The best D-day sites to visit in Normandy
When planning school trips to Normandy, few experiences are as powerful and educational as visiting the historic D-Day sites in Normandy. These locations tell stories of courage, sacrifice, and the pivotal moments that changed the course of World War II.
For teachers seeking to ignite students' minds, WWII Battlefields is one of the best destinations for uncovering history through a variety of monuments and artefacts that will leave a lasting impression on students.
With that said, here is our guide to some of the best D-Day sites to visit in Normandy. Each one offering a unique perspective on the events of 6th June 1944, from dramatic cliff-top battlefields to immersive museums and well-preserved bunkers.
What is D-Day?
D-Day took place on 6th June 1944, and marked the start of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Over 156,000 Allied troops from the UK, USA, Canada, and other nations (Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland) stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest amphibious assault in history.
This operation was vital to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. It required years of planning and immense coordination. Before the landings, Allied forces conducted extensive deception operations to mislead the Germans about the intended landing location, making them believe the main attack would occur near Calais.
Despite heavy losses, especially on Omaha Beach (2,400 U.S troop casualties), the mission ultimately succeeded. It established a critical western front, allowing Allied forces to push inland, liberate occupied towns and cities, and eventually free France from Nazi control. This turning point accelerated the downfall of Nazi Germany and contributed directly to the Allied victory in Europe less than a year later.
Today, we commemorate D-Day not only to honour the bravery of those who fought and died but to teach future generations about the values of freedom, democracy, and international cooperation.
Fun fact: The “D” in D-Day simply stands for “day,” making it technically “Day-Day.” It’s a standard military term still used to mark the launch date of a planned operation, with “D” serving as a placeholder until the exact date is known.
Top 8 D-Day sites in Normandy
Whether you're focusing on military strategy, personal stories, or the impact of war, these D-Day sites in Normandy offer something for every curriculum. History, culture, language, and politics can all be explored during your school trip to Normandy, giving students the chance to develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and a deeper appreciation of international cooperation.
1. Caen
Location: Esplanade Général Eisenhower, 14000 Caen, France. It is located several kilometres inland from the D-Day beaches.
Opening times: Open year-round; public squares and streets are always accessible.
How to get there: Easily accessible via major roads (A13, A84). Ample parking is available.
Caen has a train station (Gare de Caen) with connections from Paris (approx. 2 hours). From the station, you can take a bus (e.g., line 2, stop "Mémorial") or a taxi.
Caen is a central location for understanding the events of D-Day and the subsequent Battle of Normandy. The city was heavily bombed during the invasion but has since been restored.
Start your journey at the Caen Memorial Museum (located at Esplanade Général Eisenhower, 14050 Caen), which provides an in-depth overview of the D-Day landings, French resistance, and the broader context of World War II through film footage, documents, photographs, artefacts, and personal testimonies. It is open daily from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
To further enrich your tour, the nearby Château de Caen (Castle of Caen) is a must-visit. This impressive fortress was built around 1060 by William the Conqueror and offers a fascinating glimpse into Norman history and architecture, making it an ideal stop for students on language and cultural trips.
2. Point du Hoc
Location: 14450, Cricqueville-en-Bessin, France. Located on a clifftop between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach.
Opening times: Open daily, the visitor centre operates from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (April–September) and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM the rest of the year.
How to get there: Follow signs from the D514 coastal road, with free on-site parking available. Public transport is limited, but you can take a train to Bayeux and then a taxi or organised tour to the site.
Pointe du Hoc is a dramatic Normandy World War II site where U.S. Army Rangers under the command of Lt. Col. James E. Rudder scaled the 30-metre cliffs to neutralise German artillery positions that threatened the landing forces.
Your students can explore original German bunkers, observation posts and gun casemates that have been remarkably preserved. Scattered across the site are also massive bomb craters, remnants of the intense Allied aerial and naval bombardments that preceded the ground assault. These craters, some measuring between 10 to 15 feet deep and up to 50 feet wide, vividly illustrate the scale of the destruction.
The site also features a memorial and a visitor centre that showcases the personal stories of soldiers who fought there. Overall, it provides a tangible sense of the incredible difficulties and sheer bravery involved in the Rangers' daring assault.
3. Omaha Beach
Location: Stretches along the coast of Normandy, primarily between Vierville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, and Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
Opening times: The beach itself is free to the public 24/7. However, the memorial museum is open from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
How to get there: The best way to explore the various points along the beach is by car. Roads lead directly to parking areas at several access points (e.g., Vierville, Saint-Laurent).
Perhaps the most iconic of the D-Day sites to visit in Normandy, Omaha Beach is renowned for the intense and devastating combat that took place on June 6, 1944, earning the nickname “Bloody Omaha.” This sector saw some of the heaviest Allied casualties, with approximately 2,400 U.S. troops killed, wounded, or missing within the first few hours of the landings.
Today, the beach serves as a solemn and striking memorial to those who fought and died here. It’s dotted with visible remnants from the wartime period, including German bunkers, anti-tank obstacles, artillery emplacements, and monuments like the "Les Braves" sculpture at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.
Walking on the same sands where so many fell gives students a moving connection to the past. It’s a place of quiet contemplation and a powerful backdrop for discussing the cost of war.
4. American Cemetery Memorial
Location: 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France. The cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach.
Opening times: Open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except on December 25 and January 1.
How to get there: Easily accessible by car via the A-13 and N-13 highways, with clear signage leading to Colleville-sur-Mer. By train, you can travel from Paris to Bayeux in about three hours, then take a taxi or join a guided tour to reach the site.
Just a short distance from Omaha Beach (around 3-4 miles), the American Cemetery Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer is a poignant tribute to the American soldiers who lost their lives in the D-Day landings.
