Home > Bayeux > Private Tour: Normandy Landing Beaches, Battlefields, Museums and Cemeteries from Bayeux
USD $98.00
Private Tour: Normandy Landing Beaches, Battlefields, Museums and Cemeteries from Bayeux
Bayeux, France
Take a private tour from Bayeux to Normandy, where you’ll relive the events of the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944 – more famously known as D-Day. You can personalize this private tour and determine how long you spend at the various WWII sites. Your private guide will give you unique insight into the events that took place on the landing beaches and battlefields of Normandy and tell you about the British, American, Canadian and French troops. You can also visit the cemeteries and museums.
During the nights of June 5 and 6, 1944, more than 16,000 paratroopers landed in Normandy, in northwestern France, and began the D-Day invasion of World War Two. Soon after, British, American, French and Canadian troops landed on various beaches on the Normandy coast and engaged in heavy fighting over the following days, which eventually led to the end of the European part of WWII.
This flexible private tour from Bayeux allows you to personalize your own itinerary – see what you want for however long you want! Visit the famous landing beaches, like Utah Beach (the first beach secured by the Allies) and Omaha Beach (where some of the heaviest fighting took place, giving it the nickname Bloody Omaha). You can also visit the Airborne Museum of Saint-Mere-Eglise or the American Cemetery, on the eastern end of Omaha Beach, which commemorates the US soldiers who died in this battle. This expansive space of reflection is the final resting place of 9,387 soldiers.
Or maybe you’d prefer to see Sword Beach, where the British, along with Free French soldiers, began their invasion of Normandy and quickly moved to capture Pegasus Bridge. You can also visit the Hillman Bunker Complex, outside the village of Colleville-Montgomery; the Merville Battery Museum; or the Commonwealth Military Cemeteries, where messages and epitaphs bear testament to the lives lost during the Normandy invasion.
If you’re interested in the Canadian participation around Juno Beach, visit the Juno Beach Center and the Canadian Cemetery near the villages of Veny-sur-Mer and Reviers. You can also choose to see the 12th-century Ardenne Abbey, initially the main point of French resistance and the site where 11 Canadian prisoners of war were executed.
However you choose to customize your private tour, you are sure to have a fascinating and interesting day at the D Day sites of Normandy.
Anne-Sophie was our guide for the day. She was both knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. A resident of the area she had a deep knowledge and a family connection. She took time to explain each monument, let us explore, and fall in love with the area.
Review by: elizavon, July 2018
The Viator tour guide, Matthew, did a great job. He was extremely knowledgeable and very well prepared for all of our questions. He arrived shortly before 9 a.m. at our hotel with a van large enough for seven of us with all of our luggage. We spent almost eight hours with him and he dropped us at the train station with plenty of time to catch our train. Everyone agreed he was a very good tour guide. He was even able to find a grave at Normandy for one of our group who had a friend ask about the possibility. I would rate Matthew a TEN as the experience was wonderful.
Review by: Jo Ann P, December 2017
Our tour and guide I think his name was Olivier were absolutely amazing! Definitely worth the extra money to do it in a small group. We covered so much and learned a great deal! A
Review by: lynn.knowles, November 2017
I will have to say I would give this tour 10 stars if I could. After 30 days in Europe and 8 different tours, this tour was the BEST! What a day of history, learning and a moving experience. This tour was so worth the money that we spent. Adrain was wonderful and so knowledgeable and committed. Loved every minute of this day!
Review by: NORMAN B, October 2017
5 STARS...Philip was the perfect combination of local resident, historical guide, and pointedly direct repartee. It was refreshing to meet someone as devoted to the human condition as he was to his work. If you like engaging conversation and humor, he's the guy. Learned an incredible amount while staying entertained. Great day.
Review by: Julie B, June 2017
Our guide, Antoine, was amazing. So knowledgeable. He picked us 7 of us up from the train station at 9am and we toured until about 5pm. Didn't want to leave. Hope to go back to Normandy and will definately request him again.
Review by: George G, October 2016
Our guide was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and very personable. A great day.
Review by: Pamela F, June 2016
It was great. Kate was a very knowledgable guide and provided excellent service. Her passion in her profession and about the area in which she specializes was second to none.
