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About Le Havre

With a sweeping beach, thriving shopping centres and attractive docksides to explore, Le Havre has a lot to offer. This bustling French port serves up memorable sights from across the ages. The modern city centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its spectacular post-war reconstruction by Auguste Perret. For more works of art, visit MuMa (the Museum of Modern Art) where Monet's Waterlilies float alongside many Impressionist masterpieces.

 

For those wishing escape the city centre, take a trip to The Hanging Gardens (Les Jardins Suspendus) where rare plants from across the world now decorate the four bastions of the old fortress. The views across the Seine Estuary are excellent. Graville Abbey lets you step back in time to the 11th century and is a fine example of Romanesque art in Normandy.

 

Le Havre's position also makes it the perfect gateway to some of Normandy's most picturesque towns and villages, including the pretty harbour of Honfleur and inspirational Etretat - characterised by stylish mansions, sheer white cliffs and soaring waves that crash below.
 

Capture the life of Claude Monet in nearby Rouen, where you can wander around the graceful gardens of his home. In the town, half-timbered houses, churches and cafés sit alongside the great Cathédrale Notre-Dame, which is well worth a visit. Also nearby is the Old Marketplace where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in 1431.
 

Alternatively take in the sights in stylish Paris - the country's capital. Have lunch in one of the cities many cafes, look at the amazing art in The Louvre and meander through Montmartre where you'll find the famed Moulin Rouge. And what better way to admire the views than from the emblematic Eiffel Tower?

 

Shore excursions in Le Havre

Please note: The shore excursions listed are typical for this port. The full programme of shore excursions available for your cruise will be displayed on Cruise Personaliser at least 12 weeks prior to departure.

Introduction to Paris

Activity mediumShopping

Duration: 10½ hours

Paris, a vibrant and sophisticated city simply brimming with legendary sights and famous landmarks.

Hailed as the ‘City of Light’, Paris is a spectacle of never-ending attractions. Discover the city’s famous landmarks during a panoramic drive. Pass by the elegant Champs Elysées, the 164-feet-high Arc de Triomphe and Les Invalides. See the beautiful Place de l’Opera and the famous Pont Neuf en route to the Ile de la Cité. Your guide will point out many more fascinating highlights as you tour the world’s most romantic city.

Not only was Notre Dame Cathedral the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it is also one of the city’s most outstanding monuments. The building will be brought to life as your guide shows you the outstanding features of this magnificent Cathedral.

Gaze in wonder at the 990-foot-high Eiffel Tower, France’s most iconic landmark, built by Gustav Eiffel in 1889.

You’ll have some free time close to Notre Dame, to explore independently, grab a bite to eat or head to the shops.

Although it would be impossible to see all of Paris in a day, this tour provides an excellent overview of this chic capital in a limited time.

Essential information

This excursion will operate by coach and on foot and involves approximately 1½ hours of walking and standing. It takes 10 - 15 minutes to walk to and from the coach park to Notre Dame Cathedral. The journey to and from Paris is via the Normandy motorway and takes approximately 3 hours each way. Euros and major debit or credit cards are accepted for purchases. The order of the tour may vary, traffic permitting. Some shops are closed on Sunday and Bank Holidays. Many museums are closed on Tuesday. In case of religious events or when it is crowded, guides will give the explanation outside the Cathedral. Modest clothing and covered shoulders are required for the visit to the Cathedral.

Picturesque Honfleur

Activity mediumShopping

Duration: 4 hours

Take a trip to the popular, picture-postcard village of Honfleur and be seduced by the charms of this wonderful French village.

A guided walking tour will help you discover the attractions of enchanting Honfleur. The heart of the village is the Old Harbor; a unique little harbour, bordered by tall granite houses with colourful flowers tumbling from window boxes. Stroll through the delightful cobbled streets, lined with craft and souvenir shops, and typical French cafés and restaurants.

Due to its pretty setting, Honfleur has long attracted artists including Boudin, Monet and Sisley and even today artists capture beautiful scenes on canvas, which can be seen in the windows of the local galleries. As you stroll, your guide will point out the main sights and show you the interior of the Church of Sainte-Catherine, made entirely of wood.

Enjoy some free time to browse the shops for that perfect souvenir, explore at your own pace, or simply relax with a ‘café au lait’ and watch the world go by.

The drive from Le Havre to Honfleur takes you through the wonderful Normandy countryside and across the Tancarville Bridge. The return route will cross the impressive Normandy Bridge.

Essential information

This excursion will operate by coach and on foot and involves approximately 1½ hours of walking. Flat, comfortable shoes are recommended. Euros and major debit or credit cards are accepted for purchases.Since October 2013 French decree no. 2011-1336 requires that providers of transport services, where the journey starts or ends in France, are required to provide passengers with the carbon footprint for such services. We are pleased to be able to communicate the carbon footprint for our French tours. These have been calculated for us by our local operators. Each carbon footprint assumes that there will be 40 passengers on a coach,so your carbon footprint may vary from that published according to actual passenger numbers. The carbon footprint for this excursion has been calculated as 1.92kgs CO2 per passenger.

The British D-Day Landings

Activity mediumMeal included

Duration: 10½ hours

Discover some of the historical sites of D-Day that played such an important part in history.

Enjoy a scenic drive from Le Havre to the village of Ranville, home to the British Cemetry. A total of 2,154 British soldiers are laid to rest here, following the capture of the village on the morning of D-Day.

Afterwards, you’ll continue to see Pegasus Bridge at Benouville. The original Bridge, built in 1933 was removed from the canal in 1993. It was the first bridge to be liberated in continental France and was stored on waste ground for six years. Today it is exhibited in the park of the ‘Memorial Pegasus’.

Located in the small village of Arromanches-les-bains, is the Museum of the Landing Day. The Museum commemorates the D-Day landings and, during your visit, you’ll see the history unfold. A short film will be shown depicting the monumental exploits and heroic sacrifices of Allied forces in ‘Operation Overlord’.

During your tour, you’ll also see The Battery of Longues, the German artillery battery which attacked the allied ships on the morning of 6th June 1944. Longues is the only coastal battery to have kept its guns, giving an impressive picture of what an Atlantic wall gun placement was really like.

A delicious local-style lunch will be served during your tour.

Essential information

This excursion will operate by coach and on foot. The drive between Le Havre and the Landing Beaches is approximately 2½ hours. This tour involves approximately 2½ hours’ walking over relatively flat ground. Comfortable, flat walking shoes are recommended. Since October 2013 French decree no. 2011-1336 requires that providers of transport services, where the journey starts or ends in France, are required to provide passengers with the carbon footprint for such services. We are pleased to be able to communicate the carbon footprint for our French tours. These have been calculated for us by our local operators. Each carbon footprint assumes that there will be 40 passengers on a coach,so your carbon footprint may vary from that published according to actual passenger numbers. The carbon footprint for this excursion has been calculated as 5.88kgs CO2 per passenger.

View all shore excursions

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