• Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery - The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is a resting place primarily for Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the initial phases of the Battle of Normandy in World War II. Situated in Bény-sur-Mer, within the Calvados department near Caen in lower Normandy, the cemetery is beautifully landscaped and meticulously maintained, as is customary for war cemeteries in France. It features a Cross of Sacrifice, a common architectural element in memorials designed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The soldiers who perished on the beaches and in the intense bridgehead battles are interred in the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, which, despite its name, is located near the village of Reviers. The cemetery holds 2,049 headstones, surrounded by pines and maples, marking the fallen of the 3rd Division and the graves of 15 airmen.

• La Maison des Canadiens - “Within sight of this house over 100 men of the Queen’s Own Rifles were killed or wounded, in the first few minutes of the landings.”

This poignant inscription greets visitors at the entrance of a large, timber-framed house overlooking Juno Beach, in the village of Bernières-sur-Mer, France. “La Maison des Canadiens,” or Canada House, is one of the most iconic structures in Canadian military history. It was among the first houses liberated by Canadian soldiers on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and has since become a well-known historic landmark, appearing in many black-and-white photographs of troops landing on the sands of this Normandy village.

This particular house was one of the few that remained intact, possibly because it was favored by a German officer occupying it.

The left side is owned by the family of Hervé Hoffer, whose grandfather owned the home during the war but was displaced by the Germans.

• Juno Beach Centre - The Juno Beach Centre’s permanent exhibit utilizes photographs, documents, multimedia, maps, and artifacts to narrate the story of Canadians who volunteered for military service or mobilized at home to support the war effort. It also details the battles that took Canadian units from Sicily to Italy and from Normandy to the Netherlands.

The Centre honors the 45,000 Canadians who sacrificed their lives during the War, including 5,500 who were killed during the Battle of Normandy and 359 on D-Day.

The Centre is not just a war museum. It also shares the personal stories and real-life experiences of the society that these soldiers left to their descendants, which now forms Canada.

• Croix de Lorraine - Monument of The Lorraine Cross

Standing over 18 meters high and facing the sea, this monument commemorates General de Gaulle’s return to French soil on June 14, 1944, after crossing the English Channel aboard the French destroyer La Combattante.

• Graye-sur-Mer - A British Churchill AVRE tank named “One Charlie” stands as a proud memorial to the landing operations on 6 June 1944. This Churchill Mk IV AVRE tank was designed to approach fortifications and demolish them with its mortar.

A bridge was constructed over the sunken Churchill tank to enable Allied troops to cross the flooded terrain. The tank served as a bridge support and remained buried for 32 years. In November 1976, a team of British Army soldiers and engineers retrieved the Churchill AVRE tank from its wartime resting place.

The two surviving members of the tank crew, Tank Driver Bill Dunn and Bill Hawkins, were present when it was lifted back onto the beach.

• Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe - Canadian Memorial Abbaye d’Ardenne

In a garden next to the Abbaye d’Ardenne monastery, a Canadian memorial stands. The memorial honors 20 executed soldiers.

Text on the memorial:
“On the night of 7-8 June 1944, eighteen Canadian soldiers were murdered in this garden while being held here as prisoners of war. Two more prisoners died here, or nearby, on 17 June 1944. They are gone but not forgotten.”

• Caen Carpiquet - Operation Windsor (4–5 July 1944), was a Canadian offensive, part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II.

The attack was carried out by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division to capture Carpiquet and the nearby airfield.

Carpiquet airfield was situated on a 1.2-mile stretch of flat land, which provided a “killing ground” for the defenders. The airfield was fortified with minefields, field gun and machine gun positions, manned by I Battalion, SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 26, an anti-aircraft battery, and fifteen tanks.

The Carpiquet airfield in Caen remains operational today and is open to both national and international air traffic.

• Private Group Tour via Minivan
• Comfort with In-vehicle Air Conditioning
• Knowledgeable Driver Guide
• Includes Admission to Juno Beach Centre
• Convenient Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off (Paris districts: 75008, 75007, 75016)

• Lunch
• Gratuities (optional)

Explore the historic D-Day battle sites and Canadian landing beaches in Normandy, departing from Paris.

Travel with a private group of two in a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan for a more intimate experience.

Journey back in time on a historical tour to discover the events of June 6, 1944.

Honor the memory of fallen Canadian soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Beny-sur-Mer.

Visit the renowned “Canada House” on Juno Beach, believed to be the first house liberated in Normandy.

Stroll along the sands of Juno Beach in Normandy, retracing the steps of Canadian troops from June 1944.

Explore the Juno Beach Centre, the most extensive museum dedicated to the Canadian landings in Normandy.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.