Culture, History, and Hiking in Northern France
Normandy and Brittany
Overview
With spectacular coastlines, medieval towns, and renowned cuisines, Normandy and Brittany are ideal for a WT-style hiking adventure. We visit Normandy's evocative D-Day beaches with a local historian, walk across tidal flats right to the stupendous island-abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, and savor coastal hikes on Brittany's ravishingly beautiful Côte de Granit Rose, where pink cliffs soar above the deep blue—and sometimes wild—sea. Culinary treats abound, including cider fresh from the orchards, sweet crêpes, savory galettes, and a bounty of local seafood, from moules marinières to scampi (Brittany's oysters are so beloved that Louis XIV had them brought to him at Versailles). If you love hiking, history, and great food, this is your trip!
Arrive: Caen, France
Depart: Guingamp, France
Highlights
- See the extraordinary 11th century Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of England
- Visit the evocative D-Day sites of Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach with a historian
- Hike to spire-topped Mont Saint-Michel, France's famous island-abbey
- Explore Brittany's most spectacular coastal trails
- Savor fresh seafood, famous oysters, legendary cheeses, crisp ciders and ales of Normandy and Brittany along with classic French wines
Itinerary
In the medieval town of Bayeux, we view the thousand-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, then head to Pointe du Hoc, the high cliffs between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. We'll walk this evocative trail, joined by a historian, and visit the American war cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, with its neat rows of crosses on tranquil clifftop lawns.
Mont St. Michel's spire-topped abbey is one of the most famous silhouettes in Europe. We hike along the coast for stunning views of it, then walk right to this renowned sanctuary, crossing the Mont Saint-Michel Bay at low tide to ascend the island's single street past gabled houses to the abbey itself.
The harbor village of Cancale on the Cote d'Emeraude is home to probably the tastiest oysters in Brittany and we'll sample some along the docks. After a visit to the charming port of Saint Malo, we enjoy a hike along the banks of the River Rance as it flows past 13th century Dinan, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Brittany.
Pink-tinted crags line this exquisite section of Brittany's coast, known as the Côte de Granit Rose. Our hikes follow coastal trails leading to a revered pilgrimage site, and we'll see the Castel Meur, the famed stone house wedged between rock outcrops. We explore medieval Tréguier, savor plates of delicious fruits de mer, and enjoy our historic seaside hotel in the village of Ploumanac'h. Depart on Day 10 via Guingamp.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 3, Moderate, according to our trip grading system. While we do not see major elevation gain or loss, you will need to be comfortable hiking 7 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 6 hours a day. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Average Hiking Day
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 5 miles
- 4 hours
- 400-750 feet gain/loss
- Day 7: 6.5 miles, 4-5 hours
The trails are a mixture of flat walks through historic towns and hilly coastal tracks, which have rocky steps and uneven surfaces that may become muddy and unstable in bad weather. Depending on tides, we will likely hike through the tidal flats to Mont St. Michel on Day 4, so be prepared to get a little muddy from your knees down—most people will carry their shoes in their packs and hike this portion barefoot, but Teva-type shoes could be considered as well.
In the maritime climate of Normandy and Brittany, temperatures are moderated by the Atlantic so it is never extremely hot or extremely cold. Temperatures may reach the mid-70s°F during the day, with cool breezes, occasional showers, and the potential for strong winds. At night, the temperature will drop moderately. The weather is variable so be prepared for anything: it can be cool and pleasant, hot and muggy, or damp and chilly.
Accommodations are in small hotels and inns. In an effort to capture the spirit of old Europe, the hotels we use are often family-run converted villas or inns, full of ambience and colorful local history. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
On some days, we enjoy picnic lunches with local wine and regional specialties. On “town” days, we often have lunch at local cafes. Dinners are at our hotel or local restaurants. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
Our bus will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack for items you need during the day (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or remain at the hotel if we are not transfering that day).
Client Testimonials
"The trip of a lifetime, with leaders who were beyond outstanding."
Bix W.
Pebble Beach, CA
"Very high standards in every respect, from the office, to the itinerary, food and accommodation and trip leaders. We met a couple in our hotel in Dinan on a holiday with another travel company who were most unhappy with their tour, and we felt very pleased that we had booked again with Wilderness Travel, and not one of the other tour groups."
Eleanor B.
Sydney NSW 2134,
"I found the trip a wonderful combination of history, pre-history, beautiful coastal scenery, and divine food!"
Jane S.
Albuquerque, NM
"Many highlights come to mind: our sand and sea pilgrimage to Mont St-Michel, delightful walks with gorgeous scenery and powerful history. Culture and hiking interwoven with non-stop fabulous French cuisine!"
Jo L.
Santa Barbara, CA
"We had a lot of fun, visited many interesting sites, and the most unusual pilgrim walk across the bay to Mont Saint Michel was unforgettable."
Kathy C.
Houston, TX
"I loved the scenery, the deep history, the emotional Normandy beach hikes and cemetery visit, the Mont St. Michel pilgrimage, the super care, conversation and humor of our guides (truly extraordinary men), the great French food and seafood, the wonderful sharing with fellow hikers, and the great hikes of varying flavors and terrain."
Marilyn K.
Pittsburgh, PA
"An outstanding trip with a well thought out itinerary."
Mary M.
Stillwater, MN
"Our stay on Mont Saint Michel was a highlight as was the four-mile walk to it across the sands. It was great, great fun! It felt like we were doing our own little pilgrimage."
Nancy P.
Newton Upper Falls, MA
"What a fabulous exploration do a beautiful area! Even the weather was perfect!"
Rose C.
Charlottesville, VA
"I can't imagine having better guides. We loved our trip, smiled and laughed a lot, and ate great food (I really hadn't expected it to be so good--from picnic lunches to leisurely restaurant lunches and dinners, and extra seafood and pastry "snacks"). The hikes and historical tours were all terrific."
Susan and Doug M.
Macon, GA
"Loved it all: scenery, points of interest, local guides, relaxing meals, good company, walking, comfortable transportation, and terrific WT guides. Just a nice trip all around."
Susan F.
Greenwich, CT
"The highlight of this trip for me was the barefoot walk to Mont St. Michel. It's not to be missed!"
Thelma A.
Morristown, NJ
"An excellent trip with a nice balance of hiking, history and cuisine."
Tom N.
Upper St Clair, PA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.