White chalk cliffs on the Normandy coast, carved by the sea into great arches and a 51-metre needle.
Walk the clifftop above the Porte d'Aval, watch the chalk turn gold, then lunch where Monet painted.
Time at the cliffs, spelled outHours in Étretat, not just trip length
2026 rules checkedTunnels and cliff foot closed since 2025
Paris or the cruise portEvery way to get there, side by side
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, on all but one
Tours
Choose your Étretat tour
In the centre, the coach day from Paris that adds Honfleur's old harbour. Either side, the shuttle from the
Le Havre cruise terminal and a small-group minivan day with Calvados and Rouen. Every card opens a full tour page.
A shared van from the cruise terminal to Étretat, leaving on the hour from 8:00 to 11:00. Explore alone and come back on whichever return shuttle suits your ship.
What's included
Shared van from the Le Havre or Honfleur cruise terminal
A coach from the Arc de Triomphe to the cliffs, then on to Honfleur's old harbour. About two hours at each stop, free to walk the clifftops at your own pace.
What's included
Round-trip coach from 1 Avenue de Wagram, 7:30 a.m.
A guided minivan day for seven at most: Calvados in Pont-l'Évêque, Honfleur, the cliffs, then Rouen. Busy but well paced; Étretat gets about 90 minutes.
What's included
Mercedes minivan, 7 guests at most
Live guide from 4 guests
Calvados and cider tasting at Père Magloire
Walking tours in Honfleur and Rouen, walk to the cliffs
Three questions sort it out. Are you starting in Paris or on a ship in Le Havre? How many hours do you want at the
cliffs themselves? And do you want a guide, or just a ride and your own pace?
Prices are per person, except the two private shore excursions, which are per group (up to 4 on the
Le Havre Cruise Transfers trip, 20% off until 19 October 2026). Every option cancels free up to 24 hours before, except the
scavenger hunt. The cliffs, the beach and the clifftop paths are free.
Before you book
Six hours on the road, two at the cliffs.
Étretat is about 210 km from Paris, and every day trip pays for that in time. The coach leaves the Arc de Triomphe
at 7:30, reaches the coast two and a half to three hours later, gives you about two hours on the beach and the
clifftops, then drives on to Honfleur. You are back in Paris after dark. It works, and guests love it, but two hours
is one clifftop, not both.
From the cruise port in Le Havre the maths is kinder: 35 to 45 minutes by road, so a 7-hour port day can
give you three or four hours in town. And whichever way you come, the old advice about walking through the arch at
low tide is out of date. Since April 2025 the tunnels, the caves and the foot of the cliffs are closed, and the
views are from the paths on top, which is where the best ones always were.
5
Metres you must keep back from the cliff edge under the 2025 town order. The tunnels,
the Chambre des Demoiselles and walks along the cliff foot are banned too, with a 135-euro fine.
Coach day tripSmall groupPrivate carCruise shuttle
L'Aiguille: 51 metres of chalk standing alone in the sea beside the Porte d'Aval.
01
How long there?
About 2 hours on a Paris day trip, 3 to 4 on a cruise shuttle. Both cliffs need 3.
02
Train or tour?
No station in town: train plus coach takes about 3 hours each way.
03
Through the arch?
No. Tunnels and the cliff foot are closed since April 2025.
04
Who should skip it?
Anyone who struggles with steep, uneven steps: the views are at the top.
Your day
How an Étretat day runs
Twelve to thirteen hours from Paris, about seven from the Le Havre cruise port. This is the shape of it.
01
Early start
Coaches and minivans leave Paris at 7:00 to 8:00; cruise shuttles leave the terminal from 8:00.
35 min to 3 hours
02
Beach and promenade
Walk down to the pebbles, look both ways along the bay and pick your cliff.
20 to 30 minutes
03
Up on the cliffs
Steps and a grassy path to the top of the Falaise d'Aval for the arch and the needle, or the Amont chapel.
