Booking choice: The full day from Bayeux, from $163 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
On June 6, 1944 the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions landed on Omaha, the second beach from the west. About 34,000 troops came ashore that day, and about 2,400 were killed, wounded or missing, the heaviest toll of the five beaches.
This guide covers what to see along the beach today, how long to allow, how to get there and which tours give you the most time on the sand.
The quick answer
Allow at least an hour on Omaha Beach itself, plus an hour or more at the American Cemetery on the bluff above and an hour at Pointe du Hoc, about 15 km west. The key sights are the Les Braves memorial at Saint-Laurent, the German bunkers on the bluffs and the Overlord Museum. Paris coach tours stop only 20 to 30 minutes on the beach; the Bayeux tours give 45 minutes to an hour.
What happened at Omaha Beach on D-Day?
Omaha was the most heavily defended of the five beaches: the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions landed below bluffs held by German positions, and about 2,400 men were killed, wounded or missing.
Of the more than 10,300 Allied casualties on D-Day, about 2,400 fell here. The beach runs past three villages, Vierville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer,. How it fits with the other four beaches: the five D-Day beaches explained.
What is there to see at Omaha Beach today?
A wide public beach, the Les Braves memorial on the sand, unit memorials and German bunkers on the bluffs, and the American Cemetery above the east end.
- Les Braves: the steel sculpture on the sand at Saint-Laurent.
- Memorials and plaques: dotted along the sea front and the bluffs, several to individual units.
- German bunkers: concrete positions still sit in the bluffs above the sand.
- The Normandy American Cemetery: on the bluff above the east end.
- The Overlord Museum: vehicles and equipment, next to the cemetery.
Is the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach?
Yes: the Normandy American Cemetery stands on the bluff above the east end of Omaha, at Colleville-sur-Mer, and every full or half-day tour on this site that visits Omaha stops there too.
It is free, open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM (last admission 4:30 PM) and holds nearly 9,400 graves. Hours, free guided tours and finding a relative are in the American Cemetery guide.
Beach, bluffs and cemetery with an hour at each: check dates for the Bayeux day.
Check dates for the full day from BayeuxWhat is the Overlord Museum?
A museum of WWII vehicles, weapons and equipment next to the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer: adults €9.90 in 2026, children 7 to 15 €7.50.
It closes from early January to mid February. The eight-seat minivan tour from Paris includes an hour there with a skip-the-line ticket, and the WWII jeep rides leave from right beside it.
Want the museum as well as the beach? The minivan day from Paris includes an hour at the Overlord Museum.
Explore the small-group day from ParisHow far is Pointe du Hoc from Omaha Beach?
About 15 km west of the cemetery along the coast, a short drive: almost every tour pairs the two.
On D-Day, 225 Rangers of the 2nd Ranger Battalion climbed cliffs about 30 m (100 ft) high to reach the German guns; by June 8 fewer than 75 were still fit to fight. The headland is still pitted with craters, with the observation post, casemates and a granite, dagger-shaped Ranger memorial. It is free and open daily except December 25 and January 1.
How long should you spend at Omaha Beach?
An hour on the beach itself, and half a day for Omaha, the cemetery and Pointe du Hoc together.
Here is how long each tour on this site gives the three core sites, from the operators' listings:
| Tour | Omaha Beach | American Cemetery | Pointe du Hoc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most booked, from Paris ($142) | 30 min | 1 h 15 | 1 h |
| Minivan, from Paris ($308) | 30 min | 1 h | 45 min |
| Budget, from Paris ($106) | 20 min | 1 h | 25 min |
| Full day, from Bayeux ($163) | 1 h | 1 h | 1 h |
| Half day, from Bayeux ($102) | 45 min | 1 h | 1 h |
| Sidecar, from Bayeux ($168) | 30 min | 1 h | 1 h |
| Shore excursion, Le Havre ($103) | About 2 h | About 2 h | 1 h |
Short on time in Bayeux? The half day covers all three sites in an afternoon.
Check dates for the half day from BayeuxHow do you get to Omaha Beach?
No train reaches the beaches: take the train to Bayeux (about 2 h 15 from Paris Saint-Lazare), then drive or join a tour for the last 20 km.
By car from Paris it is roughly 285 km, about three hours without traffic; the cemetery car park is free. From Bayeux it is about 25 minutes. Cruise passengers docking at Le Havre have about two hours each way by coach on the Le Havre shore excursion.
Which tour gives the most time at Omaha Beach?
From Bayeux: the full-day tour gives about an hour and the half day 45 minutes; from Le Havre the shore excursion's listing allows about 2 hours.
From Paris, every tour stops 20 to 30 minutes on the beach. If you are driving, the private jeep ride ($53, 75 minutes) adds a guide to the Omaha sites. The trade-offs are laid out in Paris or Bayeux.
Want a proper hour on the sand? Check dates for the full day from Bayeux.
Check dates for the full day from BayeuxFrequently asked questions
Is Omaha Beach free to visit?
Yes. The beach is public, and the American Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc are free. Only museums such as the Overlord Museum charge.
Where is the Les Braves memorial?
On the sand at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, in the central part of Omaha Beach.
How far is Omaha Beach from Bayeux and Paris?
About 20 km (25 minutes) from Bayeux and roughly 285 km (about three hours without traffic) from Paris.
Do you need a guide at Omaha Beach?
Not to visit, but little on the beach explains what happened where. A guide, or at least a good book, turns a quiet beach into the place you came to see.
Ready to book
Choose your D-Day tour
Free cancellation on every option (24 hours ahead on most tours, 6 days on a few; see each listing). Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
American D-Day Beaches Full-Day Tour from Bayeux
- Pickup and drop-off at your Bayeux hotel
- Guide and air-conditioned minivan, eight guests maximum
- Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, American Cemetery (about an hour each)
Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc & Cemetery Half Day
The American sites in an afternoon from Bayeux
Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches Tour including Omaha Beach
- English-speaking guide and air-conditioned coach from Paris
- Utah Beach Landing Museum entry, Utah Beach and Pointe du Hoc
- Free time on Omaha Beach (about 30 minutes) and the American Cemetery (1 hr 15)
