary

DAY 1. Sunday: Paris — Giverny Claude Monet— Etretat Chalk Cliffs — Honfleur harbour city— Bayeux

07:00 - 07:30 Boarding and Departure to Giverny

MEETING POINT N 1: 07:00am to 07:10am boarding at our Mercedes minibus at the OPERA GARNIER STEPS, it is a main facade of Opera building in front of Metro OPERA

MEETING POINT N 2: 07:20am to 07:30am boarding at our Mercedes minibus at the Arch de Triumph Etoile, first 10 meters of the avenue FRIEDLAND

07:30 Departure destination Giverny, the country home of Claude Monet. Our Guide will welcome You and give on the way general Information about the French history and Impressionism. It takes about 1,5 hour (70 km).

Important Notice: All entrance tickets and visits are included. Regarding Hotel accommodation you can reserve it Yourself or purchase our Hotel Package of a 3* or 4* star hotel in Bayeux for 2 overnights.

09:00 - 11:00 Giverny Claude Monet's house

09:00 - 11:00 Arrival in Giverny and visit to Claude Monet's historic house to admire the nature that inspired one of the most famous French painters and founder of Impressionism. Step into Claude Monet’s studio, where the magic of his artistic genius came to life, wander through the enchanting Norman flower gardens, marvel at the iconic water lilies in the picturesque Pond.

11:00 Departure to Etretat. It take about 2,5 hours (155 km)

13:30 - 16:00 Etretat. Lunch break and Walking to the famous Chalk cliffs

13:30 - 16:00 Arrival at Etretat. Walking to the beach & famous Chalk Cliffs. Free time for Lunch. You will enjoy breath taking views and relax.

Étretat is famous for its chalk cliffs, including three natural arches and the Needle, which rises 70 meters (230 ft) above the sea. Etretat was a popular spot in the past for impressionist artists including Claude Monet. Today it is a classical seaside resort nestled between two sets of Chalk cliffs. You can walk on the beach and climb for excellent views to both Chalk cliffs sets.

16:00 Departure to Honfleur. It take about 1 hour (45 km)

17:00 - 18:30 Walking tour Honfleur. Free time

17:00 - 18:30 Walking tour in Honfleur with its famous port. Honfleur - the main defensive port of Normandy of the XV century, transformed into a charming resort town with a picturesque Bay, much-loved by the artists of the XIX century. Honfleur was first mentioned in 1027, when it belonged to the Norman Duke Richard III.

The owners of the city changed several times during The Hundred Years War. In the XV century, there were French pirates - corsairs who ravaged the English coast. Later, in the XVII—XVIII centuries, the city became significantly rich in trade with the American colonies. After the port was closed, the city's economy declined and Honfleur became a suburb of Le Havre. Today it is one of the most known tourist cities in Normandy with 5,2 Million visitors a year.The walking city tour takes about 1 hour.

18:30 Departure to Bayeux. It take 1,5 hour (95 km).

20:00 Arrival in Bayeux. Hotel Accommodation.

20:00 Hotel accommodation in Bayeux according to the chosen option.

DAY 2. Monday: Bayeux — Utah Beach — Utah Beach Landing Museum — Sainte-Mere-Eglise — Airborne Museum — Pointe du Hoc — Normandy American Cemetery — Overlord Museum — Omaha Beach — German Gun Battery

07:30 Departure from Bayeux to Utah Beach

07:30 Departure from Bayeux to Utah Beach. It takes one hour (60 km).

08:30 - 09:00 Utah Beach and its Monuments

08:30 - 09:00 Arrival at Utah Beach. Free time for learning on Utah Beach. Utah Beach is the next to Omaha Beach and the westernmost of the Five Normandy D-Day Beaches containing nowadays many museums, memorials and monuments. Utah Beach was the first beach to be stormed by 23,000 American soldiers on 6 June 1944 in order to capture the town of Cherbourg and its deep water port.

