Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
The 6-day plan, rearranged for 5 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A huge Gothic cathedral with a lace-like stone front and a tall iron spire. Monet painted this front again and again, in different light. Stand across the square, then step inside.
Go when Morning, when the light falls on the front.
Local tip Monet painted the front at different hours. Look at it from the square, then again later in the day and see how the stone changes color.
A large museum about the Second World War, the Battle of Normandy and the search for peace afterward. Give it a good part of the morning and take your time in the quieter rooms.
Go when Morning, when you have energy for it.
Local tip It is a heavy subject, so pace yourself. Choose the galleries that matter most to you and leave time for a quiet walk outside.
Tripes à la mode de Caen is a traditional slow-cooked stew of tripe with vegetables and cider. It is not for everyone, but it is the city's dish.
Local tip If tripe is not for you, a plain omelette and a salad is easy to find.
A great gilded clock face on an arch over a pedestrian street, the symbol of the city. Walk under it and look up at the dial.
Go when Midday, then walk on to lunch.
Local tip Look for the clock dial from the street and from the side, where its face hangs out over the lane. The street below is one of the liveliest in the old town.
The home of a long embroidered cloth that tells the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, with ships, battles and a comet. Check ahead that the Tapestry is on show in Bayeux, because it can be moved for loans and for work on the building.
Go when Afternoon, with an audio guide if one is offered.
Local tip The cloth is long, so walk it from the start and follow the story scene by scene. Check ahead that it is on display before you plan the day around it.
A great Norman and Gothic cathedral in the middle of the old town, which came through 1944 almost untouched. Walk the quiet lanes around it afterward.
Go when Late afternoon, when the stone glows.
Local tip Look up at the carved arches in the nave, then walk around the outside to see the towers from the back lanes.
A modern church on the old market square where Joan of Arc was executed in 1431. A tall cross stands near the spot. The windows come from an older church that was lost. A quiet place to pause.
Go when Afternoon, when the square is calmer.
Local tip Read the plaque by the cross in the square, then step in and look at the old stained glass. The market stalls on the square sell fruit and flowers.
A large art museum with paintings from the Renaissance to the Impressionists, set around a calm courtyard. A good place to be on a wet afternoon.
Go when Afternoon, or whenever it rains.
Local tip Choose a few rooms rather than all of them. Look for the paintings of the cathedral and of the Seine, which show the city as the painters saw it.
Canard à la rouennaise is a classic of the city, a rich roast duck with a dark sauce. A dish for a slow dinner after a day of walking.
Local tip It is often made for two, so ask when you order.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The pink house with green shutters, the flower garden and the pond with its water lilies and arched Japanese bridge, all as Monet made them. The garden is open only for part of the year, so check ahead.
Go when Early, before the crowds.
Local tip Walk the garden slowly and look for the places you know from the paintings. Check ahead for the months it is open, because the garden closes for the winter.
The eastern cliff, with a small white chapel on the top and wide views of the arch and the pebble beach. Monet and Courbet both painted these cliffs.
Go when Late morning, in clear weather.
Local tip Climb to the chapel for the view back toward the arch. Wear shoes with a good grip, because the grass can be slippery.
Moules à la crème are mussels cooked in white wine and cream, served with fries. A plain seaside dish in a harbour-side cafe.
Local tip Order a bowl to share, and use the bread to mop up the sauce.
A museum in the village about Impressionism and the many painters who came to live and work in Giverny. Its exhibitions change, so check ahead for what is on.
Go when Midday, after the garden.
Local tip Look for the paintings by the foreign artists who came to Giverny. Exhibitions change, so enjoy what is on and do not expect a fixed collection.
The ruins of a fortress that Richard the Lionheart had built on a cliff above the Seine in the 1190s. Climb to the walls for a wide view of the river bend.
Go when Afternoon, when the light is clear.
Local tip The path to the walls is steep. Wear sturdy shoes, and look down at the Seine curling below the cliff.
Poulet vallée d'Auge is chicken cooked in cream with apples and a splash of calvados, a classic Normandy dish. Warm and filling after a day out.
