expedia
Skip to main content
One Key

Earn OneKeyCash when you sign in and book an activity

Sign in

Historical Sidecar Tour of Le Havre – War & Architecture

By RETRO TOUR NORMANDY
Free cancellation available
Price is £250 per adult* *Get a lower price by selecting multiple adult tickets
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 2h 30m
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup
  • Multiple languages

Overview

Discover Le Havre from a unique perspective on a private vintage sidecar tour, blending history, architecture, and World War II memory. Accompanied by a local guide, explore a city deeply shaped by the 1944 bombings and now recognised as a global symbol of modern reconstruction. Admire the iconic architecture of Auguste Perret, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while learning about the port’s strategic role during the war. Travelling by sidecar offers an open-air, immersive, and friendly experience, ideal for understanding Le Havre’s distinctive identity. A captivating journey through the past, resilience, and modernity.

Activity location

  • Le Havre Cathedral
    • Rue de Paris
    • 76600, Le Havre, Normandie, France

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Le Havre Cathedral
    • Rue de Paris
    • 76600, Le Havre, Normandie, France

Check availability

Historic Escape

  • Activity duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes2h 30m
    2h 30m
  • English

Pickup included

Price details
£250.49 x 1 Adult£250.49
Total
Price is £250.49
Until Sun, 24 May

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    Vintage goggles
  • What's includedWhat's included
    1 to 2 passengers per sidecar (one person behind our driver and one person in the sidecar)
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Rain gear
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Anecdotes
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Gloves
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Helmets
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Visit of the iconic sites
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Lunch

Know before you book

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transport options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Minimum age to participate in the excursion: 4 years old.
  • In accordance with UK consumer law, activities services are not subject to the right of withdrawal. Supplier cancellation policy will apply.
  • This activity is provided by a professional trader (a party acting within their trade, business or profession).

Activity itinerary

Le Havre (Pass by)

Your guide will pick you up directly from your hotel in Le Havre or from the cruise terminal. After a few moments to get properly equipped, you’ll set off on your adventure.

Le Havre Cathedral

  • 10m
Notre-Dame du Havre has been listed as a historic monument since February 10, 1919. It bears the marks of Le Havre’s turbulent history. Its 16th-century bell tower is both the city’s oldest surviving structure and one of its most powerful symbols, alongside the Bassin du Roy.

Eglise Saint-Joseph

  • 10m
From afar, whether seen from land or sea, its skyscraper-like silhouette, so familiar to admirers of New York, is no coincidence. A true votive monument dedicated to the victims of the destruction of Le Havre, Saint-Joseph Church rises to 107.23 metres, celebrating the rebirth of a city that has become France’s maritime gateway. In doing so, the building takes on a second, more secular vocation, beyond its religious role.

Square Saint-Roch

  • 10m
The history of Square Saint-Roch dates back to 1587, when a health meadow was created in the former commune of Ingouville. Under Cardinal Richelieu, the site was used to shelter plague victims, which led to its dedication to Saint Roch. Saint Roch is the patron saint of pilgrims and many guilds and professions—such as surgeons, dermatologists, apothecaries, and street pavers—and is also regarded as the protector of animals.

Rue Félix Faure

  • 30m
Félix Faure Street is named after Félix Faure, a President of the French Republic who made his fortune in Le Havre through the leather trade. Built in 1901 as a planned development initiated by the entrepreneur Lefort of Nancy, the street honours the president, who died unexpectedly in 1899. Between 1940 and 1944, Félix Faure Street was transformed into a true headquarters for the Third Reich. From the large requisitioned properties along this street, the Fortress of Le Havre and much of Normandy were directed during the occupation.

Le Chateau des Gadelles

  • 5m
With the aim of creating a vast seaside estate in Le Havre, Parisian architect Pierre-Edouard Dumond acquired numerous plots of land between 1874 and 1888. Legend has it that he wanted a second home in Le Havre and, above all, sought to outdo what Queen Marie-Christine of Bourbon-Sicilies had built near the beach—Villa Mon Désir. To realise his vision, he enlisted architect Henri Toutain, who designed and built the entrance pavilion of his château between 1886 and 1894.

Sainte-Adresse

  • 40m
Saint-Denis-Chef-de-Caux, later renamed Sainte-Adresse, was the last valleuse of the Pays de Caux, home since the Middle Ages to a population of farmers and fishermen. The village lay nestled between sea and cliff, along the foreshore, where—just a few centuries later—the elegant villas of the Nice-Havrais district would rapidly rise.

La Batterie de Dollemard

  • 20m
The Dollemard Battery was built between 1892 and 1894 on the heights of Le Havre, in Sainte-Adresse. Set back from the cliff edge at an altitude of around 94 metres at the gun platforms, it was designed to protect the estuary and the approaches to the Port of Le Havre from a potential attack by the era’s perceived enemy, England.

Villa Maritime

  • 5m
The Villa Maritime, located in Le Havre, is an architectural and historical landmark. Built at the end of the 19th century, it has endured through the decades, reflecting the city’s cultural and social evolution. Designed in 1890 by architect Henri Toutain, the Villa Maritime is a fine example of eclectic architecture.

Catene de containers

  • 10m
Le Havre celebrated the **500th anniversary of its founding by François I in 2017. To mark the occasion, the festival Un été au Havre was created, blending popular events with artistic creation. Since then, the festival has returned every summer, with several installations becoming permanent. As a result, Le Havre has built an open-air contemporary art collection. The most iconic work is undoubtedly the Catène de containers, designed by Vincent Ganivet for the first edition. Composed of 36 twenty-foot shipping containers, it has become a symbol of the city and its port.

Semaphore Le Havre

  • 10m
Le Havre, an iconic port city, has been home to a semaphore since the 16th century. Over the centuries, these towers—essential for monitoring the harbour and coastline—have undergone major transformations, both in their structure and in the technologies used for maritime surveillance.

Le Havre (Pass by)

It’s time for your pilot to take you back and bring this timeless journey to a close.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Le Havre Cathedral
    • Rue de Paris
    • 76600, Le Havre, Normandie, France

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Le Havre Cathedral
    • Rue de Paris
    • 76600, Le Havre, Normandie, France

Best Deals on Things to Do

Experience the wonders of the world up close with great deals on things to do near and far. Expedia offers one-of-a-kind activities that allow you to explore Le Havre your way. Whether you love nature, culture, food or a bit of adventure, we have the perfect activity for you.

Top experiences in Le Havre

With so many things to do in Le Havre, planning the perfect day out may seem like a daunting task. Expedia is here to take the hassle out of finding the best attractions, tours and activities in Le Havre. Families, couples and business travellers can all find the perfect activity in Le Havre to create life-long memories with the help of Expedia.