Things to do
Omaha, Utah and Pointe du Hoc: Seeing the American D-Day Sectors
Quick answer
Our pick for one day from Bayeux: the American Cemetery at opening time, the Omaha Beach museum, Pointe du Hoc, then Utah Beach. Pointe du Hoc is under restoration until mid-2027, with only the west path open, and the Utah Beach museum closes from November 16 to December 14. Without a car, take a guided tour: the bus to the Omaha sector runs Monday to Saturday only.
Sources for this answer · Checked
| Site | What to know before you go |
|---|---|
| Normandy American Cemetery | 9 a.m.–5 p.m., last admission 4:30; closed Dec 25 and Jan 1. Free. |
| Omaha Beach Memorial Museum | 2026 season to December 29, then closed until mid-February 2027. |
| Pointe du Hoc | Restoration until mid-2027: visitor center closed, west path only, main parking closed. Free. |
| Utah Beach museum | Closed November 16 to December 14. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Oct–Apr. Adult €10, child 6–15 €6.50. |
| Airborne Museum, Sainte-Mère-Église | About 2 hours. Closed in December and January except Christmas school holidays. Adult €11.50. |
The order that works
Start at the Normandy American Cemetery at 9 a.m., when it opens. Then drive to the Omaha Beach museum at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer or down to the beach itself (the old path from the cemetery has been closed since 2016), and west to Pointe du Hoc. Finish at Utah Beach, or swap it for Sainte-Mère-Église if the airborne story matters more to your family. Allow a full day for all four and check the closures below for your dates. Families looking for one particular grave should read our guide to visiting a relative first.
Pointe du Hoc is open, but not all of it
ABMC is restoring Pointe du Hoc until mid-2027 to make the paths safe as the cliffs erode. The visitor center has been closed since March 9, 2026; staff meet visitors at a welcome point near a provisional parking lot. Since mid-May 2026, some paths and bunkers are fenced off and access runs along the west pathway only. The main parking lot, P1, is closed into early 2027, and the alternatives are limited, so come early. During the works the site is not wheelchair accessible. Entry is free. ABMC Pointe du Hoc restoration, checked November 9, 2026
Utah Beach and the winter closures
The Utah Beach museum, built where the American troops came ashore, closes every year from November 16 to December 14; outside that window it is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October to April and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May to September, with the last tickets an hour before closing. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Adults pay €10, children 6 to 15 €6.50. The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum closes from December 30, 2026, until mid-February 2027. If your trip falls in late November or early January, check every museum on your list. Utah Beach museum · Omaha Beach Memorial Museum hours
Sainte-Mère-Église and the airborne story
The Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église tells the paratroopers’ story; it suggests about two hours, and adults pay €11.50, children 6 to 16 €7.50. It closes in December and January except during the French Christmas school holidays, and even then not on December 24, 25 and 31 or January 1. Without a car, the Cotentin tourist office points to Carentan station on the Paris–Caen–Cherbourg line and bus 301 to Sainte-Mère-Église; check both timetables for your date before relying on them. Airborne Museum hours and prices · Getting to the Cotentin
Without a car
ABMC describes local public transport as intermittent and advises arranging your round trip before leaving Paris or Bayeux. The regional Nomad bus 120 links Bayeux with the Omaha sector, stopping at the American Cemetery and at a crossroads near Pointe du Hoc, but it runs Monday to Saturday only, and some trips only in school terms. For a single day covering both American beaches, a guided tour from Bayeux is the realistic choice: compare the main tour formats. Nomad line 120 (French)
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The France Trip Checklist for Americans
Three pages to save before you fly: passport and EES/ETIAS status, the proof the border police can ask for, cards and phones, driving rules and the bookings worth making early. Every line links an official source, checked November 9, 2026.
Sources and check dates
ABMC says Pointe du Hoc is under a restoration project until mid-2027: the visitor center closed on March 9, 2026, with staff at a welcome point near the provisional parking lot; since mid-May 2026 parts of the site are closed and access is along the west pathway only; parking area P1 is closed into early 2027; the site is not wheelchair accessible during the works; hours remain 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
American Battle Monuments Commission · Pointe du Hoc restoration project (to mid-2027) ↗Checked · Pointe du Hoc until mid-2027.The Utah Beach museum is open every day except November 16 to December 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October to April and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May to September, with ticket sales ending an hour before closing; it recommends 1.5 to 2 hours, charges €10 per adult and €6.50 per child aged 6 to 15, and names Carentan, 17 km away, as the nearest station.
Musée du Débarquement Utah Beach · Practical information: hours, prices, annual closure ↗Checked · Musée du Débarquement Utah Beach.The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum's 2026 season runs from February 16 to December 29, and it is closed from December 30, 2026, to mid-February 2027.
Omaha Beach Memorial Museum · 2026 opening hours ↗Checked · Omaha Beach Memorial Museum, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.Nomad bus line 120 between Bayeux and Grandcamp-Maisy serves Colleville-sur-Mer (stop “Cimetière Américain”), Saint-Laurent, Vierville and Cricqueville-en-Bessin (stop “Carrefour Pointe du Hoc”), Monday to Saturday except public holidays, with some runs in school terms only.
Nomad (Normandy regional network) · Bus line 120 Bayeux–Grandcamp-Maisy (French) ↗Checked · Timetable valid from September 1, 2026.The Airborne Museum suggests about two hours, charges €11.50 per adult and €7.50 per child aged 6 to 16, and is closed in December and January except during the Christmas school holidays (not December 24, 25 and 31 or January 1).
Airborne Museum · Hours and prices ↗Checked · Airborne Museum, Sainte-Mère-Église.ABMC calls local public transport intermittent and advises arranging round-trip transport to the cemetery before leaving Paris or Bayeux; the path from the cemetery to the beach has been closed since 2016.
American Battle Monuments Commission · Plan a cemetery visit ↗Checked · Normandy American Cemetery.The Cotentin Bay tourist office says the Paris–Caen–Cherbourg line from Saint-Lazare serves Carentan station, and that bus line 301 stops at Carentan and Sainte-Mère-Église.
Baie du Cotentin Tourist Office · How to get here: the Paris–Caen–Cherbourg line and bus 301 ↗Checked · Car-free access to the Utah sector.