World War II France
Experience World War II France on an unforgettable 8-day journey from occupied Paris to the beaches of Normandy. Discover Nazi-looted masterpieces, the hero Rose Valland, the French Resistance, Rommel’s headquarters, Giverny, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, and the American Cemetery while uncovering remarkable stories of courage, sacrifice, liberation, and remembrance.
Arrive in Paris and begin with an introduction to the city under German occupation. Explore important sites tied to Nazi command, collaboration, daily life during the occupation, and the events that led to the liberation of Paris.
Discover the story of France’s art during the war, from the evacuation of the Louvre’s masterpieces to the systematic Nazi theft of private collections. Learn how Rose Valland’s secret records helped recover thousands of stolen works after the war.
Explore the courage and sacrifice of the French Resistance at Mont-Valérien, where resistance fighters and hostages were executed by German forces. Return to Paris to follow the story of the August 1944 uprising and the liberation of the capital.
Travel west to La Roche-Guyon, where Field Marshal Erwin Rommel prepared Germany’s defenses against invasion. Continue to Giverny to visit Monet’s grave and the memorial to seven RAF airmen whose Lancaster bomber was lost near the village shortly after D-Day.
Journey to the Normandy coast for the defining battlefield day of the tour. Stand atop the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, walk Omaha Beach, visit the Normandy American Cemetery, and see the surviving German coastal guns that defended the shoreline.
Travel north to Compiègne, where Hitler forced defeated France to sign the 1940 armistice at the same site where Germany had surrendered in 1918. Continue to the Royallieu internment and transit camp to learn the stories of prisoners, deportees, and resistance members.
Return to Paris for a reflective final day centered on France’s wartime military history and the Free French movement. Visit Les Invalides and the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération before gathering for a farewell dinner in Paris.
Enjoy one final breakfast together before departing Paris for home. Leave France with a deeper understanding of occupation, stolen art, resistance, D-Day, liberation, and the remarkable people whose courage shaped the history of the war.
Stolen Art & Hidden Treasures
World War II transformed France’s museums, collections, and cultural heritage. Follow the story of Nazi-looted art, the evacuation of the Louvre, the Jeu de Paume, and Rose Valland’s secret records. Discover how masterpieces were hidden, stolen, tracked, and ultimately recovered after the war.
Resistance & Occupation
Occupied France was a world of secrecy, danger, courage, and difficult choices. Explore the stories of the French Resistance, clandestine networks, German occupation, and the men and women who risked everything to fight back. Their courage helped shape the liberation of Paris and France.
D-Day & Normandy
Walk the landscapes where the liberation of Western Europe began. Visit Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, German coastal defenses, and the Normandy American Cemetery while learning the stories of the soldiers who landed, fought, and sacrificed their lives during one of history’s most important military operations.
Remembrance & Liberation
The story of World War II France does not end with the battles. From Free France and Charles de Gaulle to memorials, cemeteries, and the liberation of Paris, discover how France remembers those who resisted, fought, and sacrificed—and how their stories continue to shape the nation today.