Honfleur and Étretat day trip from Rouen or Paris or Bayeux
A day trip to Honfleur and Étretat from Rouen, Paris or Bayeux: Honfleur's old harbour, the wooden church of Sainte-Catherine, the Eugène Boudin Museum and the sailors' chapel of Notre-Dame de Grâce, then across the Seine estuary to Étretat for the cliff walk to the Porte d'Aval and the Manneporte and the Falaise d'Amont. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Honfleur and Étretat in 1 day
Day 1
Vieux Bassin (Old Harbour), Honfleur
Seventeenth-century harbour basin lined with tall, narrow slate-fronted houses and café terraces, painted by Boudin, Monet and many others.
St. Catherine's Church, Honfleur
France's largest wooden church, built by the town's shipwrights in the fifteenth century, with its bell tower standing apart across the square.
Eugène Boudin Museum
Museum of the Honfleur-born painter who taught the young Monet, with his beach scenes, other Normandy painters and local costumes.
Notre-Dame de Grâce Chapel (Côte de Grâce)
Sailors' chapel in the woods on the hill above Honfleur, hung with votive ship models, with views over the Seine estuary.
Étretat cliffs: Falaise d'Aval, Porte d'Aval and Manneporte walk
The cliff path west of Étretat beach past the Porte d'Aval arch and the Aiguille needle to the great Manneporte arch, chalk cliffs Monet painted.
Falaise d'Amont and Notre-Dame de la Garde Chapel
Cliff on the east side of Étretat beach, with a sailors' chapel, the memorial to the aviators of L'Oiseau Blanc and views of the arches.
Getting there
A car is easiest. Honfleur is about an hour from Rouen or Bayeux and about 2 hours 15 from Paris, and Étretat is about 45 minutes from Honfleur over the Pont de Normandie (toll). Without a car, trains from Paris run to Le Havre or Lisieux, with buses on to Honfleur and Étretat.
Staying in Rouen or Paris or Bayeux? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Honfleur and Étretat
May, June and September are the best months, with long days and fewer crowds than July and August. Honfleur's Fête des Marins, with the blessing of the boats, is held at Pentecost. The Normandy weather changes quickly and the cliffs are windy, so bring a jacket in any season.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Honfleur and Étretat on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Honfleur and Étretat on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Honfleur and Étretat on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Honfleur and Étretat
- The Eugène Boudin Museum is closed on Tuesdays and usually at lunchtime outside summer; its ticket also covers the bell tower of Sainte-Catherine.
- Arrive in Honfleur early: parking fills and the quays get crowded by late morning, especially at weekends.
- Wear good shoes for the cliff paths at Étretat, keep back from the edges and stay off the beach below the cliffs at rising tide.
- The walk up to Notre-Dame de Grâce is steep but short, and the plateau has a view over the Seine estuary to the Pont de Normandie.
- Try the cider, calvados and seafood of the Normandy coast at the harbour restaurants.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Eugène Boudin Museum: Derbrauni, CC BY 4.0
- Falaise d'Amont and Notre-Dame de la Garde Chapel: ThruTheseLines, CC BY 2.0
- Notre-Dame de Grâce Chapel (Côte de Grâce): Stephanemartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Catherine's Church, Honfleur: A19n, CC0
- Vieux Bassin (Old Harbour), Honfleur: Gregory Deryckère, CC BY 2.5
- Étretat cliffs: Falaise d'Aval, Porte d'Aval and Manneporte walk: Jörg Braukmann, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
