Two Days in Bayeux and on the D-Day Beaches

This two-day itinerary is for visitors who want to cover the D-Day beaches without rushing, using one hotel for both nights. It starts and ends at Bayeux station, which has direct trains from Paris Saint-Lazare. Day one covers the British and Canadian sectors at Arromanches and Courseulles-sur-Mer. Day two covers the American sector at Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery. A car makes it simplest, but you can do most of it by bus and a guided minivan tour. The pace is two or three sites a day, with time in Bayeux each evening.

Before you go

When to go

Normandy Tourism says you can visit the landing beaches all year. Early June is the busiest time because of the anniversary events, while spring, autumn and winter are quieter. If you plan to come for the anniversary, read D-Day Anniversary: June 6 in Normandy first. For the wider picture, see Best Time to Visit Normandy and Normandy Weather by Month.

Both day-one museums close for the whole of January and open from February to December. Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery are open year-round. Check each attraction page for prices and hours before you go.

Booking ahead

The Arromanches D-Day Museum sells tickets only at its ticket office, not online. The Juno Beach Centre sells tickets both on site and online. Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery are free and need no booking at present. If you plan to take the Mémorial de Caen minivan tour on day two, book it before you travel, because each tour takes only 7 passengers.

Where to sleep

Base yourself in Bayeux for both nights. The town sits a few kilometers inland from the beaches, and its historic center survived 1944 intact. It was the first town liberated, in June 1944. ABMC also lists hotels in Port-en-Bessin, close to the American sector.

One change affects every visit right now. The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is closed until autumn 2027. The Tapestry itself is on show at the British Museum in London from September 10, 2026 to July 11, 2027. In Bayeux, the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy, the MAHB art and history museum and the Bayeux War Cemetery stay open. The museums are a 10-15 minute walk from the station. See the Bayeux town guide for more.

Car or no car

A car gives you the most freedom on this route. ABMC describes local public transport along the American sector as intermittent, so without a car you need a tour or a taxi on day two. The “Getting around” section below explains both options.

Day 1: The British and Canadian sectors

Arromanches D-Day Museum

From Bayeux, the drive to the Arromanches D-Day Museum takes about 14 minutes and covers 10 km. The driving times on this page are OpenStreetMap estimates without traffic. The museum stands on the seafront in the Gold Beach sector. It tells the story of the artificial harbor, known as Mulberry B or Port Winston, that the Allies built off the town. The harbor was planned to last about three months but stayed in use for about five, and concrete sections are still visible offshore.

Inside are archive film, animated scale models and a video map, and the audioguide is included with your ticket. The museum suggests about 1h30 for a visit, while Normandy Tourism gives 1h15. There is also a children’s audioguide for ages 6-10.

Juno Beach Centre

Next, drive about 17 minutes (13 km) east to the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer. Canadian veterans and volunteers opened it in 2003, and Normandy Tourism calls it the only Canadian museum on the landing beaches. Juno was the Canadian sector, between the British beaches of Gold and Sword. By nightfall on D-Day, more than 21,000 men had come ashore there.

A bilingual Canadian guide introduces the visit, and a short film follows. Allow at least 1h30 for the museum. From April to October you can add a 45-minute guided tour of the German bunkers in Juno Park. That tour is not accessible to wheelchair users, but the museum itself is on the ground floor. Children have their own area, “Explore Juno”, with games and adapted displays.

Evening in Bayeux

From Juno, the drive back to Bayeux takes about 27 minutes and covers 22 km. Use the evening to walk the cobbled streets and see Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1077. In summer, the cathedral hosts a sound-and-light show. If you arrive early enough, the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy and the Bayeux War Cemetery make a good start to day two’s history.

Day 2: The American sector

Pointe du Hoc

From Bayeux, drive about 31 minutes (30 km) west to Pointe du Hoc. On D-Day, the US 2nd Ranger Battalion climbed these 100-foot cliffs to disable German guns. They found the guns had been moved inland, then tracked them down and destroyed them. The ground is still cratered from the 1944 bombardment.

Entry is free. Stay on the marked paths, because the ground is uneven and full of bomb craters. ABMC notes that a cliff stabilization project is under way but gives no closure dates, so check before you set out.

Omaha Beach

It’s about 16 minutes (11 km) from Pointe du Hoc to Omaha Beach. The sector is a 6-7 km curve between cliffs, running in front of Vierville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer. The US 1st and 29th Divisions landed here under heavy fire. If you want to walk on the sand, Normandy Tourism advises checking the tides first.

Normandy American Cemetery

From the beach, it’s about 10 minutes (5 km) to the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. The cemetery sits on the bluff above Omaha Beach and holds the graves of almost 9,400 US service members. The Walls of the Missing carry almost 1,600 names. Start at the visitor center, which presents Operation Overlord and the people buried here. Normandy Tourism suggests allowing 1h30.

Entry is free, and no booking is needed at present. ABMC expects compulsory pre-registration for all visitors from summer 2027, so check the rules if your trip falls after that. The path from the cemetery down to the beach has been closed since 2016, but there is public beach access nearby. A flag-lowering ceremony takes place one hour before closing. The drive back to Bayeux takes about 23-24 minutes.

Getting around

Train to Bayeux

Trains to Bayeux leave from Paris Saint-Lazare. SNCF Connect lists 13 a day, with direct services, a fastest time of 2h12 and an average of about 2h26. For other routes and stations, see Getting to Normandy from Paris.

Driving from Paris

If you drive 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.

Without a car on day one

NOMAD Car bus line 121 runs from Bayeux to the “Courseulles-sur-Mer: Chant des oiseaux” stop, an 8-minute (650 m) walk from the Juno Beach Centre. Several taxi firms are based in Bayeux and can cover the Arromanches leg. In July and August, the NOMAD Car D-Day Line gives unlimited travel between the D-Day sites, including Arromanches and the Juno Beach Centre.

Without a car on day two

The Mémorial de Caen runs an afternoon minivan tour of Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. It runs Monday to Friday, except public holidays, and starts in Caen. The train from Bayeux to Caen takes about 15 minutes. The tour ends at Bayeux station, which suits this plan. It is open to children over 6 but not to wheelchair users. The Bayeux tourist office also lists minibus excursions, private guides and chauffeured cars. In July and August, the D-Day Line bus also stops at all three day-two sites.

Changing the plan

Shorter

If you only have one day, follow One Day on the D-Day Beaches. Coming from Paris and returning the same night? See the D-Day Beaches Day Trip from Paris.

Longer

With a third day, head west from Pointe du Hoc to the Airborne Museum, Sainte-Mère-Église, about 36 minutes (38 km) away, or the Utah Beach D-Day Museum, about 41 minutes (40 km) away. Heading east instead, the Caen Memorial Museum is about 25 minutes (20 km) from Juno, and you should allow 3-4 hours there. The Pegasus Memorial is about 28 minutes (23 km) from Juno, but it is closed from September 1, 2026, with no confirmed reopening date. For fuller plans, see Three Days in Normandy and Five Days in Normandy.

In winter or with kids

In January, both day-one museums are closed. You can swap in the open Bayeux museums and keep day two as written. With children, the Arromanches audioguide for ages 6-10 and the Juno Beach Centre’s “Explore Juno” area help. For car-free routes across the region, see Normandy Without a Car and the D-Day beaches map.