Utah Beach casualties were relatively light with 197 (including 60 missing). The units that landed on Utah Beach include: 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, VII Corps, 4th Infantry Division, 90th Infantry Division, 4th Cavalry Regiment and 70th Tank Battalion.

Near the UTAH BEACH Landing Museum You can discover many important monuments. Normandy’s Utah Beach is wide and clear and make it easy to imagine the events of 1944. You can spend here some time strolling the beach, thinking about the events of WW2. In the same general area at the Landing Museum you’ll find a collection of monuments:

1. Higgins Boat Monument. On D-Day, Americans landed in amphibious crafts used for all ladings and known as Higgins Boats, named for its inventor.

2. U.S. Navy Monument, the only outside the US consisting of three figures meant to represent: leadership, sailors, and combat units. Inscribed on the base of this statue are the names of the American ships that participated in Operation Overlord.

3. 90th Infantry Division Monument. After landing on Utah Beach, the 90th continued inland through Northern France, then onto Belgium, the Ardennes and helped liberating the Nazi concentration camp at Flossenbürg in Bavaria.

09:00 - 10:15 Utah Beach Landing Museum visit

09:00 - 10:20 Utah Beach Landing Museum visit, created atop a former German bunker and having a big collection of historical artifacts, military vehicles and the original B26 bomber — one of only six left in existence.

10:20 Departure to Sainte-Mère-Église town and Airborne Museum. It takes just 25 minutes (13 km).

10:40 - 12:30 Airborne Museum visit

10:40 - 12:30 Arrival at Airborne museum. This visitors of Normandy favourite museum is dedicated to the U.S. paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The Airborne Museum comprises five separate buildings, two of which resemble open parachutes. Inside you’ll find an incredible collection of World War II aircraft and thanks to the touch pad You will experience the highlights of the Normandy landings.

The first WACO building of the Museum is dedicated to the gliders and presents the only copy of a WACO glider in France. You will join a dozen soldiers in the glider few moments before the take off. More than 500 gliders were deployed to carriy on About 4 400 soldiers, vehicles, ammunitions and other equipments.

The C-47 building with the original legendary C-47 aircraft sits proudly at the centre of a spectacular scenography made of deployed parachutes, suspended mannequins and realistic statues that question the visitor!

12:30 - 13:15 Lunch break in Sainte-Mère-Église

12:30 - 13:15 Lunch break in Sainte-Mère-Église in front of the Airborne Museum.

13:15 Departure to Pointe Du Hoc. It take 45minutes (40 lm)

14:00 - 14:45 Pointe du Hoc

14:00 - 14:45 Arrival at Pointe du Hoc, a prominent cliff between Utah and Omaha Beach. This point was important because it was the highest land between Omaha and Utah beaches and could thus fire upon both of them. The site was a gun battery, fortified with concrete casemates and gun pits, forming part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defences. Visiting the Pointe du Hoc You will learn about the 2nd Ranger battalion sacrifice to take this crucial gun battery on the cliffs of Omaha Beach on June 6th 1944. Many of the original fortifications and bunkers remain on the site and are open to the public, including the fire control casemate, on top of which there is a monument to the 2nd Ranger Battalion.
14:45 Departure to Normandy American Cemetery. It takes about 25 minutes (14 km).

15:10 - 16:10 Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer

15:10 - 16:10 Arrival and Visit of the Normandy American Cemetery & Visitor Center, located in Colleville-sur-Mer and overlooking Omaha Beach. It contains 9,387 U.S. soldiers, most of whom were killed during the Normandy Landings and the Wall of the Missed in Action with the names of 1,557 soldiers.
At Normandy American Cemetery you’ll see as well the semicircular memorial colonnade with the sculpture “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves” and large maps of military operations; and the most beautiful, idyllic spot on Planet Earth.

At the Visitors Center You will find a very nice small Museum with a lot of informations about Battle of Normandy.

16:10 Departure to the close located Overlord Museum.

