Coastal Normandy and WWII History

Moving memorials and museums on a captivating coastal journey

From Caen to St. Mere l' Eglise, embark on a WW2 memorial tour of Normandy, cycling along the beaches where the famous landings took place and through towns brimming with moving history.

Beginning with a visit to the WWII Peace Memorial in Caen, you'll ride through the Calvados region to the famous Pegasus Memorial and Museum. From there, the bike tour takes you to Bayeux, known for the 11th-century tapestry. Along the way, you'll stop in Arromanches, where you'll visit the fascinating Landing Museum. As you continue along the coast, you'll soak up the atmosphere of historical beach battlesites, including Omaha Beach (with the US Military Cemetery), Pointe du Hoc, and Utah Beach.

This tour is as beautiful as it is emotional.

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Highlights

• Caen and its WWII Peace Memorial
• WWII Historical Sites
• Gold, Sword, Carentan, Omaha and Utah Beaches
• Pegasus Memorial and Museum
• Bayeux Tapestry
• Arromanches
• US Military Cemetery
• St. Marie du Mont
• St. Mere l' Eglise

Learn More

Learn more about self-guided tours.

Interested in adding to your itinerary? Take a look at our cycling day tours in France.

Daily program

Day 1: Arrival in Caen
Arrive in Caen, the main commune in this captivating region and home of the WWII Peace Memorial. Check in at your hotel and then enjoy some free time to explore Caen. We recommend a museum visit to the Caen Memorial - a highly informative starting point to your historical tour. In the evening, you'll receive an orientation briefing from an English-speaking guide.

Overnight in Caen.

Day 2: Loop ride to the beaches of Normandy (option: 25 miles/40 km, 80m elevation gain or 31 miles/50 km, 90m elevation gain)
Cycle to Merville-Franceville-Plage in the Calvados area this morning and visit the Battery Museum. Then, pedal onwards to Pegasus Bridge, originally known as the Benouville Bridge. It's here that you can visit the Pegasus Memorial and Museum, dedicated to the first liberators who arrived in Normandy on the night of the 5th/6th June 1944.

Later, you'll arrive in the Ouistreham where, on Riva Bella, you'll behold an impressive view onto the landing area of Sword Beach. Here, you can visit the Atlantic Wall Museum inside the 'Big Bunker' - a former German headquarters. In the Belvedere, you'll find a fascinating orientation table and can visit the Landing Museum.

Overnight in Caen.

Day 3: Caen – Bayeux (36 miles/58 km, 349m elevation gain)
Today you'll ride from Caen to Bayeux, first reaching Arromanches and the Gold Beach. Here, you can visit Arromanches 360, a circular theater where The Price of Freedom is shown on 9 screens. The D-Day Landing Museum in Arromanches is an informative center for learning about the construction and operation of artificial harbors assembled in front of Arromanches on the days following D-Day.

You'll finish the day in the artistic town of Bayeaux, where you may grasp the opportunity to visit many points of interest, like the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry - 230 ft long, 2 ft high (70 m x 50 cm), and completed in the 11th century. Other sites include the recently re-opened Museum of the Battle of Normandy and the Mémorial du Général de Gaulle.

Overnight in Bayeux.

Day 4: Bayeux – St. Marie du Mont (44 miles/70 km, 336m elevation gain)
A strong ride today, starting out from Bayeux and leading you towards some of the most famous WWII sites in the area: Colleville-sur-Mer and Omaha Beach. In Colleville, take some time to visit the US Military Cemetery, the chapel, and the memorial dedicated to the youth of America.

Behold a historical scene as you gaze out over the viewpoint overlooking Omaha Beach. Afterwards, ride onwards to La Pointe du Hoc, Carentan, and Utah Beach.

Overnight in St. Marie du Mont.

Day 5: Loop ride to St. Mere Eglise (30 miles/49 km, 188m elevation gain)
A loop tour starts from your hotel today with the first focus on the Utah Beach landings, close to your hotel. You'll then ride northwards along the coast towards Quineville, then inland towards St. Mere Eglise, where you can visit the famous battery of Crisbecq, Azeville, and the famous village of St. Marie du Mont.

Overnight in St. Marie du Mont.

Day 6: Departure
Departure after breakfast at your leisure. Trains through Bayeux and on to Paris are possible.

Don't want the experience to end? Consider taking a cycling day tour in another of our French locations.

Surface and terrain

The route contains some rolling hills. The tour takes place on quiet roads around 95% of the time.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.

Upgraded hotels: 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels

Caen: Hotel Le Dauphin

Bayeux: Villa Lara

Sainte Marie du Mont: Le Grand Hard

Standard hotels: 3- and 4-star hotels

Caen: Hotel Le Dauphin

Bayeux: Lion d'Or

Sainte Marie du Mont: Le Grand Hard

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Caen

Tour end
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Carentan

The arrival city is Caen; from Paris St Lazare by train in 2 hours. Departure city Carentan, by train to Paris St Lazare in 2 hours 30min. Flights between Caen and Paris possible.

Tips on getting to and from your tour.

Dates

Prices

Included services

• 5 nights accommodations in the selected category
• Breakfasts
• Luggage transfers
• Detailed road book, including details maps, touristic information, step by step itinerary and cue sheets
• Technical and emergency support available at all times
• 2 dinners included with category A (3 dinners included with category B).
• Standard bike rental
• Guidance Application (phone not provided)
• Orientation in person

Bike rentals

Bikes available and included in the tour cost (must be reserved in advance at time of booking):

• Standard touring bikes

Bikes available for rent (must be reserved in advance at time of booking) include:

• Road bikes
• Electrically assisted bike*

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Equipment included with bike:

• Helmet
• Garming GPS
• Odometer
• Lock
• Pannier and handlebar bag (standard bike)
• Saddle bag (road bike)
• Water bottle
• Repair kit (spare tube, tool kit, patch kit, pump)

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmet:
A helmet is included with your bike rental, however, we do recommend that you bring you own helmet for saftey and hygiene reasons.

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Tour Company