Covering 172.5 acres, the site is immaculately maintained and contains the graves of 9,387 American military personnel, each marked by a pristine white Latin cross or Star of David. All are arranged in perfectly aligned rows that stretch as far as the eye can see.
Walls of the Missing lists the names of over 1,500 soldiers whose remains were never recovered. Next to each name, rosettes have been added beside those who have since been identified. The accompanying visitor centre offers powerful exhibits, personal stories, and archival footage that give context to the sacrifices made.
5. La Cambe German War Cemetery
Location: D5, 14230 La Cambe, France. Located inland, southwest of Omaha Beach.
Opening times: Generally open daily, 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, with the exception of weekends (9:00 AM to 7:00 PM).
How to get there: Travel by car via the N-13 highway, located just off the D113 near the town of La Cambe. By train, take a service from Paris to Bayeux or Carentan (around 2.5–3 hours), then continue by taxi or as part of an organised tour to the cemetery.
In contrast to the American Cemetery, La Cambe German War Cemetery offers a different, yet still thought-provoking perspective on the war's impact. It is the final resting place for more than 21,000 German soldiers, many of whom were young conscripts who died during the Battle of Normandy.
The cemetery's design is intentionally sombre and understated, with flat grave markers, rows of dark basalt crosses, and a large central grass-covered tumulus marking a mass grave. On-site, there is also a visitor centre and exhibition area that provides historical context, including personal stories, letters, and photographs.
These exhibits and the cemetery’s quiet, reflective atmosphere aim to offer a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the war, shifting focus away from glorification to remembrance, reconciliation, and the shared humanity of all those affected by the conflict.
6. Arromanches-les-Bains
Location: Arromanches-les-Bains, France. A coastal town on the Gold Beach sector.
Opening times: The town is open to the public daily.
Arromanches 360 Circular Cinema: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
D-Day Museum (Musée du Débarquement): 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
How to get there: By car, Arromanches-les-Bains is about 15 minutes from Bayeux via the D514. By public transport, take the Line 74 bus from Bayeux, which runs a few times daily and takes around 20 minutes.
Arromanches-les-Bains is renowned for its role in the creation of the artificial Mulberry Harbour. Assembled just off the coast, it allowed the Allies to rapidly offload troops, vehicles, and supplies in the days and weeks following D-Day. Remnants of the harbour's massive concrete caissons can still be seen in the water today.
A must-visit attraction is the Arromanches 360 Circular Cinema. Titled "Normandy’s 100 Days", the dramatic film combines archival footage and modern imagery to tell the story of the D-Day landings and the battle that followed, honouring the memory of the soldiers and the 20,000 civilians who lost their lives.
Meanwhile, the beachfront and surrounding village streets still carry echoes of the past. With its combination of powerful storytelling, preserved historical features, and scenic views, Arromanches-les-Bains stands out as one of the most educational and emotionally resonant D-Day sites to visit in Normandy.
7. Longues-sur-Mer Battery
Location: D103, 14400 Longues-sur-Mer, France. Located between Gold Beach and Omaha Beach, overlooking the English Channel.
Opening times: The site itself (outdoor bunkers) is generally accessible daily.
How to get there: Longues-sur-Mer Battery is about a 10-minute drive north of Bayeux via the D104, with free parking on-site. Public transport is limited, but Bus 121 from Bayeux stops at nearby Manvieux—about a 30-minute walk from the battery.
The Longues-sur-Mer Battery is one of the best-preserved examples of German coastal defences in Normandy. It was constructed by the German navy in early 1944 and remarkably completed in just four months.
The site features four original 150mm naval guns, still housed within their massive concrete casemates, as well as several observation bunkers and firing positions overlooking the English Channel. Today, the French government manages the site, and on-site information panels offer detailed explanations of how the battery functioned, its strategic importance during the D-Day landings, and how Allied forces neutralised it.
For students, it's an excellent opportunity to explore authentic WWII military engineering up close and to understand the scale and complexity of the German defences.
8. Pegasus Bridge
Location: Avenue du Major Howard, 14860 Ranville, France. Near Bénouville, just inland from Sword Beach. The original bridge is located at the museum; the new bridge is a modern structure across the canal.
Opening times:
Musée Mémorial Pegasus: Generally open daily, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, with seasonal variations.
How to get there: Easily reachable via the D514 road, located just outside Caen, with ample parking nearby. For public transport, visitors can take a train to Caen and then a local bus or taxi for the short journey to the bridge and its museum.
Pegasus Bridge was one of the very first objectives secured by Allied forces on D-Day. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, British paratroopers from the 6th Airborne Division executed a daring glider assault to capture the bridge, then known as the Bénouville Bridge.
The site is home to the Pegasus Memorial Museum (Musée Mémorial Pegasus), and features a wide range of exhibits, including military uniforms, equipment, and photographs. A standout attraction is the full-size replica of a Horsa glider, the type used during the original assault, helping students visualise the scale of the operation.
The original Bénouville Bridge still stands as a powerful symbol of British courage, planning, and precision. For school groups, this site holds particular resonance, providing the opportunity to explore national contributions to D-Day and the larger Allied victory.
Visit D-Day sites on a school trip with European Study Tours!
Organising school trips to Normandy can be daunting, but at European Study Tours, we specialise in creating enriching educational experiences for UK students. Our Normandy trip itineraries are designed with teachers and students in mind, offering:
- Fully guided tours of top D-Day sites in Normandy
- Tailored educational resources
- Comfortable accommodation and safe travel options
- Expert local guides with in-depth historical knowledge
- 24/7 support and risk assessment documentation for peace of mind
For more information, get in touch with our friendly and experienced team to request a quote today.
