Caen Mémorial Car park

Our Central Caen pick-up point is situated just adjacent to the Caen Mémorial. We can pick you up here anytime Mon – Fri for a full-day D-Day Private Tour. Private Tour clients also benefit from a free Caen Hotel pick-up / drop-off option on certain tours (The Four Beaches Tour includes a free pick-up / drop-off service).

1. Omaha Beach + WN 62

Omaha Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. Taking Omaha was to be the responsibility of United States Army troops of the First Division nicknamed ‘The Big Red One’. However faced with the 12,020 experienced combat troops of the German 352nd Infantry Division, the battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division had its work cut out. During this memorable visit you’ll find out why nothing here went according to plan on D-Day. Thus we shall discover how ‘Bloody Omaha’ earned its name…

2. Normandy Colleville American Cemetery

On June 8, 1944, the U.S. First Army established the temporary cemetery, the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. After the war, the present-day cemetery was established a short distance to the east of the original site. Come and honour the graves of our fallen Heroes, discover the gold-embossed gravestones of the three Medal of Honour recipients – listen to some stories from their lives – and peruse the wall of the missing upon which are engraved the names of 1557 servicemen never recovered…

3. Longues-sur-Mer German Battery

The anti-naval guns of The German Battery at Longues-sur-Mer were a key element of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Built on a clifftop overlooking the English Channel and situated right in the heart of the Allied assault sector between Omaha and Gold Beaches, they included a range-finding post and four casemates, each housing a 150-mm gun. Despite numerous Allied air raids in the night of 5th June 1944, the battery was still operational on the morning of 6th June. On our visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site, you will be able to go inside the casemates themselves, and we will discover why it took the Allies until June 7th to force its surrender…

4. Arromanches – Mulberry Harbour ‘B’

It was on the beach of Arromanches that, during the Invasion of Normandy immediately after D-Day, the Allies established an artificial temporary harbour to allow the unloading of heavy equipment without waiting for the conquest of deep water ports such as Le Havre or Cherbourg. Although at the centre of the Gold Beach landing zone, Arromanches was spared the brunt of the fighting on D-Day so the installation and operation of the port was able to proceed as quickly as possible without damaging the beach and destroying surrounding lines of communication. We will stop for lunch up on the bluff overlooking Arromanches – with the most stunning view of the entire day’s tour laid out before us…

5. Gold Beach – Asnelles

Asnelles was heavily bombed by the Allied air forces and the navy at dawn on D-Day. The 1st Hampshire and the Dorsetshire Regiments, supported by the Sherwood Rangers tanks of the 8th Armored Brigade experienced heavy fighting here at the two German Strongpoints WN 36 & WN 37. At this stop we will visit Gold Beach, and if the tide is out we will be able to visit the remains of ‘Port Winston’ – Mulberry Harbour B. Whilst visiting the beach here we will take a brief look at the German strongpoints which inflicted heavy casualties as the Allied soldiers landed here at 07:25 on D-Day…

6. Charlie-1 Tank & Cosys Bunker WN #31

This Churchill Mk IV AVRE tank was designed to get close to fortifications and blow them up with its mortar. This obstacle-clearing tank called ‘Avenger’, lay hidden under the sand-dunes of Juno beach for 3 decades and was not rediscovered beneath the sand dunes until 1976! Just along the path we will also visit Cosys Bunker, named after Lieutenant W.F. “Cosy” Aitken, who commanded No. 10 Platoon, of B Company, Royal Winnipeg Rifles. On D-Day, his men stormed the bunker and suffered 78% casualties in doing so...

7. Canada House : Bernières-sur-Mer

“Within sight of this house over 100 men of the Queen’s Own Rifles were killed or wounded, in the first few minutes of the landings”. That stark inscription welcomes visitors at the entrance of a large, timber-framed house overlooking Juno Beach In the village of Bernières-sur-Mer. ‘La Maison des Canadiens,’ or Canada House, is one of the most iconic buildings in Canadian military history. It was one of the first houses liberated by Canadian soldiers on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and has since become a familiar historic landmark, standing in the backdrop of the many black-and-white photographs showing troops landing on the sands of this village in Normandy….At Canada House we will take a closer look at the fierce battle which resulted in heavy losses for the Canadians landing on Juno Beach on D-Day…

8. Hermanville Brèche

It was opposite Hermanville that Major-General Rennie’s 3rd British Division landed, with the support of special tanks. This was flanked by two special brigades of “Green Berets”. To the east, the 1st Special Service Brigadeond by Brigadier Lord Lovat, had the task of gaining a foothold in Colleville before marching eastwards and attacking Ouistreham from the flank. Among its ranks were the 177 French marines led by Lieutenant Philippe Kieffer (whose monument we will also be visiting). At the other end of the sector, the 4th Brigade was also to make its way inland, in order to take Lion-sur-Mer and Luc-sur-Mer. This stop is one of our favourites since there are storyboards erected all around the square, and there are also monuments here to the Navy, as well as a very special D-Day anchor…

9. The Grand Bunker – Atlantic Wall Museum

Located at a stone’s throw from the beach and the Caen-Ouistreham Ferry terminal is “Le Grand Bunker” – Atlantic Wall Museum. Originally the museum is a German “SK Hochleitstand” (the main bunker of the Stützpunkt 08 HKB Riva Bella). The purpose of the Stützpunkt – with its SIX pieces of 155mm artillery was to cover the entrance of the river Orne and the canal. The 52ft high, 6 storey, concrete tower has been fully restored to make it look how it was on the 6th of June 1944. Fifty German soldiers occupied this bunker and fought off the British forces for three days before surrendering on June 9th 1944 to four men led by Lt. Bob Orrell (pic) …

10. Kieffer Monument : The Free French Commandos

The Kieffer Monument on Sword Beach at Ouistreham, inaugurated on June 6th 1984 by former French President Francois Mitterrand, is a tribute to the 177 Free French Commandos who landed alongside their British Allied brothers-in-arms on June 6th 1944. The memorial, which takes the form of a flame, is in fact housed on top of a German bunker. The pathway leading up to the memorial is lined with stones with the names of the French commando’s who were killed on D-Day. There is also a statue of Brigadier Lord Lovat here, who famously ordered his personal piper Bill Millin to play ‘Highland Laddie’ as he led British Commandos ashore on D-Day. From here you will have freetime to walk along the the beach, down to the newly developed Peace Promenade, lined with storyboards and charged still today with the atmosphere of unforgettable reverence…

11. Bill ‘Piper’ Millin Monument

Canadian-born Bill Millin joined the Territorial Army in Scotland, where his family had moved to from Canada. In his youth he played in the pipe bands of the Highland Light Infantry and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders before volunteering as a commando. The only soldier on D-Day to wear a kilt, he disembarked the landing craft and, as his comrades fell around him on Sword, and played ‘Highland Laddie’ on his pipes. On this final stop we will find out how Bill survived the D-Day Infantry landing armed only with his sgian-dubh… 

We arrive back at central Caen or at your designated Caen location at 18:15

During our relaxing drive back to the station you will have 20 minutes to reflect on the day’s touring and have a casual chat with your Guide. We always appreciate feedback about your D-Day experience and welcome any last-minute questions. Please do not hesitate to let your driver know if we can be of any further assistance. Thank you for choosing NormandyONtour.