R E M E M B E R I N G D - D A Y: LO N D O N TO T H E N O R M A N DY B E AC H E S THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCE • Walk along the infamous Utah and Omaha Beaches with a local historian, and get an in-depth perspective on the historic coastal landings and air invasion by American and Allied forces. • A military historian joins our expedition, providing expert insight on the logistics of the Allied assault on Normandy. • Get a behind-the-scenes look at Normandy’s artillery batteries, and stand inside the German gun pits on Pointe du Hoc. • Pay your respects to fallen heroes by laying a wreath during a private ceremony at the American Military Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.
ITINER ARY
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8*
DAY S
Museum. Continue to Utah Beach, site of an American amphibious landing on D-Day. Pay a visit to the German war cemetery at La Cambe.
I N F O R M AT I O N Trip Type
Activity Level
Land
Light / Moderate
Hôtel Le Manoir De Mathan or Hôtel Riva Bella Meals: B/L/D Daily
DAY 5
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D-DAY ANNIVERSARY/BAYEUX
On the anniversary of D-Day, wander along Omaha Beach, site of the bloodiest fighting of the invasion day, and then visit the Overlord Museum. This afternoon, see the epic tale of the Norman Conquest at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. Hôtel Le Manoir De Mathan or Hôtel Riva Bella Meals: B/D
DAYS 6 AND 7
DAYS 1 AND 2
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LONDON, ENGLAND
Arrive in London and visit the Churchill War Rooms, an underground bunker from which Winston Churchill directed the British war effort. The next day, travel to Bletchley Park, and discover the story behind the Enigma code breakers, who successfully deciphered the encryption used by the Wehrmacht. Return to central London to explore the H.M.S. Belfast, now part of the Imperial War Museum. Kensington Hotel or Bloomsbury Hotel Meals: Day 1: D; Day 2: B/L
DAYS 3 AND 4
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PORTSMOUTH/ NORMANDY, FRANCE
Travel to Portsmouth to explore the D-Day Museum, then cross the English Channel to Normandy by ferry. The next day, explore the village of Sainte-Mère-Église, where paratroopers dropped from the sky in a hail of gunfire on the night of June 5. Then visit the Airbourne
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POINTE DU HOC/ ARROMANCHES/PARIS
Explore the dramatic Pointe du Hoc, where U.S. Rangers scaled cliffs some 100 feet high in order to destroy key German gun positions. Walk along cliff-top pathways, still cratered by mortar blasts, and venture into concrete bunkers used by the Germans. Travel to Arromanches, where the Mulberry Harbour still rises out of the surf. Visit the Arromanches Landing Museum and the Pegasus Memorial Bridge and Museum. The following day, at the American Military Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, pay your respects to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath during a private ceremony. In the afternoon, drive to Paris and gather for a farewell dinner. Hôtel Le Manoir De Mathan or Hôtel Riva Bella; Hôtel Edouard 7 or Hotel Royal Saine-Honoré Meals: Day 6: B/D; Day 7: B/L/D
DAY 8
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PARIS
After breakfast, transfer to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport for your flight home. Meals: B
Above: Remnants of the Mulberry Harbour known as Port Winston, built to transport supplies to Allied forces, can still be seen on the shores of Arromanches, Normandy. 58
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Remembering D Day London to the Normandy Beaches_REV4.indd 58
DAT E S 2018: June 2–9* June 16–22
Sept. 1–7 Sept. 15–21
*There are two June 2 departures, which coincide with the anniversary of D-Day on June 6. The itinerary shown describes the June 2 departures, which are one day longer than the other departures in order to include special remembrance ceremonies on Day 5.
COST
$6,995 $6,495
June 2* June 16 and September
Prices are per person, double occupancy. For a single room, add $1,650 on the June 2 departures, and $1,300 on the June 16 and September departures. Airfare to London and return from Paris is not included in the expedition cost. Maximum group size: 25
O U R
E X P E R T A National Geographic expert and expedition leader will accompany this trip. Author and historian Tim Mulligan will join one of the June 2 anniversary departures as well as the September 15 departure. Read his bio and find more experts on our website.
W H AT TO E X P E C T Travelers should be in good health and comfortable walking or standing for extended periods of time. Daily activities may include walking tours, visits to battlegrounds and museums, and strolls along bluffs and beaches. FOR ADDITIONAL TRIPS TO FRANCE AND ENGLAND, V I S I T N ATG EO E X P E D I T I O N S .CO M / E U R O P E
CALL 1-888-966-8687 OR VISIT NATGEOEXPEDITIONS.COM/LANDTRIPS
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11/22/17 9:57 PM