Cherbourg Shore Excursion: Private D-Day Beaches Tour

Cherbourg has its own place in D-Day history — the port was a critical Allied objective in the weeks following June 6. But the beaches where the invasion began are just an hour to the south, and this private tour takes you straight there. From the moment your driver meets you at the cruise terminal, the day is yours. No group, no fixed script, no bus. Just a comfortable private vehicle, a driver who knows the roads and the history, and the freedom to experience Normandy on your own terms. You'll visit Pointe du Hoc — where the cliff faces still bear the scars of the assault. You'll walk Omaha Beach, where the scale of what happened here becomes impossible to ignore. And you'll stand among the white crosses of the Normandy American Cemetery, one of the most moving places in Europe. Upgrade with a licensed historian guide for a deeper, richer understanding of the Normandy Campaign.

1. 1

   Pointe du Hoc

   1 hour

   On the morning of June 6, 1944, U.S. Army Rangers were given what many considered a suicide mission: scale a 30-meter cliff face, under enemy fire, and destroy a German gun battery threatening both Omaha and Utah Beach. They made it. Today, Pointe du Hoc remains almost exactly as the Rangers left it. Shell craters scar the earth. Concrete bunkers sit split open by Allied bombardment. Gun emplacements still point toward the Channel. It is one of the most preserved D-Day sites in Normandy — and one of the most visceral.

2. 2

   Omaha Beach

   2 hours

   Omaha was the bloodiest of the five D-Day landing beaches. American forces faced heavily fortified German positions on the bluffs above — and paid an enormous price. Today the beach is wide, quiet, and edged by dunes. Standing here, looking out to sea, it is almost impossible to reconcile the stillness with what took place. That contrast — between the peace of the place now and the violence of that morning — is what makes Omaha unlike anywhere else. Your driver will give you time to walk, reflect, and take in the scale of it.

3. 3

   Cimetiere Americain de Colleville-sur-Mer

   1 hour

   Perched on the bluffs above Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery holds 9,387 graves — soldiers, sailors, and airmen who gave their lives in the liberation of Western Europe. The rows of white marble crosses and Stars of David stretch across 70 acres of manicured lawn, facing west toward America. The site includes a memorial chapel, a Wall of the Missing bearing 1,557 names, and an interactive museum telling the story of the Normandy Campaign. Few places in the world carry this kind of weight.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.