D-Day American Beaches Tour: Omaha, Utah & Airborne Sites

Stand on the beaches where two US divisions landed, then follow the paratroopers inland

This full-day guided tour from Bayeux covers the American D-Day operation across four key sites: Omaha Beach and Utah Beach where seaborne troops landed, Pointe du Hoc where US Rangers scaled the cliffs, and Sainte-Mère-Église where paratroopers fought through the night of June 5. Your guide walks you through the German defenses, the first waves, and the stories of the men who fought there, ending at the Normandy American Cemetery where over 9,000 servicemen are buried. The tour runs 8.5 hours in a small group of no more than 8 people with an experienced, certified guide and air-conditioned minivan transport from central Bayeux.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Omaha Beach40m
2. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial1h
3. Pointe du Hoc1h
4. Sainte-Mère-Église2h

Explore American D-Day sites

• Drive 30 minutes to Omaha Beach
• Learn about 1st and 29th US infantry landings
• Visit Normandy American Cemetery
• Explore Pointe du Hoc battlefield
• Drive 30 minutes to Sainte-Mère-Eglise
• Visit Sainte-Mère-Eglise town and hear airborne stories
• Drive 20 minutes to Utah Beach
• Discover Utah Beach landing details
• Drive 15 minutes to Angoville-au-Plain
• Visit Angoville-au-Plain church aid-station
• Drive 35 minutes back to Bayeux

The experience

The day starts with a 30-minute drive from Bayeux to Omaha Beach, where the 1st and 29th US Infantry Divisions came ashore. Your guide uses maps and photographs to walk you through the German defenses and the brutal reality of the first waves: why the beach earned the name "bloody Omaha." You stand on the sand where those soldiers landed and hear the details of how they conquered it. Just behind the beach sits the Normandy American Cemetery, the resting place of more than 9,000 American servicemen and women. This is the most visited D-Day site in Normandy, and the guide will take you through it to pay respects to those who gave their lives.

After Omaha, a 30-minute drive takes you to Pointe du Hoc, where the 2nd US Ranger Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder scaled the cliffs to destroy a German gun battery that threatened the entire US landing operation. The bomb craters, bunkers and dugouts are still visible on the ground. From there, another 30 minutes brings you to Sainte-Mère-Église, the first town captured by American paratroopers. Your guide explains the airborne operation that dropped men into the Norman countryside on the night of June 5, including the story of the paratrooper who got stuck on the church tower. This is the heart of what the airborne soldiers faced.

A 20-minute drive takes you to Utah Beach, where the 4th Infantry Division landed. Your guide describes how Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. led the first wave ashore at 6:30am and was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions that day. The final stop is the church of Angoville-au-Plain, a 15-minute drive away, which served as an aid station where two young medics treated about 80 wounded soldiers over two days: a moving story about dedication on the battlefield. The return drive to Bayeux takes 35 minutes.

What’s included

• Experienced and certified guide leading the tour in English.
• round-trip transport from central Bayeux in an air-conditioned minivan.
• entry to all four sites (Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Utah Beach).
• access to the Normandy American Cemetery and the church of Angoville-au-Plain.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 16 May 2027

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by HQ Company Tour

Is this one for you?Small groups of no more than 8 people mean your guide can answer questions and move at a pace that lets the history sink in, rather than rushing through the sites with a bus full of tourists. The minivan also reaches the smaller villages and narrow roads around Sainte-Mère-Église and Angoville-au-Plain that larger tours cannot access.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly happened at Omaha Beach on D-Day?

Omaha Beach was where the 1st and 29th US Infantry Divisions landed on June 6, 1944. The German defenses were stronger than expected and the first waves faced brutal casualties, which is why it became known as "bloody Omaha." Your guide walks you through the layout of those defenses and explains how the soldiers overcame them.

Can I visit both the landing beaches on this tour?

Yes. The tour covers both Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, where different US divisions landed. Omaha is where the 1st and 29th Divisions came ashore, and Utah is where the 4th Infantry Division landed under Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The two beaches show different aspects of the American seaborne operation.

What is Sainte-Mère-Église and why is it important?

Sainte-Mère-Église was the first town captured by American paratroopers during the airborne operation on the night of June 5, 1944. It sits in the heart of the drop zone where thousands of paratroopers landed inland from the beaches. Your guide shares the details of this crucial operation and stories of the men who fought there, including the paratrooper who got stuck on the church tower.

Does the tour include the American Cemetery?

Yes. After Omaha Beach, your guide takes you to the Normandy American Cemetery, the resting place of more than 9,000 American servicemen and women. It is the most visited D-Day site in Normandy and a place to pay respects to those who died liberating Europe.

How long is the tour and what is the group size?

The tour runs 8.5 hours and travels in a small group of no more than 8 people in an air-conditioned minivan. Your guide is experienced and certified, and transport is included from central Bayeux with the return at the end of the day.