Omaha Beach ©E. Berthier
EV4 / Emmanuel Berthier
Monument Signal à Omaha Beach
EV4 / Emmanuel Berthier
Cap Manvieux, vue sur le port artificiel d'Arromanches
En Route Creative Nomad
Utah Beach - En Route Creative Nomad
Batterie de Longues-sur-Mer
En Route Creative Nomad

The D-Day landings Beaches

Étapes sur La Vélomaritime Idées parcours 🚲

The D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, on the beaches of Normandy constituted the largest amphibious and airborne operation of all time. To this day, millions of visitors come to pay their respects at the D-Day beaches and honor the soldiers who liberated France.

Since July 2026, the five D-Day beaches and Pointe du Hoc have been officially designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites under the cultural category. Along La Vélomaritime, they join other prestigious sites already recognized: Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay, the forts of La Hougue and Tatihou, Le Havre, and the belfries of the Hauts-de-France region.

 

Back to 1944...

The D-Day landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, took place during the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, towards the end of the Second World War.

It involved air and naval bombing campaigns, followed by thousands of vessels crossing the English Channel and the unforgettable early morning landings on the beaches. The goal was to secure an allied bridgehead in north-west Europe and open up a Western front. The landings marked the beginning of the famous Battle of Normandy. The operation unfolded throughout June 1944, lasting until the 30th.


On which beaches did the landings take place?

Each landing beach had its own specific features and characteristics. There were five in total, all located close to one other along the coast. Here are the different beaches to visit from west to east 👇🏼

  • Utah Beach (American sector)
  • Omaha Beach (American sector)
  • Gold Beach (British sector)
  • Juno Beach (Canadian sector)
  • Sword Beach (French and British sector)

Find out more about the landing beaches

Normandie Tourisme / I. Hendy

Museums dedicated to the Normandy Landings

Here are the museums to visit to learn more about the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944:

  • D-Day Experience in Carentan-les-Marais: an immersive museum dedicated to American and German paratroopers
  • Arromanches 360 (circular cinema)
  • Arromanches D-Day Museum
  • Omaha Beach Memorial Museum
  • Juno Beach Centre 💡 holds the "Accueil Vélo" (Cyclists Welcome) label, offering adapted facilities and a "low-carbon" rate for cyclists!
  • Utah Beach D-Day Museum
  • The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, which is the final resting place of 9,386 American soldiers who fell during the landings and the ensuing battle.
  • Although slightly further off the route (13 km), the Caen Memorial is also a must-visit.

Get discounts on sightseeing sites

Several sites in Normandy are participating in the "low-carbon fare" initiative and offer a 10% discount when you travel by bike:

  • Normandy Victory Museum, Carentan-les-Marais
  • Azeville Battery
  • D-Day Omaha Museum, Vierville-sur-Mer
  • Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer
  • Pegasus Memorial Museum, Ranville

Get on your bikes and ride... to the landing beaches 🚲

Cycling to the Normandy landing beaches is quick and easy, just hop on your bike and pedal! D-Day beaches here we come – Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach… To find out more about the routes leading to these iconic Second World War sites, see below 👇🏼

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Grandcamp-Maisy / Port-en-Bessin-Huppain

33 Grandcamp-Maisy / Port-en-Bessin-Huppain

33 km
2 h 13 min
I cycle often
Cycling along this section is a humbling reminder of the landings of 6 June 1944. Shortly after Grandcamp-Maisy, the cycle route joins the Liberté Greenway, which runs along the clifftops of the Bessin coastline. It takes you to Pointe du Hoc, a landmark site of the Normandy landings, and on to equally symbolic Omaha Beach, where the US troops disembarked under enemy fire. You then cycle on to Port-en-Bessin, where a delicious seafood platter awaits you on the waterfront.
Port-en-Bessin-Huppain / Arromanches-les-Bains

34 Port-en-Bessin-Huppain / Arromanches-les-Bains

22 km
1 h 28 min
I cycle often
At the start of this stage stands Port-en-Bessin, its port always lively when the fishing boats return, particularly during the scallop season. Head on to discover pretty villages, their lanes lined with long stone walls, and manor-style farms dotted along narrow country lanes. You then reach Arromanches and its famed artificial Mulberry Harbour, towed over from England following the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 as part of the greater Operation Overlord to win back Normandy.
Arromanches-les-Bains / Ouistreham

