Radford University: London & Normandy – Cryptology (2024)

After arrival and check in at the hotel today, we will tour the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Center displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Today we will start our day, by visiting the National Cryptologic Museum, The National Cryptologic Museum is an American museum of cryptologic history that is affiliated with the National Security Agency.

Tonight, we will fly overnight from Washington DC to London, England.

Arrive in London
Check into hotel
Late this afternoon we will visit Westminster Abbey, a must-see gothic cathedral located just moments away from the River Thames. Constructed during the 12th century, Westminster Abbey is one of the most notable religious buildings in all of London. The Abbey is the burial site for more than 3,300 people, including monarchs, prime ministers, military leaders, actors, artists and writers.

Today we will start our day at Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Afterward, we will walk through St. James’s Park and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Later this afternoon we will visit the House of Parliament and see Big Ben. Tonight, we will dinner at a traditional British pub. eat before heading back to the hotel.

This morning, we will visit the Imperial War Museum: Founded in 1917, the museum was originally to serve as an active memorial to those who died during World War I but has since added to its collection from all of England’s 20th century conflicts. The class will spend most of its time in collections related to the Blitz and Britain’s World War II experience.

After lunch, we will head the Cabinet War Rooms, where Winston Churchill and his advisors worked during the conflict. The underground rooms still look almost as they did decades ago, including the Map Room, where large military maps and charts from the 1940s still hang on the walls. We will even see the bed where Churchill slept when it was too dangerous for him to return to his primary residence during continuous German bombardments in 1940.

We will start our day at the Tower of London and take a tour to learn about the history of this iconic fortress. Next, we will walk across Tower Bridge and enjoy the panoramic views of the city. Afterward, we will see the HMS Belfast. HMS Belfast is a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy. She is now permanently moored as a museum ship on the River Thames in London and is operated by the Imperial War Museum.

Later this afternoon, we will take a ride on the London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel located on the South Bank of the Thames.

This evening, we will enjoy a dinner cruise on the Thames to see London’s famous landmarks illuminated at night.

Choose your own adventure day
Choose from the many options in London to create a day you will remember.

Today we travel to Bletchley Park, an area codenamed during the Second World War as “Station X.” This was the center of the British effort to break the complex German enigma code. The work conducted at Bletchley was vital to Allied victory in WWII, and students will gain insight into how enemy messages were intercepted, relayed to, and deciphered at this site.

Bletchley has recently completed a multimillion-dollar restoration and upgrading project. The new Bletchley Park promises to be a cutting edge, interactive Historical learning experience.

Later today, we will travel to Portsmouth and take the overnight ferry to Ouistreham (Caen port), France.

Arrival in Normandy. We will start the day a visit to the D-Day beaches, where Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944. We will tour the beaches and visit the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, a moving tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Normandy Campaign.

Later this afternoon, we will visit the historic town of Bayeux, home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry. The tapestry depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Afterward, we will take a stroll through the town to admire the Norman architecture.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in Bayeux and a walk along the Aure River. Overnight in Bayeaux.

Today we will visit the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, which narrates the battles which took place in Normandy after the D-Day landings. Afterward, we will visit the Bayeux War Cemetery, which was completed in 1952, contains 4,144 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 338 of them unidentified. There are also over 500 war graves of other nationalities, the majority German.

This afternoon, before departing for Paris, we will see the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 meters long and 50 centimeters tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy challenging Harold II, King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings.

Travel to Paris and stay overnight.

We will wake early this morning after grabbing the quintessential French croissant from a bakery near our hotel, we will head to the most famous of all Paris monuments – the Eiffel Tower. Today we will skip the line and go all the way up to the summit of the Eiffel tower, marveling at the amazing views of Paris below.

Afterward, we will head to the most famous museum in Paris – the Louvre. We will be at the Louvre when it opens and enter through its iconic glass pyramid. You will see some of the Louvre’s most famous works including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and Venus de Milo. After you have explored the Louvre we will walk through the Jardin de Tuileries.

Tonight, we will take a dinner cruise on the Seine River.

Depart Paris on return flight to the United States.