Review by: Alison H, December 2015
This was quite the most amazing trip I have ever done..so pleased a that I booked it. We took our American friends to Normandy as a 50th wedding anniversary treat..and I booked this day as the highlight of the 4 day trip. It could not have been better..we were picked up from our hotel by our guide Phillip who was the best..very comfortable people mover and he worked so hard to give us a day to remember..he planned our day round places and things we asked to see and added so much more into the mix . I hadn't realised just how big the area was to cover but he did it and kept us enthralled all day with the history and stories. One of our group had mobility issues and Phillip was so respectful and helpful..finding the best places to park and knowing how much of a particular activity that he would be able to manage...excellent. Point du Hoc was probably the most moving and difficult to traverse..the German battery was in redible to see and hear about and the weather joined in to give us a real feel for what it might have been like for our brave troops..Phillip had a wealth of knowledge and a good British sense of humour which went down well with us all..he was good company and excellent at his job..but it didn't seem like a job..he was delightful and took us to a restaurant for lunch that we would never have found ourselves...so many things we did that day we wouldn't have seen or even thought of seeing if we hadn't been on this trip. The German cemetery was one of them..we wouldn't give but for Phillip and I am so glad that we did..a very sombre place but essential to look at the other side too....very moving._br/_ We wanted to find some personal graves too and Phillip sourced those for us making the whole thing much easier...I seriously would have booked another day if I had known just how good this would be...don't hesitate..it is excellent value to have such a personal experience and it is one the 4 of us will ever forget...thank you
Review by: Nancy M, November 2015
Our guide was wonderful. His english was perfect and his knowledge of the events leading up to and during the Normandy Invasion was superb! We were out site seeing all day and it wasn't enough. We could easily have had another day or two with him. Thank you!
Review by: Judy H, October 2015
Our private tour of the Normancy Landing Beaches was an incredibly special day. We truly appreciated Ann-Sophia researching information pertaining to our family about D-Day and incorporating that into our tour. She was incredibly knowledgeable and brought the WWII history to life for us. Her itinerary for the day could not have been better planned out. Truly an emotional and special day that we will always have in our memories. Booking the tour and connecting with Ann-Sophia the morning of our tour could not have been easier. Thank-you for a memorable day Ann-Sophia!!
Review by: Charles F, September 2015
This was amazing. Kate was our guide for the day. She is passionate about history! Her great grandmother's personal story about the German soldiers who lived with her for 4 years is inspirational to what the French endured during the war. It is humbling to have walked where so many young men lost their lives to make the world a better place. Kate made the whole trip. She is super sweet and better than any history book or movie. Outstanding Trip!
Review by: wfjulavits, June 2015
Well organized, efficient and informed representative for one day tour for us two couples.
Review by: nadine m s, April 2015
This tour was fabulous...my first time in France and it's a memory I'll treasure forever. We were picked up promptly and our guide, Adrien, was wonderful. He was friendly, knowledgeable and always ready to answer our questions. We were very lucky to have him assigned to our group you are fortunate to have him on your staff. Thank you for this great experience.
Review by: donaldeismann, October 2014
Our guide, Lucile Houlmann was excellent. She was accommodating to some specific sites we wanted to see, especially a very specific place on Omaha Beach. Although hard to find she was knowledgeable enough to be able to get us to the exact place where an acquaintance had come ashore on D Day!_br/_
We also saw the most important and well visited places in Normandy. We would highly recomend this tour and particularly our guide as a highlight of our visit to the Normandy region of France.
Review by: rata, July 2014
A memorable, marvellous experience. Our tour leader Sophie was amazing, she brought the D Day landings to life for us. It was a wonderful day and was the high light of our 3 week trip to Paris London and Bayeux. An amazing Day with a passionate tour guide, we loved it
Review by: ronald1747, July 2014
The tour and guide was terrific. We visited all the areas of Omaha Beach, Point du Hoc, the memorial cemetery, and had an excellent lunch(Best Sole Fish) at a local restaurant recommended by our guide Jonathan. He was prompt to pick us up and return us to our ship in LeHavre. He showed us 1944 German and Allied photos from the French Archives of the D-Day landings and some of the scenes on Omaha Beach and Point du Hoc.
Review by: John P, July 2014
Our tour guide, Jules Vernon was fantastic! Knowledgeable, personable and engaging, he brought the action of the day to life. I would highly recommend him and the tour.
Review by: Rob T, July 2014
I've been on 4 private tours and this one was great. We had so much info from our guide and he was very enjoyable to be around, especially for an 8 hour tour. Highly recommend.