35 Arromanches-les-Bains / Ouistreham

35 km
2 h 19 min
Beginners/Families
Cycling beside the beaches along this stage, you can't help but think of the soldiers who landed in these parts during D-Day and beyond in summer 1944. British and French soldiers came ashore at Sword Beach, Canadians at Juno Beach. The Vélomaritime leaves Arromanches via minor roads that offer 360° views of the sea and the oyster parks below. Take a break at the fishing port of Courseulles-sur-Mer, where a daily fish market takes place on the quays. This stage also allows you to admire Normandy's Côte de Nacre seaside villas, recalling the earliest days of tourist sea-bathing, along with the iconic beach huts.
Ouistreham / Cabourg

36 Ouistreham / Cabourg

23 km
1 h 31 min
Beginners/Families
After enjoying a well-deserved swim from one of Ouistreham's beaches, time to continue your Vélomaritime trip. The cycle route takes you down beside the Orne River, which you cross via the famed Pegasus Bridge, at the most iconic spot secured by the Allies at the start of D-Day 1944, then you carry on back north beside the Bay of the Orne. A paradise for birds and people who love unspoilt nature, this enchanting area is well explained at the Maison de la Nature in Sallenelles. Once back at the coast, an iconic resort along Normandy's Côte Fleurie comes into view, Cabourg, where great Belle Epoque writer Marcel Proust left an indelible mark.
Utah Beach / Carentan-les-Marais

31 Utah Beach / Carentan-les-Marais

24 km
1 h 34 min
Beginners/Families
Leaving Utah Beach behind, the Vélomaritime allows you to cycle smoothly through the wetlands of the Parc Naturel Régional du Cotentin et du Bessin. Leading you into the heart of the Baie des Veys, the route runs alongside Beauguillot Nature Reserve, where land and sea merge. You then reach Carentan, a pretty town with a medieval past and a charming modern yachting marina.

All-inclusive packages: your tailor-made cycling trip

Entrust your cycling trip to specialized agencies and set off with peace of mind. They design turnkey holidays for you, featuring itineraries tailored to your preferences.

See all trips on La Vélomaritime 

Places to visit near the landing beaches

The stretches of sandy beaches are not the only vestiges of D-Day. If you really want to know what the Normandy landings were like, here are a few places near the landing beaches that also bear witness to this unforgettable day 👇🏼

  • Pointe du Hoc in the Calvados department
  • Longues-sur-Mer battery in the Calvados department
  • Crisbecq and Azeville batteries in the Manche department
  • The Winston Churchill artificial harbour at Arromanches-les-Bains in the Calvados department
  • The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum and all the other museums about the D-Day landings in the Calvados department
  • The military cemeteries (American, German, British...)


Towns nearby where you can take your feet off the pedals 👀

What better way to discover Normandy’s heritage than by visiting one of the towns near the beaches? So, drop your battle gear and let’s visit! Park your bicycle in one of the spaces provided and enjoy visiting other museums about Normandy. Here are some of the towns and cities near the beaches 👇🏼

  • Caen
  • Bayeux
  • Courseulles-sur-Mer
  • Ouistreham
  • Sainte-Mère-Église
  • Arromanches-les-Bains 
     

✅ Your to-do list for a Normandy visit that’s all about D-Day!

☐ Visit the Landings Museum and the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum
☐ Gather your thoughts at a military cemetery
☐ Hike around the Pointe du Hoc
☐ Immerse yourself in the D-Day experience at Arromanches 360
☐ Discover the Winston Churchill artificial harbour
☐ Step back in time at the Longues-sur-Mer battery
☐ Picnic on your favourite beach
☐ Visit the landing sites with a guide to learn all there is to know about D-Day
 

ℹ️ Practical information

On which beaches did the landings take place?
Five beaches were involved in landing operations:

  • Utah Beach
  • Omaha Beach 
  • Gold Beach
  • Juno Beach 
  • Sword Beach

Towns and cities near the landing beaches
Caen, Bayeux, Arromanches, Sainte-Marie-Eglise, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Ouistreham are all close to the D-Day beaches.

When did the Normandy landings take place?
The landings took place on 6 June 1944, which is referred to as D-Day.

Which countries were involved in the Normandy landing battles?
The countries most involved were Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada and the USA.

*Which museums in Normandy are dedicated to the D-Day landings?
These are the must-see museums to learn about D-Day:

  • The Caen Memorial
  • Arromanches 360 (immersive cinema)
  • The Landings Museum in Arromanches
  • The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum
  • The Juno Beach Centre, which has been awarded the Accueil vélo (cycle friendly) label. It has facilities for cyclists as well as a “low carbon” ticket offer!
  • The Utah Beach Landings Museum
  • The American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur-Mer, with the graves of 9,386 American soldiers who died during the Normandy landings and the ensuing battle.