45 to 90 minutes
04
Lunch or Honfleur
Moules and cider on the seafront, or on to Honfleur's old harbour on a combined tour.
Getting there, prices, the new rules and what to bring: one tab each.
From Paris by train: Saint-Lazare to Bréauté-Beuzeville, then the Nomad coach 504 to Étretat. About 3 hours.
From Le Havre: LiA bus 21 from the stations, hourly, or bus 13 and Nomad 509. About an hour, around 2 euros.
From the cruise terminal: 35 to 45 minutes by road. Shuttles and transfers meet you at the ship.
By car: paid parking all year from 9:00 to 19:00, plus a park-and-ride on the Criquetot road in high season.
Round-trip transfer from the Le Havre port: from $113 per person; shared shuttle $135.
Coach day trip from Paris with Honfleur: $171.
Small-group and private days from Paris: $320 to $669 per person.
Private shore excursions from Le Havre: $571 to $948 per group.
Free on the spot: the beach and the clifftops. Jardins d'Étretat: 12.90 euros (April to October).
Keep 5 metres back from the cliff edge on every path.
The tunnels through the cliff points, the Trou à l'Homme and the Chambre des Demoiselles are closed.
No walking along the foot of the cliffs or across the far beaches; stay in line with the promenade.
Fine: 135 euros plus rescue costs. Leave the pebbles on the beach. Read the 2026 rules.
Shoes with grip: the clifftop steps are steep and the chalk path is slippery after rain.
A windproof layer. It is always breezier on top than in town.
Water shoes if you plan to swim; the pebbles are hard on bare feet.
Cash or a card for parking and lunch. Full packing list in the cliff walk guide.
Le Havre port35 to 45 minBy road from the cruise terminal, the closest big sight to the ships.
Paris2.5 to 3 hoursAbout 210 km each way, by coach, minivan or train plus bus.
HonfleurAbout 50 minOver the Pont de Normandie, which is why so many tours pair the two.
At the cliffs1.5 to 4 hoursThe number to compare between tours, not the 7 to 13-hour trip length.
Jardins12.90 eurosClifftop gardens on the Amont side, April to October adult price.
Refund24 hoursFree cancellation up to a day before on every tour except the hunt.
Where it happens
Where the cliffs are
On the coast, 30 km north of Le Havre
Tours leave from the Arc de Triomphe, the Opéra or your hotel in Paris, or from the cruise terminal, Quai Pierre Callet, Le Havre
Étretat sits in a gap in the chalk where a small valley meets the sea. The town is a few streets of half-timbered
houses and a covered market behind a long pebble beach. The Falaise d'Aval rises on the left as you face the water, the
Falaise d'Amont on the right. Both clifftops are a short, steep climb from either end of the promenade.
4.8★★★★★ 9 reviews · Coach day trip from Paris with Honfleur Viator rating
★★★★★
We left Paris at 7:30 a.m., and the drive to Étretat took about two and a half hours. The bus was comfortable and had a bathroom, coffee, and water. [...] Étretat was breathtaking. Be sure to walk up and down the cliffs to enjoy the views from different angles.
★★★★★
Perfect option if you want to do your own thing. Our ship was docked in Honfleur, so we used this round trip service to take us to Etretat, France. We spent the day sightseeing the cliffs, the Je Gardin, lunch at Dormy House and walked the town. Best ice cream I've ever had!
★★★★★
I feared that a day trip might be too rushed to be able to fully appreciate the sights. Well, I am pleased to report that I was wrong. The trip ran smoothly and gave a very good glimpse into the places visited. The highlight for me was Etretat with its striking cliffs.
★★★★★
Amazing experience! Our travel leader, Rain, was wonderful. [...] Wear comfortable shoes if you want the best views! Honfleur was such a beautiful village too, it was raining for the most time we were there but we still enjoyed it so much.
★★★★★
Both locations were even better than expected and wonderful. [...] Highly recommend as driving and parking is not easy in these locations and he dropped us off exactly where we wanted.
