Itinerary

D-Day 75th Anniversary / WWII Remembrance Tour Daily Itinerary

* Sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary with inside visits (including admission charges) and special features are shown in UPPER CASE in the tour description.  Sightseeing is with local guides where applicable.  Included meals are indicated for each day.

 22 May (Wed) – Departure for Europe

Day 1 – 23 May (Thu) – Arrive London

Welcome to London!  An individual transfer from the airport to the hotel is provided. Your tour director will meet you upon your arrival at the hotel and will be available to help you make the most of your stay. This evening, enjoy a traditional dining experience combined with a relaxed, nighttime river cruise. A three-course welcome dinner is followed by a private, narrated CRUISE on the Thames River to admire some of the capital’s most beautiful illuminated sights, including Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Houses of Parliament. (Dinner)

Day 2 – 24 May (Fri) – London

Morning sightseeing with a local guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the Thames River, and Buckingham Palace. The morning’s highlights include a visit to WESTMINSTER ABBEY. This afternoon visit to The TOWER OF LONDON, one of the most famous historic buildings in the world. Built by William the Conqueror in 1066-1067, it has been guarded by Yeoman Warders (popularly known as the Beefeaters) since the 14th century. It has been a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, a place of execution, and an armory. It is most famously known as the home to the priceless Crown Jewels, including the solid gold crown used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.   Evening is at leisure; your tour director is on hand for suggestions. (Breakfast)

Day 3 – 25 May (Sat) – London
After a hearty English breakfast, visit ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece built between 1675 and 1708. Our next stop is the CHURCHILL MUSEUM & CABINET WAR ROOMS. Dedicated to the life of the “greatest Briton,” the Churchill Museum examines Sir Winston Churchill’s life, leadership, and legacy, while the Cabinet War Rooms reveal the secret underground headquarters that drove Britain’s war effort. Explore the maze of rooms where Churchill and his aides strategized—rooms that remain exactly as they were when they were last used in 1945. Discover how war shapes lives at the IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON. Explore six floors of galleries and displays, including a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust and a changing program of special temporary exhibitions. Evening is at leisure, your Tour Director is on hand for suggestions. (Breakfast)

Day 4 – 26 May (Sun) – London – Paris, France. Excursion to Versailles

Board a high-speed EUROSTAR TRAIN for an exciting ride to Paris. Continue to historic VERSAILLES the beautiful, restored palace of Louis XIV, the Sun King. After the GUIDED TOUR of the palace where you will have the opportunity to admire the magnificent internal decorations, furniture and huge shining chandeliers, you can stroll in the magnificent terraced gardens with their fountains and statues. You’ll see the famed Halls of Mirrors where the peace for World War I was negotiated between the Allies and Germany.  Many historians would say it was the terms found in the Treaty of Versailles that contributed to the conditions leading to World War II.  Enjoy dinner at a local Parisian restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5 – 27 May (Mon) – Paris

The day starts with sightseeing with a local guide features the La Sorbonne, Boulevard St. Germain, Opéra, Champs-Elysées, and Rue de Rivoli. Visit magnificent NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL with its Rose Window. Next, visit MONTMARTRE, Paris’ renowned art district. Ride the little TRAIN through narrow lanes, then follow your Tour Director on a walking tour and enjoy the spectacular view of Paris from the Sacre Coeur Basilica. Visit NAPOLEON’S TOMB and the MUSEUM of LES INVALIDES. The museum is dedicated to the Ordre de la Libération, France’s second national order after the Légion d’honneur, which was created in 1940 by General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces. Climb the ARC DE TRIUMPHE and enjoy a scenic overview of the city of Paris. Enjoy dinner at a local Parisian restaurant.  (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 6 – 28 May (Tue) – Paris – Mont Saint Michel Area

Today, stop in Bayeux on the way to Mont Saint Michel to admire QUEEN MATILDA’S TAPESTRY, depicting in extraordinary detail William the Conqueror’s conquest of England.  Upon arrival in Mont Saint Michel, visit the famous ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL, spectacularly perched on a rocky isle in the Gulf of Saint Malo. Take time at leisure to refresh before your included dinner this evening. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7 – 29 May (Wed) – Mont Saint Michel Area – Landing Beaches – Bayeux

This morning, drive to OMAHA BEACH, with a visit to the nearby AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY & MEMORIAL. Next is POINTE DU HOC; Ranger’s Assault; and UTAH BEACH to see the MEMORIALS and the MUSEUM. Then, in Sainte-Mère-Église, visit the AIRBORNE MUSEUM, next to the church where John Steele’s parachute got caught in one of the steeples, as filmed in the movie The Longest Day. Continue to the MEMORIAL MUSEUM OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY, commemorating the Invasion of Normandy. Next is Arromanches, where you will watch the movie at the ARROMANCHES 360 CIRCULAR CINEMA. Also see the remains of the Mulberry Harbor in the bay, a temporary harbor built by the Allies to quickly offload men and cargo onto the beaches during the invasion of Normandy. Continue to Arromanches-les-Bains and visit the D-DAY MUSEUM, and to Longues-sur-Mer to see the German artillery bunkers. A pleasant drive through the rural area west of Paris brings you to Bayeux. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 8 – 30 May (Thu) – Bayeux – Ranville – Paris

After breakfast return to Paris. Stop in Ranville, where you will visit the MEMORIAL PEGASUS MUSEUM and see the original bridge. This afternoon enjoy a GUIDED TOUR of the LOUVRE, once a royal palace and now a museum housing one of the most famous art collections in the world including Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece, “Mona Lisa.” The wonder of Paris at night truly comes to life on this incredible DINNER and RIVER CRUISE. Begin with an unforgettable dinner overlooking the city at the legendary Restaurant Le 58 Tour Eiffel, located on the first floor of the iconic Eiffel Tower. Then, embark your ship for a relaxing and romantic illumination cruise along the Seine, where you’ll discover just why it’s called the “City of Light”! (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9 – 31 May (Fri) – Tour ends in Paris. (Optional extension to Amsterdam, Netherlands)

After breakfast a group transfer is provided to the airport for those returning to the US or a transfer to the train station for those extending their stay to Amsterdam. (Breakfast)

Optional Tour Extension:

  • For those wanting to stay longer in Paris, arrangements can be secured for extra nights in our hotel and you can explore additional sights in Paris on your own.
  • For those who would like to continue your travel to Amsterdam, you will board a HIGH-SPEED THALYS TRAIN (first class). Arriving in Amsterdam, you will transfer to your hotel (normal check-in times apply) and begin to explore at your leisure the beautiful capital of the Netherlands. Staff at the hotel concierge desk will help you make the most of your stay by giving directions to the sights you would like to visit—most of which will be in walking distance from the hotel. (Breakfast)
  • For passengers who select the combined D-Day 75th Anniversary Tour and The Romantic Rhine River Cruise, see the separate “combined” itinerary.