Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Your meals will be served on board.

Upon arriving at Pau or Toulouse airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the arrival’s hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. Embark on scenic drive to Lourdes. Check-in to your hotel and relax or explore before dinner. Following dinner, you will have free time to pray the Rosary and to attend the candlelight procession. (AprilOctober only). These processions are lit by candlelight and guided by the Most Holy Rosary. Following this prayerful experience, you will return to your hotel for an overnight.

Over the next two days, you will stay in a small town, nestled within the Pyrenees Mountains. During your time in Lourdes, you will pray and meditate in a site of Our Lady’s apparitions. Our Lady first appeared to Bernadette in 1858, and announced herself as “The Immaculate Conception”, near the Grotto of Massabielle. During the first two apparitions, little Bernadette prayed the Rosary with Our Lady and left without any exchange of words. During the following apparitions, Our Lady emphasized God’s love for us, penance, and the necessity of performing acts of penance for sinners. Throughout your time in Lourdes, you will have the opportunity to attend Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette; watch a video presentation that explains in detail, the story of Lourdes; participate with the gesture of the miraculous spring ; Wash your hands, wash your face and drink the water. Finish with a short prayer: Our Lady of Lourdes…Pray for us St. Bernadette…Pray for us Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to experience Christ’s unconditional love, as you meditate upon the “lifesize” Stations of the Cross that overlook the Grotto of Massabielle. In Lourdes, you will walk in and meditate upon the footsteps of St. Bernadette. Your group will have the opportunity to see Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the “Cachot,” an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. Each evening following dinner, you will have an opportunity to attend the candlelight procession and the Rosary, before a restful overnight.

Today, you will enjoy breakfast before departing for Pau or Lourdes airport for your short flight to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, visit and attend Mass at the magnificent, Sacre Coeur Basilica that stands atop Montmartre Hill. The Basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was originally built in 1914, as an act of penance for the infidelity that France was experiencing during that time. While on your visit, in addition to the extraordinary artwork and architecture that forms the Basilica, you will see the beautiful mosaic of the Risen Christ, and the remarkable Grand Organ. Celebrate Mass at the Crypt that contains the Tombs of many notable Cardinals. Time permitting, you may have the opportunity during your free time to ascend a staircase to the Dome where you will take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of Paris. Following this visit, you will enjoy lunch on your own and depart for Lisieux. According to Pope Pius X, St. Therese of Lisieux was the “greatest saint of modern times.” Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity will come alive as you walk in the great Saint’s footsteps. During your visit, you will see the beautiful Basilica of St. Therese, and the magnificent mosaics and stained glass that are contained within. Dinner an overnight at your hotel in Lisieux.

Upon waking up in Lisieux and enjoying breakfast, you will pray and reflect upon the life of the beloved Saint, as well as celebrate Mass. After Mass and a visit to the Basilica, you will have the opportunity to view relics, clothing and personal objects of St. Therese when you visit her family home, Les Buissonets. Additionally, you will tour the Carmelite Convent, where she entered in 1888, and is currently entombed in with her parents. This afternoon, transfer to Normandy Landing beaches. The Normandy landings were thelanding operations on Tuesday, June 6, 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the liberation of German-occupied Northwestern Europe from Nazi control, and contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front. Continue on to visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, a World War II memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honors American troops who died in Europe during World War II. Many of the brave American soldiers of World War II are buried here, and it is encouraged to say a prayer in thanksgiving for their courage. Return to Lisieux for dinner and an overnight.

This morning, your day begins with an early breakfast, before we depart for Chartres, known worldwide for its massive Cathedral Notre Dame, and its incredible stained-glass windows from the 12th and 13th century. The World Heritage site, UNESCO, calls the Cathedral “the high point of French Gothic art” and a “masterpiece”. You will have some free time for lunch in the quaint town of Chartres. After lunch, we will continue to Paris for check in at your hotel, followed by some free time before a delicious dinner and an overnight.

