10-Day Best of Normandy and Brittany Itinerary
There really is so much to see in Normandy and Brittany that being able to tackle it all in under 10 days is all but impossible. The tour below, then, is far from exhaustive. Instead, it concentrates on the most iconic sights and experiences of the regions, where history really seems to come alive before your eyes. It’s also a reasonably easy journey to make all on public transport, which cannot be said for every trip you might plan here.
Day 1: Rouen
Start your trip in Rouen. Spend a morning exploring the sights of its old town, a sprawling network of lively roads overshadowed by half-timber houses, where highlights include the fascinating Gros-Horloge, an elaborately decorated 14th-century astronomical clock; the towering Notre Dame de Rouen, among the finest Gothic cathedrals in France; and the intricate sinister carvings in Saint-Maclou Ossuary, a perfectly preserved medieval courtyard that was the site where plague victims were buried in the 1500s. Then spend the afternoon exploring the Musée des Beaux-Arts, one of Normandy’s most extensive art museums, with a large collection of Impressionist artworks as well as masterpieces from the Renaissance, before dinner in one of Rouen’s top-end restaurants.
Day 2: Giverny
72 km (45 mi)/1 hour driving, 40 minutes by train
Leave Rouen for a day trip to Giverny, the former home of Claude Monet, leading figure of the Impressionist art movement. Try to arrive as early as you can to beat the crowds and spend the morning exploring the House and Gardens of Claude Monet—Giverny. Entering this house and garden that once belonged to the artist feels like stepping into a painting. There’s an explosion of color, and, particularly around the famed lily pond, every aspect looks like a Monet masterpiece. Then get some context on the Impressionist movement by having a look around the Musée des Impressionnismes, with its constantly changing collection. Have a look at Monet’s grave at the Église Sainte-Radegonde before heading back to Rouen for a hearty, traditional dinner.
Day 3: Deauville
92 km (57 mi)/1 hour driving, 1.5-2.5 hours by local train
Head west toward the luxury seaside resort of Deauville for a real change of pace. This town isn’t really about taking in the sights so much as it is soaking up an atmosphere of luxury and class. If you’ve got the cash, book yourself into Le Normandy hotel, the flagship establishment of the luxury Barrière chain, which runs many high-end hotels, casinos, and spas along the Norman and Breton coasts. (If you’re not feeling so flush, try the Hotel Flaubert, a classic seafront hotel straight from the 1950s, in Deauville’s slightly earthier neighbor, Trouville.) A good day would include picking up some tasty pâté and cheese, wandering casually to the town’s art deco Promenade des Planches, renting a deck chair and an umbrella, and relaxing on the fine sands of Deauville Beach while enjoying your snacks.
Day 4: Day Trip to Honfleur
17 km (11 mi)/30 minutes driving or by bus
Keeping Deauville/Trouville your base, make the half-hour trip, either driving yourself or boarding a local Bus Verts, out to beautiful Honfleur, 17 km (11 mi) up the coast. Here, you can take in the town’s stunning Vieux-Bassin (Old Harbor) and the wooden church, Église Sainte-Catherine, that still looks something like a Viking drinking hall. Then, spend the afternoon exploring one of Honfleur’s museums; the Eugène Boudin Museum is the most interesting, home to artworks from the Honfleur native and one of the precursors of Impressionism. There are also some great views of the Pont de Normandie from its top floors. Head back to Deauville for dinner.
Day 5: Bayeux
80 km (50 mi)/1 hour driving, 2 hours by local train
Make for Bayeux, a charming rural town west of Deauville famous for a certain tapestry. This is also an excellent base for visiting the D-Day landing beaches. If it’s open, the tapestry really should be your first port of call, housed in the Museum of the Bayeux Tapestry. This nearly 1,000-year-old length of embroidered fabric viscerally tells the story of the Norman conquest of England back in 1066 and is accompanied by a museum that elaborates on the era in which it was made. Unfortunately, the museum is set to close for refurbishment in September 2025, but there are still plenty of other delights in Bayeux that make the town worth the visit. For a start there are some excellent restaurants, which you might want to try for lunch, then spend the afternoon meandering through the city’s old town, taking in the various half-timber buildings and splendid Gothic cathedral.
