Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach is one of the five D-Day landing beaches of June 6, 1944. It sits in the American sector and runs from Vierville-sur-Mer to Colleville-sur-Mer in Calvados. Visiting Omaha Beach is the center of most days on the American beaches. The Normandy American Cemetery stands on the bluff above, and two museums are a short walk or drive from the sand.

What you will see

The beach and the bluffs

Omaha Beach today is a wide bay of sand with cliffs at both ends. The villages of Vierville, Saint-Laurent and Colleville sit behind it. The beach forms a 6-7 km indentation in the coast, and the only ways inland are narrow valleys. In 1944 the Germans defended those valleys with 14 strongpoints, anti-tank walls, artillery, mines and barbed wire. Standing at the waterline and looking up at the high ground explains much of what happened here.

The sector got the codename Omaha in March 1944. Normandy Tourism links the name to the city in Nebraska, and its FAQ also gives a different explanation. US V Corps landed here with the 1st Infantry Division and the 29th Division. Normandy Tourism gives 34,250 men landed on D-Day.

The first waves came ashore at 6:30 in the morning. The bombardment before the landing had little effect, and almost all the amphibious tanks sank before they reached the shore. By that evening, the American foothold was no more than 2 km deep. The losses were severe. Normandy Tourism cites official figures of more than 3,000 casualties, about 1,000 of them killed. Its FAQ gives 4,100 killed, wounded or missing, the highest of any D-Day beach.

If you plan to walk along the sand, check the tides first. Normandy Tourism recommends planning beach walks with the tides in mind.

Omaha Beach Memorial Museum

This Omaha Beach museum stands on Avenue de la Libération in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, 200 m from the beach. It has 1,400 m2 of exhibits and a 25-minute documentary featuring US veterans. Allow about an hour. It is a good first stop if you want the story of the landing before you walk the ground.

Overlord Museum

The Overlord Museum is at the roundabout that leads to the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. Its collection runs to more than 10,000 items, including 35 vehicles, tanks and guns. Choose it if you want to see the equipment up close.

Normandy American Cemetery

The Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks the beach, and entry is free. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) expects compulsory pre-registration for all visitors from summer 2027, so check the rules before you go.

German military cemetery at La Cambe

Inland at La Cambe, the German military cemetery holds more than 21,200 German soldiers who died between June and August 1944. A stop here gives you the other side of the same summer.

Planning your visit

You can visit the beaches at any time of year. Early June is the busiest period because of the anniversary events. If you want to be there for them, read our guide to the D-Day anniversary on June 6. Spring, autumn and winter are quieter. For conditions month by month, see Normandy weather by month.

How long you spend depends on what you combine. The Memorial Museum takes about an hour on its own. The beach walk, the Overlord Museum and the cemetery each add more time. Start with one museum, then walk the sand, then go up to the cemetery. That order keeps the story in sequence.

You need no ticket for the beach itself. The official pages list no admission charge for it. For museum prices and opening times, check each museum’s official site. Both museums list free parking, toilets and baby-changing facilities. That helps if you are traveling with young children or older relatives.

The Explore Normandy Pass is the official pass of Normandie Tourisme, the regional tourism board. The beach is not one of its partners, but the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum and the Overlord Museum are. The discount at each partner appears in the pass’s app. My Normandy Pass is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Normandie Tourisme or the official Explore Normandy Pass. To see whether the pass is worth it for your route, try the Normandy pass calculator.

For a full plan, see One Day on the D-Day Beaches. For a slower pace, see Two Days in Bayeux and on the D-Day Beaches. The D-Day beaches map shows how Omaha fits with the other four beaches. Normandy Tourism’s Omaha Beach page has more background on the sector.

Getting there

By train

There is no railway station on this part of the coast. Take the train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Bayeux, the nearest station. From there, taxis and tour buses run to the beaches. The ABMC describes local public transport as intermittent, so don’t count on a regular bus. Our Normandy Without a Car itinerary covers the options in more detail.

By car

A car gives you the most freedom along the sector, since the sites are spread out. Bayeux is about 24 minutes and 22 km away by road. That figure, like the others on this page, is an OpenStreetMap routing estimate without traffic. If you are driving from Paris, note that the A13 Saint-Cloud tunnel is closed in the Paris-to-Normandy direction from November 16, 2026 to the end of August 2027. Signed diversions are in place. Getting to Normandy from Paris compares the routes.

On a tour

Tour buses from Bayeux are the simplest option without a car. If you are based in Paris, see the D-Day Beaches Day Trip from Paris page.

Nearby

• Normandy American Cemetery is about 10 minutes and 5 km away and overlooks the beach, so most visits pair the two. Remember that pre-registration is expected to become compulsory from summer 2027.
• Pointe du Hoc is about 15 minutes and 11 km west, where US Rangers scaled the cliffs on the same morning.
• Bayeux is about 24 minutes and 22 km away, and it is the practical base for trains, taxis and tours.
• Arromanches D-Day Museum is about 35 minutes and 32 km east, and it adds the British side of the landings to your day.