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Full-Day American D-Day Tour (Utah And Omaha Sectors)
  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Battlefield

  • Duration

    1 Day

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English, German

Description

On this full-day tour of the American landing sectors on D-Day, you will visit the essential American D-Day sites: Sainte-Mère-Église, Utah Beach, La Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the Normandy American Cemetery. Along the way and on-site, you will hear how the most significant military operation was planned and prepared, what units were involved, their objectives, and how victory was achieved.

Highlights
  • Sainte-Mère-Église
  • Utah Beach
  • La Pointe du Hoc
  • Omaha Beach
  • Normandy American Cemetery
  • American D-Day Tour (Utah and Omaha Sectors) expand_more

    We will visit the essential American D-Day sites: 

    • Sainte-Mére-Èglise: On D-Day, capturing and holding the town became a primary objective of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The town, with a population of 1,200, strategically situated on the main N13 highway to Cherbourg and only a few miles away from the coast was a central transportation hub on the Cotentin Peninsula; no fewer than five roads ran through it, and the German telephone line along the French coast also passed through it. During a visit to the famous church and square, you will learn about the unfortunate paratroopers dropped over SME (including the famous story of John Steele) and the fierce fighting between the German garrison and the American paratroopers.
    • Utah Beach: Utah Beach was one of two US landing sectors on D-Day. Here the 4th Infantry Division landed and suffered the lowest number of casualties of all units landing on D-Day. Brigadier General Theodor Roosevelt, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous action on D-Day at Utah Beach, which set the stage for the rapid advance inland. You will hear about the factors that made the landing at Utah Beach such a success. We will visit the beach and several impressive monuments where you can pay tribute to the American units that made D-Day a great victory here on Utah Beach. 
    • Pointe du Hoc: The Germans had deployed an artillery battery on this peninsula that threatened Utah and Omaha Beach landings. Had the guns remained intact, they could have wreaked havoc among the landing forces, so they had to be eliminated at all costs. Despite significant problems in the approach, 220 men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder scaled the cliffs and neutralized the guns. You will see the vast bomb craters and the cliffs the Rangers scaled, and you will stand on top of German bunkers for a spectacular view of the coast. You will hear what happened on D-Day and in the days that followed and how this daring force of US Army Rangers came close to destruction before reinforcements finally arrived.
    • Omaha Beach: Omaha Beach, one of the two American landing beaches, is probably the best known but the most infamous of the five. Here, the 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions were on the verge of defeat, suffering the highest casualties of any Allied force landing on D-Day. At Omaha Beach, we begin our tour in the Dog Green subsector, the area depicted in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan". You will visit significant memorials and German bunkers, one of which still houses its deadly anti-tank gun. You'll learn why so many young Americans had to pay the ultimate price on the morning of D-Day and how, despite the initial chaos, leadership, bravery, and determination led to ultimate success. We will then visit several German resistance nests to learn more about the landing from the German perspective. Here, you will see impressive monuments, large gun casemates, and the position from which the most notorious German machine gunner fired more than 12,000 rounds on D-Day.
    • Normandy American Cemetery: The Normandy American Cemetery is the final resting place of 9,387 American service personnel, their white marble headstones are a stark reminder that freedom isn't free. The guide will take you to some notable graves, and you will have time to pay your respects to the women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of Europe. Our tour will end with witnessing the lowering of the Stars and Stripes and listening to "Taps", a bugle call in honour of the fallen. A very evocative moment that you will never forget.
What's Included
  • Private tour of the American D-Day landing beaches (Utah and Omaha) lasting from 09:00 a.m. until 05:30 p.m.
What's Excluded
  • The cost for the client's lunch, beverages, and food must be paid by the client
What to bring
  • Normandy is green for a reason: it rains frequently. The weather-resistant outer gear is, therefore, essential. Wearing layers can help one adjust quickly to changing weather conditions. Sturdy footwear is recommended when we leave the beaten tracks. Bringing compact umbrellas can be useful if it is not too windy. On fine days with clear visibility, binoculars can add immensely to the experience.
Know before you go
  • A private tour provides you with the best experience and highest satisfaction. All our tour itineraries are suggestions that can be adapted to your needs and interests. By prior arrangement, we are extremely flexible as far as time and distance allow.
  • The guide is only offering "step-on tours" where he will join you in your car. This means you drive, and he will navigate while providing more general information about the Battle of Normandy between stops.
  • What we think makes us unique is providing you with a free personalized e-book version of our popular guidebook to the D-Day landing beaches after your tour with us. 
  • During your tour, the guide will take photos of you standing in front of monuments, bunkers, and other memorable landmarks. These photos are then incorporated into your personal e-book copy of the guidebook and made available for download on the same day you join us on tour. 
  • The personalized e-book will help you remember what you saw and heard, and you will no longer have to worry that all your impressions will blur at the end of a long day. The personalized e-book will also be the perfect souvenir to show to your friends and family back home. And it's all included in the regular tour price! 
  • We want you to spend with us an unforgettable day on the landing beaches and battlefields of Normandy. We offer high quality and excellent value for money; your total satisfaction at the end of a long and interesting day is at the heart of everything we do. 
  • Please note: Since the tour is conducted in your (rental) vehicle, it is up to you to make sure you have all the necessary car insurance that is normally offered when renting a car. Please also make sure that you have Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) that covers accidental death and emergency medical expense benefits to the renter and all passengers (including your guide) in the rental car. 
  • The guide is afraid that he cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or injury to persons or property during a tour.
Meeting Point

The guide starts most of his tours in Bayeux, which is situated in the centre of the landing beaches. It is a very popular place to stay with hotels and restaurants of every category and price range. But we can also meet in other places like Caen, Formigny, Carentan or Sainte-Mére-Èglise.

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 50% of the tour price.
Price Details
The group size and price
1 To 4EUR 350 Per Group

This is a private tour

Starting From

Fromss

see details
USD 388 / group