5 day Tour
5 Day Dunkirk to D-Day Tour
Embark on an enlightening journey as we delve into the historic Dunkirk Battlefield Tour.
Follow the story of the Second World War from the evacuation at Dunkirk to the Normandy landings on this private five-day battlefield tour through northern France.
Our 5 Day Dunkirk to D-Day Tour follows key locations associated with the campaigns of 1940 and 1944. Beginning with Dunkirk and the evacuation beaches, the journey continues south through Dieppe before reaching the battlefields, landing beaches, cemeteries and memorials of Normandy.
Along the way, your private chauffeur guide provides historical context to the places you visit, helping connect individual sites with the wider events of the war. From Bray Dunes and the Dunkirk Memorial to Pegasus Bridge, Sword, Juno, Gold, Utah and Omaha beaches, this World War II history tour provides five days to explore some of the most significant locations of the conflict in Western Europe.
Collection can be arranged from Ashford in Kent, with onward travel via Folkestone and the Channel crossing to Calais. Travel from London can also be discussed when arranging your tour.
Important information: Your preferred drop-off and collection point will be agreed with your driver prior to the tour start date.
Day 1
Dunkirk to D-Day
The first day of your private Dunkirk battlefield tour takes you from England to northern France and the locations associated with the Battle of Dunkirk and the evacuation of Allied forces in 1940.
Rather than viewing Dunkirk as an isolated event, the day follows several locations connected with the fighting and evacuation, providing valuable context for the beginning of this five-day journey.
Following collection, we travel through Kent to Folkestone for the Channel crossing to Calais. From there, the battlefield tour begins in northern France.
Our first stops take us through the Dunkirk region, beginning with Cassel before continuing to Wormhoudt, where British and German forces fought on 28th May 1940.
At Bray Dunes, visit one of the beaches used during the Dunkirk evacuation. The landscape provides an opportunity to consider the conditions faced by troops awaiting evacuation while under German attack.
The day also includes the Dunkirk Memorial, which commemorates more than 4,500 British and Commonwealth personnel with no known grave.
The wider itinerary also takes in the Blockhaus at Éperlecques, a vast wartime bunker complex associated with Germany's V-weapons programme.
Day 2
From Dunkirk to Dieppe
Day two continues along the French coast, examining German coastal defences and the Allied raid on Dieppe before the journey progresses towards Normandy.
This stage of the Dunkirk & Normandy tour helps bridge the events of 1940 and the later preparations for the return of Allied forces to mainland Europe.
Begin at Cap Gris-Nez, overlooking one of the narrowest points of the English Channel and a strategically important position during the war.
At the Museum of the Atlantic Wall, explore preserved German fortifications and learn more about the coastal defences constructed as part of the Atlantic Wall.
The journey then continues to Dieppe, scene of the major Allied raid of August 1942 involving Canadian forces and British Commandos. Visit locations associated with the landings, German defensive positions and the Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery.
The day concludes with an overnight stay in Le Havre.
Day 3
Airborne Operations and the Battle for Normandy
Day three brings the tour into Normandy and the events surrounding D-Day itself. The itinerary follows locations associated with the airborne operations and the fighting that developed as Allied forces attempted to expand the Normandy beachhead.
For visitors looking for a detailed D-Day battlefield tour, this part of the journey begins to connect the landing operations with the battles fought inland during the days and weeks that followed.
Begin at Merville Gun Battery, an important objective for British airborne forces during the opening stages of D-Day.
Continue to Ranville War Cemetery, where the graves provide a quieter opportunity for remembrance and reflection on the human cost of the Normandy campaign.
At Pegasus Bridge, explore one of the best-known locations associated with the opening hours of D-Day. The nearby museum and original bridge help tell the story of the airborne troops tasked with capturing and holding this strategically important crossing.
The journey continues inland to Villers-Bocage, associated with the armoured fighting that followed the landings, before travelling to Tilly-sur-Seulles, where intense fighting took place during the Battle of Normandy.
After a full day examining the campaign beyond the beaches, the tour continues to Bayeux for the overnight stay.
Day 4
The D-Day Landing Beaches
Day four focuses on the British and Canadian sectors of the Normandy landings. This part of your Normandy battlefield tour follows the coastline through Sword, Juno and Gold beaches, examining the objectives, defences and experiences of the forces that landed on 6th June 1944.
Begin at the Grand Bunker in the Sword Beach sector, a museum dedicated to the Atlantic Wall and the German coastal defences.
From here, explore locations associated with the Allied assault on Sword Beach and consider how the landings connected with the airborne operations visited the previous day.
Continue to Juno Beach and the sector where Canadian troops came ashore on D-Day.
The tour then proceeds to Gold Beach, including the remains of the Mulberry Harbour and the British Normandy Memorial. Together, these locations provide further insight into both the scale of the landings and the logistical effort required to establish the Allied foothold in Normandy.
The day's itinerary also includes the German military cemetery at La Cambe, providing another perspective on the losses sustained during the Normandy campaign.
Afterwards, return to Bayeux for the overnight stay.
Day 5
Utah Beach, Omaha Beach and the American Sector
The final day of this WWII battlefield tour in France turns to the American sectors of the Normandy campaign.
From museums and airborne locations to Utah and Omaha beaches, the day brings together the final stage of a journey that began five days earlier with the evacuation from Dunkirk.
Begin at the Dead Man's Corner Museum before exploring locations associated with American airborne operations and the fighting behind Utah Beach.
Continue to Utah Beach and nearby towns and sites connected with the opening stages of the Normandy campaign, including Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Angoville-au-Plain, Brécourt Manor, La Fière Bridge and Sainte-Mère-Église.
Together, these locations help illustrate how events on the landing beaches were connected with the airborne operations taking place further inland.
The Dunkirk to D-Day Tour concludes in the Omaha Beach sector with a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery.
After five days following the story from northern France to Normandy, the final stop provides time for reflection on the scale and human cost of the events explored throughout the tour.
Private Battlefield Touring with Travel England Tours
Travel England Tours is an experienced provider of private chauffeur-guided battlefield tours and a specialist in military history itineraries across the UK and Europe.
Our private touring format combines transport and chauffeur-guided travel in one service, rather than requiring you to organise a separate vehicle supplier or travel agency for each stage of the journey. This is particularly valuable on a battlefield itinerary covering numerous locations across northern France and Normandy.
Our professional approach is centred on careful organisation, comfortable travel and historical context. Travel England Tours is a multi-award-winning company, providing a trusted and reliable option for travellers looking to explore important military history locations with an experienced guide.
Throughout the tour, your guide helps put individual memorials, cemeteries, museums and battlefields into context, giving you an expert perspective on how the locations fit into the wider history of the campaigns.
If you require a particular certified service, accreditation or accessibility provision during your journey, please discuss this with us before booking so that we can confirm what can be provided.
Get in touch
Want to find out more about this tour?
Embark on a captivating journey as we explore the enchanting landscapes...
If you are considering a private D-Day battlefield tour or want to follow the wider story from Dunkirk through to Normandy, get in touch to discuss your travel arrangements and particular areas of interest.
We understand that military history can also have a personal connection. If there are particular locations, units, cemeteries or family connections you would like to incorporate, speak to us about your requirements. If this five-day itinerary is not quite right, we can also discuss a custom battlefield tour.