Day 6: D-Day Beaches
60 km (37 mi)/1.5 hours driving
Still based in Bayeux, head north to spend the day exploring the D-Day beaches; if you don’t have your own transport, by far the easiest way to do this is with a tour company. First make for Omaha Beach, where the US forces met the fiercest resistance of all the invading forces on that bloody day in 1944. On this blustery front you’ll get a real sense of scale of the whole operation. Then go to nearby Pointe du Hoc, where some of the deepest scars of the battle can still be seen in the shape of blown-apart German bunkers and craters gouged out of the landscape. Stop for lunch, then carry on just a short drive down the road to the almost impossibly moving Normandy American Cemetery, where the rows upon rows of sedate white gravestones offer a blistering reminder of just how many lives had to be sacrificed to secure Europe’s freedom. After an emotionally draining day, return to Bayeux for dinner.
Day 7: Mont-Saint-Michel
177 km (110 mi)/2.5 hours driving, 4 hours by train
Leave Bayeux as early as you can (in order to experience this day as suggested, you’ll have to take the 6:39am train direct from Bayeux station, which is early but worth it!) to make a hit-and-run visit to Mont-Saint-Michel. Before arriving in the Mont’s parking lot, stop off to pick up a picnic. If you’re coming in by train, that will mean going to one of the shops in Pontorson, the inland town where you’re dropped off, before taking the short bus ride the rest of the way. If you’re still early enough to be ahead of the crowds, it’s better to walk across the causeway than take the bus, allowing the dramatic details of Mont-Saint-Michel to emerge slowly and give you a chance to really appreciate its fantasy-novel form.
Once you’re through its main gate, head straight up the Grande Rue, ignoring the trinket sellers and making directly for the abbey, which is the island’s real draw: You want to have as much time as possible to appreciate its layering of historic detail and stunning views of the surrounding bay before the crowds arrive. After your tour is complete, settle down for your picnic lunch in the abbey’s gardens—this is far more economically expedient and relaxing than visiting one of the island’s many hyper tourist-trap restaurants. Take the ramparts to get back to the bay, reveling further in the excellent views, then dig your toes into the wet sands that surround the monument’s walls before hopping back on the shuttle bus to get back to your car or the train station.
Push on to Dinard, a delightful town in its own right, and a good base from which to explore Saint-Malo. This is a further 60 km (37 mi) by road and should take just under one hour driving. By train, this will take two hours as you will have to go via Rennes, then Saint Malo where the line 16 local bus takes you into Dinard.
Day 8: Saint-Malo
Take a 10-minute early morning ferry, run by the Compagnie Corsaire, from Dinard to Saint-Malo, and enjoy your first real look at the famous walled citadel as it was meant to be seen, growing from out the waves. The first thing to do when you get there is go on an extended wander around its ramparts. These provide great views out to sea and across the yellow-lichen-spangled gray rooftops of the town itself. End this tour by popping inside Saint Vincent Cathedral. Its towering spire is one of the icons of Saint-Malo, while inside is a relatively quiet space, away from the town’s sometimes-oppressive tourist crowds. When the sun is shining, the light that shines through its great rose window is nothing short of miraculous. Spend the afternoon relaxing on the Plage de Bon-Secours under the shadow of Saint-Malo’s walls. If you’re feeling restless and the tide’s out, you can always make a pilgrimage to one or both of the town’s tidal islands, the Grand and Petit Bé, where there are again some excellent views. Take the ferry back to Dinard in the evening, and if you’ve got the energy, try your hand at gambling at the Casino Barrière.
Day 9: Rennes
64 km (40 mi)/1 hour driving and by train
Head down toward Rennes as the final base for your journey. The modern capital of Brittany is a food lover’s dream, and if you’re lucky enough to be able to time your trip in order to arrive here on a Saturday, checking out the town’s Marché des Lices is an absolute must. If it’s not Saturday, a similar experience can be had at the town’s Halles Centrales, where a covered market selling top-end local produce is open every day. After lunch, spend your afternoon wandering the old town, which has an embarrassment of beautiful half-timber houses—the 16th-century Maison Ti Koz is a real highlight. Finally, take in a bit of urban culture at the Opéra de Rennes—one of the smallest opera houses in France, it nevertheless boasts a very respectable program of national-quality shows.
Day 10: Day Trip to the Paimpont Forest
48 m (30 mi)/50 minutes driving, 1 hour by bus
End your exploration of Normandy and Brittany with a day trip to the Paimpont Forest from Rennes. Head out early to get a refresher on the myths of King Arthur at the Centre de l’Imaginaire Arthurien (many sights in the forest are associated with him). Have lunch, then hire some bikes and make the forest your playground. There are plenty of intriguing spots to be explored: the tomb of Merlin the Magician and the Fontaine de Barenton, where he is said to have taught his spells to Nimue (aka, Lady of the Lake), are just a couple. Return to Rennes in the evening and spend the night drinking away and toasting the end of your trip on the town’s infamous rue de la Soif, the street with more bars on it than any other in France.
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