★★★★★
I honestly loved this trip. The cliffs of Etretat are stunning and the view of them from the top is simply unforgettable. I could have stayed there for hours just enjoying the scenery. Honfleur was also really charming.
★★★★★
We had an amazing time visiting Etretat. There was so much to do and see. [...] The booster seat that we had requested for our child was ready to go without having to ask. Our driver was right on time for the return trip.
★★★★★
The Cliffs were absolutely beautiful (though a bit challenging to climb to the top for my not so athletic self). But my eight year old loved it. Deauville was a ritzy beach community.
★★★★★
Great tour, great guide, everything was excellent! Hundred percent recommed the experience. Étretat was the best part!
Another day from Paris
Add a morning in Giverny
The cliffs show you what Monet painted. Giverny shows you how he lived. Do them on separate days and neither feels rushed.
Monet painted Étretat's arches more than 80 times, but he lived and gardened in Giverny for over 40 years. This half day takes eight people at most to the house, the Japanese bridge and the water lilies, then back to Paris by lunch.
Étretat is a small town with a very big view. Here is what you are looking at, what changed in 2025, and how to
spend the hours you get.
Three arches and a needle
Stand on the promenade and face the sea. On your left is the Falaise d'Aval, the cliff on every postcard: a wall of
white chalk striped with dark flint that ends in the Porte d'Aval, an arch the size of a cathedral nave. Beside it, alone
in the water, stands L'Aiguille, the needle, 51 metres high. Beyond them, out of sight from the beach, is the Manneporte,
the biggest arch of the three, which Maupassant compared to a ship under full sail. On your right is the Falaise d'Amont,
shorter and steeper, topped by the little chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde and a monument to the aviators Nungesser and
Coli, who flew out over this coast in 1927 and were never seen again.
The chalk was laid down under a warm sea millions of years ago, and the sea is taking it back. Rockfalls happen every
year, and the coastline retreats. That is the reason for the rules below, and the reason the shapes keep changing.
The clifftop path on the Aval side, where every famous view is.
The 2025 rules change the old advice
Older blogs, and plenty of reviews, tell you to walk through the tunnel in the Aval cliff at low tide, explore the
Chambre des Demoiselles or follow the beach round to the Manneporte. Since a town order of 28 April 2025, all of that is
banned. The tunnels through the cliff points are closed, so is the foot of the cliffs, and you may only go onto the
beaches in line with the promenade. On top, you must stay 5 metres from the edge. Breaking the rules costs 135 euros,
plus the cost of any rescue.
The honest small print: on a day trip from Paris you get about two hours in Étretat, and the climb to
the top of either cliff takes 15 to 20 minutes each way. That is time for one clifftop and a coffee, not both cliffs and a
long lunch. If the cliffs are the point of your trip, pick a tour with more time in town, or stay the night.
Paris day trip or a night on the coast?
A day trip is the easy option: someone else drives the 210 km, you see Étretat and usually Honfleur, and you sleep in Paris.
The coach day at $171 is the best value; small-group and private days cost two to four times as much for a smaller group,
a guide and door-to-door pickup, but not much more time at the cliffs. If you can spare a night, go by train to
Bréauté-Beuzeville and the 504 coach, or to Le Havre and the bus, and you get the evening light on the Aval cliff that
the day trippers drive away from. Cruise passengers have it best of all: the port is 35 to 45 minutes away, and a shuttle
gets you three or four hours on your own. Our cruise port guide
compares them.
At low tide the chalk shelves appear. Look from the promenade: the cliff foot is closed.
Monet, Maupassant and Lupin
Few beaches have been painted more. Courbet and Boudin came first; Monet followed in 1883 and came back in the autumn of
1885 and in February 1886, working through storms and producing more than 80 canvases of the arches, the boats and the
beach. Maupassant spent his childhood here. Maurice Leblanc bought a house in town in 1919 and hid Arsène Lupin's treasure
inside the needle in "L'Aiguille creuse"; the house is now Le Clos Lupin, a small museum on the flagship tour's route.
