Few events shaped modern Europe as much as the Normandy landings of June 1944. This cruisetour follows the story from where it was planned, in London and on the south coast, to where it was fought and won, with a Seine cruise through Normandy at its heart.
The route
London · Paris · Vernon · Rouen · Les Andelys · Le Pecq · Paris
About the London, Paris & D-Day cruise
London, Paris & D-Day is a cruisetour, which means it combines a land stay with a river cruise. It begins with four days in London, the seat of Britain's wartime resistance. From your London base you visit Portsmouth, where so much of the D-Day force set out, explore Bletchley Park, home of the codebreakers, and go below ground at the Churchill War Rooms, where the war was directed and the landings were planned.
On the fifth day you travel to Paris and board your Viking ship, which is moored close to the Eiffel Tower. After two days in the city, the ship heads downriver into Normandy. You stop at Vernon, with its cobbled streets and old houses, and spend three days based in Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, where Joan of Arc was put to death and Monet painted the cathedral again and again.
From Rouen you visit the Utah Beach Landing Museum, which gives a thorough overview of D-Day from the American side. On the way back towards Paris you call at Les Andelys, below the ruins of Château Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionheart, and at Le Pecq on the edge of the capital. The cruise ends with an evening illumination sail along the Seine and a final night in Paris. Lectures on board help put each visit in context as you go.
The fare includes one included shore excursion in every port of call, all meals on the ship, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, free Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, enrichment lectures and onboard gratuities, and Viking's standard inclusions cover return flights from London and selected regional airports. Prices start from £3,595 per person. We checked this in October 2026, and fares vary with the departure date and the stateroom you choose.
For more on the river itself, see our The Seine river cruise guide.
Cruise highlights
Churchill War Rooms
The underground rooms beneath Whitehall where Churchill and his staff ran the war and the D-Day landings were planned.
Bletchley Park
The Victorian country estate where Alan Turing and thousands of others broke enemy codes in secret.
Portsmouth and the D-Day Story
The museum on the Southsea seafront, home to the 83-metre Overlord Embroidery, in the city that helped launch the invasion.
Paris from the river
Your ship moors close to the Eiffel Tower, and the cruise ends with an evening illumination sail on the Seine.
Rouen
Three days based in Normandy's old capital, with its Gothic cathedral, Gros-Horloge clock and half-timbered streets.
Utah Beach
A visit to the Utah Beach Landing Museum, which tells the story of D-Day from the beach itself.
Watch the London, Paris & D-Day cruise
Video: D-Day at Normandy (Viking Cruises)
Day by day itinerary
Wartime London
Your cruisetour begins in London, the city that stood as the seat of British resistance through the Second World War. A tour introduces you to the capital and its wartime story, from Westminster and Whitehall, where the decisions were made, to the streets that came through the Blitz. Even if you know London well, seeing it through the lens of 1939 to 1945 makes familiar places feel new. St Paul's Cathedral, which survived the bombing as fires raged around it, became a symbol of the city's defiance. In the evening, settle into your London accommodation.
Portsmouth and the D-Day Story
Today you head to the south coast to learn why Portsmouth mattered so much to the war effort. The city was home to the Royal Navy, and in the spring of 1944 the harbours and countryside around it filled with troops, ships and landing craft waiting for the order to go. You visit the D-Day Museum on the Southsea seafront, now known as The D-Day Story. Its centrepiece is the Overlord Embroidery, 34 panels and 83 metres long, made by the Royal School of Needlework. Outside, LCT 7074, a restored tank landing craft that took part in the landings, can be explored.
The codebreakers of Bletchley Park
Today's trip takes you to Bletchley Park, a Victorian mansion and estate in Buckinghamshire that became the home of Britain's wartime codebreakers. Thousands of people, many of them young women, worked here in strict secrecy to read enemy messages, including those encrypted by the German Enigma machine. Alan Turing, the mathematician whose ideas helped lay the foundations of modern computing, was among them. Their work gave the Allies vital intelligence before and during D-Day. Wandering the restored huts, with their desks, typewriters and coat hooks, you get a strong sense of the pressure these people worked under.
The Churchill War Rooms
Your last day in London takes you underground. Beneath the Treasury building in Whitehall, Winston Churchill and his staff ran the war from a network of reinforced rooms, and here you discover how the D-Day landings were planned. The Map Room has been left almost exactly as it was when the lights were switched off in 1945, with pins still marking the positions of the front lines. You also see the small bedroom kept for Churchill and the transatlantic telephone room. The museum alongside tells the story of Churchill's life, so allow plenty of time for it.
Across to Paris
Today you leave London for Paris and board your Viking ship, which is moored close to the Eiffel Tower. Once you have settled into your stateroom, there is time to see some of the city's great sights. The Eiffel Tower was built for the World's Fair of 1889, and the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Élysées honours those who fought for France, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath it. If art is more your thing, head for the Louvre, home to the Mona Lisa. In the evening, dine on board as the city lights come on.
