3 days in Normandy, a thorough exploration of the "DDay" Landings area

En route to Normandy, Visit in Giverny the extraordinary gardens and the house with its colorful and intimate decor where Claude Monet, leader of the Impressionist School lived from 1883 to 1926.

See the painter's precious collection of Japanese prints and the famous Water-Lily pond.

Walking tour in the old town of Rouen, Capital of Upper Normandy with its gothic churches and half timbered houses and the old market square where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

Afternoon visit of the charming port in Honfleur on the Seine estuary, from where the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain and the founder of Louisiana, cavalier de la Salle set sail. It has inspired many famous painters such as Monet and his master Boudin and is considered as a cradle of the impressionism movement.

Drive along the coastal road to discover Trouville and Deauville, smart seaside resorts for the wealthy Parisians.

Accommodation near Bayeux.

Today we will take you for a guided tour of the Landing Beaches including Arromanches where can be seen the remains of a Mulberry harbor.

Built thanks to Churchill's vision within a few days after D. Day. This "temporary" port was used to disembark an army with all the men and supplies necessary to liberate Europe. It is one of the most extraordinary industrial and maritime achievement of the war.

On the way to Omaha beach, visit the site of the powerful German battery at Longues-sur-mer. In spite of the heavy bombing on the night before, the German 'pill boxes' and their 150 mm guns were still operational on the morning of 6 June and they began firing at the allied battleships.

Continue with Omaha Beach and the moving Normandy American cemetery where 9385 Carrara marble crosses stand aligned. A memorial, inscribed with a map of the operations stands in the central alley.
The name 'Omaha Beach' which until 6 June 1944 existed only as an operational code name, has continued to jointly designate the beaches of three villages, Colleville, Saint-Laurent and Vierville, in memory of the soldiers of the 1st American division who landed there and suffered the heaviest casualties on 'D.Day'. Drive and stop along the beach where your guide will show you some of the German bunkers and machine-gun nests.

One of the most impressive site in Normandy, is perhaps Pointe du Hoc where the 2nd battalions of specially trained Rangers under the command of colonel James Earl Rudder captured the position by assault at dawn on 6 June, scaling the cliffs with ropes and extendible ladders but not without heavy losses – 135 rangers out of 225 – but key action for the success of D.Day.

Sainte-Mère-Eglise: A dummy hangs from the church steeple as a reminder of private Steele's alarming experience, dropped over the area during the night of June 6th 1944, he was caught hanging from the steeple of the church by his parachute.

A parachute-shaped building houses the Airborne museum which contains mementoes of the first fighting on D.Day and a 'Waco glider'.

Accommodation near Bayeux.

See the Tapestry of Queen Mathilda in Bayeux, actually a 70 meters (230 feet) long work of embroidery retracing the epic of William the Conqueror's expedition to England in 1066 (battle of Hastings).

The work is the most accurate and lively document to survive from the Middle Ages and provides detailed information of the clothes, ships, arms and general lifestyle of the period.

Mont-Saint-Michel: The granite island, 80 meters high in the middle of a bay forms a monumental and picturesque sight with its village houses huddled close together and encircled by walls and on top, the old abbey founded in 708 with its gothic "Marvel". During equinoxes, watch the highest tides in Europe rising, according to a legend evoked by Victor Hugo, with the speed of a running horse.
Known as a Marvel of the Western World, the monument and its site are also now classified World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

Private guided tour of the abbey and enjoy free time on to explore the island, do some shopping and have lunch.

Return to Paris, end of our services.

Inclusions:
- Transportation from and back to Paris by minivan
- English speaking expert & fun licensed guide
- 2 overnight stays in a charming 4-star hotel,
- 2 breakfasts buffet,
- All the entrance fees to the monuments and museums mentioned in the program