Review by: Kathryn C, June 2014
Our driver, Jean Francois, was great! He is knowledgeable, interesting and easy to understand. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 star is because we didn't get to the cememtary in time to go in. Since it was the weekend of the 70th anniversary, you can imagine how bad the traffic was, and the cemetary happened to unexpectedly close early the day of our tour. Other than that, the tour was amazing! I felt we got a good sense of the Normandy invasion and all the sacrifices it entailed. It is a beautiful area with so much history. I highly recommend it!
Review by: Bradley C, April 2014
My wife and I both really enjoyed this day trip. Our guide Jonathon had an incredible amount of knowledge of the history of all the sites we visited and their surroundings. It was only the two of us on the tour, so he was very flexible and gave us the options of which sites and museums we wanted to visit. Highly recommended tour for anyone with an interest in learning the history of the area.
Review by: Gary S, April 2014
Absolutely superb experience. Phillip was our guide throughout the day and was most informative and a delight to travel with. Thank you.
Review by: Ian F, March 2014
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Matthieu our guide was excellent. He worked hard to cover a lot of points that were of interest to us and was very knowledgeable on the battles and, being a local, the area. He also was very knowledgeable on the local history other than the WW2 battles and this made for a far more interesting and enjoyable tour. The VW Phaeton was an excellent vehicle for a tour for two. Organisation by Internet was easy (except that we only received our contact details and ticket at the last minute -perhaps an oversight.). we certainly would recommend Viator to others.
Review by: tmleafs42, January 2014
We had a wonderful time! Our guide took us to many different sites including those off the beaten path. He was very knowledgeable and full of interesting facts. This tour was worth every penny!
Review by: John M M, July 2013
Our tour guide was Noemie de Goussencourt who was excellent. She knew her geography; she knew history and she took us to places that a tour bus probably would have skipped. She and my wife got along very well which helped greatly because them we were all relaxed. We would recommend this tour and this guide to anyone who wants a comprehensive your of Normandy. _br/_
We also had a great lunch is some small cafe by the ocean.
Review by: James W, June 2013
Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable, giving us not only a D-Day tour but also telling us about Medieval events in the area.
Review by: Thomas G, November 2012
Best tour ever! Our guide was perfect--a local who knew the area like the back of her hand. She carried visuals and maps and pictures to highlight every place we visited. We crisscrossed the area and saw more than we ever expected.
Review by: Stanley N, October 2012
While the weather could have been better (it was rainy), the tour guide made it a 5-star tour. He was not only informative, but very accommodating. He made adjustments to our site visits based on the weather and what interested us most. He also picked an excellent restaurant that was very family-oriented since we were travelling with twin one-year old babies.
Review by: Mark N, October 2012
We throughly enjoyed our Normandy Tour. Our tour guide, Adrien, was very informative and knew the history of the American Battle of Normandy. The time flew by as there is so much to see and absorb. As we drove Adrien gave us history and answered our questions. It was such an interesting day. The next day we did the museum at Caen on our own at Adriens suggestion. Very worth your time but expect to be there for a number of hours. Purchase the audio. It is a good to follow up on a great Normandy tour. Thanks Adrien.
Review by: Catherine B, October 2012
Our guide was exceptional;.Very knowledgeable and he gave freely of his time. It was a great day that covered the Normandy area and D Day in detail.
Review by: Rex M, October 2012
We enjoyed our tour very much. We visited the areas where the airborne troops landed, including the church where is a replica of the soldier hanging from the church steeple. We visited oint du hoc including the bunkers and gun emplacements. The tour of the American cemetery was a very sobering expderience. We were struck by the beauty and location of the cemetery grounds (directly above Omaha Beach. My wife is unable to walk any substantial distance and our guide Matthew was extemely knowledgeble of the events of the landing and he obtained a wheel chair and took her on a complete tour of the cemetery. Our tour could not have been better. We now have a much better knowledge of the the D-day landing including the logistics that took place before and during the landing. We shall alwahys be indebted to the young men who participated for their bravery and sacrifice.
Review by: Carole R, September 2012
Our tour exceeded our expectations. Our guide was just great - personable, informed. She was encyclopedic on the subject. It was obvious she had been doing her homework - for years. We really learned a lot and enjoyed her company. It was a great day - just not long enough! We'll be back!
Review by: Rodney S, July 2012
The tour was the best day of our vacation! Tons of knowledge, friendly, nice vehicle. I highly recommend it!
Review by: Lucy G, June 2012
This tour was the highlight of my Eurorpean trip.. Gwen our tour guid was excellent if I was to ever go back I would request him. I will recommend this tour to any I know who is headed that way for vacation.
Review by: Joan C, March 2012
The trip was very informative and our guide was excellent. lots of small details that helped get everyone into what happened so long ago.
