Full-Day Canadian Battlefields and Sites of Normandy Tour

Highlights

  • Meet your guide at Bayeux train station or Place de Quebec, or your Bayeux hotel, and settle inside your comfortable, air-conditioned minivan with a group of eight travelers or fewer. Then, drive to the Normandy coast as your guide shares background on the Allied D-Day landings of June 6, 1944. Few people know about the huge sacrifice made by Canadians as they held positions west of Caen and halted counter-attacks by the German 12th SS Panzer division. While many have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, most don’t know the numbers of Canadian soldiers buried in Normandy as a result of the two months of fighting that occurred here during the summer of 1944. Stop at Juno Beach, where Canadian assault troops first stormed ashore in the face of fierce attacks from German strongholds. The Canadians suffered the second-highest number of casualties here, with the Americans losing the most at Omaha Beach. Hear how the soldiers swept through heavy machine gun fire, and visit different sections of the sands from St. Aubin sur Mer to Graye sur Mer, where the 3rd infantry division landed. Next, visit the Juno Beach Centre, a museum dedicated to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives in the war, including the 359 on D-Day, and 5,500 during the Battle for Normandy. Chart the story of these Canadians through the photos, archives, first-hand accounts, and artifacts, and see the excavated German bunkers on the beach. Pay your respects at the Canadian War Cemetery and then track the route of the 9th Brigade advance on June 7 to the Abbey d'Ardenne and the capture of Caen and Carpiquet. Lastly, stop to take in the monuments commemorating the bloody battles of Hill 67, just south of Caen. Your comprehensive tour then concludes with a drop-off at the original starting point.

Summary

Meet your guide at Bayeux train station or Place de Quebec, or your Bayeux hotel, and settle inside your comfortable, air-conditioned minivan with a group of eight travelers or fewer. Then, drive to the Normandy coast as your guide shares background on the Allied D-Day landings of June 6, 1944. Few people know about the huge sacrifice made by Canadians as they held positions west of Caen and halted counter-attacks by the German 12th SS Panzer division. While many have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, most don’t know the numbers of Canadian soldiers buried in Normandy as a result of the two months of fighting that occurred here during the summer of 1944. Stop at Juno Beach, where Canadian assault troops first stormed ashore in the face of fierce attacks from German strongholds. The Canadians suffered the second-highest number of casualties here, with the Americans losing the most at Omaha Beach. Hear how the soldiers swept through heavy machine gun fire, and visit different sections of the sands from St. Aubin sur Mer to Graye sur Mer, where the 3rd infantry division landed. Next, visit the Juno Beach Centre, a museum dedicated to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives in the war, including the 359 on D-Day, and 5,500 during the Battle for Normandy. Chart the story of these Canadians through the photos, archives, first-hand accounts, and artifacts, and see the excavated German bunkers on the beach. Pay your respects at the Canadian War Cemetery and then track the route of the 9th Brigade advance on June 7 to the Abbey d'Ardenne and the capture of Caen and Carpiquet. Lastly, stop to take in the monuments commemorating the bloody battles of Hill 67, just south of Caen. Your comprehensive tour then concludes with a drop-off at the original starting point.

Tour info

Duration
8 hours
Group Size
Pricing (From)
Commentary
Meeting Point
Dropoff location

Why take this tour?

This battlefield and site tour leaves Bayeux at 8:30am with your English/French-speaking guide. The caravelle (mini bus) carries up to 8 passengers. The itinerary for this tour includes stops at Juno Beach Center, Canadian Underground Bunkers, Bernieres and Saint Aubin, Canadian Cemetery, Hell's Corner, the Abbey d'Ardenne, Carpiquet, Caen.

What’s included?

  • Fuel surcharge

  • Driver/guide

  • Professional guide

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (from Bayeux only)

  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan

  • Juno Beach Center entrance

  • Entry/Admission - Juno Beach Centre

  • Entry/Admission - Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery

  • Entry/Admission - Abbey d’Ardenne

  • Entry/Admission - Saint-Manvieu-Norrey

  • Lunch

Things to know

Before you book

  • Duration: 8h

  • Mobile tickets accepted

Covid Policy

  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Cancellation Policy

    If you cancel at least 7 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.

Operated by:

Normandy Sightseeing Tours

About operator:

Focus on US battle sites in Normandy and hear the full story behind the World War II D-Day landings in one full day with this tour from Bayeux. There’s no worry about transportation as you journey to the American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, and other important sights by minivan, and learn details about each site in a personalized, small-group atmosphere. Several departure times and pickup from select locations adds ease.

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