When you arrive in Paris today you'll be met by your Tour Leader and transferred to your 4-star hotel, located in the heart of the city. You are free for the evening.

Your Tour Leader or the concierge can suggest a local restaurant or make reservations for you. French cuisine is known worldwide, and Paris bistros and brasseries feature nearly every aspect. From rustic country fare to the most technical haute cuisine, French gastronomy is considered to be some of the best on the planet. An after-dinner stroll along a bistro-lined street is the perfect end to your day.

This morning after breakfast a local guide will meet you at your hotel to begin your private Paris adventure. Using the local metro and your feet, you'll explore the city visiting both the well-known...and some lesser-known districts and venues. The afternoon is free to wander Paris, visiting the museums, shopping along the Boulevard Saint Germain, or perhaps just soaking in the wonderful street atmosphere as you stroll.

In the early evening you'll meet your Tour Leader and local guide again and then make your way across Paris for a magical experience...the Eiffel Tower under the stars! This famous monument is one of the most photographed in the world, but at night it's even more beautiful. We’ll have a visit here to learn the fascinating history of its construction, and then go up to the top of the tower to see the stunning view while enjoying a glass of champagne.

Afterwards you’ll have dinner in the Eiffel’s world-renowned 2-Star Michelin restaurant situated 400’ over the Paris skyline. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This morning we board our private coach and head north and west towards the coast. Before we begin exploring the far western theater of this battle, we’ll have a stop for lunch in a historic brasserie known for its war memorabilia.
After lunch we’ll visit the Museum of the Landing, located on Utah beach. The museum recounts the story of D-Day from the preparation of the landing to the final outcome and success. This journey immerses visitors in the history of the day through a rich collection of objects, vehicles, materials, and oral histories. The museum’s star is an authentic B-26 medium bomber. Then we'll visit Utah beach and get a chance to walk its shores and imagine the events that occurred there.

Afterwards we’ll make our way to our home for the next two nights, the charming and historic town of Bayeux. Here we’ll be ensconced in private apartments in the town center. The evening is free to wander and choose one of Bayeux’s many great restaurants for dinner.

Our first stop will be the quaint but famous town of St. Mere Eglise, epicenter of one of the nighttime airborne landings that preceded the coastal landings. We’ll explore the town a bit, then you’ll have time to visit the fascinating Airborne Museum in St. Mere Eglise, which chronicles the largest airborne assault in history as 14,000 troops of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions parachuted into Normandy on the night of June 5-6, 1944, to start the invasion. The museum has an astounding array of equipment on display including a C-47 aircraft and a Waco glider. Many interactive displays highlight the operation and the men who pulled it off.

We’ll head a bit farther east and if time permits, we’ll make a stop at the German War Cemetery at Le Cambe, where over 21,200 German military personnel are interred. Its somber architecture and unique design are unlike any other and presents a striking contrast.

We’ll have lunch in this area, then go to the nearby coastline to visit the infamous rocks and bunkers of Pointe du Hoc, the fortified German artillery position situated on the cliffs between Utah and Omaha beaches. Its position dominated the landing beaches and was a major obstacle to the invasion. The US Army Rangers scaled the cliffs under the huge guns and assaulted the position in the pre-dawn darkness of June 6.

As the afternoon wears on we’ll make our way back to Bayeux, where you will have the evening free to relax, explore and get lost in the town.

Our day starts with a short drive to the famous Longues sur Mer battery. A German coastal fortification, it formed a key part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall and was designed to dominate the landing sectors of Omaha Beach and Gold Beach, assaulted by the British. It shelled Allied naval forces off both Omaha and Gold beach and was in turn bombarded by Allied warships before it was captured by British ground forces. The battery is the only one in Normandy to retain several of its original massive guns.
Lunch will follow in a local bistro, then we’re off to our next stop, the fascinating Overlord museum near Omaha beach. Founded by two brothers, Michel and Nicolas Leloup, retraces, through a collection assembled over 50 years, the period from the Allied landings to the Liberation of Paris. Tanks, cannons, and even a Baily Bridge are part of the 40 vehicles present, displayed in scenes that are as striking as they are breathtaking, plunging the visitor in the heart of history.

As the afternoon shadows lengthen we’ll journey to nearby Saint Laurent to visit Bloody Omaha beach. 34,250 Americans landed here, but in the first wave over 1,000 men were killed, nearly 50% of the assaulting troops. We'll have time to walk the beach and try to imagine what it must have been like for the men coming ashore under intense fire.

Lastly, we'll spend time at the nearby American Cemetery of Normandy. Located on the coast, between Arromanches and Grandcamp Maisy, this vast site overlooks Omaha beach. It reunites the graves of 9,387 soldiers fallen in combat. The chapel, Memorial, and the Walls of the Missing complete the site. The Visitor Center pays homage to the courage and the skill that were required to conduct Operation Overlord and to ensure Europe's liberation, together with the ultimate sacrifice made by those who are laid to rest within this site. We’ll attend the Taps ceremony as the flags are lowered at the end of the day. Truly a moving experience.

After a full day experiencing this historic area, we'll retire to our apartments in town to relax and recover from an amazing day. Tonight you are free to explore the town for dinner.

This morning we’ll have a morning departure by private coach or van for Paris. Enroute we have an amazing stop planned at the fabulous residence of the Palace at Versailles, the royal residence of King Louis XIV. Originally built by King Louis XIII as a hunting pavilion, it was transformed and extended by his son when he installed the Court and government there is 1682. A succession of kings continued to embellish the Palace up until the French Revolution. Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 16 acres of stunning gardens and fountains. In fact the Palace, gardens, estate and park comprise almost 2000 acres!

We’ll meet a local guide for a tour of the Palace and grounds, then continue on our way to Paris and our hotel.
This evening, your last night in France, is free to wander and find the perfect spot for dinner.

Your tour ends today after breakfast at the hotel. The concierge can arrange for a taxi to take you to the airport for your flight.