Review by: Steven M, January 2012
This tour was brilliant. Our guide had an extensive knowledge of the key battlegrounds and took us to some remote spots and explained the key military operations. Thoroughly recommended for anyone wanting to experience what our brave men had to overcome on D Day and beyond.
Review by: lennylev, January 2012
Normandy was incredible, and even more so with our superb guide, Karine. Her knowledge and mastery of the historical sights was most appreciated. It is the only way to see Normandy; especially if you only have one day.
Review by: David B, December 2011
What an unbelievable tour, took the train from Paris to Caen where our tour guide met us at our train. Spent the next 7 1/2 hours touring sites my family wanted to see as well as a few others not on our list. Our guide was very knowledgable of what occured at Normandy. She was able to answer all our questions. We only wished we had more time. She even made sure we got our return tickets back to Paris before she departed. I highly recommend this tour, you do see a lot in one day but there was so much more to see. Need several days to see the majority of the sites in Normandy. I highly recommend this Tour to anyone who wishes to get a better feel as to what transpired in Normand during World War II.
Review by: David B, November 2011
What an unbelievable tour, took the train from Paris to Caen where our tour guide met us at our train. Spent the next 7 1/2 hours touring sites my family wanted to see as well as a few others not on our list. Our guide was very knowledgable of what occured at Normandy. She was able to answer all our questions. We only wished we had more time. She even made sure we got our return tickets back to Paris before she departed. I highly recommend this tour, you do see a lot in one day but there was so much more to see. Need several days to see the majority of the sites in Normandy. I highly recommend this Tour to anyone who wishes to get a better feel as to what transpired in Normand during World War II.
Review by: Val, August 2011
We would highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Elise, was so knowledgeable, helpful, and kind from the moment she picked us up at the train station, until the moment she walked us right up to the door of our outgoing train. She knew where to go and how to plan the day so that we would have time to hit all of the high points. Not necessarily easy to do with so great of an area and so much information to cover. We found ourselves completely engrossed in the stories she told, and of course wanting to hear more. It was also helpful for us "visual learners" that she had a notebook full of maps, illustrations, newspaper clippings, etc., to add to the experience. We were so moved by the entire day. Thank you Elise!
Review by: Cindi E, September 2010
We were only able to see the American sector because we had only one day. Our Tour Guide met us at the train on the platform and maximized the time we had available to us (9am - 6pm). He taylored the tour to meet our needs balancing content with time constraints. It was great! We had a wonderful time and saw everything we wanted to see in the American sector. I would recommend the private tour eventhough the cost is higher. It will give you the best chance to make the most of your tour especially if you only have one day.
Review by: George H, United States of America, July 2010
Our guide was excellent. Very knowleable on all aspects of the Nomandy tour and very friendly and easygoing. The trip could not have been any better!
Review by: Marianne A, United States of America, July 2010
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable. Took us to wonderful locations and clearly had a passion for the subject he was discussing. We had my three teen daughters and my parents on the trip. Parents loved it, daughters did too not as much as my parents, understandably Would def recommend.
Review by: Argyle C, July 2010
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. We got absolutely the most out of our day. The whole experience was great. There is no way we could have seen as much or come away with the same understanding if we had taken a group tour or no tour.
Review by: Edward B, United States of America, November 2009
Excellent, our guide was very knowledgeable, very thorough and we learned alot. But be clear that they do not pick you up at your Paris Hotel but at the train station in Caen or Bayeaux - still don't know which is better place to catch the train and website is zero help and unclear.
Review by: Anonymous, United States of America, November 2009
Our guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable and spoke beautiful English. We thought we knew a lot about the D-Day invasion but found so much to learn. The 8-hour trip was organized to provide us with an understanding of the terrain and countryside as well as the history of the invasion. I strongly recommend this tour.
Review by: Dwight O, November 2009
Our guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable and spoke beautiful English. We thought we knew a lot about the D-Day invasion but found so much to learn. The 8-hour trip was organized to provide us with an understanding of the terrain and countryside as well as the history of the invasion. I strongly recommend this tour.
Review by: Anonymous, United States of America, October 2009
Friendly guide with good background of the events and area. Very willing to meet our requests.
Review by: Brian M, United States of America, October 2009
The tour was excellent! Our guide was exceptional! Very informative and very easy to get along with. I would highly recommend her to future clients.
Review by: Robert G, October 2009
Friendly guide with good background of the events and area. Very willing to meet our requests.
RSS Feed