A Parisian day
Today is about enjoying Paris the way the locals do. Start with a coffee at a pavement café, watch the city go by, and then spend the day exploring at your own pace. You might walk along the river past the bookstalls on the quays, browse the shops of the Marais or sit in the Luxembourg Gardens. Paris was liberated on 25 August 1944, and plaques on many buildings recall those who died in the fighting for the city. In the evening, join the locals for a cocktail as the bars and terraces fill up, before returning to the ship.
Vernon and the road to Rouen
This morning you reach Vernon, a charming Normandy town of cobbled streets and old timber-framed houses. Look out for the old mill perched on the piers of a long-vanished medieval bridge, one of the most photographed sights on the Seine. Monet's garden at Giverny lies just across the river. Afterwards the ship sails on through Normandy, past chalk cliffs, rolling fields and orchards, while you relax on deck. By evening you reach Rouen, where the Gothic cathedral and the gilded Gros-Horloge, an astronomical clock set into a Renaissance arch, stand among streets of half-timbered houses.
Exploring Rouen
With the ship moored in Rouen, you have time to explore its winding medieval streets properly. Rouen was the capital of the Duchy of Normandy, founded by the Viking leader Rollo in 911, and it is full of fine buildings. The cathedral's cast-iron spire, at 151 metres, is the tallest in France, and Claude Monet painted the west front more than 30 times in changing light. In the Place du Vieux-Marché, a cross marks the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, beside a striking modern church dedicated to her. Leave time for a crêpe and a glass of Normandy cider.
Utah Beach
Today is set aside for the Normandy landings. From Rouen you travel to the coast to visit the Utah Beach Landing Museum, which offers a comprehensive overview of D-Day. Utah was the westernmost of the five landing beaches, and on 6 June 1944 troops of the US 4th Infantry Division came ashore here. The museum stands on the beach itself, and its displays include a rare B-26 Marauder bomber, landing craft and personal stories of the men who fought. Standing on the sand and looking out to sea, it is hard not to be moved by what happened here.
Richard the Lionheart's castle
Les Andelys lies on a great bend of the Seine, overlooked by the white ruins of Château Gaillard. Richard the Lionheart, who was both King of England and Duke of Normandy, built the castle in the 1190s to guard his duchy against the French king, and it went up in about two years. It was considered almost impregnable, yet it fell to Philip II of France in 1204 after a long siege, and Normandy was lost to the English crown soon after. The climb is steep, but the view from the top, over the river and the chalk cliffs, is superb.
The Latin Quarter and Montmartre
The ship arrives at Le Pecq, on the western edge of Paris, and you head into the city for a last day of exploring. Wander the lively Latin Quarter, home of the Sorbonne since the Middle Ages, with its bookshops, bistros and student cafés. Alternatively, explore the quaint streets of Montmartre, the hilltop village where Picasso, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec once lived and worked, crowned by the white domes of the Sacré-Cœur. In the evening, take an illumination sail along the Seine, gliding past Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as they glow against the night sky. It is a lovely way to say goodbye to the City of Light.
Farewell to Paris
Your cruisetour ends in Paris. After breakfast, say goodbye to the crew and your fellow guests before starting your journey home. If you would like more time in France, Viking offers extensions. When we checked, the choices after this cruisetour included three more nights in Paris, in standard or premium form, and a fully guided stay in Lille and Bruges, which pairs well with the wartime theme of the trip. We are happy to confirm what is available on your date. However you leave, you take home a much deeper understanding of how Europe was freed.
Itineraries and shore excursions are set by Viking and can change, and may vary by departure.
The places you will visit
Planning D-Day: London, Portsmouth and Bletchley
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northwest Europe, was planned for more than a year before it happened. The work drew on the War Cabinet in Whitehall, the Allied commanders under General Eisenhower and a huge intelligence effort. At Bletchley Park, codebreakers reading German signals were able to show that the enemy had fallen for the deception plans pointing to Calais, which gave the commanders confidence as the date drew near. Without that secret intelligence, the risks of landing in Normandy would have been far greater.
Portsmouth and the south coast became one vast assembly area. Roads were lined with vehicles, woods hid camps and ammunition, and harbours from Cornwall to Kent filled with ships. The weather caused a nerve-racking delay of 24 hours, and the landings finally went ahead on 6 June 1944. Today The D-Day Story in Southsea brings all of this together, and its Overlord Embroidery, commissioned by Lord Dulverton and stitched by the Royal School of Needlework over about five years, has become a much-loved memorial in its own right.
The Normandy landings and Utah Beach
On the morning of 6 June 1944, American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the Normandy coast, code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Airborne troops had dropped behind the beaches overnight to seize bridges and crossroads. Utah, at the western end, was the target of the US 4th Infantry Division. Partly because strong currents carried the first wave south of their planned landing point onto a less defended stretch, casualties there were lighter than on the other beaches.