You can stand roughly where Monet set up his easel on the beach and see that, for once, the painting did not exaggerate.
Boats on the shingle, a subject Monet painted again and again.
Straight answers to what people ask most about visiting the cliffs of Étretat.
Can you visit Étretat as a day trip from Paris?
Yes, but most of the day is the drive. Étretat is about 210 km from Paris, two and a half to three hours each way, so a 13-hour coach day gives you about two hours at the cliffs. That is enough for the beach and one clifftop. The Paris day trip guide compares coach, train and private car.
Is there a train from Paris to Étretat?
Not directly. Étretat has no station. Take a train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Bréauté-Beuzeville and the Nomad coach 504 into town, about 3 hours in total, or go to Le Havre and take bus 21 or 13 for about an hour. Coach 504 runs every day from April to August and on weekends the rest of the year.
How far is Étretat from the Le Havre cruise port?
About 30 km, 35 to 45 minutes by road. It is the closest big sight to the port, which makes it the easiest shore excursion from Le Havre. Shuttles from the terminal start at $113 per person; the 2-euro bus leaves from the railway station, not the port. See Étretat from Le Havre.
How much time do you need in Étretat?
Two hours covers the beach, the promenade and one clifftop viewpoint. Plan three to four hours if you want both cliffs and the walk out towards the Manneporte, and a full day if you add the Jardins d'Étretat and lunch. Our cliff walk guide has the routes and times.
Can you walk through the arch or the tunnels at Étretat?
No. Since 28 April 2025 a municipal order bans the tunnels through the cliff points, the Trou à l'Homme, the Chambre des Demoiselles and walking along the foot of the cliffs. You must also stay 5 metres back from the edge. The fine is 135 euros plus rescue costs. Details in the 2026 rules post.
Is it free to visit the cliffs of Étretat?
Yes. The beach, the promenade and the clifftop paths are free and open all the time. You pay for parking (3 euros an hour in the centre, 15 euros a day further out) and for extras such as the Jardins d'Étretat, 12.90 euros for adults from April to October.
Can you see Étretat and Honfleur in one day?
Yes, and most tours do: the two towns are about 50 minutes apart over the Pont de Normandie. From Paris that means about two hours in each. Adding Giverny as well squeezes the cliffs to under two hours. See Étretat and Honfleur in one day.
Which is better, the Falaise d'Aval or the Falaise d'Amont?
The Aval side, on the left as you face the sea, has the famous arch, the 51-metre Aiguille and the path towards the Manneporte: it is the view on every postcard. The Amont side is shorter and steeper, with the chapel and the best view back across the bay to the Aval arch. With time for one, climb Aval; with time for two, start with Amont.
When is the best time to visit Étretat?
May, June and September: long days, softer crowds and warm light on the chalk in the late afternoon. July and August are busy and parking is hard. Winter is quiet and often bright, with fewer services. More in the best time to visit.
Is there sand on Étretat beach, and can you swim?
No sand: the beach is smooth flint pebbles that shelve fast. You can swim in summer, but the water is cold, the pebbles are hard on bare feet and the beach shrinks at high tide. Water shoes help. Taking pebbles home is forbidden.
How much do Étretat tours cost in 2026?
A round-trip transfer from the Le Havre cruise port starts at $113 per person and the shared shuttle at $135. The coach day trip from Paris with Honfleur is $171. Small-group and private days from Paris run from $320 to $669 per person, and private shore excursions $571 to $948 per group.
Can I cancel an Étretat tour?
Every tour here cancels for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start, except the Étretat scavenger hunt, which is non-refundable. If high winds stop your ship docking, contact Viator through your booking.
Ready to book
Pick your day, pick your cliff.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and the beach and clifftops are free once you are there.
For cruise passengers
★ 4.5Flexible returnFree cancellation