16:15 - 17:00 Overlord Museum visit

16:15 - 17:00 Overlord Museum visit. Located just few hundred meters away from the Normandy American Cemetery this museum contains many WW2 artefacts and installations like tanks, weapons, guns, many military vehicles, V-1 missile, personal belongings and more. It gives You a personal feeling about D-Day.

16:45 Departure to Omaha Beach. It takes just 10 minutes (5 km).

17:00 - 17:30 Omaha Beach Signal Monument

17:00 - 17:30 Arrival at Omaha Beaches Signal Monument. Learn about the huge sacrifice made by the 34 000 men who landed here on D-Day. Omaha Beach is the most popular travellers destination of the D-Day Beaches.

17:30 Departure to German Gun Battery. I takes 30 minutes (17 km).

18:00 - 18:30 German Gun Battery

18:00 - 18:30 German Gun Battery.

18:30 Departure to Bayeux. It takes 20 minutes (10 rm).

19:00 Arrival in Bayeux

19:00 Arrival in Bayeux. Hotel accommodation in Bayeux according to the chosen option.

DAY 3. Tuesday: Bayeux — Mont Saint-Michel — Cancale Oysters Capital — Pointe du Grouin — Paris

07:30 Departure from Bayeux to Mont Saint-Michel

07:30 Departure from Bayeux to Mont Saint-Michel. There are 130 km to drive on a highway from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel. It takes 2 hours (120 km).

09:30 - 12:30 Mont Saint-Michel. Abbey visit

09:30 - 12:30 Arrival at Mont Saint-Michel. As a rule we manage to join the Guided visit organised by the Abbey itself. When ii is not possible we provide audio-guides for the Abbey's visit.
Our guide-driver bring you up the narrow streets of the medieval village toward the top to the Abbey. On the top of the Island, you can admire panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and bay. First settled by man in the year 709 it contains Medieval village & beautiful Abbey fortress dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. The construction of the Benedictine Abbey started in the 700’s and continued through the 1200s. It remains practically the same since the Middle Ages as it was the goal of pilgrims from all over the world. Mont Saint Michel remains the most visited site in France.
After the Abbey visit You'll have free time to enjoy Mont Saint-Michel city and time for Lunch.

12:30 Departure to Cancale. It takes 1 hour (45 km)

13:30 - 15:00 Lunch break in Cancale, Oysters Capital of France

13:30 - 15:00 Lunch break in in Cancale, Oysters Capital of France. You will visit the Oysters Market of Cancale where You can buy and eat Frech catch oysters size N 1, 2, 3 etc. Several restaurants along the embankment offer see food dishes for Lunch.
15:00 Departure to Pointe du Grouin. It takes 15 minutes (5 km).

15:15 - 16:00 Pointe du Grouin

15:15 - 16:00 Arrival at Pointe du Grouin which is located in Brittany. Pointe du Grouin is dominated by a Lighthouse offering a breathtaking view of the Normandy coast, the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and the coastline of the Emerald Coast.
16:00 Departure to Paris. It takes 5,5 hours (430 km). One stop at a rest area will be made.

21:30 Coming back to Paris

21:30 Coming back to Paris. Drop off at Arc de Triumph Etoile.

What's Included

Omaha Beach and Singal Monument, Overlord Museum
Normandy American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc Rangers Monument
Utah Beach Landing Museum, Stop at Utah Beach to see many D-Day Monuments
Airborne Museum visit, German Gun Battery visit
Mont Saint-Michel with entrance tickets to the Abbey and English guided tour
Claude Monet's Giverny House visit with tickets and guided tour
Honfleur walking tour, Etretat Chalk Cliffs walking
Oysters tasting in Cancale, Pointe du Grouin visit
Mercedes bus for max 15 passengers, Live-guided during the whole trip
All Fees and Taxes, Bottled Water

Exclusions

Hotel Accommodation package for 2 nights in Bayeux at hotels 3* EUR 185 or 4* EUR 255
Meals and Drinks, Gratitudes and Souvenirs