The Utah Beach Landing Museum at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont stands on the dunes where the troops came ashore, and it is one of the best places to understand how the operation worked. Its exhibits cover the planning, the landing itself and the push inland, with vehicles, equipment and the personal stories of soldiers and local people. The battle for Normandy went on for weeks after D-Day, but it opened the way to the liberation of Paris in August 1944 and, eventually, the end of the war in Europe.
Rouen and the Normandy Seine
The Seine was Normandy's highway long before the 20th century. Viking raiders sailed up it in the 9th century, and in 911 the French king granted land around Rouen to their leader, Rollo, creating the duchy that would later produce William the Conqueror. Rouen became its capital, and its Gothic cathedral, churches and timber-framed streets reflect centuries of wealth from river trade. Joan of Arc was tried and burned here in 1431, and the city has honoured her memory ever since.
Further upstream, the river becomes the frontier that kings fought over. Château Gaillard at Les Andelys was Richard the Lionheart's answer to the threat from France, built at great speed and great cost on a cliff above the Seine. Its fall in 1204 marked the end of English rule in Normandy for centuries. Centuries later, the same gentle landscape inspired the Impressionists, and Monet spent his last decades at Giverny, close to Vernon, painting his water lilies in the garden he created there. Sailing past those quiet meadows and poplars, it is easy to see why the light of the Seine valley drew so many painters.
What is included
Viking prices its river cruises to include most of what you need, so there are few extras to budget for once you are on board.
Return flights
Return flights from London and selected regional airports, with ground transfers included when you fly with Viking.
A shore excursion in every port
One included shore excursion in each port of call, usually a guided walking or coach tour, with optional extras to buy.
All meals on board
Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day you are on board, including al fresco dining on the Aquavit Terrace.
Drinks with lunch and dinner
Beer, wine and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner, plus specialty coffee, tea and bottled water at any hour.
Free Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is included on board at no extra charge, though speeds can vary as the ship moves along the river.
Port taxes and fees
Port taxes and fees are built into the fare, so there are no extra charges waiting at the end.
Onboard gratuities
Gratuities for the crew on board are included in the fare.
Enrichment and performances
Talks on the history and culture of your route, plus local performers who bring the destinations to life on board.
Your stateroom, the ship and its facilities are covered on our Viking Longships page.
Fares
| Cruise | Duration | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| London, Paris & D-Day, London to Paris | 12 days | £3,595 |
Lead-in fare per person, checked in October 2026. Viking's fares change with the date, direction of sailing and stateroom grade, so please email us for live prices and availability on the departure you have in mind.
Interested in the London, Paris & D-Day? Email us your preferred month and we will send dates and prices.
Email an enquiry- This is a cruisetour: the first four days are a land stay in London with day trips, and you board the ship in Paris on day five.
- Departures in late spring and summer have the longest days. If you can travel around early June, the D-Day anniversary events in Normandy add a special atmosphere, though they also bring crowds.
- There is a fair amount of walking, including museums, the beaches and the steep climb to Château Gaillard, so comfortable shoes are a must.
- The ship moors close to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which makes it easy to explore the city on foot from your base.
- It suits anyone with an interest in Second World War history, and makes a meaningful trip for families with a personal link to the war.
London, Paris & D-Day: your questions answered
Viking's inclusions cover one included shore excursion in every port of call, all meals on the ship, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, 24-hour specialty coffee, tea and bottled water, free Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, enrichment lectures and onboard gratuities. Ask us for the full details of what is included during the London stay for your departure.
The river part of this cruisetour uses one of Viking's Longships purpose-built for the Seine, with custom hulls and engines designed for the river. They share the design of the main Longship fleet, including river-view staterooms, the Viking Explorer bed and heated bathroom floors, and they moor close to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
On day five you travel from London to Paris to join your ship, and this is arranged as part of the cruisetour. Viking's standard fares include return flights from London and selected regional airports, but because this trip begins in London itself, ask us exactly how your travel to London and home from Paris works for your chosen date.
Late spring and summer bring long days and the Normandy countryside at its greenest. Early June is especially meaningful because of the D-Day anniversary commemorations, but it is also the busiest time on the coast. Early autumn is quieter and still comfortable for walking around museums and towns.
Expect a good deal of walking on most days, often on cobbles, along with museum floors, steps and some uneven ground at the coast. The path up to Château Gaillard at Les Andelys is steep, and that visit is easy to take at your own pace. If you have mobility concerns, let us know and we will check the details with Viking.
Yes. When we checked in October 2026, Viking offered extensions after the cruisetour of three nights in Paris, in standard or premium form, and a fully guided stay in Lille and Bruges. Extensions and prices change, so ask us and we will confirm the latest choices for your date.
You spend four days in London, with trips to Portsmouth, Bletchley Park and the Churchill War Rooms. After two days in Paris, the ship sails to Vernon and Rouen, with a day trip from Rouen to the Utah Beach Landing Museum. You then call at Les Andelys and Le Pecq before finishing in Paris.
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