Day 1
Depart the United States
We board our overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Rome and the Two Great Marian Shrines of Western Europe
Ten days from Rome to Lisbon: four nights in Rome, a night at Lourdes, two at Fátima and a last night in Lisbon, joined by two short flights. The Major Basilicas and a Papal Audience, the Grotto of Massabielle, and the Chapel of the Apparitions in one pilgrimage.
Upcoming departures to Portugal. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.
Rome, Lourdes, Porto, Fátima, Santarém and Lisbon.
OvernightVisit
Ten days, arriving in Rome and departing from Lisbon, with four nights in Rome, one at Lourdes, two at Fátima and one in Lisbon. Two short flights, in and out of Toulouse, carry the pilgrimage from Rome to Lourdes and on to Porto. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
“Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”
Patrick Madrid
Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group
Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work
If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill
Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage
Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works
Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.
Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.
The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.
Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.
Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.
The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.
A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.
Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.
“They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”
Chris StefanickGroups travel from April through October. The Candlelight Marian Procession at Lourdes runs only in that season, and May and October carry the anniversaries of the Fátima apparitions. In Rome, the Wednesday General Audience is held most weeks of the year but is usually paused in July, when the Holy Father takes his summer break, so plan around it if the audience matters to your group.
Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days around them. What activity level means.
Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.
A United States passport valid for at least three months beyond your return date is required, and no visa is needed for stays under ninety days. Italy, France and Portugal are all in the Schengen Area, so there are no border checks on the flights between them.
Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.
Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.
Dioceses, parishes, schools and Catholic ministries plan their pilgrimages with Canterbury.
A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.