The beaches of Omaha were a real trap for the troops of the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions. We will have one or two stops on Omaha Beach, and understand the landings of the American troops on June 6th, 1944.
The cemetery site, at the north end of its half mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of more than 9,380 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names.
The World War II Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument is located on a cliff eight miles west of Normandy American Cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach, France. It was erected by the French to honor elements of the American Second Ranger Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. James E. Rudder. During the American assault of Omaha and Utah beaches on June 6, 1944, these U.S. Army Rangers scaled the 100-foot cliffs and seized the German artillery pieces that could have fired on the American landing troops at Omaha and Utah beaches. At a high cost of life, they successfully defended against determined German counterattacks.
The most westerly landing sector on D-Day, Utah Beach lies on the Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, and it was in fact in order to help take the vital port of Cherbourg rapidly that the Allied commanders of Operation Overlord, Eisenhower and Montgomery, decided that this further Landing Beach was required. We will have a stop to understand this often understated beach, much more complex than it first seems.
Quaint, quiet Sainte-Mère-Eglise became involved in one of the greatest exploits in military history in the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, as D-Day began. American parachutists were being dropped all around the area, and in the village itself. We will allow time to understand the importance of the parachutings and not only the missions that were to be done, but what actually happened and why.
It was a great day with Yves. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable. We learned quite a bit about the American landings at Omaha and Utah Beach. Unforgettable experience.
Uber provided us with the ultimate experience. His knowledge and understanding of the history and intimate details, combined with the detailed descriptions and tour stops were a master class given by a passionate true professional.
Our private D-Day tour through Normandy was truly one of the most meaningful experiences of our entire trip to France—and so much of that was because of our incredible personal guide, Yves. From the moment we met Yves, it was clear that this was far more than simply a tour. His knowledge of the D-Day landings, the American beaches, the soldiers who fought there, and the stories behind the places we visited brought Normandy’s history to life in a way that a guidebook or museum simply never could. He didn’t just show us Omaha and Utah Beach—he helped us understand what happened there. Every stop had meaning, every story had a purpose, and his passion and respect for the history were evident throughout the entire day. He answered every question we had, shared details we would have never known on our own, and somehow made an enormous and complicated piece of history feel personal and real. What impressed us most was how much he genuinely cared about giving us an unforgettable experience. He was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, personable, and attentive to every detail. We never felt rushed, and he took the time to make sure we truly understood and appreciated what we were seeing. Standing on those beaches and looking out at the English Channel was incredibly emotional. Having someone beside us who could explain what the young American soldiers faced that day made the experience even more powerful. If you are visiting Normandy and considering a private D-Day tour, we cannot recommend Yves highly enough. Do yourself a favor and book the tour. The history is extraordinary, the places are unforgettable, and having the right guide makes all the difference. We came to Normandy expecting to learn about D-Day. We left with a much deeper appreciation for the courage and sacrifice of the men who were there—and memories our family will carry with us for a lifetime. Absolutely five stars. An exceptional guide, an exceptional experience, and one of the highlights of our entire trip.
We had an excellent experience touring the Normandy beaches with Yves. His deep knowledge of the history brought each site to life, and he shared fascinating details and stories that greatly enhanced the experience beyond simply visiting the locations. Yves was kind, patient, and engaging throughout the day, always happy to answer questions and tailor his explanations to our interests. His passion for the subject matter was evident, and he made the tour both educational and memorable. Spending the day with him was a true pleasure, and I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Normandy. Mary & LeeAnn from San Diego
We had an amazing day touring Normandy with Destination Normandy/Perambulations. Yves was our tour guide, picking us up at the Bayeux train station and escorting us to the various sites. We were very impressed with his knowledge, and ability to keep 8 hours of history extremely interesting, even for our 16 year old kids. Our guide had lots of good humor and was very candid when asking questions. He had a lot of diagrams and photos that really helped tie everything together for us. We stopped at Omaha Beach, American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach, and St. Mere Eglise. We stopped for some coffee upon being picked up and had a very nice lunch at a location suggested by Yves. We recommend watching The Longest Day and Band of Brothers prior to the trip. We will be recommending Perambulations to our friends and colleagues.
Our family had a great experience learning how, and seeing where, the events of D-Day unfolded. Humbling, but also encouraging hearing about some of the heroic stories and sobering to be walking the same grounds where it all took place. Our guide was the best providing new insights and we walked away with even more of an appreciation for everything that took place in Normandy. Bucket list tour.
Incredible tour! Anthony was knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating . We hit all of the stops you could ask for. Anthony was patient with all of our questions. I highly recommend this tour. One of our highlights of the trip.
Our guide was right on time. He was a great driver and also a great storyteller. He had Maps and an iPad and explained everything perfectly. He was so informative. This was an absolutely wonderful tour. I now have a much better under standing of the landings at D-Day thanks to him. I would highly recommend this tour. We could not have chosen a better tour or a better tour guide.
I wanted to write to say that our planned trip with yourself and Antony exceeded all our expectations and to thank you both. The level and detail of local history knowledge combined with the planned location visits made this a personal experience to remember. The 3 days were well planned and run professionally but with a personal touch.
This was an excellent tour! Make sure you get Anthony as a guide, very personable and knowledgeable about the history of the region, general information, and of course D-Day itself.
