American Tours
Full Day VII Corps, Airborne & Utah Beach
About This Tour
The western flank of Operation Overlord was secured by one of the most audacious operations in military history. In the early hours of June 6th, thousands of paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions jumped into the darkness over the Cotentin Peninsula. Hours later, the men of the VII Corps landed on Utah Beach. This full-day tour traces both operations, from the scattered drop zones of the night before, to the beach assault at dawn, to the critical actions at La Fière and Sainte-Mère-Église that shaped the entire western flank of the Allied lodgement.
Detailed Itinerary
This full-day tour traces the VII Corps assault on Utah Beach and the airborne drops of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, from the scattered paratroopers over the Cotentin to the landings on the Atlantic coast.
Sainte-Mère-Église
The first town liberated in France, captured by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the early hours of June 6. The famous church, the stained glass windows, and the John Steele mannequin all tell the story of D-Day's most dramatic airborne moment.
Dead Man's Corner
The junction at Saint-Côme-du-Mont where the 101st Airborne fought to control the causeway exits from Utah Beach. A 101st Airborne command post on D-Day, the site now houses an original farmhouse collection.
La Fière Bridge
The 82nd Airborne's most costly engagement, four days of desperate fighting to hold the causeway across the flooded Merderet. The Iron Mike memorial stands where paratroopers died in their hundreds to hold a few hundred metres of causeway.
Utah Beach
The VII Corps landing at Utah Beach was one of D-Day's most successful operations, largely because strong currents carried the assault craft to a more lightly defended stretch of sand. Visit the actual landing site and the sector where the division was originally meant to land, with monuments to the 4th Infantry Division, engineers, and the US Navy.
Tour Highlights
- Utah Beach
- Sainte-Mère-Église Church
- La Fière Bridge
- Dead Man's Corner
What’s Included
- Expert English/French-speaking guide
- Private vehicle
- Battlefield maps