— Great Escapes for Discerning drivers —

Normandy Gardens & D-Day Beaches

September 8, 2026

Enjoy the lovely region of Normandy in north-west France. Two days will be spent discovering some of the beautiful and little-known gardens of Normandy, guided by the garden owners themselves. The particular fascination of these Normandy gardens is that the climate and the range of plants are similar to Britain, yet the French create quite different and truly exceptional gardens. There are some real treats which will intrigue and inspire you.

Normandy is a horticultural heaven and boasts an extraordinary number of parks and gardens open to the public. A wide range of garden styles are displayed, from simple cottage gardens to grand, formal schemes via walled kitchen gardens, botanical collections, subtropical plantations and landscaped ‘English-style’ gardens. A range which owes its diversity to passionate owners, but also to the region itself, where endless summers, autumn glories, spring freshness and winter wonders showcase the seasons spectacularly.

Then head to the Normandy Beaches for two more nights. Explore more this lovely coastal region of France, including a day of touring a number of the D-Day landing sites with an expert private guide, and a visit to Bayeux, famed for the tapestry (although it will be in England!).

Tour Highlights

Private tours of six wonderful gardens, all very unique and different
Tour the D-Day landing beaches including Omaha and Sword Beaches with a private expert guide
Learn about WWII’s Operation Overlord
Visit Pegasus Bridge
Explore the wonderful coastal towns of Honfleur and Deauville
Sample some Calvados liqueurs and Normandy cheeses

Tour Map

Itinerary

Day 1: Head to Normandy, France

33 Miles

Cross from Newhaven at 08.30 arriving in Dieppe, France at 13.45, then drive just 20 minutes to our first garden visit at Jardin Shamrock, a fabulous garden renowned for its hydrangeas. Stay for three nights in a beautiful chateau hotel. There will be a welcome dinner this evening.

Day 2: Beautiful Normandy Gardens

65 Miles

Visit the rose gardens and park of the Chateau of Mesnil Geoffroy, which has over 2,500 rose bushes (1,100 different varieties) surrounding the elegant 18th-century chateau.

Continue on to Chateau de Miromesnil and its garden and chateau. In 1850 Guy de Maupassant, the famed French writer, was born here and the Chateau contains much of his memorabilia.

Drive along the coast visit Le Vasterival at St Marguerite sur Mer in the morning. This is known as one of the best gardens in the country. Protected by the lie of the land, the garden benefits from a micro-climate which has allowed one of the finest plant collections in France to be put together.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 3: More Normandy Gardens

107 Miles

It is a scenic drive to Jardin de Valerianes before a light lunch (not included) at a nearby cafe to Jardins Agapanthe, our next visit.

Monsieur Alexandre Thomas trained as a landscape designer and has created this unusual garden in just over an acre. Topiary is everywhere. It is easy to get lost in this paradise. White, violet, blue and green are his preferred colours. He adores agapanthus – hence the garden’s name.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 4: Honfleur & Calvados

117 Miles

There is an optional visit to the fabulous gardens at Etretat.

Meander your way through the Normandy countryside, to the pretty harbour town of Honfleur – a great place for a wander and lunch.

This is now the Calvados liqueur region. Calvados liqueur is made from apples and is produced by many farms in the area and it is possible to visit a number of places to see production and taste and buy the finished product.

Travel west to Bayeux and stay for two nights in a beautiful villa hotel in Arromanche, right on the coast and at the D-Day beaches.

Day 5: D-Day Beaches

90 Miles

Enjoy a battlefields tour of the Normandy beaches, starting at Pointe du Hoc. There are excellent museums with informative guides for a day of discovery and interest.

Then progress to Omaha Beach, which was the famous ‘dog’ beach scene of the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’.

Finally, visit the famed Pegasus Bridge, where there was a glider assault to seize the key crossing sites. There is also a good museum here.

We shall have a final dinner this evening.

Day 6: Visit Bayeux & return to the UK

23 Miles

Spend the morning in Bayeux . Or perhaps visit one of the newest gardens in Normandy, the Jardins Albizia, to the south of Bayeux. These gardens offer a superb variety of botanical wealth, including France’s largest collection of clematis.

Take the afternoon ferry, departing from Caen at 16.30 and arriving in Portsmouth at 21.30. Depart for home.

Where we'll stay

The tour will be based at two wonderful hotels, with three nights at first and two nights at the second. The first is a beautiful chateau hotel surrounded by an 11-hectare park. Each individually-decorated room offers a different view of the park. The chateau’s restaurant serves traditional French food in the dining room with its sculpted woodwork and fireplace.

The second hotel is set in a stone building dating from the 19th century, in Arromanches. It is just 200 metres from the D-day beaches.

Both hotels are well placed to visit a variety of gardens and the D-Day landing beaches.

What's included

- Five nights excellent accommodation
- Superb three-course dinner each evening
- Wine with dinner (1/2 bottle per person)
- Private VIP tours of six beautiful gardens
- Battlefields Expert Guide for the Normandy Beaches
- Outbound ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe with lunch onboard
- Homeward ferry from Caen to Portsmouth with reserved seating
- Accompanied by a friendly & experienced tour manager, Sarah Dowding & colleague
- Tour book – includes a brief history of Normandy, emergency contact details, overview maps and detailed directions, accommodation information, and a very detailed account of sights and visits for each day.
Tour Price:
- £2,575 per person, sharing a double/twin room and a car
- £2,400 per person, sharing – without any ferry crossings

Requirements

This Normandy Tour is open to classic, vintage and sports cars of any age. However, the most important requirement is that you take pleasure in motoring through fabulous scenery, deserving of the vehicles we love, relish character hotels and enjoy the company of like-minded travellers.

Each person must have a passport (and any necessary visas for non-EU passport holders) valid for France.
All passports must be valid for six months after the end of the tour. You will also need your vehicle registration documents, driving licence (a photo-card licence or international permit is best), and an international insurance green card.
Please check with your travel and motor insurers that you are covered for travel in the required countries.
You are also required to carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, two fluorescent jackets, set of replacement bulbs and a national identification sticker.
However, the most important requirement is that you take pleasure in motoring through fabulous scenery, relish individual, character hotels and enjoy beautiful gardens.

Gallery

Spaces available

Price from £2,575 per person, sharing

Founded 2003

Since 2003 Classic Travelling has specialised in driving tours and motoring holidays for classic, vintage, and sports cars of all ages in the UK, Europe, USA and South Africa.