June 2014 marks 70 years since the Allied Forces invaded Normandy, a crucial turning point in the war against Nazi Germany, and people from around the globe will come together to honor the brave soldiers who fought during World War II. At the invitation of French President François Hollande, dignitaries and world leaders, including President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, will visit Normandy to celebrate the occasion, which will also be marked with fireworks displays along the coast at main D-Day sites, military parades, parachute drops and more.

Travelers, too, can honor the event with visits to the infamous beaches of Normandy and other influential WWII sites through tour programs and packages from USTOA-active tour operator members. While many Americans have been exposed to the beaches of Normandy through old newsreels and mainstream films, few, especially younger travelers, have had the opportunity to set foot on the historic beaches and sites.

USTOA members provide limitless opportunities to delve into the history of WWII and commemorate the anniversary. Following is a sampling of their itineraries:

Insight Vacations’ nine-day “Normandy, Brittany & the Loire Valley” tour includes two nights in Normandy, so guests will enjoy leisurely yet comprehensive visits to numerous WWII sites, including the Landing Museum at Arromanches and the famous Pointe du Hoc. The tour also features two evenings in Paris and two nights in the Loire Valley, known for its extensive gardens, vineyards and orchards, as well as a regional wine tasting in Samur with a local expert.

Available through October 2014, prices for “Normandy, Brittany & the Loire Valley” start at $2,699 per person, double, land only.

From Southern England and Northern France to Belgium and the Netherlands, travelers on the “WWI & WWII Battlefields” tour from Trafalgar will visit a variety of memorial sites beyond just the beaches of Normandy. The tour also includes the D-Day & Overlord Embroidery Museum and Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, Passchendale Memorial in Ypres and the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek. Other highlights include a family-hosted meal at a working dairy farm outside of Amsterdam and a tasting at a champagne house in Reims.

This extraordinary 13-day journey is available on 16 departure dates until Aug. 15. Prices are from $3,499 per person.

The 10- to 13-day “Battlefields of Europe” itinerary from Explorica visits Amsterdam; Bastogne, Belgium; Diekrich, Luxembourg; and Reims, Normandy, and Paris, France. The extended journey also stops in Berlin.

Museum-focused, this tour includes the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial at the location of the 1944 Battle of the Bulge, Luxembourg’s National Museum of Military History, the Arromanches Museum and D-Day beaches in Normandy, and Berlin’s Checkpoint Charlie (most famous crossing between East and West Germany during the Cold War), Sachsenhausen (former concentration camp) and Jewish Museums in and around Berlin.

Prices are from $2,745, including air.

Worldwide Traveler’s Back-Roads Touring program is limited to 16 passengers in order to provide more friendly, relaxed and flexible tours that go beyond the main tourist sites of a destination.

The “Back-Roads Touring: D-Day Battle for France” itinerary visits the French cities of Lille, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Bayeux and the Normandy beaches, and is led by a specialist in historic battlefields. Available Sept. 16 and Sept. 30, the tour costs from $1,350 per person.

Go-Today’s six-night “Paris & Normandy, Saint Malo, Mont St. Michel and Loire Valley Escorted Tour” combines free time and organized sightseeing, and includes destinations connected with the invasion of Normandy 70 years ago, such as Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer.

Other highlights include the iconic Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a variety of historic, beautiful castles, such as Chenonceau, Cheverny, Chambord and Langeais. The tour is available on select dates through September, and prices start at $2,099 per person.

For more information about tours and packaged vacations, visit www.ustoa.com.