Today, you will see the sights of Paris and visit two of the city’s holiest sites. We will start with the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, where we will celebrate Mass, after which we will have the opportunity to view the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure. The Saint’s guardian angel led her to the chape, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her. During the apparitions, Our Lady repeatedly instructed the making and purpose of the Miraculous Medal, as well as the green scapular. According to the Apparition, those who wear the Miraculous Medal and scapular will receive special protection and abundant graces. Continue on a panoramic tour, passing by iconic Parisian landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, and the world-renowned Champs-Élysées boulevard. After lunch, we will visit one of the most famous churches in the world, the spectacular Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris. Construction began on the cathedral in 1163, and it was completed in 1345 and awarded minor basilica status in 1805. It is famous for its relics of the Crown of Thorns and True Cross, its tradition of Lent Sermons, its Rose Windows and as the setting of Victor Hugo’s famous novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. After being severely damaged in a fire in 2019, the Cathedral was restored and reopened in 2024. Your busy day ends with a lovely meal and a comfortable overnight.

–  On January 1, 2025, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will be open to all who wish to visit on an individual basis.

– Starting June 9, 2025, guided group tours will resume, including all 206 Tours pilgrimage groups. All reservations and registrations must be made in advance.

– The official reservation website for group tours will open on March 1, 2025.

– Only licensed Notre Dane guides will be allowed to lead tours within the Cathedral. One guide will be necessary for every 25 people in the group. (Ex: If the group has 50 pilgrims, 2 guides will be necessary.)

After breakfast, depart for Nevers by way of the picturesque Loire Valley to view the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette. After taking the veil in 1867, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Nevers. At least three times during her short lifetime, she received the last Sacraments. In addition to asthma, she was gradually struck by other illnesses, among which were tuberculosis of the lung and a tubercular tumor in her right knee. St. Bernadette eventually died at the age of 35. St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body at the Convent of St. Gildard, is miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. You will have some free time before enjoying a delicious meal and retiring for the evening in Nevers.

After breakfast, we continue our travelling on to Paray le Monial, the place where St. Margaret Mary Alacoque experienced visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the 17th century. In revealing His Heart to her, Jesus said: “Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing but has been poured out totally and consumed as proof of its love”. After celebrating Mass in the Shrine of Parayle-Monial, we will start a guided visit that features the Chapel of Apparitions, the place where St. Margaret Mary Alacoque experienced visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the 17th century, the room of the relics of St. Margaret Mary, the Diorama of St Margaret and the Eucharist Museum. Other highlights include the Basilica of Sacre Coeur and the Chapel of St. Claude in honor of St. Margaret Mary’s Spiritual Director. After the visit, you will have free time for lunch on your own. Depart Paray Le Monial to continue on to Lyon. Dinner and an overnight.

After breakfast, we depart for La Salette located in a high alpine pasture in the French Alps. La Salette is the site where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1846 to two shepherds, Melanie Matthew and Maximin Gird. Our Lady appeared to these shepherds crying, lamenting over the lack of observance of Sundays and the profaning of her Son’s holy name. A spring forever marks the spot where the Virgin appeared and where millions of pilgrims come, in order to drink the fresh spring water and to pray. The stunning mountain scenery and lush mountain trails make La Salette one of the most spectacular pilgrimage sites in France, with a beautiful Basilica built to honor the Virgin Mary. In 1996, La Salette celebrated the 150th anniversary of Our Lady’s first appearance. We return to Lyon for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy a nice breakfast before we start our day. Lyon stands on the site of the ancient Roman city called Lugdunum, founded in 43 BC, which was the capital of Gaul, and later, became a major Christian center. This city is filled with renowned history, culture, and architecture. This morning we will enjoy a tour of Lyon, including a visit to the Basilique Notre-Dame of Fourviere, which was built after the Franco-Prussian War when the people of Lyon had vowed to create a Marian sanctuary if their city was spared. The Basilica is a blend of Gothic and Byzantine styles with a richly decorated interior. Fourviere Hill provides a sensational panoramic outlook onto the city of Lyon. The views extend to the Croix-Rousse and the Terreaux districts, the Quartier Saint-Jean and the Place Bellecour. In the afternoon, we will depart towards Ars where we will visit the Shrine dedicated to Saint Jean Marie Vianney, the patron saint of the priesthood. In Ars, we will be able to visit the presbytery and the Basilica where we will find the incorrupt body of the Cure of Ars, and to enjoy a short documentary about his life. Return to Lyon for a delicious meal and restful overnight.

This morning, you will begin with breakfast and continue with a transfer to the Lyon airport for your return flight(s) home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.