Local tip It is rich. Ask for a green salad on the side.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The western cliff, with its great natural arch and a pointed rock standing in the sea. A grassy path climbs to the top for the view back over the town.
Go when Morning, or near sunset (about 9:38 PM) when the chalk turns warm.
Local tip Stay back from the cliff edge, which can crumble. The path is grassy and the wind is strong, so bring a layer.
A long pebble beach curved between two white cliffs, with a sea-front promenade. Start here: the paths up to both cliffs begin at either end.
Go when Early morning, before the visitors arrive.
Local tip The beach is pebbles, not sand, and it steps down quickly, so keep an eye on the waves. Watch the cliffs from the water first.
The Vieux Bassin, a small harbour framed by tall, narrow houses with slate fronts and boats tied up along the quay. Painters came here for generations.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 9:38 PM).
Local tip Walk the full quay and look up at the houses, each one a little different in height and slant. Cross the lock for the view back over the water.
Sole normande is fish served in a cream sauce with mussels and shrimp, a classic of the coast. A good dish for the evening in a harbour town.
Local tip Ask what is fresh that day.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A small seaside town where the Allies built an artificial harbour after the landings. Many of its huge concrete pieces still sit out in the bay. The town has a museum that explains how the harbour worked.
Go when Morning, at low tide if you can.
Local tip Walk to the end of the sea wall and look at the concrete pieces in the bay. Their number is easier to see from the hill above the town.
Rows of white marble crosses and Stars of David on a bluff above the sea, for the American soldiers who died in the Normandy campaign. The grounds are quiet, and visitors speak softly.
Go when Midday, with unhurried time.
Local tip Speak quietly, and keep to the paths between the graves. The walk to the viewpoint over the sea is calm and gives a wide view of the beach below.
The coast here is known for shellfish: oysters, whelks and small shrimp, served cold with bread and butter. A simple lunch by the sea.
Local tip Ask what is fresh, and share a plate.
One of the five landing beaches, a wide stretch of sand below low bluffs. Walk a little of it, read the memorials along the shore and think of what happened here.
Go when Afternoon, at low tide when the sand is wide.
Local tip Walk a short stretch of the shore, and look for the memorials. Do not drive or park on the sand, and take away what you bring.
Coquilles Saint-Jacques à la normande are scallops in a cream sauce, a Normandy favorite when they are in season. A quiet dinner after a day that asks for it.
Local tip Ask what is in season, and have a glass of cider with it.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The abbey at the top of the rock, built in stages over centuries, with a church, cloister and great halls above the sands. Check ahead for the tide and for how visitors reach the Mont on your day.
Go when Morning, once the tide and the day's crowd are known.
Local tip The climb is steep, with many steps. Check ahead for the tide and for how you reach the Mont, and wear shoes you can walk in.
The steep medieval street and ramparts that wind up the rock toward the abbey, lined with old stone houses. Walk up slowly and stop to look out over the sands.
Go when Early, or late in the day, when it is quiet.
Local tip The main street is narrow and gets crowded at midday. Take the ramparts, which are quieter and have the best views over the sands.
Agneau de pré-salé is lamb raised on the salty grass of the bay, which gives the meat a delicate flavor. A dish of this coast.
Local tip Eat lightly before the climb back down.
A cliff-top headland where American Rangers climbed the rock on the morning of June 6, 1944. The ground is still pitted with shell craters, and the concrete bunkers are still there.
Go when Afternoon, in dry weather.
Local tip Stay on the marked paths, because the ground is uneven and the cliff edge is close. The craters and bunkers show what happened here.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, May to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Normandy. This plan is built for late May, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Normandy, planned for late May. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 22.1 to 483.5 kilometers between its stops, and 895.6 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days in ParisAbout 170 km awayAn easy add-on
8 days in London, Oxford and the CotswoldsAbout 260 km away
5 days in the CotswoldsAbout 330 km awayOther guides with a page about Normandy. Each one opens in a new tab.
WikivoyageNormandy, the free travel guideLonely PlanetNormandy travel guideRick StevesNormandy travel guideThe GuardianNormandy travel featuresPhoto: DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Florian Pépellin, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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