EXCELLENT. I cannot recommend this tour enough. Yves tailored our tour to our interests (my grandfather stormed Omaha). He is so knowledgeable and his interest and love of the subject is infectious! He made this trip truly special. I am a history teacher and have a high bar for tours - this was absolutely worth every penny and more.
Best tour ever! Our party of 7 went on a day tour with Anthony, who was organized, professional, and brilliant. We traveled with two seniors who used walkers and he patiently loaded and unloaded the walkers at every stop. He went at their pace and was so kind. We thought 8-9 hours would be a little long but we all left saying we could do another day as there is so much to see and learn in Normandy, and it fascinated all of us who range in age from 21-85! Having someone to drive us to all of the sites was worth every penny but Anthony added SO much with all of his expertise. We all enjoyed the plethora of knowledge that he has to share; he is truly gifted and had an answer for every question. I cannot recommend this tour enough.
Anthony was fabulous. we are so blessed to have had him as our guide. HIGHLY recommend his tour. he was extremely knowledgeable and taught us quite a bit. We thought we understood Normandy until we met Anthony. It's definitely worth the money to tour with someone that can really show you what happened on 6/6/45.
What an amazing day. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Normandy and the beaches/D day landings. Made sure we hit all the sites on my husbands wish list. Made our full day unforgettable
We had a 3 generation private tour with Yves and cannot compliment him enough. We got off to a rough start to the day with our train being delayed by 2.5 hours, but we were in touch with Yves and Dominique throughout. They did everything possible to make sure we still got the full experience (including picking up our lunch ahead of time). On the tour itself, Yves's knowledge and passion for history was immediately evident. He kept our entire group entertained all day and kept the pace just right to make sure we got all the sites in. Everyone (even our 10 year old) had a great time. Highly recommend a visit to Normandy and a Destination Normandy tour.
We had a wonderful experience! Our guide Thierry was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions. We could tell that he has an excitement about events that occurred on D day, as well as those who played major roles. He took time on the trip to make sure we were able to take pictures and capture memories as well as develop an understanding of what actually transpired. It truly was an unforgettable experience and both my husband and I would recommend it to anyone who plans to visit France!
Our tour guide, Eve, was prompt, professional, knowledgeable and so friendly. He maximized our trip - we got to see everything we wanted and learned so much from him. His stories and plethora of information about D-DAY were captivating. The maps and pictures were the perfect touch that added to our engagement. This tour was better than we ever imagined. We loved Eve's enthusiasm - and highly recommend this tour.
The friendliest of the tour guy. Thank you Yves for a great tour. You are amazing. I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone group. Thanks again.
The American Cemetery was very moving, the chapel with the eternal flame was powerful. We will definitely be back.
Our tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the area, the history and made it real for us They made it possible for my husband to sign the wall in memory of his dad in the Rosevelt cafe, as his dad, who landed on Omaha beach had signed the wall earlier. They were even able to give us a more complete history of the Normandy area prior to the war too
I have waited a long time to visit the landing sites and American Cemetery. Dominique was such a great guide. She is so knowledgable on the entire military operation in Normandy, we got great information about the objectives after the beaches and geographic challenges facing the allied troops.
Dominique is a superb tour guide.she has an immense knowledge about all aspects of the Dday invasion. She is an excellent teacher and is very congenial. We could not have asked for a better experience and highly recommend this tour
Dominique was superb. She presented the facts of Operation Overlord from the perspective how the actual event s unfolded but with the added emotion of a Norman as she is from the region. We saw all the important areas from June 6th, 1944 and enjoyed a nice lunch in St Mere Eglise. I would highly recommend her regardless of your background or knowledge of D-Day. Tres Bon!
Dominique was fantastic! She was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure she involved the kids in her stories. We had recently watched Band of Brothers and she did a great job weaving in stories and sights from the show which my 16 year old loved! I would absolutely recommend Dominique - she is a first class tour guide!
Dominique was easy to deal with and customized our tour to cover both US and English aspects. She is knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. The tour was very informative and well worth the expense.
We were fortunate to enjoy Dominique’s guidance on two days while in Normandy. If you are lucky enough to engage Dominique, you are lucky indeed! Her knowledge of WW2 and Normandy is unrivaled. After one day of her guidance, we engaged her for a second. Dominique is an intellectual and deeply committed to educating visitors to the region and listening to their interests as well as generously sharing her own. She is a treasure and I hope to find guides equal to her in future travels.
Dominique our tour guide was wonderful. Her knowledge of the D Day invasion and other information she had about the events of that time were amazing. We enjoyed the day and thought it was very worthwhile. We would definitely use the service again.
We booked this tour and had Dominique as a tour guide. She was wonderful! She asked us a lot of questions as we drove to start the tour, and that helped us get the most out of the day. When she found out that my son and I were Band of Brothers fans, she made sure we stopped at the memorial for Capt. Winters, as well as the actual field where Capt. Winters and his team took out 4 German artillery batteries on D-Day. This really brought things to life and was a great touch. If you're even moderately interested in WWII, I would strongly recommend this tour. Dominique was a great guide and she shared a lot of information with us. Certainly worth the day-long adventure.
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